Melting Wax

[Cindys]

I am about to buy some new things for melting my wax. I have allready purchased various sizes of pans of of ebay.I was going to use the double broiler method. The only problem with that is no stove down in my work area. (i dont want the mess upstairs)so I thought may be an eletric plate type device. Now i searched the forum and read about the turk and surf. Is everyone still loving them? I need a melting pot large enough to do redips and other things. Thanks for your help:confused:

[Gdawg]

I don't dip so I don't know but would a large turkey roaster work kinda like the presto pot

[Ring of Fire]

Why not just use presto's in the basement or where ever your work area is?

[Daria Blue]

I started with the double boiler method in my kitchen and it was almost impossible to keep the kitchen clean. Water would splatter, wax would drip and it was an overall fiasco.

I purchases a Hamilton Beach turkey fryer. I was going to get a presto pot but had some difficulty finding one and instead came across this turkey fryer. I never realized what a pain using the double boiler was until I began using this, all I do is set the thermostat on it to the certain temperature and it melts the wax. No splattering of water and no having to add more water to the pot so it doesn't dry up.

You can get them in all different shapes and sizes, from your smaller crockpot size to your large turkey size. Mine has an inside pan which can be lifted out which also makes for easy clean up when I get to the end of my wax, or if I want to pour out the last bit of the wax that is at the bottom.

I didn't add a spigot, instead I just use a measuring cup to scoop it out and pour it into my mold or my mixing can. I leave the wax in the fryer completely free of dyes and fragrances, I take out whatever I need and in a separate container mix in the appropriate colors and scents.

I was always so afraid with the double boiler that it would either dry up, or get knocked over so I would constantly hover over it. With this method I can at least prep my molds and get my things set up and ready while I wait for it to melt.

I didn't mean to write a novel but I hope that helped!

[wickedwanda]

I didn't add a spigot, instead I just use a measuring cup to scoop it out and pour it into my mold or my mixing can. I leave the wax in the fryer completely free of dyes and fragrances, I take out whatever I need and in a separate container mix in the appropriate colors and scents.

that sounds like a great idea, there is times i would prefer unscented and uncolored, but i would already be mixed in presto when an idea would hit.

so once wax is melted and move it out to the mixing cont. do you re weigh the wax in that cont.? or how would you know how much of what..?

and another thing, could someone please tell me how to work the quote thingy,, i swear i can never get it right..

[harley1231]

I dont do re-dips, so maybe others that do can chime in as to whether or not the electric turkey fryer was useful as well. Also, I'm using soy wax and I dont know if this has been a useful gadget for melting high point paraffin? Can anyone chime in on this??

I am sooo glad I found this board!! I saw the post regarding the electric turkey fryers here, and the masterbuilt one was on clearance at bedbath&beyond. It already has a spigot, and a built in digital thermometer!!! I ordered it right away!! my husband laughed at first because I currently only making candles for friends & family, but this thing has been a blessing as far as 'safety', cleanup and ease!!! At times I was accidentally overheating wax when using the stove top, and the messes I was making became time consuming. It has saved me alot of time and headach when making candles!! I set the digital temp, poke relief holes in the wax, and get everything else set up and ready while it heats the wax up for me!!! I use the spigot to pour wax into a pour pot, then add the fo to the wax in the pour pot. Trust me its an investment you wont regret!! And you dont havet to keep taking the wax's temp like its a newborn with a cold!!!

they still have some on clearance..

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/stylePage.asp?order_num=-1&RN=774

:yay: Thanks to everyone that got the word out about this wonderful gadget!! I'm loving it!! And my family thanks you too!!!!

[Cindys]

I am currently using presto pots to melt my wax. I should of said that. I need a large area so that I can redip my candles. I was thinking of the double boil method, so that I could do that. This turkey fryer sounds great, I will be able to the second dip in the top of the fryer. (Am I Right?) Thanks

[Daria Blue]

that sounds like a great idea, there is times i would prefer unscented and uncolored, but i would already be mixed in presto when an idea would hit.

so once wax is melted and move it out to the mixing cont. do you re weigh the wax in that cont.? or how would you know how much of what..?

I've used glass measuring cups as my mixing containers - it's nice to be able to see through the glass at the exact color of the wax if dye is added rather than looking down at it - and there are already measured out marks on it which makes getting the right amount much easier. I do have a scale that I use if I want a very exact amount. I have the scale set to zero when the mixing container is on it so I don't have to try to subtract out the weight of the container from the wax.

[wickedwanda]

thanks Daria, i use glass measuring cups for my pour pot also, i think i will purchase a couple of larger ones to use for my mixing and pouring, i should be able to melt "say" 4# wax in presto, pour up 1# to make one color, one scent,,and still have 3# in pot..ohhhhhh yeah i am getting the idea of it now..that would be so much easier and quicker than what i have been doing, heating 1# at a time, to get different scents/colors for testers.

is there a way that you keep the temp up while mixing?

[Cindys]

I went to Bed Bath and beyond. They had one electric Turkey Fryer left on clearance.I used a 20% coupon,so it cost 54.00 The set of pans I bought of of Eay were only 20.00.If they are decent I will give them to my niece as a wedding gift, along with her card. I will let you all know how I do Thanks

[harley1231]

Dont know if this will help .. but this is what I do:

I turn on my electric turkey fryer thats filled up with plain soy wax, poke relief holes in the wax , set the temperature control and hit the start button. While the wax is heating up get out all of my supplies, wick my jars and get out my 'two' large heat safe glass pour pots.

(The pour pots I use were my moms old fashioned large glass cooking pots very similar to glass carafe coffee pots but no metal bands around them.. all heat-safe glass and they have lip on them for pouring like a coffee carafe. But I think pyrex makes some large 4 cup glass measuring cups that would work well also)

Once the wax in the fryer is up to temp;..'beep'

I set one of the glass pots (pot #1) on the scales and zero the scales. Then with the pot still on the scale I pour the fo into the pot to weigh (amount of fo will depend on how many pounds of wax I plan to use)

I remove pot #1 with the Fo in it and zap it in the micro for 15 seconds .(edit.. remember.. this is an all glass pot without metal that I'm putting in the microwave. If your using glass with any metal on it or metal pour pots Dont put it in the micro, instead you could place those types of pots on an electric skittle to warm the fo if you want to)

I take glass pot #2, put it on the scale, zero the scales. Then add the warmed wax from the fryer until I have the correct weight I plan to use. (If I accidently put in too much wax, I can easily pour some of the wax back into the fryer since it doesnt have any fo or additives mixed in it yet and reweigh the wax in pour pot #2 on the scales)

I then pour the warmed fo from pot #1 into pot #2 filled with plain wax and then any other ingredients such as uv or color and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Depending on your wax, you can pour into jars after mixing or wait for it to drop to a certain temp before pouring.

Some people here have mentioned using an electric skittle to place their pour pots on to keep everything up to temp while your preparing your batch of wax . When done, I just wipe out the 2 pour pots with paper towels and throw them in the dishwasher. Viola.. no big time messes to clean up!!

HTH

[harley1231]

For anyone wanting info on using parffin with the surf n turf, electric turkey fryer or surf n turk,..thing-a-ma-call-it,

there is a post in the gen. candle making forum incase you missed it:

according to another poster, for safety reasons, you want to initially melt the paraffin in something else before adding it to the fryer for the first time.

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44464