Loft Extraction

[andy-glide]

Ok so now need to build a solar wax extractor but I am sure the wife will not permit it to be left in the garden!

So me thinks it gets V. warm in the loft when the sun occasionaly shines.

Do you think such an installation would work using conducted heat alone?

 

[plumberman]

Melting point of beeswax is about 62 - 64 degrees Celsius - Highly unlikely your loft will ever get that hot. ( Max air temperature recorded in the world in Death Valley I believe is around the 57 degree mark).

The answer is therefore no.

Only directly absorbed radiated heat will do the job.

 

[alanf]

You could mount it on the roof. Access from a velux type loft light perhaps. If you do put it in the garden it's only working on warm sunny days, you can put it away in the shed otherwise.

 

[susbees]

you can put it away in the shed otherwise.

Ours has never seen the outside of the shed all season...

 

[oliver90owner]

As plumberman.

Not a chance. Can you turn your loft to get the direct sun? Unless you live in a windmill, forget it.

 

[region2]

Suggestion: put some thermal panels on the roof and pump the fluid into the attic to an 'extractor' - should easily exceed the melting point methinks!

R2

 

[eddiespangle]

Messy kitchen

Do what I did. Melt your wax down on the stove and in doing so make a hell of a mess in the kitchen. After that the wife wouldn’t stop encouraging me to buy a solar wax extractor and leave it in the garden!

 

[andy-glide]

Best advice of the week!

Still not convinced it would work though....could be the end of bee keeping.

 

[cork beek]

why not just put some wax combs in to a pyrex jug, pop it in to the microwave for a few mins, when its just starting to boil, take it out and its ready to filter.

what you will need for this is...

a plastic container filed with about 1 and a half inch of warm water
a bit of kitchen paper
and an elastic band

put the kitchen paper over the plastic container, secure it with the elastic band and pour your melted wax on to it.

There was more "cunk" left over than this but you can see that it works

A nice little wax cake

Its not perfect but im not worried about that, i can trade this in for foundation, granted i wont get much for this but it was only a test to see if it would work

If your trying to filter wax for show, then this wouldnt be the way as the bottom of it isnt perfect.

 

[oliver90owner]

why not just put some wax combs in to a pyrex jug,

It's all a matter of scale and cost. I would not want to be heating wax in a microwave - probably fairly safe, but....

This tread was about melting wax from comb using solar energy, not particularly about fine filtering. PH's wax filter is the way to go for for large amounts on that score.

 

[cork beek]

why not just put some wax combs in to a pyrex jug,

It's all a matter of scale and cost. I would not want to be heating wax in a microwave - probably fairly safe, but....

This tread was about melting wax from comb using solar energy, not particularly about fine filtering. PH's wax filter is the way to go for for large amounts on that score.

Defo the way to go if your large scale, but i only wanted to see if this would work.

I am looking to make a solar wax melter myself, but with the weather been so crap the past few weeks, im starting to wonder why bother...

 

[oliver90owner]

with the weather been so crap the past few weeks, im starting to wonder why bother...

Trouble is you can never tell what it might be like later in the month and into August. Even at best, one has to take advantage of some good sunny weather to process a lot. Just not worth it to buy a solar extractor IMO and the pay-back period for a home construction job could vary tremendously.

 

[CeeJay]

Personally, I just flip an aquarium upside down on a fairly sunny day with the wax suspended in paper towel

 

[cork beek]

Personally, I just flip an aquarium upside down on a fairly sunny day with the wax suspended in paper towel

I like it!

But I can get my hands on some insulation if i want to make one (there are a lot of empty houses / estates around! lol) and i have a few sheets of perspex just crying out to be used!

 

[Luminos]

Personally, I just flip an aquarium upside down on a fairly sunny day with the wax suspended in paper towel

So, how do the fish feel about that?

 

[andy-glide]

All very intersting cant consider using a microwave as thant went to the dump several years ago and has not been replaced. Have some spare ply so will probably make a solar extractor.

 

[CeeJay]

So, how do the fish feel about that?

They don't seem very pleased, even when I show them the wax. Go figure.

 

[BeeBus]

Put the extractor in the garden and put the wife in the loft, sorted