Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Shizzell on January 02, 2006, 04:13:55 pm

Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Shizzell on January 02, 2006, 04:13:55 pm
How would i go about melting my wax from my combs? Just strip it from the foundation, and what then? Thanks
Title: Re: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: stilllearning on January 02, 2006, 08:38:59 pm
Quote from: Shizzell
How would i go about melting my wax from my combs? Just strip it from the foundation, and what then? Thanks


Guessing from your question, you want to melt the cappings in a
solar melter.

drain as much honey from them as possible you can wash them and
let them air dry place them in the melter and let the sun do the work.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 02, 2006, 08:56:46 pm
>How would i go about melting my wax from my combs?

If they are just combs and you just want to melt them I'd put them in a double boiler and melt them.

> Just strip it from the foundation, and what then?

I'm not clear what "strip it from the foundation means".  Nor do I know why you want to melt the wax.  If you have drawn comb that's a nice resource for starting hives or getting a head start next year because the bees don't have to draw the comb.  I wouldn't melt it without some reason.

If you have some reason you need to scrap the combs and they are on wax foundation, then you would just cut them out of the frames and melt them.  If you have plastic foundation and you have some reason to scrap the combs, then I'd scrape the combs off of the plastic.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Shizzell on January 02, 2006, 10:59:55 pm
Well I plan on using plastic foundation, and I have some requests to make candles, and I suppose i'll just scrape the foundation, crush the comb, strain the honey, and melt the wax. Using a double boiler sounds good. I was just wondering what the purpose of a solar melter was, and what benefits it had against just heating it up.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: bassman1977 on January 02, 2006, 11:51:25 pm
I used an old crock pot to melt my wax.  I filled it with water and it naturally separated from the wax once the wax melted.  It took a few hours to melt because the water kept it from getting over heated.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 03, 2006, 07:56:49 am
Personally, I'd buy the wax.  I wouldn't melt perfectly good combs to get wax for candles.  You can buy a 20 pound slab from Dadant.

http://www.dadant.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=77&osCsid=6ced434669c4f2c8e5d80b989e396708
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Finsky on January 03, 2006, 02:25:09 pm
Quote from: Shizzell
some requests to make candles, and I suppose i'll just scrape .


Do you know that bees use for one wax lbs  8 lbs honey plus pollen. It is expencive wax. http://www.beekeeping.com/leclercq/wax.htm

So you have lack of combs at spring. Are you going to ruin your beekeeping with candles.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Shizzell on January 03, 2006, 10:51:26 pm
I have duraguilt guys, so I can't really stick the wax back on the plastic frames after i crush it for the honey?? Or maybe?
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 03, 2006, 11:14:13 pm
If you're doing crush and strain, by all means melt it down.  Duragilt is really made to extract and you will have to put in new foundation when you're done.  Unfortunately, the bees won't rebuild on the slick plastic.

If you have Rite cell or Pierco they will rebuild the comb on it.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Shizzell on January 03, 2006, 11:49:23 pm
?? Wait so your telling me the bees will not build comb back on the plastic duraguilt?? I haven't ever extracted comb from duraguilt yet, but... Is there anyway that I can have them build on the comb after I extract it? I really don't want to buy all new foundation.  :cry:
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 04, 2006, 08:31:33 am
Duragilt and Duracomb are a prodcuts from Dadant.  both are a smooth piece of plastic with a thin sheet of beeswax on each side of it that is embossed just like wax foundation.  It looks like wax foundation.  The Duragilt has the addition of the metal edges and the communication holes.  If this is what your foundation looks like it may be difficult to crush and strain without ruining the foundation.  You could try to use a knife to cut the combs very shallow, but the wax often comes loose from the plastic if you get too deep.  Once the wax comes off of the plastic the bees will never rebuild comb on the plastic.

Ritecell, Plasticell, Pierco and a few others are molded plastic foundation.  In other words the cells are embossed into the plastic with cell walls sticking up from the plastic.  These you can scrape down to the foundation and the bees will happily rebuild it.

If you intend to do crush and strain from the start, your best bet is a starter strip, foundationless or thin surplus wax with no wires.  Then you can make cut comb or crush and strain.  You don't need foundation, you just need a comb guide of some kind, such as the starter strip or a triangular piece on the top bar.  But the "typical" way this is done is to just use wax foundation with no wires.

Plastic foundation, including Duragilt, and wired foundation, was invented for brood comb and extracting, not for comb honey or crush and strain.  Comb honey is typically thin surplus foundation.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Shizzell on January 07, 2006, 12:56:58 pm
Alright I figured it all out. I'm not going use my duraguilt for my honey super (use for brood). Is there a type of foundation where I can collect wax from and yet the bees will still build on it after I scraped it off? I plan on using this plan of extraction for my honey:

http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2005/september/honeyextractor.htm

but I'm wondering if there is anything that can be used after I scrape my wax down so that the bees will build back on it? I really don't wish to buy a starter strip and such.

Thanks in advance
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Horns Pure Honey on January 07, 2006, 04:03:03 pm
I use plasticell with wooden frames and it has worked out great. :D
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 07, 2006, 06:09:29 pm
>Is there a type of foundation where I can collect wax from and yet the bees will still build on it after I scraped it off? I plan on using this plan of extraction for my honey:

How about no foundation.  Put a triangular guide on the bottom of the top bar and never put foundation in again, AND you can cut it for cut comb or crush and strain.

See my web site for pictures of foundationless frames.

www.bushfarms.com
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: newbee101 on January 07, 2006, 06:13:18 pm
If you use solid wax foundation, there is no need to scrape anything. You just cut it out. If you scrape the duragilt, you must replace it. Either way
you need to add more foundation or starter strips. Your drawn comb is far more valuable than some candles. You can buy wax (supports local beekeepers) and KEEP your comb for the bees. Save all your cappings and burr comb, it will add up.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Finsky on January 08, 2006, 05:22:29 am
I think that it is really difficult to compete with USA work price level against China, Vietnam, Russia, Georgia etc.  They price level is 5-10% that of western world.  It is better to get wax from china if you make candle business.  

If you work as you plan your will loose you savings and never learn really nurse bees. The aim, why you keep bees is important.  The main product of bees was really wax 200 hundreds years ago when monasters nursed bees. Church wanted wax to their candles.
Title: Solar Wax melter?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 08, 2006, 10:27:49 am
>Either way
you need to add more foundation or starter strips.

Actaully all you need to do is leave half of the top row of cells on the frame and you won't need to put foundation back in or starter strips in.  A little bit of comb left or even the imprint of comb left is usually sufficient for a comb guide.