>Flash point of beeswax:  204.4 °C (399.9 °F)

Actually, few of us use beeswax, as it does not hold up well on the boxes.
Generally used are 142F paraffin with either ww gum rosin or
microcrystalline wax added to increase the stability.

At about 250F, smokey fumes hover above the hot wax.  Even at 325F, if I
put a flame to that smoke it does not flash (I use a MAPP torch to melt
cooled wax off the drain tray.

But I've also seen hot wax reach flash point.  When my first tank (a 5-gal
tin honey can set in an electric skillet) caught fire, it was because I
accidentally kicked the thermostat to high.  The firemen covered the
burning tank and carried it outside.  A few minutes later I watched a
firefighter foolishly lift the cover, and saw the wax fumes immediately
flash when they hit air.  Luckily, the fireman wasn't harmed.  But it
taught me a good lesson!
-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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