How to Melt a Beeswax Cube for a Didgeridoo
The haunting, melancholic booms and droning sounds you hear in many Australian movies are created by musicians using a traditional musical instrument called a didgeridoo. These instruments are made from the hollowed-out branches of termite-infested Eucalyptus trees. A didgeridoo artisan selects a branch and continues the work of the insects, further hollowing the tube to produce the right conditions for the sounds and vibrations characteristic of the instrument. The beeswax mouthpiece of a didgeridoo allows the musician to form the airtight, form-fitting seal necessary for pushing air through the tube-like chamber of the instrument.
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Instructions
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Rolling Method
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Heat water in the saucepan until it is as warm as you can comfortably work with the submerged wax. Place the beeswax cube in the water and let it warm for 15 to 20 minutes.
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2
Press and knead the wax while keeping it in the heated water. As it continues to soften, continue flattening and lengthening the cube so it begins to form a rope-like shape.
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3
Remove the wax from the water and roll it back and forth on the cutting board with the palms of your hands. When the length of wax is evenly round, cut a piece that will fit along the top of your didgeridoo's mouth and form it into a doughnut shape. While the wax is still warm, press it on the end of the instrument.
Dipping Method
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4
Fill the saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Place the wax in a tin can that is high enough to sit in the water without being submerged, such as a coffee or vegetable tin.
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5
Lower the heat under the saucepan to the minimum temperature required to maintain a boil. Stir the wax in the tin occasionally to accelerate the melting process.
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6
Remove the tin from the pot when the wax is fully melted. Dip the first inch of the mouth-end of the didgeridoo into the melted wax to form the mouthpiece and seal any cracks or imperfections in that end of the tube.
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Tips & Warnings
Sheets of honeycomb-imprinted wax are available in most craft stores, and thin strips can be hand-warmed and built up into a mouthpiece.
Keep your didgeridoo out of the reach of your pets as they are sometimes attracted to the taste and smell of beeswax.
Never leave melting wax unattended as it is highly flammable.
