[HappyHippy]

Hiya,
I bought a sack of 'beeswax' a couple of years back to make candles with and unfortunately just haven't had the time to make much of a dent in it - it's now taking up valuable space and the first person to come and collect it is welcome to it for free  (I'm sure I paid £50 for it at the time)
I'm fairly sure it's not pure beeswax, there's a smell of paraffin from it (I think it's paraffin anyway) and it's really dirty (was like this when I got it). But I've used it to make container candles and it takes scent and colour well and the resulting candles are fine. You will need to melt it and strain it through a muslin or similar to clean it and it's in big pieces rather than pellets so takes a wee while to process but might be of use to someone ?

Karen x

[Fleecewife]

You could strip a few bikini lines with that 
 
It's tempting Karen but is way more than I need 

[doganjo]

Can you split it up?  I would take some but not a huge amount - I have bought basic stuff to start making candles for Christmas, but don't have much wax.  David could bring it up for me - but it's high time we saw each other again!  Are you coming to the BBQ at Simon's?

[HappyHippy]

Can you split it up?  I would take some but not a huge amount - I have bought basic stuff to start making candles for Christmas, but don't have much wax.  David could bring it up for me - but it's high time we saw each other again!  Are you coming to the BBQ at Simon's?

Yes....and yes 
Happy to split up - just tell me how much you want (roughly) and I'll get the axe out to 'resize' the pieces  Be good to get a catch up too 

[doganjo]

That's the problem I don't know how much I want.  Just see what other folk want and I'll have what's left.

[HappyHippy]

You might end up with a BIG bag of wax 

[JulieWall]

I wash beeswax by bringing it to the boil in a pan of water, then letting it cool. the wax floats and sets as a disc on the top and the impurities stay in the water. It's very simple to repeat the process several times until it is pristine again.
To clean the residue from the pan after, warm the pan, wipe well with kitchen paper and then wash in soapy water.
This method can be used for any solid wax or fat, hope it helps someone.

[Fleecewife]

It will help me - thank you 

[bloomer]

karen, give Fleecewife whatever she needs and i'll uplift the remainder when i come get my trailer :-)


Annie can have what she wants and, me and the kids can have some fun making novelty candles for the school xmas fair!!!

[doganjo]

Or maybe Annie will join in the activity as she has never made candles before. 

[HappyHippy]

Start collecting small glass jars, I like the goose fat/salsa ones you get - wide and shallow and easy for candles  or decorative (fire & heat proof) dishes.
It's worth getting a dedicated 'wax pot' (I use a wide metal bowl over a pot of boiling water) you want a double boiler type affair so your wax doesn't overheat and a jam thermometer is a good idea to make sure your wax doesn't overheat and reach flash point (also handy for adding scent at the right temp - if the wax is too hot when you add the scent you'll not get a good 'throw' of scent  )
4 candles is a good site for all things candle related and isn't too expensive either http://www.4candles.co.uk/
Karen x

[Bumblebear]

A friend of mine uses teacups and saucers she finds in charity shops

[JulieWall]

I have a red enamel jug for melting wax, it's very useful. I have been known to put it straight onto the Rayburn hotplate to melt wax quickly but it's not really a good idea unless you can stand there and watch it.