I am still putting new wax in my hives and no honey as yet, so I had to buy it this time. Looking forward to using my own hopefully next year.
Candle making
I am still putting new wax in my hives and no honey as yet, so I had to buy it this time. Looking forward to using my own hopefully next year.
I use a double boiler. The lower pot filled with boiling water kept warm or simmering, and the top pot lined with muslin, and filled with the old wax and bits of comb. As the wax melts, add some more bits of wax until you have a good pot of melted wax. Have your moulds ready. As moulds I use butter, yogurt, cream or cheese tubs. I prefer the smaller tubs because smaller wax blocks are easier to remelt for later use. Also have ready a place where you can put down the muslin lining filled with slumgum. I use an old plate covered with something flexible like a strong plastic sheet.Originally Posted by snimmo243
Once all the wax has melted lift out the muslin filled with slumgum and pop it onto the plate. Now fill the pots with lovely wax. As my bees have worked hard for all their wax I now squeeze out the muslin as well using two sticks or two knives or whatever. Once cold, I just break these flat pieces of wax off the plastic liner. They'll be very dark but perfectly ok. Use the cold waxy muslin cloth as a firelighter.
Leave the wax in their moulds to cool overnight. The easiest way I get the wax out of their moulds is to cut the edge of the pot and tear it open. Check the bottom of the wax pieces. There might still be a thin layer of powdery yuk on it which you need to trim off.
Instead of muslin some people use old tights filled with wax.
Kitta
Last edited by Mellifera Crofter; 15-12-2013 at 11:06 AM.
Don't know that I'd be recommending bringing it to the boil in a pot like that.
H-J, they're beautiful. Crackers.
No Gavin he is a bit Cavalier but the No2 propolis bit was interesting wonder who buys that stuff
Re: Candle making
Yes - I didn't realise the powdery stuff at the bottom of the wax block contains a lot of propolis. Kitta
I've just watched a video on the other forum posted by Finman. It starts with a man chipping away at a huge block of wax - so, unless one works on the Fat Bee Man's scale, I think small blocks are best. Here are a few of my blocks. The slithers in the front are from wax I've retrieved from squeezing out the muslin cloth at the end:
IMG_5179.jpg
Very good advice. If we're using the wax for ourselves rather than bulk selling or trading it in it makes most sense to store it in the size of block that we can most efficiently reuse.
Made candles using my own wax for the first time today (rather than bought wax), outcome was better than I imagined!
Congratulations, Helen - I think that first prize is well-deserved.
Kitta
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