How in the world do I bust up these big wax slabs? It's not been pretty!

[justajesuschick]

My hubby is checking out the paraffin blocks and if I am not careful there will be some power tools involved!

I have tried a Pampered Chef cutter and that worked well enough but it will not to break up all I have.

Can you share any tips to help me before I injured myself, my home or before my husband show up with a chainsaw and safety glasses??

Thanks!!

[hollidaysun]

I have granite countertops in my kitchen. I place the slab on the kitchen counter, grab a hammer and a screwdriver, place the screwdriver where I want the block broken and start hammering. It doesn't harm my countertop because it's granite. I wouldn't suggest doing it on your countertops if they are not granite or some other REALLY durable material! But then I take the chunks I break off and place them in a bowl on a scale till I get the right weight!

Hope this helps!

[SueH]

I have and old breadboard, one that I use! only for cutting wax. I place the wax slab on it and use an ice pick and slice chuncks off. HTH

[justajesuschick]

OF COURSE! How did I not think of a screwdriver/icepick?

My first batch of wax was a granulated wax so it was SUPER easy but I think that I may like the slab wax better (too soon for me to know).

Thanks ladies for your tips.

I appreciate it!

[Beezy]

I use a rubber mallet and a $4.00 heavy duty putty knife (from Home Depot).. The brand of the putty knife is HYDE.. I've broken up MANY 4794 cases, and it's still like new...This thing is quality made! Edited June 16, 2012 by Beezy

[moonrose64]

Oh man, I just have to tell you how I do it..

Specially when I need to take out my anger on something..

I double bag in 2 heavy garbage bags. tie it

Take that outside on the black top driveway or cement walks.

I raise that bag as high as I can above my head

and SLAAAAM that sucker down hard.

Works everytime....(I did that alot when i was still with my ex)

When I'm nice and calm?

I do it the good old ice pic, mallet way too...:smiley2:

[rjdaines]

Bag it and hammer it.

[JanetsCandles]

We stick it over a plastic storage box and pound on it with a hammer to break off chunks.

[ksranch]

yep - a big bag and a hammer - and yes, it can be uplifting when in a bad mood!

[jeanie353]

Double bag, take both hands and throw straight down on sidewalk, porch, or patio a couple times. Or take bag and whack it on sidewalk, porch or patio a few times. Is quite loud but neighbors haven't asked anything so far. Probably afraid to. lol

[IwantItgreen]

I will score it with a sharp knife and then slam the slab on a sharp corner of the counter. I usually breaks along the score line.

[grama]

I do it like Beezy does!

[David Fields]

I break them like IwantitGreen does. Scoring, then snaping.

[justajesuschick]

Well, I did it. It was not as easy as I had hoped. Threw it down over and over onto my porch/sidewalk and all I got it to do was split in half.

Tried a hammer on a piece of wood on the garage floor and then hubby brought me a sledge. Done but still bigger pieces than I hoped. I just melt in a double boiler on my stove in the kitchen versus Presto pots in a nice work area/barn.

I have another 10 pounds coming Tuesday. Will not need it for awhile. Think that I will try scoring it before breaking up. I now need a 5 gallon bucket with lid or a Rubbermaid tub as you have suggested in which to store it.

Tonight I am making Cotton Candy and also Buttercream in the hopes of mixing some of the brittle pieces to get Cotton Candy Frosting (or something close!).

Thanks so much!!

[jeanie353]

Well, I did it. It was not as easy as I had hoped. Threw it down over and over onto my porch/sidewalk and all I got it to do was split in half.

Tried a hammer on a piece of wood on the garage floor and then hubby brought me a sledge. Done but still bigger pieces than I hoped. I just melt in a double boiler on my stove in the kitchen versus Presto pots in a nice work area/barn.

I have another 10 pounds coming Tuesday. Will not need it for awhile. Think that I will try scoring it before breaking up. I now need a 5 gallon bucket with lid or a Rubbermaid tub as you have suggested in which to store it.

