How do you remove wax when you make a mistake?

Answer 1

It is impossible to remove all traces of wax from an egg, but you can try to remove some of the wax. Once wax has attached itself to the surface of a pysanka, it has penetrated the pores of the shell and is there to stay. Scraping it off will make the visible wax disappear, but bits will remain and may leave unsightly marks. However, if you use a solvent, you might be able to get off most of the wax. Start by using a very sharp tool, such as an exacto knife, to scrape off excess wax. Be careful not to scratch the shell. Then use a small craft applicator (they look like tiny Q-tips) to apply a solvent to the area where you wish to remove wax. Be very careful that the solvent does not drip onto areas where you want wax to remain! If this happens, you may end up inadvertantly smearing the entire design. By using a tiny craft applicator and a very tiny amount of solvent, you can sometimes dab it only onto the "mistake" to dissolve unwanted wax. It is very difficult to do this well, and often no matter how careful or thorough you are, the shell will not accept the dye as readily under areas where wax was removed. While it is sometimes possible to remove bad lines or spots using Goof-Off, Naptha, or some other organic solvent, it may not work. The solvents will dissolve the wax and, if you're lucky, you can get it all off. If you do not get ALL the wax off, a thin film of wax spreads and will cause blotching. Successfully removing wax takes a lot of patience and experience, and doesn't always work. Your best bet is to either work around a mistake (remember, there are two sides to an egg and you can only display one at a time) or, if the mistake is really bad, start over.