Small brass wax melter

01 · HOW IT WORKS

Water outside, wax inside

The outer compartment is filled with water through the cap, and the wax goes inside. Set on the heat, the water acts as a water bath: the wax melts without going past a hundred degrees, so it does not burn, does not darken and does not smell of caramel. That is the difference between melted wax and spoiled wax. The cap does not seal tight — the steam has to get out — so if it feels loose, that is how it should be.

02 · WHAT IT IS FOR

Fixing foundation and waxing, not melting kilos

It is a precision tool: running a thread of hot wax along the edge of a foundation sheet to fix it to the frame, waxing plastic frames, filling small candle moulds or feeding an embossing press. Brass conducts heat quickly and the lip lets you pour a fine stream, which is exactly what that work needs.

03 · THE SIZE

Eight centimetres across

Worth checking the measurements before ordering, because it is the most repeated surprise: 8 cm across, 9.5 cm of body and 11.5 cm overall. It is a hand pot, not a melter — for quantity there are wax melters. Anyone after volume has the wrong product; anyone after precision will not find better.

04 · THE HANDLE

Push-fitted, and heat can loosen it

The handle is wood, push-fitted, with no screw. With heat and use it can come to wobble: it reseats cold, and if it stays loose it is easily fixed. It is the weak point of the classic design and worth knowing, though it does not stop you working.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It is 8 cm across: a precision pot, not a melter. The outer compartment is filled with water, and the cap must not be sealed tight.