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Making Greenland Wax
Making Greenland wax for waterproofing outdoor gear is very easy and inexpensive.
The materials needed are parafin and beeswax. I have used parafin meant for making
candles from a craft store which has a melting point of about 60 degrees. Beeswax
can be found from some craft stores, but it is cheaper to ask for it from a
beekeeper. Both parafin and beeswax are usually sold in 0,5 - 1 kg pieces. From 1
kg you can make 20 pieces of Greenland wax, which is enough for all your friends
as well.
The process is very simple: melt parafin (about 90%) and beeswax (about 10%)
in a container which is placed in a hot water bath. I have used a pot of water
on the stove for this, in which the water was first boiled and an empty cream cheese
container was used as a form (as seen in the picture below). After melting let the
mixture cool down. Afterwards the wax is ready for use.
In experimentations I haven't noticed any difference between the factory wax
and the self-made wax.

On the left factory made wax, on the right homemade wax and above parafin and beeswax
ready to be melted.
By Lauri Wannas
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