Tonight I am making Cotton Candy and also Buttercream in the hopes of mixing some of the brittle pieces to get Cotton Candy Frosting (or something close!).

Thanks so much!!

Can you try slamming the bag against the edge of the concrete to break it up more? I tried the scoring but can't get enough of a deep score to get it to snap off. Hope it works better for you. z:)

[snowman]

If you will follow brezy's suggestion - using the mallet and heavy putty knife or old wood chisel works great. Take a cardboard box a little larger than your wax slabs with about 8 inch sides. Slip it inside a garbage bag and lay a board the size of the box in the bottom. The board can be a used piece of plywood or OSB (outside board). Drop your slab on the board and chisel or chip your chunks away. The small pieces don't go everywhere and you don't damage cabnet or table tops busting up the slab. Plus, afterwards you can dump the small pieces and chunks from the garbage bag into your melter. Don't waste those small pieces, they will add up to a big chunk.

J.Snow

[HorseScentS]

When I used slabs of 6006 parasoy, I was able to cut through it with a knife pretty easily.

[justajesuschick]

I am breaking up 5 pound slabs of paraffin. IGI 4794.

I bought the putty knife and hubby has a million hammers, mallets and sledges so I will borrow from him. As an individual user I will not be breaking this up much.

The putty knife meets hammer worked really well to break up my big pieces into smaller chunks yesterday.

I get another 10 pounds tomorrow so will leave them whole until I need them.

Thanks for the putty knife and other tips. They will all help me!

[Chefmom]

I have tried the putty knife, I have tried many different putty knives and chisels etc. All I did was make chisel marks in the solid paraffin. In fact, I broke my favorite hammer that I have had for 30 years hitting slabs with a chisel and hammer.

So. I wrap in a double thick heavy cloth or garbage bag and hold one side of the slab and rest the other on the cement on my patio. That way when the hammer hits, it breaks it in two. Then I repeat with the broken pieces until they are too small to hold and hit.

I found that if I just lay the slab flat on the cement it doesn't seem to break up the same if I hit it up in the air so to speak. To keep from a compression injury I let go of the slab a second after hitting so the force goes to the paraffin and NOT my wrist or elbow.

A heavy hammer is best. I've tried the rubber mallets and they don't work as well as one of my husband's OLD, heavy hammers. Fortunately he has many, many tools to try.

If they can sell beeswax in pellets, why not paraffin??? Even chunks or something. Those slabs are a PIA.

[Beezy]

It really is a science... LOL

and I bet our customers think we get the wax heat it and add FO. pour and we're done..

IMO, There's a lot of prep that is done before we even heat the wax (picking cardboard specks/dirt off the corners of the wax slabs before we break them up to melt them, ETC..) LOL

[justajesuschick]

It really is a science... LOL

and I bet our customers think we get the wax heat it and add FO. pour and we're done..

IMO, There's a lot of prep that is done before we even heat the wax (picking cardboard specks/dirt off the corners of the wax slabs before we break them up to melt them, ETC..) LOL

Well, that is basically all I do (except for this breaking up business!) because I am a rookie who only makes for herself!

I do not dye my wax and have been troubled by random flecks or dust particles that I can see in my clear wax when melted. I swear I practically clean it down before I put it in and there appears to be no avoiding it. I thought it was just a novice problem.

[Beezy]

Well, that is basically all I do (except for this breaking up business!) because I am a rookie who only makes for herself!

I do not dye my wax and have been troubled by random flecks or dust particles that I can see in my clear wax when melted. I swear I practically clean it down before I put it in and there appears to be no avoiding it. I thought it was just a novice problem.

Black specks drive me NUTS.. I had that problem with 4794 a lot.

[Chefmom]

Black Cat Hairs.

Lately I have been melting the wax in bulk, instead of weighing exactly what I need and then pouring what I need into a second pot, pouring it through panty hose!! That way all the hairs etc are gone before I pour that lovely pillar only to turn it out of the mold and have three random Black Cat Hairs stuck to the top!!!