164 AUSTRALASIAN 
boards the length of the sheets required, and a thin knife. 
The boards should be made of very thin wood—or stout 
galvanised iron will answer—and made so that they can be 
reversed when dipping. Wax melts at a temperature of about 
145° Fahr., and the contents of the dipping boiler should be 
kept at very little over that temperature. The boards, after 
being soaked in the cold water and drained, are at first Just 
slightly touched over with soapy water to give them a start ; 
care should be taken to use no more soap than is absolutely 
necessary, as it is said the bees dislike it. Take a board and 
dip it overhead in the wax ; lift it out and let it drip; as soon 
as it has ceased to drip, quickly reverse the board and dip it 
overhead again; and repeat the process until the sheet is of 
the desired thickness. Two or three times is sufficient for stout 
foundation, and once or twice for thin. After the last dip 
plunge the board into the cold water, and if everything is 
right the sheets will peel off without trouble. If the wax is 
too hot the sheets will break, if too cold they will stick to the 
board. According as the wax in the dipping boiler is used up 
it should be replenished from the melting boiler, which must 
be kept on a good fire. For the Given press the dipping 
boards are made about the size of the inside dimensions of the 
frames, and are used in the same manner as the others. 
Fig. 77,GAUGE FOR TRIMMING FOUNDATION. 
After all the sheets are dipped it is better to leave them 
until next day before putting them through the machine. They 
should be nice and pliable, or else they will bieak when pressed 
or rolled. If the sheets are placed in warm water it will soften 
them. A little thin starch is a very good thing to put on the 
rollers in order to prevent the wax from sticking to them ; tins 
for holding the starch are supplied with the machines. For 
the Given press it is better to brush the plates over occasionally 
with concentrated lye. As the sheets require trimming to fit 
the trames after coming from the machine, a gauge should be 
made for that purpose as shown above. 
