How to Melt Down Beeswax
One of the most popular materials with a variety of uses is beeswax. This type of wax is produced by one of nature's most friendly insects, the honeybees. Interestingly, this beeswax is a by-product when the pollen and flower nectar is masticated by the bee. Although a little bit costly, beeswax has been popular from the ancient times up to now because of the alluring scent it emits. It has been used to fashion candles, statuettes, wood polish and is even used to lubricate bullets to prolong the life of a gun barrel.
Though beeswax is practically a finished product when you harvest it from the beehive, you still need to process it a little bit in order for it to be suitable for the type of application you have in mind. One of the more popular ways in processing beeswax is by melting it, using an adequate amount of heat so as not to lose its natural scent. When it is completely melted, you can then add various ingredients depending on your intended use.
Things You'll Need
- Double boiler or two pots (one smaller than the other)
- Water
- Raw beeswax
- Stove
Instructions
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1
Prepare a double boiler for melting the beeswax. A double boiler is just a simple assembly of two pots, one pot being smaller than the other and will loosely fit into the larger pot.
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2
Fill the larger pot with water. This will serve as the primary heating mechanism to melt the wax.
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3
Put the raw beeswax into the smaller pot and place this pot inside the larger one, which you filled earlier with water. At no time should the beeswax be melted using direct heat since this will overcook the wax, causing it to lose its delightful aroma and to have a brownish hue.
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4
Place the entire assembly on the stove top and set the temperature at around 145 degrees. This would allow a slow heating of the water inside the large pot, which, in turn, will also gradually raise the temperature of the smaller pot containing the beeswax until it melts.
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When the wax is completely melted, you can now add the necessary ingredients to have a blend appropriate for your desired application. Make sure that all particles are completely dissolved so as to avoid unsightly lumps in your mixture, which, in turn, could have an undesirable effect on your intended application.
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Tips & Warnings
Bear in mind that different applications would require different methods of processing beeswax. If your intention is to fashion a candle, the way you prepare the wax is different from the method used in making a cosmetic foundation. It is therefore very important to decide on what type of application you intend the beeswax for.
