I would put a large container at 3 or 4 different farms so I didn't have to haul it all over gods creation.

To water test your wax just put some in a bucket and pour water on top, let stand for however long and pour water off. Dirt should be relatively dry depending on dirt to wax ratio when made.

My old man told me another way to test it. Put some in a Ziplock sandwich bag and put it in the freezer overnight. It shouldn’t freeze.

Dry dirt in a bag won't freeze either. You will have to add water for the true test.

10 block of wax from hobby lobby, and with the online 40% off coupon I only paid about $14 for it. I used one of these sure forms to make nice little wax shavings out of that block. I'm always a little disappointed afterward though...looking in the mirror you would think my arms would be more jacked after working that sure form on a big block of wax...but they aren't. Sigh...I guess I will never be a well built dude, oh well...


Then I dump a full five gallon bucket full of dry, presifted dirt into one of these old thick black plastic mixing tubs I bought from menards a few years back. Add the right amount of wax shavings and mix it all up with gloves on and a little garden trowel, looks like this when all mixed up. The white wax flakes are showing in the dry sifted dirt.


And after a hot day in sun under the truck's black tonneau cover, with truck sitting out in parking lot at work all day, mix it up again to make sure there are no clumps and that all of the wax was melted. If needed, let it sit another hot day to get rest of the wax melted if necessary. Sometimes it takes me a day or two but on a good hot day one day does the trick. Mix it all back up to make sure all of the wax was melted in. Once the dirt is cooled, I cut the top half of a two liter soft drink bottle (clean) as a funnel to transfer the dirt into clean milk jugs I've saved throughout the summer. With two boys, we go through plenty of milk around here. The opening on the two liter soft drink bottle fits nicely into the opening on top of a gallon milk jug, and a darn cheap funnel for this purpose.


You can carry a gallon of dry waxed dirt very easily in these clean milk jugs, and they pour very well into a trap bed, too. I stash these jugs ahead of time at each set location. Put them nearby in a weedy fencerow or brush pile. Easy on remakes to walk over, grab the jug, do the remake, put the jug back afterward. Be sure to pick them all up at end of the season. I learned the stashing dirt trick from Charles Dobbins' land trapping book, and have done this since probably about late '80s on our winter coyote line.

After season is over, you can keep the leftover waxed dirt already put up in the jugs in a dry shed or garage and good to go for the next season, too.

Anyway...your original question of cost savings to buy or make your own, it's way cheaper to make your own. I ran out one season and bought a couple bags from a dealer. It cost me about $24 for each bag plus shipping was about $10-$15 on top of that.
I can make my own with hobby lobby pure paraffin candle wax 10 lb. block is about $24 but with the 40% off online coupon I think I paid about $14-$15 for the block. That coupon is for purchase of one item only so if you go in and buy two blocks they only apply the coupon to one of the blocks. Make a second trip for the second block and use another online coupon or have a friend do this for you for the second block. I already owned the sure form tool but those are not very expensive either. I've seen postings where guys used block planes to shave the wax, or even putting chunks of wax into an old food processer to make shavings.
As for melting the wax, you've read all the postings of heat sources. A cement mixer and weed burner, or a heat lamp, heat gun, oven, frying pan, electric roaster, you name it. I learned this tonneau cover trick from F&T guys and it works just fine you just need a nice hot day in mid 90s or so and several hours of the truck sitting out in direct sunlight. Mine does this sits in a hot concrete parking lot all day at work so I take advantage of hot days by making wax dirt while I am at work.

Dirt, get that from wherever you can locally and sift it before adding the wax. I have probably never used the same dirt source two seasons in a row. Sometimes I get it from under local farms and under bridges in summer, you name it. I had access to some nice pulverized dirt this year and I dried and sifted about 40 gallons of it at the time. I loaded a lot of five gallon buckets I recall, and after sifting had about that much of good useable sifted dry dirt. I tossed a lot though, big chunks, rocks, stuff I didn't want to use. Five gallon bucket of unsifted dirt is not same as five gallons of sifted dirt, if that makes sense.

Point is, it is a WHOLE lot cheaper to make waxed dirt yourself, but you do have to do a little planning and put some work into it.

Jim

Getting my dirt from old barns dry any time of the year fine and powdery. I sift it into 55 gallon drums to transfer it to the concrete mixer. I will have black plastic rolled out to dump hot dirt on with fans running to cool it quick. We're planning on a wax dirt party ! I can set my planner shallow for the block wax. But my intention is to pour melted wax on heated dirt with no fire so scorching is not a consideration. I'd be livid if we scorched a days worth of wax dirt! In a few days I plan to fill up 6-8 55 gallon drums of dry sifted dirt. If I planned on going all out id build a vibrating sifter. Big enough I could use the backhoe. Is sand a worthwhile addition to waxed dirt?

