Soy Wax as a Resist

[Jeau]

(This topic started at: http://itiedye.com/smf/index.php?action=post;quote=2069;topic=70.0;num_replies=36;sesc=133e7818801769ef3280936fbff6ea59 but I've replanted it here so that future members can find it when browsing by topic.)

The soy wax was interesting!  I definitely plan to explore that further.  First off, there are no fumes and I know that is really important.  Second, it can be dissolved with hot water and does not gum up the plumbing.  Technique-wise, it was easy to use.  The only thing I did not get a good result from was overwaxing the whole piece for a crackle-effect.  Someone said if you freeze the piece then crackle it would come out better.  I may try that to see.

Judy–that’s interesting about the crackle not really working.  Are you using soy pillar wax, or soy container wax?  You won’t ever get a good crackle effect with container wax, since it’s much softer.  Pillar wax should crackle when cold, but doesn’t necessarily need to be frozen.  Let us know how it works out!

[pburch]

Was the soy wax hard enough to use in an immersion bath, or does it have to be used only with dye being painted on carefully so as not to dissolve the wax?

I know some have complained about soy wax coming off too easily in the dyeing process, too much like any other water-soluble resist, but there are different hardnesses of soy wax being manufactured.

Paula

[Jeau]

Hi Paula--soy wax, while it does harden, is completely water soluble (as you've alluded).  The results in an immersion bath are disappointing, but when painting an overwaxed area, the solubility can yield interesting results--the dye pools and seeps in cool patterns.  But if immersion is the goal, one possibility is to mix the paraffin with beeswax.  This makes a resist that is tantamount to beeswax/paraffin, but without the nasty fumes.  Of course there's still the disadvantage of having to either boil (boiling with liquid castille is environmentally safe and quite effective for all waxes) or dry clean (which I totally avoid).

[pburch]

Yeah, I avoid dry cleaning, too. It's not only environmentally unsound, it also does not remove any wax at all, in the hands of our local dry cleaners here. Totally useless for batik. The time I tried it, I ended up with nicely dry-cleaned clothes with all of the wax I used still in the fabric all over them.

So you're suggesting mixing beeswax with soy wax? That's interesting. Have you tried it?

I have a bunch of beeswax and paraffin already, so I don't think I'll be trying this any time soon, but it's always interesting to learn as much as possible about new techniques.

Paula

[Jeau]

Yeah, I avoid dry cleaning, too. It's not only environmentally unsound, it also does not remove any wax at all, in the hands of our local dry cleaners here. Totally useless for batik. The time I tried it, I ended up with nicely dry-cleaned clothes with all of the wax I used still in the fabric all over them.

That stinks for batik, but that's great!  It means that your dry cleaner has switched to the newer, "safer" dry cleaning chemicals.  Good for them.

So you're suggesting mixing beeswax with soy wax? That's interesting. Have you tried it?

Yes, I have tried it, though I need to do some more experimenting with the ratios for a good crackle.  I, too, was trying to exhaust my supply of paraffin before fully committing to finding the perfect formula.

[pburch]

I wonder when the newer solvents come into use.  The last time I tried was over a decade ago.

I don't know how safe the newer solvents are, but the older ones were certainly pretty nasty. I recall that Consumer Reports mentioned that hanging your freshly dry-cleaned clothes in the closet of your bedroom exposes you to enough chemical fumes as you sleep to increase health risks; they recommended airing clothes out for a while in another place before putting them in a bedroom closet. Imagine how much exposure the workers at the dry cleaning establishments must have!

Paula

[Jeau]

Ew.  yuck.  I wonder what the runoff from those places does to all the critters.

I did forget to mention another critical quality of soy wax, which is that it doesn't stick to itself very well.  So you can't rely on layering to keep the dyes from seeping through.  I haven't tried layering a soy/beeswax amalgam, though.

Also, I should give credit where it is due!  I am grateful to Dorothy ("Bunny") Bowen for most of my soy wax knowledge, and for getting me to try it.  She offers workshops, and I hope to someday take one.  You can check 'em out here: http://www.db-bowen.com/   

[Lelia187]

When you use soy wax is it only for batik? Have you ever used soy wax or *gutta?* to get fine lines on a shirt or tapestry and then try to tie it up and dye it?

I'm just wondering, because if you were to use the wax and then tie the fabric, wouldn't it crinkle the wax way too much? Can this be done at all?