didgeridoo mouthpiece alternative to beeswax

Peter.H....@gmail.com

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Nov 29, 2006, 4:25:30 AM11/29/06

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I've followed the instructions and made a moutpiece for my digeridoo
out of beeswax. Sadly this has caused an allergic reaction around my
lips - apparently the pollen in beeswax is known to cause this reaction
in people who have sensitive skin.

Obviously one solution, not my preferred one, would be to give up the
digeridoo. Another would be to remove the mouthpiece and simply play
the instrument open ended - this is quite rough though.

What substances could I use as an alternative to beeswax that are
likely not to cause this reaction?

Any useful suggestions gratefully received.

sm_jamieson

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Nov 29, 2006, 4:35:56 AM11/29/06

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Peter.H....@gmail.com wrote:

The "toy" digeridoo I have, had a slightly flexible plastic mouthpiece
that was just like an end-cap with a hole cut about the size £2 coin.
Got some pretty good sounds out of it.
Simon.

Dave Plowman (News)

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Nov 29, 2006, 5:05:35 AM11/29/06

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In article <1164792330.3...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>,

<Peter.H....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Obviously one solution, not my preferred one, would be to give up the
> digeridoo.

Sounds the best one. Or you could take up the bagpipes?

--
*Stable Relationships Are For Horses.

Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

HWtn

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Nov 29, 2006, 5:23:25 AM11/29/06

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1e: you can try to make one of parafine or stearine, the stuff candles are
made of.
2e: You can also try to make a mould from your mouth peace, from plaster or
from silicon rubber f.e. To describe the whole procedure is a long story but
there are plenty descriptions on the internet. Cast in that mould a mouth
peace from some polyester casting stuff.
3e or simply make it from wood, take a mouthpiece of and alp horn as
example.
Good luck
HWtn

"sm_jamieson" <sm_ja...@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
news:1164792955.9...@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

kauhl-meersburg

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Nov 29, 2006, 5:23:42 AM11/29/06

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hello,

please don't believe all what people tell you
inside beeswax there is never pollen, it's just the cleanest product,
coming directly out of bees' glands, chewed and fixed
your allergic reaction surely comes from poisoned wax, chemical
treatment of the hive
look for a beekeeper who can garantee "virgin wax", visit him and have a
look how he gets it
btw, do you know, it's not the pollen which is causing allergies, it's
the aerial pollution dust particles, around which pollen is condensing

more info, you are welcome
cheers
kauhl
(Lake Constance)

Dave Plowman (News) schrieb:

The Wanderer

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Nov 29, 2006, 5:31:37 AM11/29/06

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Dunno anything 'bout the digeridoo, but presuming you have to partially
close off the end, how about a modelling or casting latex? There are
numerous types available, take a look at

http://www.tiranti.co.uk/indexhome.asp

I used some when I wanted to centre an armature wire in porcelain doll arms
and legs. It has the advantage that it still retains a measure of
elasticity even after curing, so in theory you should be able to pull it
away to replace, IYSWIM.

Fred Aldous also keep a wide range of latex and resins for casting and
moulding - milliput comes to mind as a two-part hard-setting resin putty

http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/trolleyed/7/index.htm

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Guy King

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Nov 29, 2006, 5:35:55 AM11/29/06

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The message <4e8d512...@davenoise.co.uk>
from "Dave Plowman (News)" <da...@davenoise.co.uk> contains these words:

> > Obviously one solution, not my preferred one, would be to give up the
> > digeridoo.

> Sounds the best one. Or you could take up the bagpipes?

It'd be an ill wind which blew nobody any good.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Guy King

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Nov 29, 2006, 5:35:23 AM11/29/06

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The message <1164792330.3...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>
from Peter.H....@gmail.com contains these words:

> What substances could I use as an alternative to beeswax that are
> likely not to cause this reaction?

Peel the red wax off some Dutch cheese and use that? It'd look stylish, too.

Mary Fisher

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Nov 29, 2006, 6:31:00 AM11/29/06

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"kauhl-meersburg" <OFFkau...@t-online.de> wrote in message
news:ekjn3d$mjc$00$1...@news.t-online.com...

> hello,
>
> please don't believe all what people tell you
> inside beeswax there is never pollen,

There is, the bees make it into comb. Honey contains pollen and honey is
stored in the comb. Pollen is also stored in the comb. Pollen CAN be
filtered out of beeswax but it needs an incredibly fine filter, not
available to beekeepers. The smallest pollen grains are very, very tiny -
some even smaller than that :-)

> it's just the cleanest product, coming directly out of bees' glands,
> chewed and fixed
> your allergic reaction surely comes from poisoned wax, chemical treatment
> of the hive

That's possible but not all beekeepers use chemical treatments.

> look for a beekeeper who can garantee "virgin wax", visit him and have a
> look how he gets it

Even 'virgin' wax is bound to contain some pollen, it's everywhere in the
hive including on the bees' bodies.

