Solar Wax Melter

Whether you harvest honey with the crush & strain method like we do or not, it is highly likely that, as a beekeeper, you will need to purify wax at some point.  This simple contraption works well without breaking the bank!

Line an inexpensive cooler with aluminum foil.  It doesn’t need to be perfect, we’re just trying to increase the heat inside.

Choose a bowl that you don’t mind getting waxy. Put about 1/2 and inch of water in the bottom. Place a nice strong paper towel over the top and secure with a rubber band. Place a few balls of washed wax on top of the paper towel.

Place bowl into cooler and put a piece of glass on top. Let sit in the sun for most of the day, probably 6 hours or more.

Remove with care, it will be quite hot! The wax melts through the paper towel and solidifies in the water.

Pop out your wax and you are ready to use it for hand creams and lip balms, or melt it into candles. This is enough for 4-1/2  one ounce bars of beeswax, or just over 2 votive candles.

I pop the waxed paper towel into a bag in the freezer to use later in fire starting. Waste not and all that.

So there you have it, a cheap and easy way to melt and purify your wax.  I guarantee the hardest part will be deciding what to do with it now!  So many options, so little time!

So what about you?  Do you keep bees?  Do you use beeswax?  What do you make?

Shared on Small Footprint Friday and the From the Farm Blog Hop!