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Cleaning the Stamp after Hot Wax Stamping

Stamps need to be cleaned after use in the molten coloured encaustic art waxes.

The process is simple and quick, leaving both rubber stamps and polymer stamps undamaged and ready for use with conventional ink stamping techniques.

 

Set up the mini iron hotplate as shown here

Make a direct hot wax stamped image
After being used in the molten wax the stamp needs to be reheated and wiped several times to remove the now cold and solidified wax colour remnants.
Place the rubber or polymer stamp directly onto the face of the heated iron hotplate - the temperature should be as normal, set at LOW.
Immediately you remove the stamp from the hot surface dab its face with a pad of clean tissue ...
... then wipe the wax remnants off the iron hotplate surface
... and repeat the process of heating
... and dab wiping with tissue and cleaning the iron, until no further was shows on the iron surface after the stamp is lifted off.
The stamp surface that actually contacts the card to make the image print out is now clean, but there may still be deposits of wax in the grooves of the stamp. These do not need to be cleaned out from a practical point of view, but if you want your stamps to look perfect you may need to use a toothbrush and solvent (white spirit) to clean up this part.
You can now use the stamp to print out ink impressions just as you did before using it in the molten wax colour.
The stamp is not damaged by the heat of the iron set on low - in fact, rubber stamps are vulcanized at much higher temperatures during their manufacture.
Images with some distinct detail - like the tree example used here - are ideal for hot wax stamping and will bring a new slant on both the image and your encaustic art.
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