At 11:31 AM 4/27/98 +0100, you wrote:
 
>I would be extremely greatful if somebody could either tell me how to
>bleach bee's wax or direct me to any books/info. regarding this
>subject.
 
Hi Phoebe & any other phobic bee keepers who read this.
 
H.H. Root "beeswax" out of print but best reference if you can find a copy.
I loaned my copy to a beekeeper now retired and living in Hawaii, maybe he
will read this and send it back.<G>
 
>People I have asked seem to be very secretive and elusive
>regarding this query.
 
No wonder, first really need to know how much you are working with before I
can give an intelligent answer?
 
For the average person that wants beeswax for home use and crafts there is
no better bleaching process then to put the beeswax out in the sun to
bleach it. It will take several days or weeks but it will bleach to a nice
white and can be re-formed and will maintain that color. You must start
with clean beeswax with NO honey. This works with large or small blocks of
wax, smaller sun bleaches faster. (This is not a melting process but uses
the magic in the sun that causes skin cancer to do the job on the beeswax.)
 
Now if you are working with tons and tons of wax the solar system used to
work but today each wax company has a different process depending on the
area the beeswax is from and what they want to do with it. Some have
different process for different end users. These systems are protected from
us and each other for good reason but they mostly require working knowledge
of dangerous chemicals and high carbon filtration. At one time there were
solvent re processors that could recover beeswax from slum gum that was
normally wasted but again I have not heard if any of these are still around.
 
BTW. At one time I received a unknown chemical to test from a research
chemist at one of the large oil refiners who were the largest refiners of
petrol wax. This was a "black soap" that was added to the water used in the
on the bee farm beeswax rendering process. (boiling water and large pressed
blocks of wax and maybe 15% honey, from beeswax honey comb capping pressed
at 100 tons psi but honey was still taped in the pressed blocks.)
 
The rest of the story........The stuff worked, it was almost to good to be
true...BUT it never reached the bee farm market for several reasons, to
small a market, ($) to fractured, (to many beekeepers), and the cost of
research to determine if any negative effects such as chemical residues and
the like would be a problem. And last of all beekeepers did and should not
want to do this kind of added value work on the farm as they do not sell to
the end or big retail consumers nor do they know their needs and wants as
the big wax importers do. To top it off the price spread between light
colored and dark wax gives no great advantage to those with the light wax.
 
>Thousands of blessings upon the person who helps me!
 
I could use that for sure, 1000 x 1000 would be helpful.
 
ttul, the OLd Drone
 
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -- Wolfe