2018-03-22 
       
       Wax Tablets 
       
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       From antiquity up to the 19th century wax_tablets were the way to
       take notes quick. Infinitely reusable and easier to use than ink on
       papyrus or parchment.  Here are two versions I made.
       
       The first version has hinges, which is probably pretty
       anachronistic and not much of an improvement over just holes and
       thread. Both versions are about 10×7 cm, or 10×14 cm opened. You'd
       probably want a tablet twice as large to make any use of it.
       
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       The black wax is beeswax, wood charcoal, and a bit of oil to make
       it more malleable. The layer of wax is pretty thick and isn't very
       easy to read.
       
       The second version tried to be a tad fancier. I sawed slots for
       strips of lighter wood and lacquered the whole thing. I tried first
       to paint the table black and use plain, yellow beeswax, but that
       didn't turn out very good.
       
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       White background and a thin layer of black wax works far better.
       Modern reproductions of wax tablets are usually the thick layer
       type, but this is such an obvious improvement that I suspect it was
       also used in the olden times.
       
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