Mind Your Beeswax

[kcofohio]

Thought I'd share my endeavor with cleaning beeswax. This is not an end all for cleaning, but it worked for me. I didn't want to have to find a pot roaster or find some type of clothe to filter.
A guy at work maintains several bee hives and gave me a 5 gal. bucket of beeswax for his pick of our pears.

I used a small skillet for the hot water, some cut-off neck/shoulders of 223 brass as a spacer for the pan to melt the wax down. I did this in the garage using a $10 hot plate.

As the wax melted down, I kept adding wax.




After the pan is 3/4 full of melted wax, I would pour into a wax paper milk carton. Once I poured a fair amount, I could see when the scumgum, I believe that is what they refer to the waste, starting to come out. I would stop pouring. Let the pan cool.


I would work the top waxy layer that harded, and scrap most of the scum off the wax. Plus the scumgum needed wiped out of the bottom of the pan for the next melt.


After all wax melted and poured the 1st time, there was still impurities that sank to the bottom. After all the wax was melted the 1st time, then I remelted a second and final time.



A 5 gal. bucket of raw beeswax yielded about 4 lbs. of wax.

 

[AJC1]

Thought I'd share my endeavor with cleaning beeswax. This is not an end all for cleaning, but it worked for me. I didn't want to have to find a pot roaster or find some type of clothe to filter.
A guy at work maintains several bee hives and gave me a 5 gal. bucket of beeswax for his pick of our pears.

I used a small skillet for the hot water, some cut-off neck/shoulders of 223 brass as a spacer for the pan to melt the wax down. I did this in the garage using a $10 hot plate.

As the wax melted down, I kept adding wax.

View attachment 1073416
View attachment 1073417

After the pan is 3/4 full of melted wax, I would pour into a wax paper milk carton. Once I poured a fair amount, I could see when the scumgum, I believe that is what they refer to the waste, starting to come out. I would stop pouring. Let the pan cool.

View attachment 1073419
I would work the top waxy layer that harded, and scrap most of the scum off the wax. Plus the scumgum needed wiped out of the bottom of the pan for the next melt.
View attachment 1073420

After all wax melted and poured the 1st time, there was still impurities that sank to the bottom. After all the wax was melted the 1st time, then I remelted a second and final time.
View attachment 1073421
View attachment 1073422

A 5 gal. bucket of raw beeswax yielded about 4 lbs. of wax.

Now you just have to watch the wife steal it for candle making...

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Great post. Nice work. Reminds me, I need to get back in touch with a guy I used to work with who keeps bees as a hobby.

 

[kcofohio]

I mixed up one pound of the wax with a tbp of Johnson furniture wax, and a tbp of vaseline for bullet lube.

I'm ready to try that out.

 

[kcofohio]

Now you just have to watch the wife steal it for candle making...

Yeah, I promised her one candle.

 

[Akula69]

Wow. Those bees don't seem to be keeping a clean house...

 

[Demi-human]

Yeah, I promised her one candle.

Be sure to infuse it properly with Hoppes#9 before the casting.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I've mixed it with bear grease for a black powder lube.
2 to 1 bear/bee was what I mixed. Worked pretty well.

 

[kcofohio]

Be sure to infuse it properly with Hoppes#9 before the casting.

Now that's funny!

 

[kcofohio]

Wow. Those bees don't seem to be keeping a clean house...

Yeah, it looks nasty. Plus picking out dead bees and parts. But I found one thing out. Honey and the junk wipes off with a rag, and doesn't leave stickiness on the hands.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Be sure to infuse it properly with Hoppes#9 before the casting.

If he does, and it works, I want one for my wife. She loves the smell of Hoppes No.9.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I've mixed it with bear grease for a black powder lube.
2 to 1 bear/bee was what I mixed. Worked pretty well.

Oh, bother.

 

[JimKirk]

I mixed up one pound of the wax with a tbp of Johnson furniture wax, and a tbp of vaseline for bullet lube.

I'm ready to try that out.
View attachment 1073426

Those are looking good ...!!

Oh ....loaded some those 357 SIG brass yesterday ... Longshot, RMR MPR & S&B SP ....

 

[kcofohio]

Those are looking good ...!!

Oh ....loaded some those 357 SIG brass yesterday ... Longshot, RMR MPR & S&B SP ....

Thanks! Those are from a Lee's 401-175-TC mold. That mold is one of the best Lee's I have so far.

Good, great bullets! Should shoot nicely.

 

[AJC1]

If he does, and it works, I want one for my wife. She loves the smell of Hoppes No.9.

Candles for components, the best new barter business in the new world economy....

 

[bullseye308]

I cheated and bought 2 5lb blocks from a bee farm in south Carolina I think. It’s clean and like many things seasonal, so I waited for a seasonal price drop before buying. Beeswax has hundreds of uses.

 

[kcofohio]

I cheated and bought 2 5lb blocks from a bee farm in south Carolina I think. It’s clean and like many things seasonal, so I waited for a seasonal price drop before buying. Beeswax has hundreds of uses.

Before I started the melting, I did some online searching. It seems also the price depends on the audience market of that site. Call it organic or the likes and the cost goes up.

Most instructionals say to use cheese clothe, muslin clothe, etc. But the scum sinks to the bottom of the pan for the most part. And using it for bullet lube, I don't think the barrel will notice any slight impurities. Now I will have to filter when it comes to candles.