I've been told by some very good trappers on here, that waxed sand is BETTER than waxed dirt. So I would have to say yes. I trap in sand country, so waxed sand is all I use. Guess I just take it for granted...

must be nice al all we have here is that sticky hard gumbo clay

I mix 1 gallon sand to 4 gallons of loamy soil that has a pretty high sand content already. I also do 30 gallons of all sand. Sand takes way less wax and beds better. If it ever stops raining here I might be able to get at it..

thanks gbus sounds like its worth doing! So for every 5 gallons of dirt, gallon and a half sand and 3cups of wax. 2 full cups weigh 16ozs on my digital scale

Tony, I'd say 3 gallons dirt, and 1 gallon sand...makes 4 gallons, which is comfortable in most mixers. Then 1-1/2 to 2# wax.

Last year I used 3/4# wax per 4 gallons sand. It was perfectly water/freeze proof...but didn't pack very well. This year I am doubling the wax, and will squeeze and check it...and tweak as I go. I'll get it until it packs real good.

Just add an extra cup to your mix to get it to pack well. Test the first batch then go from there. All soils take different ratios of wax to dirt. You may not need to double the wax. I get better distribution by melting the wax before adding to the heated dirt/sand mix. I also let it cool in the mixer before I dump so I don't have to stir it to avoid clumps.

We had a week where it didn't get very hot but was sunny. Put the tray on sunny side of house or shed, and cover with either glass or even clear plastic like painters drop cloth stretched tightly over the tub and some time in direct sun did the trick. Gets incredibly hot under that plastic wrap. Completely melted all the wax and dirt was hot. Cool it down later, stir well, and put it in jugs.
Jim

jim I like your process does condensation from the plastic ever mess up your process? Cause the dirt to draw moisture before the wax has a chance to saturate into the dirt? Missouri gets smoking hot in the summer months , but nites get heavy dews when the humidity is high like now! All and all I think solar wax melting would be fool proof if out side moisture was not a threat. The concrete mixer just seams to me as a environment I control completely. The ratio I said earlier is about rite for our clay it wont pac. But I can throw a handful in a bowl of water and it floats on top in the freezer it stays on top and never freezes solid

Hasn't seemed to. I'm a cheapskate and dont put much cost into this other than wax
If I'm home and puttering around here I'll make a batch or two in trays up on our deck that gets full shot of hot sun. Otherwise I use my tonneau and let it cook in there while I'm at work all day.
I satrt with absolutely bone dry dirt and maybe that helps with the condensation? I know that when I remove the plastic it's really hot under there and I give it a good stir. If all the wax is melted in I move the tub to a place to cool down, stir it again, and usually put it in my garage overnight to completely cool. That next morning I transfer it to the milk jugs. Maybe that stint overnight took any condensation moisture out? It always seems bone dry in AM.
Has always worked well in our dead of winter, and especially rain/ice or freeze thaw. Best stuff I've ever used for those conditions and definitely worth the summer effort to put it up. Make hay in summer, right??
Jim

I love the idea of a wax dirt party though. Would be a fun day to drink, maybe grill out, get a whole bunch of dirt put up and split with the buddies that show up to help.
Jim

Hey Jim,
I’m kinda like you and do mine in the sun as well. Have had very good luck with the solar method since I started using it 3 years ago. I just put a tarp down on my concrete drive and then tent it with plastic when I know th temp will be above 90 and clear. Works awesome. I can work in the dining room on school work and keep an eye on it then check it once in awhile. Neighbors prolly think I’m nutz but that’s okay and I agree a wax dirt party does sound like fun.
Rick

im sure a few frosty beverages will be consumed. I doubt I drink any im going to be the ddw designated dirt watcher

Just got set up with cement mixer and flake wax. Found out there is a learning curve. Different soil types and different temps make a big difference on how the process works. Getting a good coat of wax on the dirt before it breaks down into dust can be a challenge. "Flake" wax is actually small pellets, and you can end up with dirt coated wax pellets instead of waxed dirt.

Those using the melted wax technique, how about some detail. Is there a good way to apply liquid wax to get an even coat? What temperatures are folks finding gives best results?

Heat the dirt to 140 before you add the wax, pellet or melted. Use a lazer thermometer to moniter temp. I melt the wax on a hot plate and pour in 2.5 cups per 5 gallons to start. After you pour turn the heat off and let it mix until all looks wet, I always tilt the drum down to get a better mix. Let it mix until it cools to 100 then dump. On to the next batch. Your welcome

That helps, thanks. The tilt of the drum makes a big difference. I found the dirt heats up faster and way less pulverizing and dust at a more gentile roll. Then tilt it down when the wax goes in. When the dust quits that is enough wax.