When to use solar wax melter?

[Abbee]

Hi.
This may be a stupid question but on a sunny day, in Surrey, what temperature would the weather have to be for wax to melt in a solar wax melter ?
We're in Marcn and its a beautiful sunny day. Is it way too early?

 

[Popparand]

IMHO. If you're lucky you might get a couple of days hot enough round about end July.

 

[drex]

I don't find that there is any great correlation between ambient temp and the temp in my melter. Depends on the strength of the sun and how long it is out. Try it and see. Nothing to lose.
Of course it depends on insulation on the box and whether you have double glazing

 

[Ian123]

Some will work now for sure but depends how much sun how well they are insulated. The whole point with a solar extractor is load it up and see it costs nothing, suck it and see you must have a better idea than a bloke on a phone miles away.

 

[Finman]

.
Sun angle is important in my box. Combs do not melt any more in August on my 60 latitude.
Thickness of glass is very important too. It reduces heat radiation..

 

[Beefriendly]

I find I get more melting days when I stick it inside my greenhouse and tilt it so no or very little shadow from edges around 2PM.

 

[For want of a better word]

My solar melter was functioning today.... clear sky in full sun,.... and no blooming aircraft vapour trails!

Well insulated, double layer ordinary glass with air gap, at a very steep angle to the sun, mounted on a wheeled base I can turn to track the sun.

Was making up brood boxes al fresco and in isolation.. think I may even have a tan!

Yeghes da

 

[pargyle]

The key is a well insulated box and the angle to the sun. Mine is made from 50mm celotex with a single sheet of thin greenhouse glass. Even on those days with only partial sun I find it gets warm enough to melt wax.

It got so hot one day that the plastic thermometer I had inside melted ! Fortunately, there was no comb in there to be melted down or it would have been fried.

 

[enrico]

If the wax is in the sun it will melt. If it goes into shade before the collection box it may set before you can collect it!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

The key is a well insulated box and the angle to the sun. Mine is made from 50mm celotex with a single sheet of thin greenhouse glass. Even on those days with only partial sun I find it gets warm enough to melt wax.

It got so hot one day that the plastic thermometer I had inside melted ! Fortunately, there was no comb in there to be melted down or it would have been fried.

Brill. I’ve just WhatsApp’d the picture to Stan.

 

[pargyle]

Brill. I’ve just WhatsApp’d the picture to Stan.

He's gonna have a contract out on me at this rate ! It started life as a hive cosy - i just put another piece of celotex on the bottom and a sheet of glass on the top. Bit of scrap aluminium sheet bent to shape for the tray.

Not too complicated - tray just rests on a shallow frame and the wax collects in an ice cream tub filtered through a J Cloth.

 

[hemo]

My diy double glazed melter is out all year and orientated to get the late morning to mid afternoon sun, if it wasn't for the chill wind at the mo temps would be a bit warmer and some melt will be likely.

 

[Abbee]

Thanks everyone. The melter is working a treat and even on cold days when the sun is shining. I almost burnt my fingers getting the tins out!
So thrilled!

 

[philipm]

I made a solar wax melter some years ago it got so hot that the glass cracked ,now have a different design using an old double glazed window unit it will work to some degree most days when there is sunshine.