$12 solar wax melter

[rcannon]

A $6 styrofoam ice chest painted black, $3 can of spray paint and a $3 bowl. Works like a charm.

[Perry]

Nice yellow wax.
Cappings wax?

[Bakersdozen]

Hey that's great!  Did you put a sheet of glass or plexiglass over the ice chest?  I have a black pyrex bowl that I bet would help melt some wax.  Can you take a picture of the ice chest?  Thanks for posting rcannon.

[Jen]

Yah! I would like to see the set up if it wouldn't be too much trouble. So, this wax was already filtered?

[riverbee]

great pic rc and nice looking wax!

[Slowmodem]

http://gregsbees.blogspot.com/2012/06/building-solar-wax-melter.html

[rcannon]

Actually, it's not capping wax. This was the stuff I scrape off the lids and top of the frames when I inspect. I can't leave any wax laying around, or the wax moths will take it over. It was pretty nasty. I was surprised how pretty it turned out.
I took a regular foam ice chest and painted the inside flat black. I then set a bowl in the bottom, put a piece of hardware cloth over the bowl and laid a paper towel over that. I piled up the wax hunks on top of the paper towel. I put a sheet of ballistic Lexan over the top of the ice chest. Lexan is not necessary, I just happened to have a piece left over from a redneck experiment. Glass will work just fine. As the wax melted, the paper towel filtered it.
I'll take a picture of it tomorrow, but it's pretty simple. I'm sure it will be a prototype for another one.

[rcannon]

The link that slowmodem posted is pretty much identical to mine.
A word of warning, use gloves to pick up the bowl of wax. It's very hot, if you can't wait for it to cool off a bit.

[rcannon]

Here's some pictures:
I didn't take a picture of the paper towel, it lays on top of the screen, on top of the bowl. The wax goes on top of that.

[riverbee]

great pix rc!
(ps straightened them out for you   )

the method greg is speaking of, and rc simulated is here:
Paul Magnuson Simple Solar Wax Melter

great idea rc to add the hardware cloth, if one has a lot of wax the hardware cloth supports it.
another idea to add to what you have done for extremely clean wax, and also so the paper towel doesn't soak up wax to ends as mentioned in the above plans (and from my own experience) :
1. first place on a square of window screening, this catches all the gunk.
2. bounty paper towel underneath the window screening and doesn't have to wrap or hang over the ends. this will filter any small debris the window screening does not catch.
3. then your hardware cloth.

rc, did you use water in your tub?

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for the pictures, rc!  That's something any of us could do. 
I am amazed at the woodworking talent that members of this forum have.  But some folks, like myself, don't have time, talent, equipment or the space to do all that with. 

[rcannon]

Thanks for fixing my pictures,Riverbee. Again. I'm going to figure out how to post them upright one day.
I did not use water in the bowl, but I have more wax to melt this weekend. I'm gonna use water this time to keep the wax from sticking to the bottom of the bowl.

[riverbee]

rc i was wondering about the water, thanks. if you don't use something like a milk carton that you can tear away from the wax, the brick of wax will stick to whatever it is in, the water helps to release.

also pictures.......it would appear to me you are holding your camera phone vertically rather than horizontal. take your photos horizontal, rather than vertical, they should upload correctly then.  if not, i will still fix them........