Drop-Pull Supplies:

Drop-pull is the earliest and easiest form of pysankarstvo, and theoretically requires the least investment in equipment (although like any other hobby, if you want to spend money, you can find ways to do so......).  All you really need is a stick, a pin, dyes and some melted beeswax to write this kind of pysanka.

The basic supplies needed are the same as for regular pysanky, with two major differences: the type of writing instrument (stylus), and the need for melted wax.

STYLUSES:  styluses for drop-pull can be made or bought.  A simple home-made stylus consists of a pin stuck into a stick; I use pencils, the push the straight pin through the eraser and into the wood of the pencil. You can also buy “embossing” tools at a craft store, and use those; they come in a variety of tip sizes, and have more comfortable handles: 

Several pysanka suppliers also make drop-pull tools with a variety of handles.  There is even an electric version available from Wax Art Supply:

WAX MELTER:  drop-pull requires melted wax, and there are several ways of approaching this. The simplest solutions involve a bent spoon and a potato, or a bent spoon, tin can and duct tape.  The spoon is either stuck into a potato, or taped to a can; wax is placed in the spoon, and it is heated with a candle.  Th e problem here is that the candle grows shorter as it burns, and the temperature varies a lot.

There are two approaches to this problem.  one is to find a non-shrinking source of heat; liquid candles or alcohol lamps can be used in place of ordinary candles.  Bo Langer of Eggstrart (on Etsy) sells a heating unit of her design which incorporates an alcohol lamp:

A different approach is the electric one–small electric glue pots, or other commercial wax pots, can be used to melt the wax instead.  If you can find one with a rheostat, all the better, as hotter wax flows better. 

If you like to live dangerously, you can simply heat the wax in a metal tin on a hot plate, or over a burner on a stove.  Unlike paraffin, beeswax does not combust easily, but if you’re not extremely careful, you can easily burn yourself on exposed metal.

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