Microcrystalline Wax Techniques?

Oscar Spierenburg · November 5th, 2005, 05:04 PM

That reminds me, I tried hot glue too some months ago. One other thing I had in mind was resin, which in some conditions turns diffusive, but probably not between glass.

Mikko Parttimaa · November 5th, 2005, 05:15 PM

Hi, posting here for the first time.

Month ago I made my first test glasses with microwax. (which was unbelievebly hard to find, had to order it from UK) I wasn't able to find epoxy which wouldn't produce bubbles and I had a tons of school work so I stopped working with this thing for a while. Now im ready to start again. This is what I have this far:

http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax1.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax2.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax3.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax4.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax5.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax6.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax7.jpg
http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax8.jpg

Shot with f.1.4 50 mm Ricoh lens and a crappy Sony handycam. The glass is not correctly aligned and the condesors (two of them) need to be tweaked a little to reduce the barrel dissortion.

It has couple of those nasty bubbles in it but I find the grain (or the lack of it) great. It can bee seen if looked carefully but I can live with that.

Ill go look for better epoxy tomorrow so I can finally finish this project. It's funny how I (and all of us) have these three problems: grain, dust and bubles. I never have all of them, just one. This glass in the pictures had only grain after first melting. When I remelt it, the bubbles appeared. Cruel I say.

Oscar Spierenburg · November 5th, 2005, 05:35 PM

Nice to see someone new picking it up again! The images look very good. One thing I notice is a little reduced contrast, but I seem have the same thing with microwax. I think that's one difference (besides grain) with Paraffin which has more contrast (maybe because of the grain).

Epoxy shouldn't be hard to find, but maybe they call it something like: two component glue.
Also, to avoid those bubbles when remelting, but the whole thing in a small container of already melted wax, so there is no chance of air coming in.

Andy Gordon · November 6th, 2005, 05:33 PM

I use an epoxy called Araldite. Where did you get the wax from?

Oscar Spierenburg · November 6th, 2005, 06:26 PM

Make sure you check the right stores, microwax is used for candle making (try hobby suppliers) and Batik paint techniques (try art suppliers stores) I also think they put it in chewing gum, but that's of no use I guess, unless you can blow a bubble onto a piece of glass...oh, never mind.

Mikko Parttimaa · November 7th, 2005, 08:17 AM

I ordered mine from here: http://www.candlemakers.co.uk/textile/textframe.html

Yes, I had two component glue but there are differences in them also. Have to look for Araldite then.

Oscar Spierenburg · November 11th, 2005, 05:49 PM

Just because I want to make a new adapter for higher resolution, I thought I'd need to finish the first wax adapter, so that I can shoot work and test scenes with my one chip consumer camera (which is not a bad camera for that purpose).
The wax screen is without error, bubbles or dust, and I think as little grain as possible, unnoticeable under most circumstances. Here it is:
http://s01.picshome.com/a82/wax_adapter.jpg

Now I'll get on with a bigger wax screen for my double camera (which I talked about some time ago, and will explain when I get some results)

Besides that, I made a LCD projector from a 15" LCD and a OHP and the footage from the wax adapter projected on a big screen shows very much resemblance to 16mm film. I think the grain of DV resolution is about the same size.

Leo Mandy · November 11th, 2005, 06:45 PM

Bravo, Oscar. It looks great, as usual!

Dan Diaconu · November 11th, 2005, 08:54 PM

I second that. Bravo Oscar. Nice and clean, like a pin!

Bill Porter · November 12th, 2005, 12:58 AM

Good job! Keep it up, Oscar! I like seeing your experiments.

Off-topic I have another question. Do you guys really eat french fries - sorry, Freedom fries - with mayonnaise?

Mikko Parttimaa · November 12th, 2005, 04:11 AM

Of course we do. I only use ketchup if there is no other choice. Mayonnaise and -krhm- FRENCH fries are like red wine and good steak, they are just meant to be together. Eating them with ketchup is like eating the steak raw and drinking turpentine with it.

And once again back to the topic. Oscars adapter looks nice. It has this great guerilla (not 35) look to it. I also got my araldite and will be making a new screen as soon as the epoxy has dried. Instructions say it should take something beetween 18-24 hours.

Oscar Spierenburg · November 12th, 2005, 05:16 PM

I got a few emails over a period of time from different people who can't really figure out how to implement my guide using round UV filters. (In stead of straight pieces of glass)
So tonight I made some new pictures (just for the guide, there isn't even wax in the cigar case..hehe) and wrote a slightly better guide:
http://members.chello.nl/a.schultzev...nburg/wax3.htm

Oh and Bill, I can only get French fries in YOUR Mc Donald's. How about that!

Kurt August · November 21st, 2005, 02:53 PM

Probably asked one thousand times:

Has someone worked with aspheric condenser lenses? Like these:
http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlineca...productID=2454

Every image I see with wax adapters has this strange bokeh. Very round. I don't exactly know how to describe it. But I'm shure you know what I'm talking about and can also give me a good explanation.

Oscar Spierenburg · November 21st, 2005, 06:46 PM

bokeh? Good or bad?
I like it, although you are right about it being a bit circular (or round as you say), as if the condenser distortion only works on the unsharp areas.
I don't know about the lens you posted, it might be too thick.

Anyone know more about this? Aaron Shaw...?

Bill Porter · November 21st, 2005, 07:33 PM

I am not sure if you are talking about bokeh or something else, Kurt. Round bokeh is almost universally considered preferable, as far as I have ever read or heard. The fewer the blades in your lens' aperture, the more of a polygon the bokeh appears to be. Uuugly.

