From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 19:40:25 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Wax

Peter wrote:
> Could someone tell me a "kitchen" method for rendering cappings
> wax so that my daughters and I could use the wax for making candles?
> I do not wish to waste all that wax.

Reply:
We have special meetings every other year or so on candle making and xmas ornament making with beeswax with our bee association. We always demonstrate with a large crock pot on high setting and then proceed to dip candles and pour candles and xmas hanging ornaments.

The wax is run through the crock pot twice! The first time in a nylon bag
with weights (rocks will do) under water to float the wax to the top. A
potatoe masher helps greatly to squish out wax from the sack. After the wax
is ladeled out into pans to cool the crock pot is turned off and when cool
and the last wax film harden on top every thing is removed and cleaned. Any
scum is then scrapped off of the bottom of the last batch of wax cooled and
throw away with the contents of the sack from under water.

The second run with the wax, one cup of water or so is put into the crock
pot and the wax is then fed in in broken pieces until the crock pot is
filled again. On high the pot sets over night with the lid on. On high which
is about 190 or so degrees F the wax you will find will lighten overnight
several shades many times as the dirt drops to the bottom of the crock pot.
Do not stirr to re circulate the dirt up into the wax again. All you do is
ladel or dip into the wax for dipped candles or poured candles and xmas
ornaments. Balloons dipped can be used to create small hollow balls for
small ornaments and cut open they can make wonderful floating devices for
upright candles or containers to be filled with candies or even colored wax
etc for other exciting things to make. (but remember to deflate the ballon
when done leaving the hollow core.)

Regards,

Dee