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DailyTX wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 18, 2023 1:39 pm

StefTeaPot
Try to boil it with tea, slow simmer, and don’t wrap the teapot fully with towel so the wax can float on top. Good luck cleaning

This appears to be the best way to remove wax. Thank you!!

I have tried to remove the wax with ethanol earlier today, but to no avail. The wax gets diluted, but by rubbing it with cloth the dilution is distributed on the pot again.

Now this patient procedure of simmering the pot seems to work best of all ways I have tried to remove the old wax layer.

Thank you for the tip of not covering the pot and lid with cloth whilst simmering for an hour!

Since the molten wax can come to the surface of the water freely, the wax forms a layer on top of the water.

The first batch produced a slightly foaming layer. After an hour, I ad boiling water to the big boiling pot, so the layer can flow out of the boiling vessel. After that, I use a hook to take out the tea pot, which I rince with boiling hot water.
The same is applied to the lid of the tea pot.

The pot was much cleaner after drying. Some traces of wax remained.

The second run produced only an oily layer on the water, no more foam. I proceeded like the first time. The result is very promissing: only slight remains of wax in some crevisses (like the stamp underneath the tea pot).

The third boiling looked like this: After three simmering essions and hot rinsing the result looks quite nice.

And I will start seasoning the pot once the result satisfies me.

@StefTeaPot try making a thick paste out of sodium bicarbonate and a little water and then brush the pot with a toothbrush, this should make quick work of the wax.

Baiyun wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 4:51 am

StefTeaPot try making a thick paste out of sodium bicarbonate and a little water and then brush the pot with a toothbrush, this should make quick work of the wax.

Thank you. I have tried this after the last rinse with hot water. Yet the result was poor. I might have to repeat that treatment to get a thouroughly clean result.

StefTeaPot wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:56 am

Baiyun wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 4:51 am

StefTeaPot try making a thick paste out of sodium bicarbonate and a little water and then brush the pot with a toothbrush, this should make quick work of the wax.

Thank you. I have tried this after the last rinse with hot water. Yet the result was poor. I might have to repeat that treatment to get a thouroughly clean result.

Surprising, I would have expected the SB to react with the fatty acids in the wax, and the agitation action to lift it off. Some serious stuff on there it seems. Either way, I'd stick to these mild methods and good old repetition, and not resort to harsh chemicals some waxes require to dissolve on a pot, even if just external. Good luck!

Baiyun wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 2:41 pm

StefTeaPot wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:56 am

Baiyun wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 4:51 am

StefTeaPot try making a thick paste out of sodium bicarbonate and a little water and then brush the pot with a toothbrush, this should make quick work of the wax.

Thank you. I have tried this after the last rinse with hot water. Yet the result was poor. I might have to repeat that treatment to get a thouroughly clean result.

Surprising, I would have expected the SB to react with the fatty acids in the wax, and the agitation action to lift it off. Some serious stuff on there it seems. Either way, I'd stick to these mild methods and good old repetition, and not resort to harsh chemicals some waxes require to dissolve on a pot, even if just external. Good luck!

And I would’ve thought high proof ethanol would have wiped it away. I’ve use 95% the ethanol with success. I’m guessing there was quite the layer of wax applied.

Baisao wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 2:52 pm

And I would’ve thought high proof ethanol would have wiped it away. I’ve use 95% the ethanol with success. I’m guessing there was quite the layer of wax applied.

Yeah, so maybe it is some carnauba mix, or more likely some synthetic wax that doesn't play well with organic solvents. I can only think of trying to heat the ethanol to see if that improves it, and continue with brush agitation. I haven't removed any wax layers from pots, and I'd be surprised if this was a common wax used for the showroom shine on pots, so just going off chemistry without considering nasty stuff. It'll get there.

Doesn’t bode well for that pot that it takes so long to clean off… I mean it seems that whoever made it did obviously not care for people to actually use it!

The wax layer on factory pots goes away after on or two showerings with hot water or one gentle boil of a few minutes.

All things considered, I am also not sure about this conclusion by @StefTeaPot:

I'd like to mention that the red - coloured leaves decorating the pot are massive clay, not painted dark clay. So the possibility of dye or paint reacting when boiled ( thus contaminating the pot) can be left behind us.

There may not be superficial paint on the pot surface, but I think this is definitely pigmented clay because the body does not look reduction fired, and not a contender for some complicated multi-firing clay layering. I don't know whether manganese oxide pigmented clay turns out exactly like this, but the purple red hue of the ornamental leaves is not a colour I recognise, so I highly suspect this to be yet another pigment in the same, or similar, base clay blend.

Worth taking a closer look at the colour difference and transition between the exterior of the pot and where the lid seat was ground down (and how it compares to the interior wall).

Given the unknown provenance, it is probably difficult to pinpoint the additives based on the colour alone? Just because it went through firing does not mean that it is not interacting with boiling water. I'd be weary.

Bok wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 6:34 pm

Doesn’t bode well for that pot that it takes so long to clean off… I mean it seems that whoever made it did obviously not care for people to actually use it!

The wax layer on factory pots goes away after on or two showerings with hot water or one gentle boil of a few minutes.

The potter’s name is Chan, Chun Fang 陳春芳
https://www.reusebupo.com/cht/product/a ... IPzO831RxE

I have no further information about his work nor methods.

StefTeaPot wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 20, 2023 1:43 am

Bok wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 19, 2023 6:34 pm

Doesn’t bode well for that pot that it takes so long to clean off… I mean it seems that whoever made it did obviously not care for people to actually use it!

The wax layer on factory pots goes away after on or two showerings with hot water or one gentle boil of a few minutes.

The potter’s name is Chan, Chun Fang 陳春芳
https://www.reusebupo.com/cht/product/a ... 6153440744

I have no further information about his work nor methods.

In the world of Yixing a potters name is almost meaningless, unless it’s verified that the pot in question is actually made by that person.

Is that the picture, or does the rim have a different shade of brown than the outside body?

In any case, a pot that is still acting weird after such a prolonged cleaning, something is definitely not right.

Bok wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 05, 2022 7:28 am

This one is one of my all time favourites… 44ml, often used, it’s gathered a rather nice glow.

The small ones have become my most used. Higher tea ratio and can do 2 different teas for the caffeine consumption of 1 in a bigger pot.

Quite enjoying this old zini for high roast yancha

More fully handmade modern pottery from YAG with advertised 20+ plus aged traditionally hand processed zhuni from a named clay source.

Have you ever seen such a hole under the handle? I have not. Handle seems hollow in that area.
Is this a firing precaution? [Edit: It confirmed that it is such a measure to prevent kiln explosions of this particular clay]
Trying for gaoshan because the well shape keeps the leaves in check.

Baiyun wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:10 pm

More fully handmade modern pottery from YAG with advertised 20+ plus aged traditionally hand processed zhuni from a named clay source.




Have you ever seen such a hole under the handle? I have not. Handle seems hollow in that area.
Is this a firing precaution?






Trying for gaoshan because the well shape keeps the leaves in check.

Aging Yixing clay for more than a few years is of no consequence to the clay. It’s the same after 5 as it is after 20y.

Bok wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:12 pm

Aging Yixing clay for more than a few years is of no consequence to the clay. It’s the same after 5 as it is after 20y.

I suppose such clay stash age claims will matter if the clay factory builds on reputation of a previous generation and their clay expertise, like is the case here.

I mostly take clay aging to benefit how easy it is to work with the clay, as well as increased firing resilience, is there supposedly more to it (say six months versus 5 year aged clay) in terms of tea interaction?