Fighter Line Waxing Rig 
Fighter Line Waxing Rig (By The Mad Scientist)
Materials 1- Electric "Crock Pot" A smallish one will do just fine. Plans The Waxing Pictures
There are a few parts and bits you need to gather
before starting to construct your waxer
1- Eye screw - small one will do.
2 Pulleys - can be model airplane hubs, nylon pulleys, metal bobbins etc.
1- pulley to re direct the line out of the waxer to take up reel
1- wooden frame to mount pulleys etc on.
1- short length of plastic tubing for a squeegee
1- screw to hold tubing
The Wax... Paraffin wax is the base. I get it in a box with sections that you can
break off I usually use about half the package and throw on a bees wax candle for
colour and an added property. I also add either mineral oil (a small dribble) or after shave
to thin it and make it get into the thread. Make sure the level is high enough to cover the
lower pulleys.
The following is a section and top view of the waxing rig.
The first thing to do after getting your Crock Pot is to determine the contour of the interior and
make your mounting board fit it across the centre of the pot. For me this was the hardest part.
Once it is cut out and sanded then mount the two lower pulleys so they are just above the bottom
and will turn freely when sitting in position.
Now add the eye screw so the line will go between the screw and the first lower pulley without hitting the
side of the pot. The same with the upper pulley. To locate the squeegee place a piece of line between
the lower and upper pulleys and make a mark about 3/4 the way up to the top pulley. drill a pilot hole right
thru the board and then bring the tip of a #12 screw or there abouts thru from the other side and stick out
far enough to screw a piece of small plastic tubing onto. As an alternative... drill the hole big enough to
push the tubing thru and use a short screw to secure it in place.
OK now you have the rig and want to set it up to wax some line. The first thing to do is
determine where to set things up. A well ventilated area that doesn't have an open flame
around. Paraffin wax is very volatile!! Then also make sure you can get around 10 to 15 feet
between the waxer and take-up reel so the wax can harden on the line.
Secure your waxing rig to the crock pot. I used a cord tied to the frame with elastics and
run down around the bottom of the crock pot. Keeps the rig from popping out in the middle of things.
Set up your spool of line on something that will assure consistent unspooling. You will see
from the pictures below I use a bent coat hanger mounted close and centered on the frame.
Also make sure (this is important) that you tie off your crock pot so it doesn't tip over.
I use a heavy box or a pail of sand or something heavy and literally tie the pot to it. Haven't
tipped it over yet although it has bobbed and weaved a bit!!!
To thread up the frame... bring the line thru the eye screw and down under the first lower pulley.
from there you can criss-cross the line a couple times making sure it comes out from under the second
lower pulley. use a needle to pass the line thru the plastic tubing, in line with the pulleys.
Then it is up over the last pulley and off to the take-up reel. That is it.
The reason you criss-cross the lines in the bottom is to get them rubbing together and working the wax into
the line. Just make sure the line pulled through the rig smoothly without too much tension.
Here is my waxer in action. Some T7 cotton line getting a "hot wax" treatment
This is the actual rig. Fancy it is not but it is very functional. The frame is 1x2 pine
that has been screwed together and the hardware mounted to. The small lines attached
to the up rights with elastic bands is to secure the rig to the crock pot so it doesn't
pop out in the middle of a session.
On the subject of Take-up reels... Get creative. Mine is about as simple as they come.
A wooden frame with a BBQ spit as the axle and a bulk line spool as the reel. The prongs
from the spit hold the spool in place. The handle is mounted on a shelf bracket to make the
crank. I set it up on a box, use a brick for a weight and start cranking. Some good music,
a nice drink and an hour or two of cranking produces a couple thousand feet of nicely
waxed line. Oh ya... One happy fighterguy! ;)
The last word on waxing your own line...
Don't sweat it. You don't need an engineering degree to build one. The results are as good as
anybody who use much fancier rigs. The whole thing can be made for less than
20 bucks if you get some bargoons. It is cool to have some line that you like and
works to your satisfaction! A great grin producer!
have fun
Keep Grinning!
The Mad Scientist