Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

Melting wax

4K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  aunt betty 
#1 ·
Fist year beekeeper, what is the best way to filter wax for candles and blocks using a crockpot?
 
#6 ·
I see you also have a second post on the same subject. My preference is a solar melter with the basic configuration of a hardware cloth "basket/bowl" lined with paper towels which allows the wax to filter through into a pan containing a small amount of water.
For small amounts, a double boiler configuration to melt the wax and pour it through a t-shirt into a container containing some water.

Recommend you don't use the good kitchenware for this or any other bee related schtuff in contact with hive materials.
 
#8 ·
I use a solar melter, it drips into a container lined with saran wrap. when it's full I pop it out.

When I need the wax I then take an old sheet or pillow case put the wax in it and place it in a crockpot keeping the opening out, as soon as the wax melts I lift the cloth out, the wax drains through and leave and any junk behind in the cloth. I now have a crockpot full of filtered wax ready to use.

Wax will over heat in a crockpot even on low, when the wax is melted turn it off, as it starts to skin over turn it back on. You can use a temperature gun to check. You want to keep close to the melting point around 150 deg F.
 
#10 ·
Imagine a time when all they had were crude pottery bowls and then try to imagine processing bees wax under those conditions.
The old metal canning pot I use for melting wax in is precious when you put it that way.

Pour the wax thru an old window screen into an old plastic bucket.
After that I break the chunk into pieces, melt it again in a tall wax pouring pot, then pour off the clean wax from the top.
Filter? What filter?

Just so happens that I melted down the cappings that I rinsed off last night. Got a nice 5.5 pound chunk of wax. Will come in handy for brushing onto foundations next spring.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top