Anchor seal froze...

[beerguy]

So what do I do with this bucket of wax? There is at least 3 gallons of it. I could stick a wick in the center of it, but what a waste. Any help for this stuff after it solidifies?

[MrMoo]

Beerguy,
When I bought some Anchor Seal last year I told them I might use it in the cold weather & they added something to it so it would not freeze. Not sure if you can add this after it has frozen but it might be worth giving them a call.
Mike

[Frank_Pender]

I purchased a 50 gallon drum of the stuff a couple thre years ago that was trated with the ante freeze material.  It continuelly separated with a pinkish type liquid always wanting to come out from the barrel.  I eventually removed all of that and went with what was left.  I have used all of that barrel and am now useing a product put out by Associated Chemists, Inc..  They have an outlet in the Portland area and deliver for no charge when they come through Dallas, Oregon.  I chave chosen to use the 5 gallon containers as the are much esier to handle although a bit more in cost. :'(

[rvrdivr]

Being new to all this, I have sealed the ends of my logs with parafin wax. Several months later, no checking. Any drawback to this?

[beenthere]

Paraffin is probably the ideal moisture barrier, but it usually is difficult to get a layer on the end of logs (melted paraffin cools too quickly when applied to the log ends).  

Care to tell us how you managed to get the paraffin on the log ends?  Would be real interested. Maybe mixing melted paraffin in a carrier like mineral spirits?  I suspect anchor seal may be a mixture with some paraffin in it, but don't know that.

Thanks

[etat]

I've made quite a bit of waterproofing for my house using paraffin, mineral spirits, and linseed oil. The recipe is pretty easy to find it's an old timy waterproofing do it yourself mixture.  You have to cook it up just a bit. I'm of the opinion that it beats something like T. Waterseal all to pieces. Haven't done the whole house yet, wanted to make sure the boards were fully dry.  So a little later on I'm going to spray the whole outside of the house with this mixture.  With one exception.  I'm going to experiment and add a bit of zinc oxide or zinc sulfate to the stuff so it will also  have UV protection.

Disclaimer:  AM NOT recommending anyone else try this without doing a bit of research, and have no idea if it'd help the end of a log.

[rvrdivr]

I used a big coffee can and melted it on the electric stove on low. Your right, it does harden quickly, but I managed to get a lot done before It did. I applied it with a paint brush.

[rvrdivr]

Just another thought on this. When I find and want to preserve fossil bone from a wet enviroment, I seal the fossil in a 50/50 solution of water and Elmers glue. If the bone drys out it will crack and sometimes disintegrate if not treated this way.
I would think this might work for sealing the ends of the logs? I have not tried this but am sure I will at some point. Whats nice about Elmers is its water soluble.
Sorry Beerguy, I know his doesn't help your predicament, have you ever considered candle making? :D

[beerguy]

Thanks for the replies, folks.
I have saved my bucket of seal. I started stirring the chunks into the liquid at the bottom, then scooped out the solids and microwaved them in a glass jar. This I put back into the mix. I stir it with a coathanger chucked into my cordless drill, and now I have a reasonable looking liquid. There is still a few floaties in there, and if I don't nuke it, it doesn't dry clear. Too many solids, y'know? But at least I don't have a 35 pound votive candle.