Tried wax thread for the first time last week and now my fingers are killing me

I switched from the standard linen thread to a beeswax coated one for a 400 page journal I'm binding and the tackiness made it so much harder to pull through the signatures, has anyone else had trouble adjusting to wax thread or am I just using the wrong tension?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.jordan9d ago

Oh man, I feel you on this. I switched to beeswax thread for a similar sized project and my hands were cramping up after the first few signatures because of the extra friction. I had to back off on how hard I was pulling and use a smoother, lighter touch to keep from wrecking my fingers.

william_taylor9d ago

Try a thinner wax coat and pull the thread through beeswax first to reduce tack.

skyler_anderson657d ago

Yep waxed thread is rough on the hands. I went back to plain linen after one project because my fingers were raw for days. You can try wiping some of the wax off with a cloth before you start sewing. The tackiness does loosen up a bit as you work with it too. But honestly some people just prefer uncoated thread for bigger books and that's fine.