November 12th, 2005, 05:16 PM	#582
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	-new guide- I got a few emails over a period of time from different people who can't really figure out how to implement my guide using round UV filters. (In stead of straight pieces of glass) So tonight I made some new pictures (just for the guide, there isn't even wax in the cigar case..hehe) and wrote a slightly better guide: http://members.chello.nl/a.schultzev...nburg/wax3.htm Oh and Bill, I can only get French fries in YOUR Mc Donald's. How about that!

November 5th, 2005, 05:04 PM	#571
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	That reminds me, I tried hot glue too some months ago. One other thing I had in mind was resin, which in some conditions turns diffusive, but probably not between glass.

November 5th, 2005, 05:15 PM	#572
Mikko Parttimaa Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 45	Hi, posting here for the first time. Month ago I made my first test glasses with microwax. (which was unbelievebly hard to find, had to order it from UK) I wasn't able to find epoxy which wouldn't produce bubbles and I had a tons of school work so I stopped working with this thing for a while. Now im ready to start again. This is what I have this far: http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax1.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax2.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax3.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax4.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax5.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax6.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax7.jpg http://hasu.kapsi.fi/Mikko/Microwax/Wax8.jpg Shot with f.1.4 50 mm Ricoh lens and a crappy Sony handycam. The glass is not correctly aligned and the condesors (two of them) need to be tweaked a little to reduce the barrel dissortion. It has couple of those nasty bubbles in it but I find the grain (or the lack of it) great. It can bee seen if looked carefully but I can live with that. Ill go look for better epoxy tomorrow so I can finally finish this project. It's funny how I (and all of us) have these three problems: grain, dust and bubles. I never have all of them, just one. This glass in the pictures had only grain after first melting. When I remelt it, the bubbles appeared. Cruel I say.

November 5th, 2005, 05:35 PM	#573
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	Nice to see someone new picking it up again! The images look very good. One thing I notice is a little reduced contrast, but I seem have the same thing with microwax. I think that's one difference (besides grain) with Paraffin which has more contrast (maybe because of the grain). Epoxy shouldn't be hard to find, but maybe they call it something like: two component glue. Also, to avoid those bubbles when remelting, but the whole thing in a small container of already melted wax, so there is no chance of air coming in.

November 6th, 2005, 05:33 PM	#574
Andy Gordon Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Perth WA Posts: 103	I use an epoxy called Araldite. Where did you get the wax from?

November 6th, 2005, 06:26 PM	#575
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	Make sure you check the right stores, microwax is used for candle making (try hobby suppliers) and Batik paint techniques (try art suppliers stores) I also think they put it in chewing gum, but that's of no use I guess, unless you can blow a bubble onto a piece of glass...oh, never mind.

November 7th, 2005, 08:17 AM	#576
Mikko Parttimaa Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 45	I ordered mine from here: http://www.candlemakers.co.uk/textile/textframe.html Yes, I had two component glue but there are differences in them also. Have to look for Araldite then.

November 11th, 2005, 05:49 PM	#577
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	Just because I want to make a new adapter for higher resolution, I thought I'd need to finish the first wax adapter, so that I can shoot work and test scenes with my one chip consumer camera (which is not a bad camera for that purpose). The wax screen is without error, bubbles or dust, and I think as little grain as possible, unnoticeable under most circumstances. Here it is: http://s01.picshome.com/a82/wax_adapter.jpg Now I'll get on with a bigger wax screen for my double camera (which I talked about some time ago, and will explain when I get some results) Besides that, I made a LCD projector from a 15" LCD and a OHP and the footage from the wax adapter projected on a big screen shows very much resemblance to 16mm film. I think the grain of DV resolution is about the same size.

November 11th, 2005, 06:45 PM	#578
Leo Mandy Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 749	Bravo, Oscar. It looks great, as usual!

November 11th, 2005, 08:54 PM	#579
Dan Diaconu Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 804	I second that. Bravo Oscar. Nice and clean, like a pin!

November 12th, 2005, 12:58 AM	#580
Bill Porter Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 751	Good job! Keep it up, Oscar! I like seeing your experiments. Off-topic I have another question. Do you guys really eat french fries - sorry, Freedom fries - with mayonnaise?

November 12th, 2005, 04:11 AM	#581
Mikko Parttimaa Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 45	Of course we do. I only use ketchup if there is no other choice. Mayonnaise and -krhm- FRENCH fries are like red wine and good steak, they are just meant to be together. Eating them with ketchup is like eating the steak raw and drinking turpentine with it. And once again back to the topic. Oscars adapter looks nice. It has this great guerilla (not 35) look to it. I also got my araldite and will be making a new screen as soon as the epoxy has dried. Instructions say it should take something beetween 18-24 hours.

November 21st, 2005, 02:53 PM	#583
Kurt August Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 94	Probably asked one thousand times: Has someone worked with aspheric condenser lenses? Like these: http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlineca...productID=2454 Every image I see with wax adapters has this strange bokeh. Very round. I don't exactly know how to describe it. But I'm shure you know what I'm talking about and can also give me a good explanation.

November 21st, 2005, 06:46 PM	#584
Oscar Spierenburg Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: (The Netherlands - Belgium) Posts: 735	bokeh? Good or bad? I like it, although you are right about it being a bit circular (or round as you say), as if the condenser distortion only works on the unsharp areas. I don't know about the lens you posted, it might be too thick. Anyone know more about this? Aaron Shaw...?

November 21st, 2005, 07:33 PM	#585
Bill Porter Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 751	I am not sure if you are talking about bokeh or something else, Kurt. Round bokeh is almost universally considered preferable, as far as I have ever read or heard. The fewer the blades in your lens' aperture, the more of a polygon the bokeh appears to be. Uuugly.