> btw, do you know, it's not the pollen which is causing allergies, it's the
> aerial pollution dust particles, around which pollen is condensing

Not always true. But there might be something else causing irritation to the
player/poster's lips. Paraffin isn't necessarily a good substitute for
beeswax for a mouthpiece because it's slippier and doesn't stick like
beeswax does. The person who suggested using a moulded flexible moulding
proably has the best solution.

Mary

Guy King

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Nov 29, 2006, 6:37:45 AM11/29/06

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The message <xcdbh.210116$_s2.30...@phobos.telenet-ops.be>
from "HWtn" <HW...@net.com> contains these words:

> 2e: You can also try to make a mould from your mouth peace, from plaster or
> from silicon rubber

Search for "morphplast" on eBay. Thermoplastic that melts in hot water,
can be shaped like putty and then sets hard as it cools. Can be
repeatedly reshaped.

Message has been deleted

Weatherlawyer

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Nov 29, 2006, 8:30:01 AM11/29/06

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Guy King wrote:
>
> Peel the red wax off some Dutch cheese and use that? It'd look stylish, too.

THAT'S WAX !!??

Shit!

Andy Dingley <dingbat@codesmiths.com>

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Nov 29, 2006, 8:32:08 AM11/29/06

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Peter.H....@gmail.com wrote:

> I've followed the instructions and made a moutpiece for my digeridoo
> out of beeswax.

Yellow or white beeswax? Yellow beeswax is usually low on pollen (it's
filtered) but it still contains enough of it, and the proteins from
pollen, to cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to it.
White beeswax (from Tiranti, not your local beekeeper) has considerably
more refining done to it and is usually regarded as "allergy safe" for
most people.

You could also use a microcrystalline wax (try Tiranti again), which is
much more inert and hypoallergenic.

Best of all though are some new polymers that become workable at
boiling water temperatures and remain mouldable afterwards down at
hand-safe temperatures. More stable than waxes though, especially in
hot climates. Now if only I could remember what the damn things are
called and where you get them from (Cooksons or Tiranti, most likely).

dennis@home

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Nov 29, 2006, 8:48:10 AM11/29/06

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<din...@codesmiths.com> wrote in message
news:1164807127.8...@l12g2000cwl.googlegroups.com...

> Best of all though are some new polymers that become workable at
> boiling water temperatures and remain mouldable afterwards down at
> hand-safe temperatures. More stable than waxes though, especially in
> hot climates. Now if only I could remember what the damn things are
> called and where you get them from (Cooksons or Tiranti, most likely).
>

Like
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35511&criteria=modelling&doy=29m11 ?

Guy King

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Nov 29, 2006, 10:14:17 AM11/29/06

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The message <1164807001....@j72g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>
from "Weatherlawyer" <Weathe...@hotmail.com> contains these words:

> > Peel the red wax off some Dutch cheese and use that? It'd look
> > stylish, too.

> THAT'S WAX !!??

> Shit!

Red marble-effect shit in your case, I presume.

Guy King

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Nov 29, 2006, 10:16:01 AM11/29/06

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The message <ucgbh.8848$k74....@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk>
from "dennis@home" <den...@killspam.kicks-ass.net> contains these words:

> http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35511&criteria=modelling&doy=29m11 ?

Grief, I just got 200g off eBay for £6 including P'n'P and thought that
wasn't cheap.

Andy Dingley <dingbat@codesmiths.com>

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Nov 29, 2006, 10:32:46 AM11/29/06

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dennis@home wrote:

> Like
> http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35511&criteria=modelling&doy=29m11 ?

That's the stuff. Price varies though.

If you over-heat it, apparently it does turn into bog-standard glue gun
sticks and it loses its magic behaviour. The peculiar properties aren't
just due to robust formulation, they're caused by sophisticated and
ephemeral processing of it.

gort

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Nov 29, 2006, 12:04:57 PM11/29/06

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> If you over-heat it, apparently it does turn into bog-standard glue gun
> sticks and it loses its magic behaviour. The peculiar properties aren't
> just due to robust formulation, they're caused by sophisticated and
> ephemeral processing of it.

Blimey you sound like that bird off the telly ad and the ' magic ' way they
make those museli ? bars.

Dave

Peter.H....@gmail.com

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Nov 29, 2006, 12:49:58 PM11/29/06

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Andy Dingley <din...@codesmiths.com> wrote:
> Peter.H....@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > I've followed the instructions and made a moutpiece for my digeridoo
> > out of beeswax.
>
> Yellow or white beeswax? Yellow beeswax is usually low on pollen (it's
> filtered) but it still contains enough of it, and the proteins from
> pollen, to cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to it.
> White beeswax (from Tiranti, not your local beekeeper) has considerably
> more refining done to it and is usually regarded as "allergy safe" for
> most people.
>
> You could also use a microcrystalline wax (try Tiranti again), which is
> much more inert and hypoallergenic.
>

The beeswax that I have is a fairly dark brown. I got it from a local
shop that was used to people buying it for digeridoos. It took a while
to put it on, too, dipping it to build up a thin layer at a time.

