Melting Bee's Wax

[GreeCguy]

Greetings and good afternoon fellow Bitogers:

The situation: We have an "everlasting light" in our Church Sanctuary. It burns 24/7 and symbolizes God's eternal presence in His house.

I took over the job of changing it out every Friday, (and yes, before anyone asks, the new candle is lit before the old one is put out).

These candles come in a tall, narrow, glass container with a very narrow opening at the top. They are designed to burn 7 days, but there's always a little bit left over, (about four fluid ounces).

The question: How can I melt the wax out of the glass container without the wax catcing on fire? I thought of putting the glass container in the oven but am somewhat fearful of it catching on fire. I also want to save the glass containers and am afraid they might break or crack in the oven or when I handle them to pour out the wax.

The wax is made from Bee's wax.

Any suggestions?

 

[javacontour]

So in BITOG speak, what is the flashpoint of beeswax?

 

[Darwin1138]

Try boiling it in water, if it doesn't turn into liquid then maybe is soft enough to remove it with a spoon.

 

[domer10]

why noy try heating glass with a portable propane plumbers torch, apply heat for a bit, back away from it, apply heat back away from it.....i mean burn outer glass not wax directly.

 

[A_Harman]

Yeah, use the double boiler method. I used to make candles at home using paraffin wax. I would put the wax chunks in the inner pan of mom's double boiler, and put it over a gas burner on the stove. Never had any problems.

 

[domer10]

and when starts to melt, tip the glass and pour it where u want to

 

[leroyd92]

in my archery days of using beeswax on my bow strings, i used a hair dryer to melt the wax in the string. when i made my dispensers for the wax, i used a big stainless bowl on top a pan of boiling water to melt the wax. and when i would mess up the dispenser id use a torch to melt the way out of the copper tube.

dont be afraid to heat beeswax. i have a 1600° torch id waive at the copper tubes to melt the wax from them even used glass tubes before

 

[1 FMF]

you should be cautious heating beeswax. it's flash point is somewhere around 300-400°. with waving a torch over copper tubes you're not heating any real quantity of wax and the heat is easily dispersed and you can get away with it.
the other thing is if your wax is in a glass container, glass is a poor conductor of heat. it is an insulator, you put a torch to glass you won't heat the wax and will probably break the glass.
i think your best bet is either using a pot of water large enough and heat water to near boiling then suspend your glass containers of wax into the pot to melt wax. you need to get the wax to around 150° for it to be liquid enough to pour it and relocate it to another container. or you can put the glass container in an oven that is 150-200° temperature but i would not have the oven electric element on or burning gas while the wax is in there- heat oven first, turn off, then put wax in there. or if the glass container is not needed, break it then scrape out the wax.

 

[mattwithcats]

Use a slow cooker as a double boiler...

Fill bottom with enough water to cover wax, but not enough so the candles will float or tip over...

Turn on low, leave an hour or so...

 

[andyd]

In the time it took to read and reply, I would have the tubes simmering on the stove in a coffee can 1/2 full of water. I wouldn't sweat the flash point, but I'd worry about breaking the glass. Bee's wax is tasty when fresh from a hive. My Dad raised Italian bees. He was an organic gardener.

 

[Kuato]

My Dad was a beekeeper for many years. The oven will work, as will the double boiler.

Here's something I found online that sounds right:

Originally Posted By: http://hiveharvest.com/beeswax-facts-and-faqs/

Pure beeswax is solid at room temperature. It will have a putty like consistency at above 80-90 degrees F and will melt around 145-147 degrees F. Depending upon what you are using it for you may just let it sit in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes to allow it to turn into a putty like consistancy. To melt beeswax use a double boiler (a pot within a pot of water) this allows gentle heating which is important because beewax can burn rendering a browning hue and lose its aroma. Remember beewax is used in candle because it is flammable so be carefull near an open flame or a heat source. Do not exceed 160-170 degrees for any long period of time and you should fine.


To catch the melting wax, I'd just put the glass container into a cookie sheet with some wax paper and set the oven to 200*(or 180 if you can). 200 isn't even close to melting glass, and with an oven mitt to handle the glass you will be good to go.

 

[tom slick]

Microwave?

 

[TWG1572]

I used to be a beekeeper. Kuato is spot on - I typically used a double boiler, but turning the oven on to "warm" and putting the container on a cookie sheet will also do the trick.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

My wife makes beeswax candles sometimes, and has settled on the double boiler method. She uses a metal can inside an old pot.

She originally found internet directions for melting the wax in the microwave. It seemed to be working really slowly with one of those "microwave safe" 1-quart glass measuring cups. I looked through the window and saw the container starting to deform, but the wax wasn't melting. There was some kind of explosion, but I don't quite remember where.