Melting old wax in a Thornes warming cabinet

[pargyle]

A simple and easy solar melter Pargyle.
My current ply model is showing rot and will need to be renewed, a job for next year or next winter.

I put a plastic greenhouse thermometer in there on one of the really sunny days a couple of years ago .. it didn't just melt the wax ... it melted the plastic thermometer ! (or at least it was so bent and distorted that it wasn;t a lot of use afterwards !)

The solar melter started out life as a winter cosy for a timber 14 x 12 hive I used to have ... I didn't use the hive and it got relegated to a bait box and I just love re-purposing - the cosy became a solar wax melter with a piece of greenhouse glass and a re-shaped piece of caravan side aluminium.

Look at the last couple of photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125609724@N03/albums/72157655336719145

 

[user 819]

The jay cloth over the catch tub is a good idea, something I will have to copy off you. I currently use a bit of fine mesh to stop crud getting mixed in but the jay cloth will act as a better filter.

 

[Beekeeper Brownie]

@pargyle how hot does that set up get if it can melt the thermometer plastic?

 

[pargyle]

@pargyle how hot does that set up get if it can melt the thermometer plastic?

I don't know ... it melted the thermometer !! It was a hot day ...

The wax melts very quickly even on moderately sunny days but it's set up so that the melted wax runs off the tray and into the tub after being filtered through the J cloth. I put an inch or so of rainwater in the bottom of the collection tub and it comes out pretty clean. The collection tub sits under the edge of the tray so it does not get as hot as the tray as it's usually in partial shade.

 

[Apple]

We have in past times collected up all the used comb and put it in a hessian sack weighted down in a 50 gallon steel drum full of water... then lit a bonfire under it.
Water boils... wax floats to surface and once cooled can be removed.
Now we just chuck it frames and all in the Apimelter... wax is worth as much as honey pound for pound!!!

Chons da

 

[BeeJam]

I put a plastic greenhouse thermometer in there on one of the really sunny days a couple of years ago .. it didn't just melt the wax ... it melted the plastic thermometer ! (or at least it was so bent and distorted that it wasn;t a lot of use afterwards !)

The solar melter started out life as a winter cosy for a timber 14 x 12 hive I used to have ... I didn't use the hive and it got relegated to a bait box and I just love re-purposing - the cosy became a solar wax melter with a piece of greenhouse glass and a re-shaped piece of caravan side aluminium.

Look at the last couple of photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125609724@N03/albums/72157655336719145

Did you make the metal tray yourself?

I currently use a repurposed bar bottle fridge as a melter (insulated stainless steel carcass, double glazed glass doors so works just great). I've knocked up a swinging platform on one side to put a tub on to catch drippings of wax from tights-filtered cappings which works fine. The other side I melt frames onto a stainless steel catering tray with some holes drilled in it to drip into another tub but that doesn't work so well so something like your tray may be better.

 

[pargyle]

Did you make the metal tray yourself?

I currently use a repurposed bar bottle fridge as a melter (insulated stainless steel carcass, double glazed glass doors so works just great). I've knocked up a swinging platform on one side to put a tub on to catch drippings of wax from tights-filtered cappings which works fine. The other side I melt frames onto a stainless steel catering tray with some holes drilled in it to drip into another tub but that doesn't work so well so something like your tray may be better.

Yes ... just an old piece of aluminium that was originally from an old caravan just tin snips to get the shape and then a hammer to form the edges .. not perfect but does the job ...

 

[BeeJam]

Yes ... just an old piece of aluminium that was originally from an old caravan just tin snips to get the shape and then a hammer to form the edges .. not perfect but does the job ...

Ok thanks - I'll have to see what I;ve got lying around and give it a go