First time I've had the chance to give you advice Allen, but I use a solar melter
to sort out all my feral comb.  They work great.

I doubt you'd find plastic that would hold it's shape even on a mild day.  For
example, here, Duragilt frames are thrown into the melter (good or bad) knowing the
bees will eventually chew them down to plastic.  On a warm day those frames don't
even last 3 minutes and melt down into something that resembles a stick of bacon.
Pretty darn hot.

Trouble spots for solar melters?   With all the heat, wooden frames twist and
contort so pay attention to gaps - they're bound to widen.
Mating surfaces between the window pane and frame also twist so pay attention to
the type of wood used.  I used 3" Fir timbers torn out of an old house and they're
faring well.  Pine wouldn't have lasted even one summer here (Colorado).
Attempt to seal the bottom.  You're bound to have spills. High temp hot glue will
bind to wood surfaces and makes a decent "caulk" when the melter is new.
Design your melter so it's tiltable if possible - vs. fixed.  Mine doesn't sport
this feature and I've ended up wedging it against the house at the best angle.
Filling it full of wax makes me uneasy while it melts knowing it might be a fire
hazard.  Anyone ever have one catch fire?

Matthew Westall
--
     //        Earthling Bees
 >8(())))-     "Take me to your feeder"
     \\        Castle Rock, CO,  USA


Allen Dick wrote:

> I am thinking of making a solar melter.
> I understand that the design is nothing particularly difficult, but I wonder if
> there is any necessity to use glass on top, or if plastic will work as well
> assuming it does not melt.