AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Contemporary Accoutrements => Topic started by: La Longue Carabine on June 25, 2009, 03:45:37 PM

Title: Question about Water Gourds
Post by: La Longue Carabine on June 25, 2009, 03:45:37 PM

Ok, i've read a couple of posts on here concerning gourds and the waxing of the inside of a gourd... ???...Could someone please explain to me, the technique for coating the inside of a gourd with paraffin wax?? I understand that the gourd needs to be hot, but how do you get the paraffin wax to stay in a liquid form long enough to slarsh it around well enough to completely coat the inside of a gourd?? Any and all "detailed" suggestions, from start to finish, will be highly appreciated.

Thank you,
La Longue Carabine

Title: Re: Question about Water Gourds
Post by: Black Hand on June 25, 2009, 05:23:18 PM

Put the gourd in the oven at ~190-200F and allow it to warm.  Melt your wax in a separate container (a discarded can works well) on the stove (Beeswax is far superior to paraffin wax.  Much more flexible).  Take the gourd out of the oven, pour in your container of wax, plug the hole with a cork and slosh the wax around the interior.  Remove the cork (carefully) and pour out the excess wax (keep melted on the stove).  Place the gourd in the oven for a bit to soak up the wax.  Repeat 2-3 more times.  Wax the outside of the gourd and rub off the excess.  I also give my cork a bath in the molten wax.

Repeat as necessary.....

P.S. The wax will stay molten for quite some time even after it is removed from the heat.

Title: Re: Question about Water Gourds
Post by: Larry Pletcher on June 25, 2009, 06:25:50 PM

I heated my gourd hotter than the melting point of the wax.  After pouring in the wax I kept it rotating until the gourd cooled. Since the gourd is thin it looses heat fairly fast.  Repeat until you are satisfied with the coating.

BTW I shook crushed rock  inside to clean out the pith.
Regards,
Pletch

Title: Re: Question about Water Gourds
Post by: La Longue Carabine on June 29, 2009, 04:27:42 PM

Thank you gentlemen for your very useful suggestions. I'am pretty sure i can make that work. How long should i leave the gourd in the oven, so as not to over cook it and ruin it??? :o

Title: Re: Question about Water Gourds
Post by: Z. Buck on July 01, 2009, 04:32:18 PM

if your gourd is totally dry it shouldn't cook but it also will not take a real long time for the whole gourd to get up to that temperature if you have a candy or deep frying thermometer that should be able to tell you when your gourd is at temp, then proceed as already instructed