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Nifty Thrifty:  New life for old beeswax  |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 12 2010 : 06:17:04 AM
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I was given a large box of used beeswax foundations. Some of it was unused and still yellow and some of it was dark brown from years of use in the hives. I sorted it and decided to melted it down. I put about two inches of water into my big electric skillet and set a non-stick cake pan down into the skillet. Kinda used it as a makeshift double boiler. Oddly enough as the beeswax was melting, the "trash" in the wax formed a wad that was easy to remove from the good wax. I wanted to use the good beeswax to make some salves for Christmas, but, I didn't have anything to put the beeswax in to cool, so I got out my muffin pans and put muffin cup papers in it and poured the wax into them. I set the pan in the fridge and it only took 5 minutes for them to solidify. I'm getting ready to do this whole process again with the brown beeswax. Only this time, I'm going to pour it into paper 1/2 gallon milk cartons that a wick and crushed ice have been added to. The ice hardens the wax immediately into really beautiful shapes and when the ice melts and the whole thing cools, you just tear off the paper carton and have very interesting square pillar candles. I just love it when I'm given a challenge to make something new out of someone elses trash. And did I tell you that my whole house smelled like warm honey while I was doing this? It was torture but I managed to get through it...lol...
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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beekeepersgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1423 Posts
Luanne
Cresco
PA
USA
1423 Posts |
Posted - Aug 12 2010 : 06:31:44 AM
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Hi Debbie -
I have a lot of used beeswax also, and wanted to make candles with it, but I didn't know how to get all the "debris" out of it - thank you so much for the info! I don't have an electric skillet, but I'm sure a non-stick pan inside a larger pan of water would probably work too?
Luanne
beekeepersgirl
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Aug 12 2010 : 06:53:51 AM
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Luanne...just be careful when the water is boiling, it wants to splash out around the edges of the inside pan.
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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corrabelle
True Blue Farmgirl
71 Posts
Corrabelle
Hamilton, Morrowville
ontario, Kansas
71 Posts |
Posted - Aug 29 2010 : 7:49:14 PM
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I love the smell of melting bees wax! I make lip balm with it and I'm always tempted to "test taste" just a little while i'm making it...lol
Corrabelle
http://themayberrysparrow.com
A Kansas gal living in Ontario. Sigh.
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Roxy7
True Blue Farmgirl
1083 Posts
Robin
Denver
CO
USA
1083 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2010 : 09:01:58 AM
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| I made some molds from beeswax once to be used on thread for sewing and beading. I used little chocolate molds and hung a poked a ribbon into the back when it was still hot. You could actually hang them as ornaments as well. I made little angels. |
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alterationsbyemily
True Blue Farmgirl
697 Posts
Emily
Chambersburg
PA
USA
697 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2010 : 10:59:42 AM
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Wow, so many uses for beeswax! I enjoy my little bar I bought for 50 cents this past weekend, hand sewing here I come!
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See my custom costumes, download free patterns, and hear some spook EVPs from Gettysburg, PA on my site, www.alterationsbyemily.com |
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Nifty Thrifty: New life for old beeswax |
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New life for old beeswax
