Beeswax

[swedepie]

how pure does it have to be? I was up irrigating and ran into a beekeeper. He runs his honey combs through a centrifugal force seperator and some of it comes out pretty clean an some not so. Told me to give him a call in July and he would give me some. How clean does it have to be for fluxing lead and making lube? Does anyone know how to clean it up to make pure? Thanks,Mac.

 

[rabjr]

Just filter it once, gets most of the dead bee and other manure out. Should be fine then but some do put it through a second filtering.

 

[jtmattison]

The easiest way I have found is to boil it in a large pot of water for a few minutes. Let it sit undisturbed to cool and harden then remove the wax cake from the pot. There will be some crud left stuck to the bottom that you can just scrape off. This will leave it very clean and ready to use.

HD

 

[swedepie]

What do you use for a filter? Would a fine screen or one of the paper cone type you get when you buy automotive paint? Thanks for the reply Swampy.

 

[rabjr]

Anything like that should work. You can use cheese cloth, nylons will work.

 

[swedepie]

Thanks for the reply HD. I think I can handle boiling water. I'll give your's and Swampy's methods a try. Where do you get your beeswax from? Mac.

 

[rabjr]

I got some locally and bought some unfiltered in bulk from one of the links to a bee keeper on the links page here on the forum a few years ago.

 

[Zonie]

When melting bees wax, and many other waxes keep in mind that they all expand a great deal when they melt.

If you have too much wax in the pan it can easily expand and overflow.

 

[Swampman]

It doesn't have to be that clean. I wouldn't waste it fluxing lead. An old crayon or birthday candle works fine for that.

 

[mckutzy]

from what a beekeeper friend said to me a few years ago, just do several filterings with the cheesecloth to get all of the stuff out. he used two burners on the stove with double boilers and a frame like thing where the cloth was tied onto like needle point, then once the wax was hot, holding the filter over the other pot and pour into the other ready pot. after the first pour, switch out the filter, and wait for the wax to become liquid again, re-pour into the original pot.
do this a few times and u will see how it well it comes out.

 

[buttonbuck]

I have heard to put it in a cloth sack, burlap will work. boil it and scrape the junk off the bottom. I did this and the people loved the candles it made no complaints about the quality, my wife got a scolding because she did not have permission to give away my bees wax.

 

[swedepie]

Thanks all for the replies. I wait for July to get me some and will give your advise a go, :v , Mac.

 

[Dphar]

how pure does it have to be? I was up irrigating and ran into a beekeeper. He runs his honey combs through a centrifugal force seperator and some of it comes out pretty clean an some not so. Told me to give him a call in July and he would give me some. How clean does it have to be for fluxing lead and making lube? Does anyone know how to clean it up to make pure? Thanks,Mac.

Lead does not need clean wax.
Also note that beeswax works better than petroleum waxes.

For lube heat in a double boiler and strain like with an old tees shirt.

Dan

 

[jtmattison]

I'd like to point out that filtering the wax with cheesecloth, t-shirt material or the like works great for removing solid particles from the wax. However, it doesn't remove any residual honey or other liquids. The method of boiling it in water removes everything. It all dissolves into the water or settles in the bottom of the pot.

:v

HD

 

[Zonie]

Boy, I sure wouldn't want any bee poo or bee barf in my guns.
:rotf:

 

[lonehunter]

ACE hardware,2oz. cakes $2.00 pure and ready to go.But free is even better :v

 

[jtmattison]

Boy, I sure wouldn't want any bee poo or bee barf in my guns.
:rotf:

Bee poo and Bee barf leaves a hard crusty fouling that is hard to clean. Everybody knows that. :shake:

:haha:

:blah:

HD

 

[PaulN/KS]

But that residual honey makes for a sweet shooting rifle...
:wink:

 

[William O.]

But that residual honey makes for a sweet shooting rifle...

Yea, but I heard it attracts bears... :hmm:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Bears are tasty and make nice rugs....