<<since solar wax melters are not overly efficient>>
They can be very efficient. It is a matter of design and correct loading.
Mine has an alumium lined tray on which is a metal grid giving an inch
clearance. on this is placed a square of hessian or coarse cloth. It is no
use placing old brood combs flat on the cloth. They must be cut into three or
four inch slices lengthwise and placed on edge parallel with the side of the
extractor. This allows the wax to drain out with the minimum of trouble. The
wax drains into a throwaway plastic container at the bottom of the extractor.
Given two days of cloudless sky and moving the extractor every hour or so to
keep the direct rays of the sun you are left with clean wax and on the
hessian a heap on bone dry cocoons.
Incidentally, if you plan on building one, make it big enough to take
excluders. Two hours in the extractor and the excluder is perfectly clean and
sterilised. No scraping, no fuss.
                                                               Sid P.

Incidentally, if you plan to build one, make it big enough to take excluders