solar melters

[avalonweddingsbcs]

if you were building a melter from scratch,,, it was going to be out in the woods, so no one cares how it looks, what would you make it out of?

I dont like making things every 3 months ( i know it would last longer than that, so ..) so i dont mind making it out of oak, cedar, ash, poplar, pine.. etc..

materials dont matter cause i have a big band saw and make my own lumber...

can i just get a big cake pan and build a form around it... tilt about 15- 25 degrees, punch hole in pan for wax to come out... put some window screen outside of pan to filter... and maybe 2 sheets of glass in the lid for double insulation?

should i line the interior with styrofoam, sheetsteel, wood painted black, ?

should i put a bit of rubber foam seal around the lid?

any advice is cool...

i didnt really like the plans on beesource......

[PerryBee]

Check the thread in this section near the bottom of the page under "solar melters".
I posted a few pics of one that is about as cheap and easy as it gets.
A bit of insulation, an old single pane window, # 8 mesh screen on a bent cookie sheet with a notch cut out and away you go!
I won't bother posting the same pics here again, takes up space I imagine.
Cheers

[odfrank]

if you were building a melter from scratch

I would look for a broken wine cooler or freezer with a glass door.

[StevenG]

Different places for plans, find one you like, or design one, and build it out of pine. Paint it, you're good to go. It should last years.