Wax Melter

[Hanover Honey]

Thought tihs might be the right place to ask seeing as TBH's have so much more culled wax that Langs. I never bothered with a solar melter with langs cuse I just melted cappings on my stove top at the end of the season. Now with my first MB KTBH ready to go (bees comming Sunday) I have built a solar melter. I have finished and have no questions on how or why it works, just the following,
1) do you rinse the honey residue out of the crushed wax or will it cook out in the melter
2) do you melt all season long or save up till you can make a good size cake
3) I have seen paper towel filters over the colection pan-any thoughts?
4) do you add water to the collection pan to allow seperation from slumgum?
5) any steps or hints that may be handy to save myself undue work.

Thanks,
Corey

[Ben Brewcat]

1) do you rinse the honey residue out of the crushed wax or will it cook out in the melter

Yep, the honey'll mess up the wax, or it has for me.


2) do you melt all season long or save up till you can make a good size cakeWhichever you want. I melt when my ambition dictates. I did just get a couple molds for 1-ounce bars to make future lip balm etc. recipes easier. Mainly I pour into cardboard milk cartons.


3) I have seen paper towel filters over the colection pan-any thoughts?I usually refilter the collected wax from the melter later. Actually I often keep a bucket of the bizarre sculptures for filtering all at once. But keep them separate if the different grades are important for resale or cosmetic/candle use


4) do you add water to the collection pan to allow seperation from slumgum?Yep. More for cleanliness of the wax, and it makes neat sculptures :)


5) any steps or hints that may be handy to save myself undue work.I rinse the honey out. Put a slice of screen or other barrier to keep debris from dropping into the collection pan.