In a message dated 10/21/98 5:57:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
 
> Regarding the query on melting wax in water.  Bee aware that water added to
>  wax saponifies, i.e. goes soapy, and cannot be retrieved.  The only water
>  that should be used is rain water or distilled water and even then I would
>  not recommend boiling the two together.
 
    The saponification is caused by lime in the water. If you have hard well
water, it definitely will saponify. Soft water may not. So it all depends on
your water supply.
 
    You can bypass the problem by acidifying the water. The easiest, cheapest
way is to add a little vinegar to your water. We use about 5% table vinegar to
95% water, and never have saponification, as long as we do this.
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
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The Pollination Home Page:    http://www.pollinator.com
 
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
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