candle making

[tindam188]

sorry if this post is in the incorrect place, could not find anywhere more specific to write it.

As this is my first year starting beekeeping i wanted to find out how other people clean wax (get rid of pollen, small amounts of honey etc) as my first attempt with some old frames took a lot of time to clean up to candle quality wax.

Any advice for speeding up the process of purifying wax

thanks in advance

tindam188

 

[huntsman666]

Washing in cold water will get rid of remaining honey or let the bees do it. Don't worry about the pollen for now.

Thoroughly dry if washed.

Put the pieces into an old glass jar large enough for the job and place in the microwave at high for say two minutes to start. Keep adding wax and repeat as it melts and dirt/pollen lumps fall to the bottom. This 'muck' will be about 15% by volume so make allowance for this as you want to cast the candle in one go.

Pour carefully from the jar into your mould. The dirt will be left behind.

Might not give show quality candles but they still turn out very nice.

Quick and simple.

 

[aberreef]

I melt my wax in a little water then pour the whole lot through muslin into another pan to set. Solids are trapped in the muslin and any hony diluted in the water.

 

[Travelator]

I place wax in a wire basket lined with a disposable nappy liner, and sit it on top of a pyrex bowl with a dash of vinegar in the bottom. Then I put the whole lot in a food steamer for 20mins.

 

[Gardenbees]

A big ball of wax bits melts down to a small amount. I put a large sieve over a big pan, line the sieve with a couple of sheets of plain kitchen roll, then knead the wax bits into fairly solid lumps and pile them into the sieve. I put the pan into the oven on very low (just under 100) and leave it for a while. You end up with very clean-looking wax in the pan and a load of crud, hard propolis, bees' legs and dead moths on the kitchen roll. I pour off the wax and put the cool pan, sieve and all, into the fridge.

Most of the remaining, dirty wax breaks away from the pan and sieve once it's very cold. The rest can be warmed and wiped away, or flushed off with boiling water (not into the sink, though - it might clog eventually!). The clean wax can be exchanged for new foundation or used for making things, although I never have very much of it so I haven't really experimented much.

I find about 3 litre jugfuls of scrumbled up balls of comb and wax scrapings melt into just a cupful of pure wax.

 

[Mike a]

Very simple

normal every day kitchen towel used.

keep the heat low in the oven less than 100'C, if the wax is very dirty then either double up on the towel or repeat a second time with a fresh towel.

 

[oliver90owner]

A word of warning re heating wax in a microwave. It can be dangerous. If allowed to over-heat for any reason and a spark occurs, one's microwave may be no more. Unlikely, but without ensuring safety, the danger is there.

It's not recommended to leave wax melting by any method, really, as the fire risk is always there unless organised in a 'failsafe' manner. The 'bain marie' method or a steamer is best, I would expect. Think chip pan fires.

The best way to speed up the wax extraction and cleaning process is to do a lot, all at once. 5kg at a time is much more time and energy efficient.

RAB

 

[huntsman666]

<A word of warning re heating wax in a microwave. It can be dangerous.>

No more dangerous than cooking chips in a pot (both have flash points) if you pay attention to what you're doing and do it in small time steps.

Microwaves have temperature control thermocouples (at least mine has) which can limit the temperature well below flashpoint.

 

[JenBee]

My mother in law gave us some beeswax candles she had made one year - they dripped like crazy so we never used them again!

Is there something that one is supposed to add, to help slow down the dripping?

 

[huntsman666]

Probably she used too thick a wick. Wicks should be matched to candle diameter.

 

[tonybloke]

Probably she used too thick a wick. Wicks should be matched to candle diameter.

 

[Nose Ma]

Me too. There is a difference between beeswax and paraffin wax wicks too. There is a website, you need to think of a Two Ronnies sketch involving a hardware store and a confused conversation. It is a numeral, otherwise the first line of the sketch and from the UK.

Anyhow - there is a wick size guide there.

Good luck

NM

 

[tonybloke]

Me too. There is a difference between beeswax and paraffin wax wicks too. There is a website, you need to think of a Two Ronnies sketch involving a hardware store and a confused conversation. It is a numeral, otherwise the first line of the sketch and from the UK.

Anyhow - there is a wick size guide there.

Good luck

NM

http://www.4candles.co.uk/wick/candle_wick.html