Waxing Whips

I wax all my nylon whips using the submersion method.  That means I boil up a big pot of paraffin and bees wax and dip the whips all the way in till they stop bubbling. 

Ok, it isn't exactly boiling.  It is more like 220 degrees.  That is just barely melted really.  It isn't hot enough to damage the nylon.

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I found this used canning pot on amazon for 5 bucks and thought it would be great for dipping whips.  It is a good size, but if I ever find something a big bigger I will snatch it up.  The nice thing is I has a lid so I can keep the wax clean.    If you look closely at this picture you can see the air bubbling to the top.

When the nylon in the whips has absorbed a much of the wax as it can, I hang it up to cool.  At first the whip is all stiff and curled into the shape of the pot.  I take a towel and whip off the excess and pull the whips strait again.  I like to let them hang over night just to make sure they completely cooled down.

A lot of people don't wax their nylon whips at all or they just rub a bit of wax on the outside.  A lot of nylon whips are build with massive amounts of electrical tape instead of bolsters.  If you submerge them in hot wax the glue will be compromised and stop sticking...  making the whip loose its support.

I don't use tape and so avoid that problem.

The wax adds a layer of protection to the whip.  It makes it water proof and protects against fraying and abrasion.

I personally love how the wax makes the whip feel.  Instead of a dead plastic feel, the whips seems more alive and closer to the feel you get with leather.  (Not exactly but closer)  It also seems to allow the whips to break in to the way you move better than with out wax.

I love the wax and am always excited on the days that I get to dip a big batch of whips.