From: grizzly bearnolds <mkittner@telus.net>
Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 22:50:22 -0700
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Wax

From: "Peter Schmoeker" <pschmoeker@hotmail.com>
>Could someone tell me a "kitchen" method for rendering cappings wax.

I can say something to this topic. I have no wax melter yet that is powered
by the sun. This summer, I melted comb in my electric oven. Glass pie dish
to catch the melted wax. Topped by a wire cake rack. On top of that a metal
sieve where one would drain lettuce or such with.

I cut the comb to be melted out of the frames, collect in a box. I fill the
sieve with cut comb. Set everything in the oven, light up to approx. 120 or
so Celsius, not too hot, it takes a bit of experimenting. Usually, within
24 hours, the good wax has drained into the glass pie dish, while the junk
is left in the sieve. Awful job cleaning it up, so don't take your best
pots or dishes. I drain the good wax into empty tin cans while it is still
hot. It's fairly clean though the comb sometimes was really old and full of
yuck.

That's as far as I went this summer, still have to do more melting of old
comb that needs to be discarded (it should no longer be given to the bees).
It's not cost efficient but gets the job done. It's my kitchen style
method, until something better comes along.

WARNING - I was told, apparently, be very careful so that the house doesn't
burn down with this method.

*** *** ***
We have had frost already, but during the afternoons, if and when it gets
warmer, the bees are still flying some. They seem alright.

Ma. / Nass Valley .. British Columbia .. CANADA
(near the Alaska border) .. mailto:mkittner@telus.net