I've been working on wax versions for the last few months and finally managed to get some that turned out well. Never having worked with wax before, I wasn't expecting some of the problems like sink holes from cooling, banding lines from not heating the glasses first, and so on. As mentioned above, I used a plastic "pizza saver" (those little white things they put in boxes to keep the lids from sticking to the pizza), some acrylic ice cubes, a mix of brown and white waxes, and added in a bit of coffee scented fragrance oil more just to have a nice aroma while carrying it around all day more than for practical effect.
Here's some tips I can recommend for doing your own...
- Don't heat the wax too hot or you'll have issues from cooling, such as the sink holes I mentioned. You also don't want it too cool where it starts thickening in the first 10 seconds or so after it's poured.
- Heat your glasses! This will help avoid weird horizontal "banding" lines from appearing along the glass. Most bar ware isn't microwave safe so I use a crock pot filled with heated water to set the glasses in. Don't get the insides of them wet, though, since water is heavier than wax and will collect at the bottom of the glasses or create water pockets on the sides of the glass. [see below for dealing with this if it happens]
- Don't place in a cold area when cooling, such as a fridge or freezer. The wax will condense faster and cause issues.
- Never worry about getting wax on the glass where you don't want it. You can always clean it up later.
- You'll likely want to fill in three layers. The first is bulk of the pour. Let it cool for several hours (overnight is best) then pour the next layer to cover up any sink holes. This should be about 1/8" or so below the desired fill level. Let that cool again for a few hours, then top them off with just enough to create a nice layer that will cover up any more sinkage but enough that spreads around to give an even end-to-end layer. This takes some attempts to get the feel for it, especially if you are using fake ice cubes and are trying to get a "floating" look for them. Getting wax to set properly around the cubes can be annoying but manageable.
- I recommend using a small-tipped funnel and a spoon for the final layering so you can get wax into tighter areas or fine-tune where you pour. Just be wary of wax buildup in the funnel's tip.
- For touch up work on both the wax and glass, you should be able to remove the wax after it completely sets (give it at least 12 hours just to be safe). Twisting the wax with your fingertips should be enough torque to loosen it. If not, heat for a few minutes in hot water (or 15-20 secs in a microwave if the glassware is microwave safe) and then give it a twist. Don't heat it too long, though. Once you remove it from the glass, feel free to clean off any excess or spilled wax, polish the glass with a soft rag or chamois cloth, and trim off any excess wax from the body of the "drink" itself with either a sharp blade (x-acto knife) or plastic non-serrated edge (i use the plastic clasp from loaves of bread, heh).
- If you happen to have any water in the glass after the wax sets, removing the wax as mentioned above will help with that. Be sure to let the wax thoroughly air dry (at least 4 hours) before putting it back in the glass. Wipe out any excess water in the glass with an old lint-free rag or chamois cloth.
- To reset the wax back in the glass after you've removed it, simply heat the glass back up just a bit (not to the point where the wax starts to get soft), same as before when you loosened the wax to remove it. It won't be as tight of a bond, but it will help. If you heat it up too much, you'll get sink holes forming again as the wax cools.
- One final note... This is deceptively harder than you'd think! If you screw up, it's only wax! You can melt it all back down and try again. Don't feel bad if your first few attempts don't turn out well. It probably took me 20+ attempts of trial & error plus researching wax and candle-making before I figured out how to do this right. I know I can still improve, too. Don't give up and don't expect success on your very first attempt if you rush into this. Patience and knowledge is the key in the end.
(the lighting in my house gave the wax a pinking tint, but it looks more white/brown than shown)