>
> Best of all though are some new polymers that become workable at
> boiling water temperatures and remain mouldable afterwards down at
> hand-safe temperatures. More stable than waxes though, especially in
> hot climates. Now if only I could remember what the damn things are
> called and where you get them from (Cooksons or Tiranti, most likely).
>

I'll look for a local (Cape Town) source, but that does sound like the
stuff!

Thank you to everybody for all the really useful information in this
thread!

raden

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Nov 29, 2006, 3:51:39 PM11/29/06

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In message <1164792330.3...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>,
Peter.H....@gmail.com writes

Blu-Tak?

plasticine
--
geoff

raden

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Nov 29, 2006, 4:01:39 PM11/29/06

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In message <ekjn3d$mjc$00$1...@news.t-online.com>, kauhl-meersburg
<OFFkau...@t-online.de> writes

>hello,
>
>please don't believe all what people tell you
>inside beeswax there is never pollen, it's just the cleanest product,
>coming directly out of bees' glands, chewed and fixed
>your allergic reaction surely comes from poisoned wax, chemical
>treatment of the hive

A Reinheitsgebot for pollen ?

interesting

doesn't sound right to me though

--
geoff

Mary Fisher

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Nov 29, 2006, 4:45:15 PM11/29/06

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<din...@codesmiths.com> wrote in message
news:1164807127.8...@l12g2000cwl.googlegroups.com...
>

> Peter.H....@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> I've followed the instructions and made a moutpiece for my digeridoo
>> out of beeswax.
>
> Yellow or white beeswax? Yellow beeswax is usually low on pollen (it's
> filtered) but it still contains enough of it, and the proteins from
> pollen, to cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to it.
> White beeswax (from Tiranti, not your local beekeeper) has considerably
> more refining done to it and is usually regarded as "allergy safe" for
> most people.

Andy, don't believe everything Tiranti says. They don't produce was, they
buy it in and they believe the sales talk from their supplier.
>
Mary
a Tiranti customer - but not for beeswax :-)

Mary Fisher

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Nov 29, 2006, 4:46:29 PM11/29/06

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<Peter.H....@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1164822598....@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>

>>
> The beeswax that I have is a fairly dark brown.

Then it was either not cleaned or it had been overheated.

Mary

AL

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Nov 29, 2006, 10:25:20 PM11/29/06

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Peter.H....@gmail.com wrote:

> The beeswax that I have is a fairly dark brown. I got it from a local
> shop that was used to people buying it for digeridoos. It took a while
> to put it on, too, dipping it to build up a thin layer at a time.

That's not a good color for clean wax, it should be gold color or
lighter. The gold wax would be comb, lighter color wax would be cappings
(the finest wax). What you have sounds like the first melting of brood
comb with no attempt to clean it - nasty.

To clean the wax you might try boiling it in water - 20% wax/80% water -
then letting it set. The brown solids will drop out and the clean wax
will eventually reform on top of the water. You may need to do this a
couple times to get all the crud out. Oh, be sure to use a pan you won't
ever need to use for any other purpose - you've been warned.

If you're dipping to build up layers you might want to try a cold water
bath to dip the didge in between wax dips - it'll harden a lot faster
and as the wax builds up it will still be pliable enough to shape as you
need.

I tried wax on my didge but it kept sticking to my mustache so I removed
it, the wax that is. My didge is bamboo with a wooden mouthpiece
though so the wax really wasn't necessary.

adamterre...@gmail.com

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Apr 3, 2014, 7:11:56 PM4/3/14

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I wouldn't do it myself but you can get some wax paper. Buy two packs of hot glue glue and go around in a circular pattern. This would probably take 3 hours of waiting for the glue to cool before reapplying another layer. Once it gets a little larger, make sure it fits your digeridoo. If it doesn't, take some walmart brought candle wax( sells for 1 dollar for 6 cubes) and slightly microwave it. Afterwards, slide the dried glue on the didge and add the wax at the bottom so it won't fall off the top. I am broke, so I had to make a fake digeridoo out of a Large cardboard roll I found in a carpet store. It doesn;t sound as good or authentic but it will have to do until I get some money. If you don't feel like going through all this trouble then just get some regular wax and slightly melt it then mold it in the shape of a beeswax mold or shape it to your didge. Upon drying it should have the same or a similar effect.

Disp Ensary

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Feb 12, 2024, 9:56:58 AMFeb 12

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Fedrick Mike

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Feb 17, 2024, 4:58:18 PMFeb 17

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