Been running the wax melter since it's been so hot. Actually not as much as I would like to be since it's also rained on us so much. Speaking of which it rained out here again today obviously while I was at work. Luckily the clouds stayed around most of the day so it wasn't as oppressively hot as it could have been but when the sun did come out..... Well I went and took a nap it was so bad.
July and August are my big wax producing months around here. Typically I like to know it's going to be sunny and I melt down about a pound or so disc of wax every day. Unfortunately I am getting a lot more wax than I need these days and I have several pounds of it stashed away. It's really useful for making candles of course but I also use it for reloading lube, coating new plastic foundation and waterproofing the stitching on my boots. Honestly in a grid down situation the stuff would be worth it's weight in gold but in today's world not so much unless you have massive quantities to sell to a major company.
You can kinda see how I designed the thing and how it works here. I use a paper towel inside the strainer (that I broke the handle off of). In the bottom of the little crock I place about an inch or so of water and if the temperature and sun are just right I get some near perfect discs with it. If it gets cloudy or something I get the wax but it will come out in interesting shapes sometimes.
I used to wash the cappings and burr comb before melting it down but I stopped doing that as the added bits of honey kinda permeates the melted wax and makes it that much better for the uses I put it to. I especially love the smell of the candles when I burn them over the Winter months that have a little honey mixed in. That burnt honey smell is something only someone who harvest honey can appreciate.
Here she is all closed up and working. I could really do three or four discs a day easily but you have to move the box into the shade and let it cool for about an hour between each load. With work and all I am lucky to get the thing loaded and unloaded once a day right now.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!
That is neat being able to handle all the wax with the solar unit. I suspect that you would get similar results if you left Nancy Pelosi in a hot car too long.
ReplyDeleteyeah, sunnybrook, but it would be polluted beyond all use and the stench would be hellish.
DeleteI got one disc of wax from a hive which had failed but still had combs inside. I treasure it. I should use it I suppose, but I prefer to enjoy the fact that it was something we harvested from the bees.
ReplyDeleteYES! Thank you! Now I can retire my cardboard box with foil... and the wind won't blow it across the deck! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat trick and the price is right. The solar oven is an interesting tool, maybe cook up some collards without heating up the house.
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat trick and the price is right. The solar oven is an interesting tool, maybe cook up some collards without heating up the house.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great design..do you have any other solar things around your farm?
ReplyDelete