problem with my presto pot

[cdanderson]

Okay... this is dumb..

After hubby went to the trouble to help me fit my presto pot with a faucet - per the candletec website directions...

I put wax in (boy it melted great)... turn the spout... and out comes...nothing ! Why would wax not pour out my spout ? Hubby thinks maybe the pot wasnt hot enough to heat the brass spout but I thought we didnt want the beeswax to get super hot.

Sign...

Pout Spout

[Cyndi]

Sometimes my spout gets clogged up and/or it works best if you heat the wax up to 180 degrees. I take a thin wire and poke the spout so it will go through.

[berkshire bee]

How much wax did you have in the pot? Sometimes it takes a while for the heat to work it's way into the spout. I've used mine as low as 160 degrees and it works, but takes a longer amount of time for the valve to warm up.

[odfrank]

I saw a post somewhere a person suggested a different, shorter elbow or nipple then the website shows to alleviate this problem.

[honeyman46408]

When I first built mine I had the same problem and I kept a heat gun handy to warm the valve when I wanted to pour ( once it started it was Ok till after I stoped and the valve cooled ) then I found a valve @ Home Depot that has a male thread on one end so it keeps the valve closer to the pot (heat source) and you can run the wax temp cooler.

The valve I found is in the "Air Tool Section" not plumbing

[cdanderson]

Thank you all... I will work on heating the valve until my husband has a chance to get me one from Home Depot. I read the reply to him and he said it made good sense to him.

Thanks
charlotte

[berkshire bee]

can you post a picture? I started out with a fairly short nipple screwed into the pot. The handle of my valve is about 1 1/4 inches out from the pot. I extended my copper fitting after the valve to about 5 inches (from the pot to the end) with a 45 deg elbow on the end. I started out with something shorter, but the pot seemed dangerously close to the edge of the table.

[honeyman46408]

I have this pic and you can look at it if you dont laugh at the mess, I will try to get a close up later today.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...g?t=1223280515

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...g?t=1223310534

[1reb]

what is candletec website address?
Johnny

[RAlex]

http://www.candletech.com/general-in...lf-wax-melter/

[riverrat]

I have this pic and you can look at it if you dont laugh at the mess,

[cdanderson]

I will shorten the snout when I get a chance. For now... I am preheating the pot a little... turning down the heat and adding the wax... now it flows well. I do need to build a stand to set it on so I can get my measuring cup under the spout. I can see that it needs to be watched carefully but it sure beats a double boiler.

[honeyman46408]

I will shorten the snout when I get a chance. For now... I am preheating the pot a little... turning down the heat and adding the wax... now it flows well. I do need to build a stand to set it on so I can get my measuring cup under the spout. I can see that it needs to be watched carefully but it sure beats a double boiler.

Are you putting water in the bottom? I keep water in the bottom (just below the outlet) this catches a lot of "stuff" and when I let it cool I scrape off a lot of it so it is a little cleaner for the next time.

I have learned where to set the temp cotrol so I put the water and wax in it and go do something else till I am ready to pour (that mabee several hours) and another thing I have learned is to look at the wax and when I can see through the melted wax it will come out real nice.

just another 2 cents & and we dont need any more coments from U RatMan

[honeyman46408]

Here is couple of candles I made.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...g?t=1223476453

Another thing I like to do is make my own molds and I find salt & pepper shakers are about the right size for some nice little candles

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...g?t=1223476671

Oh if you haven`t guessed it is raining here today so here I am at the puter insted of working

[MapMan]

I'm planning on getting a presto pot, and I always wondered why the instructions used a female valve/male nipple arrangement. What you are doing there is creating a heat break - even though the parts are connected, there is enough of a gap between fittings that this dissipates some heat going to the valve. Add to that a greater distance from the pot heat, and the wax won't flow as well, unless the pot is good and hot. You can get male threaded valves - just have to browse the hardware store - or ask.

MM

[The Honey House]

Here is couple of candles I made.

Very nice!
I've got a nice 6 to 8 week semi-vacation coming up and I think
that I just might get back into the candles again.
Thanks Ed, you do good work.

[HVH]

The clogged valve must be a universal problem because Dadant sells a heated valve (M006142) for this application. At $173.75 I am OK with small nipples.

[cdanderson]

I did put water in it when I first put wax (from the solar melter) in the pot. Then this melted mixture is poured into cups to cool where the wax and water seperates.

When I am pouring candles in the molds I dont put water in the presto pot... I have read that water in the wax will cause the candles to sputter ?

[honeyman46408]

I've got a nice 6 to 8 week semi-vacation coming up .

I thought you were retired, I get a 6 month vacation twice a year

When I am pouring candles in the molds I dont put water in the presto pot... I have read that water in the wax will cause the candles to sputter ?

I keep the water below the valve so the wax floats on top of the water and every time I let it cool there is always some more "gookie stuff" in the cooled wax.

I realy like swaping ideas so keep them comeing I don`t care what riverrat says about the "Pot"

[riverrat]

I realy like swaping ideas so keep them comeing I don`t care what riverrat says about the "Pot"

Yea what hm says. I dont care what the beesource fire marshal has said in the past. You people about got me convinced I need one of them presto fire pots