In a message dated 97-12-30 22:21:45 EST, [log in to unmask] (beeman) writes:
 
<< come on is this possible, steam cleaning wax??? >>
 
 
   You bet it is.  I saw a really neat setup of Ed Doan's, I've always wanted
to duplicate, as soon as I can get a steam Jenny working.  It rendered the old
comb from a couple boxes at a time, and it came out surprisingly light.
 
    He had taken a deep super, and made a hopper shapped bottom from aluminum
flashing, with a stand designed around the hopper. The hole at the bottom let
out the wax into a mold.  Above the bottom was another opening with a steam
hose attatched.
 
    He would set a couple boxes on top of this, with a 16 x 20 piece of
plywood on top. It would be set just ajar enough to let a little steam escape.
 
    The steam removed all the wax from the frames, which dripped down.
Propolis and other debris mostly remained on the frames, but were dry and/or
brittle enough to be rubbed or scraped off easily.
 
    Quite an invention. Rendered old comb, bleached the wax, and got the
equipment pretty much ready for reuse, all in one operation.
 
    Despite the bleaching, you can never make old comb renderings into
cappings wax, though.
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
 
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm