Lamp Black/Wax Ratio?

[Stratz]

Hi all, I have a 1 quart mason jar with a mix of wax and Lamp Black/Carbon Black that I mixed up years ago and there's no longer enough wax left in the jar to pot a Strat sized pickup.

I still have the Lamp Black powder but I have no idea how much powder I originally put in the wax.
Anybody have any idea of the proper ratio used?

Thanks.
Rob.

[big_teee]

Hi all, I have a 1 quart mason jar with a mix of wax and Lamp Black/Carbon Black that I mixed up years ago and there's no longer enough wax left in the jar to pot a Strat sized pickup.

I still have the Lamp Black powder but I have no idea how much powder I originally put in the wax.
Anybody have any idea of the proper ratio used?

Thanks.
Rob.

Was curious what you came up with.
Also What pickups do you put in the black wax?
I presume you put any pickup with single coils that have black flatwork?
Thanks for sharing.
T

[Stratz]

Was curious what you came up with.
Also What pickups do you put in the black wax?
I presume you put any pickup with single coils that have black flatwork?
Thanks for sharing.
T

I haven't come up with squat yet Terry. It was so long ago I have no idea how much I used.
I got the Lamp Black from my Father and I know he got it from Mr Fullerton so there wont be anymore of that batch coming.
The mix I have looks perfect and I don't want to screw up what I have left.
I called my Father and doesn't remember how to use much either.
I can transfer what mixed wax I have left into a smaller jar and I'll at least be able to pot a set of Strat singles I have sold but I really need to find the proper ratio.

To answer your question, I use it on 50's repro Fender singles to make them look more authentic..

Rob

[rjb]

Question from Free-Associating Ignoramus

Is the lamp black used purely for aesthetics, or do carbon's conductive properties come into play?
If just for looks, why can't you just mix "by eye"?
This Wikipedia info on India ink got me wondering about conductive properties:

Composition

Basic India ink is composed of a variety of fine soot known as lampblack, combined with water to form a liquid. A binding agent such as gelatin or, more commonly, shellac may also be added, to make the ink more durable once dried. India ink is occasionally sold not as a liquid, but in solid form (most commonly, a stick), which must be moistened before use.

Uses other than writing

Once dry, its conductive properties make it useful for electrical connections to difficult substrates, such as glass. Although relatively low in conductivity, surfaces can be made suitable for electroplating, low frequency shielding, or for creating large conductive geometries for high voltage apparatuses. A piece of paper impregnated with India ink serves as a grid leak resistor in some tube radio circuits.

[David Schwab]

I'd wonder about having carbon in the wax also. And wasn't that done fort the Tele pickups to make the string black?

Hey maybe it's a secret tone element.

[big_teee]

I've heard of guys putting black Kiwi Shoe polish in there wax pot, for that aged look.
T

[Stratz]

Is the lamp black used purely for aesthetics, or do carbon's conductive properties come into play?
If just for looks, why can't you just mix "by eye"?

Some say it's for looks and some say it affects the tone as well. I don't hear any difference myself and I can see no evidence of conductivity with my DMM or Extech LCR meter. But that still doesn't rule it out. I've remember my Father warning me about the old original black Forbon (which was colored with Lamp Black) shorting out on on bobbin flatwork.

I'd rather not mix it by eye because I know that there was specific ratio used by Fender and I only have about 10 oz of the original stuff left.

Thanks
Rob.

[Stratz]

wasn't that done fort the Tele pickups to make the string black?

Thats correct David

[Stratz]

I've heard of guys putting black Kiwi Shoe polish in there wax pot, for that aged look.
T

That wouldn't really cut it Terry. You can actually still the powder on the pickups, especially on the winding.

Rob.

[Stratz]

Well, I figured out how much NOT to use.


After a little adjustment I got it exactly like I wanted it.


It doesn't take as much as I had thought.

[kayakerca]

Well, I figured out how much NOT to use.


After a little adjustment I got it exactly like I wanted it.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19289[/ATTACH]

It doesn't take as much as I had thought.

What ratio of of lampblack to wax did you use to get it to come out the way you wanted it? I have a '62 Tele bridge I'm rewinding and it has the black string which I'm sure will need a little touching up with lampblack tinted wax to get the rewound bridge just right. The customer wants the end product as authentic as possible.

[Jim Shine]

I do not have a mix ratio and I highly doubt Fender did as well. There are batches in the old days where the lampblack is very low, others where there is so much, little clumps can be seen and the white, yellow, blue, or green leads turn jet black. Just add it until it is where you like it and know there are a couple thousand Fender's out there that match.

[kayakerca]

Jim.

Many thanks for the input. I'll follow your suggestion.

[kayakerca]

I do not have a mix ratio and I highly doubt Fender did as well. There are batches in the old days where the lampblack is very low, others where there is so much, little clumps can be seen and the white, yellow, blue, or green leads turn jet black. Just add it until it is where you like it and know there are a couple thousand Fender's out there that match.

Since the string was already black from before (only the underside that was laying up against the coil initially was white), I just melted some wax chips and added my home made lamp black powder to taste then just put the chips on the string and blended it in with the heat gun. Finished product is dirty enough to have bit of that patina thing going on.



I'm happy with the result.

[Jim Shine]

Another thing I noticed that happens, and I am certain they experienced the same thing is the lamp black will settle down into the bottom, especially if the wax gets cold and solidifies (it completely separates and sits at the bottom). If it wasn't stirred up, the amount would be lean, if freshly stirred, it could be heavy until it settled a little. This junk is a PITA. But if you are going to rewind old pickups, may as well go the extra mile.