wax preparation for candle useage

[AlpineJean]

I am using a solar wax melter to render wax. It first melts through some regular window screen material and collects in the pan. I want to then melt that on the stove (double boiler) and strain it again to use for candles. I saw someone say something about using an old T shirt - Well, I tried that this afternoon... Not my idea of something to do routinely. What do you all use? I thought maybe something like a handi-wipe would work.
Thanks for any and all information!

[Joel]

We use old t-shirts that are stretched across #10 cans ( they are a good size to reheat). You need to make sure the wax is hot enough to flow freely and you can move it along pretty fast. It is a must to use a double boiler unless you like flash fires and never, and I really mean never, walk away from wax that is heating in any type of container! 1 Wax fire and a miracle snuff convinced me. Many a home, garage and honey house are charred memorys due to wax fire. It is really much like gasoline when it goes! We filtered 375 lbs of wax this way in the last 2 months to make candles and such very succesfully. Are handiwipes synthetic and will they hold up to heat and stretching? What about dyes and such? I attended a class once where the instructor used an old deep fryer to heat wax for candles. It had a thermostat which was very helpful.

[AlpineJean]

Thanks. I didn't have it stretched just draped over a large coffee can (maybe a #10) and I put a little well in it so it would drip down - I'll try stretching it - you don't have trouble w/ the wax running off the sides I guess.
375 lbs of wax !!! Good heavens you must have a lot of hives.
I have a friend who is going to give me her old turkey sized roaster to try as a melter container.

[Dick Allen]

AlpineJean, usually I wait until I have 4-5 lbs. of solar melted wax stored up. That gets remelted in some hot water and poured through a nylon paint strainter. The wax, of course, rises to the top of the water. When the wax cake hardens it's nice and clean with just a bit of slumgum at the bottom between the wax and water. The slumgum gets scraped off and sent back into the solar melter.

[AlpineJean]

Thanks. I heard that you can put hydrogen peroxide in wax to help lighten the color... have you heard of that too?

[Dick Allen]

The books mention using hydrogen peroxide. Other nasty chemicals can also be used, but I personally never would. According to what I read, chemical bleaching requires agitation in hot water. Not something IÂ’d be interested in. Solar bleacing is a safer option.

HereÂ’s a link to some info on bleaching beeswax.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e13.htm#4.11.1

[AlpineJean]

WOW, thanks, Dick... I looked at the contents also and it looks like I'm in for some reading.

[BoWo]

Hi Alpine Jean:
I am new at candle making but I found and old coffee pot at a garage sale, the percolator type
Leave out the thing you put the coffee in.
Is stays hot and gives you a spout to pour the wax in to the mould.

[janvanhamont]

Does anybody have a copy of the video "Candlemaking For Everyone" listed in the 2005 Brushy Mountain catalog. I contacted Brushy Mountain and they do not stock this item any longer.

[janvanhamont]

In order to produce clean beeswax the first go-around, clean enough to make candles without additional cleaning or straining, usig a solar melter, I recommend the following:
Use an aluminum baking pan, or even better a pan made from stainless steel. All for sides should be about 1 inch or more above the bottom of the pan. Make a hole in the pan and insert a nipple. Provide the top of this nipple with some slits. The nipple should extend about halfway below the rims of the pan. Put the pan "horizontally" in the solar melter and start filling it with wax. Only clean wax will overflow through the nipple. I guarantee that this wax is so clean and pretty that it can be used for candlemaking without any further straining or cleaning.

[lloyd@rossrounds.com]

janvanhamont's suggestion is good. It is very similar to what richard taylor suggested in his classic, The How-To-Do-It Book. However, modern appliances have made it even easier.

Buy a used or new Turkey Cooker. Wal-Mart has them new for about $20. These are safely heated with electricity. Put in up to 20 pounds of wax, and a quart of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. The boiling action loosens the dirt and debris from the wax. Turn off and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Put a piece of Organdy around the top of a 5-gallon bucket. Hold in place with clothespins or spring clamps. Pour the wax/water through the organdy. Wipe out the turkey cooker, and pour the wax/water back into it.

From here pour into molds for storing, Tupperware is good, or make candles direct.

To make candles, scoop out the wax from the top of the water with a ladle and pour through a strainer lined with Bounty paper towels into a Pyrex spouted container. Pour from the Pyrex container into your molds. Because you filtered through both Organdy and Bounty paper towels, your wax will be almost perfectly clear and the candles will not sputter, have black smoke, or drip.

Good luck

[Mitch]

To add
I would not use aluminum.copper,brass or cast iron for a melting pot.It will darken the wax.I just picked up some resonably priced stainless steel stock pot it was 3 for something like $18.00.There is a 16qt,12 qt im not sure how big the smaller one is they all stack together.I meted my cappings one time so far it clean it uo alot now i am goign to go thru it again.


Has anyone here dipped any candles.as mentioned by Loyd The method about sounds like Ritchard Taylor's book.Taylor also has the plans for dipping racks just wondering if anyone here has done this.