What's the name of this tool?

[mizgeorge]

One of my most useful tools is this little sticky thing



but what's it actually called? I need to get another one and can't for the life of me figure out what I'm looking for. I've rummaged through the cook book and still can't find it.

[ps_bond]

That's a wax cone for handling gemstones, isn't it?

"Bit of wax on an old burr"?

A small amount of beeswax mashed into a cone, maybe with some charcoal powder added to make it a little less sticky, moulded around a blunt burr.
Or a dab of blutak, depends what's nearer to hand.

[ps_bond]

998-015 according to the search engines, "wax cone stick" - but the Cooksons site doesn't seem to recognise that.

[lilia]

Oh, I bought mine from Cooksons, but can't find it though.

[mizgeorge]

Maybe it's gone then. Which is a shame as I love it. I've tried all sorts of DIY versions, and still prefer this.

[ps_bond]

Never having used the commercial one, what's different?

[Dennis]

Hi George,
I made my first one as Peter said by kneading some beeswax with scrapings from a charcoal block. It worked ok, but I hated the residue left on stones. So then I bought two from Fischer, but they were no better and I gave them away. I guess Setter's Wax-Cone would be the term.

Karl Fischer GMBH list them as Nr 5155 Wachsbein mit griff at €1.90 plus tax. They send things by return, but have a look at their more unusual items too.
Kind regards Dennis

[mizgeorge]

I found both beeswax and blu tack too soft. The main thing I use them for is placing and removing quite large cabochons, without having to use floss, and my little cone has always worked so well. I'm looking for more for some students as well as for myself.

Unusually, I can't even find them in the US. I guess I might have try some more variations on the name

[Dennis]

Hah you beat me to it, but look above. A more sensible reference would have been: WWW.FISCHER-PFORZHEIM.DE.
I usually work from the printed catalogue, which they send without charge, although it is in German. However they do understand English in letters and emails: info@fischer-pforzheim.de .

[mizgeorge]

Thanks Dennis - my very poor German is usually up to buying tools!!