Solar wax melter

[Greatbigchicken]

My OH was kind enough to make me a solar wax melter, shame the weather has changed now. It's mainly made of scrap, I just need to locate some insulation to pop inside. The cover is made from an old plastic panel from a greenhouse, I'd rather have had glass, but this is what we had handy and on the pluss side it's lighter and less breakable. The tray lifts our and there is a plastic tub underneath.

 

[Chris58]

Looks really good! Well done to the OH

 

[BeeJayBee]

Ours is still at the planning stage, it won't look anywhere near as good as yours because it's going to be made from a polystyrene fish box, propped up on a brick.

 

[BeeNice]

Looks really good, where did you get the tray? as it's the one thing I can't make.
regards
Steven

 

[Luminos]

Looks really professional!

 

[Greatbigchicken]

Thanks for all you positive comments, OH is preening.

Looks really good, where did you get the tray? as it's the one thing I can't make.
regards
Steven

The tray is from Ikea, comes with a rack insert. I have another that I'm going to use as an uncapping tray. Price has gone up a couple of quid since I bought them,.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10099053/

OH cut a slot out the bottom and fixed a piece of mesh over to filter.

 

[Hombre]

Without the handles it looks like a roasting or turkey tray. Look around and they can be had quite cheaply or even large barbecue trays made from thick aluminium foil from the local Pound shops.

It's nice and neat.

 

[susbees]

And putting dirty comb in old tights will keep the whole thing cleaner so you can use it for clean cappings wax too.

 

[Teemore]

And putting dirty comb in old tights will keep the whole thing cleaner so you can use it for clean cappings wax too.

Doing this also filters a lot of the rubbish out of the wax and leaves a fairly clean sample.

 

[Greatbigchicken]

And putting dirty comb in old tights will keep the whole thing cleaner so you can use it for clean cappings wax too.

Good idea, when it warms up a bit I'll get my undies out.

 

[susbees]

Waits lame comments...

 

[SixFooter]

Do these things work in North West of England? I was planning to make one until someone told me they were only useful on 3 or 4 days a year up here. Mind you, something else he told me was discredited recently so maybe he doesnt know what he is talking about.

 

[Luminos]

Do these things work in North West of England? I was planning to make one until someone told me they were only useful on 3 or 4 days a year up here. Mind you, something else he told me was discredited recently so maybe he doesnt know what he is talking about.

I'm thinking it doesn't take much sunshine to heat up through glass/polycarbonate.
Think how hot it gets in a greenhouse or polytunnel - or even a car, in the sun

 

[MuswellMetro]

/My solar extractor is working in this weather,in /Muswell Hill North london, it is made from offcuts of kingspan,

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16198


just melted several mouldy super frames (outside temp 12c), i would have thought in wiltshire a solar wax extractor should be working now if the insulation is right

 

[SixFooter]

Might give it a whirl then.

 

[SixFooter]

Actually, it wouldnt take much to make a box that could be used as solar wax melter on sunny days or steam wax melter on overcast days.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Do these things work in North West of England? I was planning to make one until someone told me they were only useful on 3 or 4 days a year up here. Mind you, something else he told me was discredited recently so maybe he doesnt know what he is talking about.

Merseyside isn't that cold Just put the thing in the sun and let it get on with it, either that or take it with you on a day out to the beach - Southport?

 

[enrico]

If you use a piece of sacking in the bottom your wax will drip out clean, once it is so full of muck you can't use it any more use it to start a bonfire. burns well! The only drawback is that the first fe frames just soak into the sacking but after that pure clean wax!

 

[drfraz]

Sixfooter.
We get loads of sunny days in Merseyside. Just look at that healthy orange glow that the young ladies round here all sport!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Just melted this wax off mould frames in the last two days, ok it is the SE not NW but the solar insolation is quite low at this time of year and outside air temp only 11c and 0c over night