Plastic Solar Wax Melter

01 · HOW IT MELTS

Greenhouse effect and gravity

The transparent lid traps heat inside the tub up to the 62-65 °C that melt beeswax. The perforated tray sits at an angle: chopped wax is loaded at the top, the sun melts it and the liquid runs downhill through the holes into the lower mould, where it cools into a block. One day of full sun; in spring or autumn, two. The house tray 1835, 50 × 16 × 10 and 6 litres, is this mould.

02 · DOUBLE FILTERING

Tray for the coarse, mesh for the fine

The perforated tray holds back cocoons, comb debris, larvae and splinters; the wax passes to the fine-mesh mould, which stops propolis and sediment before it sets. Both parts are 201 stainless, which stands the acids of wax and propolis but is not 304: dry them well after washing in hot water and they last for seasons. A long-handled ladle (1827) lifts the still-liquid wax if you want to press foundation.

03 · WHAT TO LOAD

Cappings and chopped old comb; not whole frames

Fresh cappings give the palest, most aromatic wax; old brood combs give dark wax, fine for exchanging for foundation or for candles and cosmetics. Whole frames do not fit: cut the comb from the frame, chop it and spread it over the tray to expose more surface. Do not load comb with accumulated acaricides or undrained honey, which ferments and fouls. And a rule of the trade: a solar melter melts and cleans, it does not sterilise; wax from colonies dead of American foulbrood is not recycled.

04 · WHO IT IS FOR

Up to 30-40 hives, in batches

At 690 × 435 mm and 5.5 kg it goes up on the honey-house roof or out to the apiary. It serves a beekeeper with up to 30-40 hives who collects wax through the season and melts it in batches; on large operations it is a complement, it does not replace a water-jacket (1626) or steam melter for processing volume at once. Clean with hot water after each use.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

The melter is supplied with its lid, perforated tray and filter mould; ladle and candle moulds come separately.