The time it takes to melt 6 lbs of wax depends on the type of wax (especially the melting point) and the specific additives you have in it. The range is 10 to 25 minutes starting cold.
Waxes with a low melting point melt more quickly. And waxes with additives that can take high temperatures can be melted more quickly because the thermostat on the melter can be set higher.
Some additives, especially scents, break down if the temperature of the wax gets too high. So in a worst case situation, you might have a wax that melts at 161 degrees, and have a scent in it that breaks down at 174. You'd have to set the melter for somewhere between 161 and 174, and this would take quite a while - up to an hour starting cold.
To melt the wax quickly, you'd normally want to set the melter for 75 degrees higher than the wax's melting temperature. This is a safe temperature for all candle waxes sold in the US. That 161 degree wax can be kept at 240 all day without any danger of
ignition if there are no volatile additives in it.
If you are going to pour molds right out of the melter, then you'll want to decrease the melter temperature to the "ideal pouring temperature" listed for your particular wax.
You'll definitely need a good thermometer if you are using scents and dyes that are temperature sensitive. You'll also want one if you are going to pour wax into molds. I've found that the $15 to $20 digital thermometers you get at kitchen shops work really well.
If you can't find one locally, try the Taylor
water-proof probe thermometer at Williams and Sonoma.
The melter is not bothered by scents or dyes. However, you need to be somewhat more careful about cleaning it between uses if you have scent and/or dye in the melter.
Remember that material can be trapped in the ball valve when it is closed. Be sure to flush out the ball valve when changing wax types, scents or dyes.
What I typically do is use the melter for unscented and undyed wax. I pour the wax from the melter into a
small aluminum pot
. Then I add the scent and dye and use this small pot to actually pour the wax into the molds. The advantages are that I can keep the melter at a temperature that quickly melts wax, I can add unmelted wax at any time and in any amount without measuring, I can quickly and easily clean out the small aluminum pot between scents and colors, and I can pour into molds that aren't easy to move without having to move the melter. I can use marks in the small pot for measuring purposes, so I know how many drops of scent to add, or how many dye chips. This also allows one melter to feed two or three people who are using different scents and/or dyes at the same time. Simply allocate a small pot to each person or each color.
Some people melt the wax directly in these small aluminum pots in a double boiler arrangement, but I find using the wax melter much easier. Also it gives me better control. The only wax temperature that a double boiler can consistently provide is 212f (water's boiling point). The melter allows me to set any temperature, and leave it hot all day without worry of the water boiling away, or the wax overheating.
I didn't want to start with a candle making kit, so I did a bunch of shopping on the internet, both in the UK and in the US for candle wax. I've found that GenWax.com has very good pricing on reasonable quantities of many different kinds of wax. They also have good descriptions of what each wax is best suited for, and what it's characteristics are. I did find two other companies that sold wax considerably cheaper than GenWax.com, but one (in Taiwan) sold only in full 20 ton shipping containers, and the other (in Mexico) couldn't tell me anything about the wax, not even the melting temperature. I've been very happy with GenWax's shipping speed, quality and price.
As an affiliate of GenWax, I get a couple of percent commission on each sale GenWax makes to someone referred from this web site. I use the commission from GenWax to offset the cost of the wax, wicks and other supplies that I use in my volunteer activities with local schools and at my church.
I don't make any other sizes, because I've not yet found an electric kettle with a thermostat that was any larger than the Presto Kitchen Kettle (or Presto Options Electric Cooker). These are the basis of my melters. I take whichever Presto device that Target has in stock at the moment, drill and thread a hole in the bottom, and then install some brass plumbing along with a ball valve.
If you know of a similar type electric cooker in a larger size, I'd be happy to look into it to see if it could be modified as a wax melter.
(Crock pots and other multilayered appliances are not suitable.)
There are other special purpose wax melters available in larger sizes, but they are typically much more expensive.
I understand this is an outstanding melter that holds about 50 pounds of wax. Melters of this type are actually pretty easy to find from at least half a dozen manufacturers. I've never used one personally, but I've seen them in use in commercial candle factories.
I don't have any personal experience with glycerin. However, I can imagine that the speed at which the melter recovers after you add cold glycerin will be a function of how high you set the thermostat compared to the glycerin melting point. If glycerin melts at 120f, and you set the melter for 125f, then it will take much longer to melt a block of glycerin, than if you set the melter at 150f. On the other hand, the higher the temperature of the pour, the longer the glycerin will take to harden in the mold. My guess is that you will be able to find some temperature at which your mass production is most efficient both in terms of time waiting for glycerin to melt in the melter, and waiting for your soap to harden in the molds.
I assume solid glycerin sinks in molten glycerin (again, I don't really know for sure.) If so, then when you add cold glycerin to the melter, even if it is half full of melted glycerin, then you will have trouble pouring until all the added glycerin has melted. (Otherwise it might clog the drain hole.)
So you might find that you want to melt a large quantity, then pour it all, 4 oz at a time, and then add a large quantity of solid glycerin to the melter to start the process over.
In my candle making, I often am able to add solid wax to the melter when the melter gets 1/2 empty. This takes less time to melt the new wax than if I put the same amount of wax in an empty melter. This is because the melted wax that is still there has some thermal mass, and tends to make good thermal contact with the solid wax I add. If I add the solid wax into an empty melter, then the only thermal contact is where the wax touches the bottom and sides of the melter.
I use my melter exclusively for Paraffin. However, I am aware that my customers use their melters for other materials. Beeswax, soy wax, gel wax and all other types of candle wax are suitable.
Other people pour glycerin for soap making.
One customer uses his to render butter! He buys natural butter in large drums, melts and pours it in molds (with his logo) and sells his butter at various fairs and farmers markets.
How about rocket fuel? It's not that farfetched. Stanford University has been doing very interesting research on paraffin powered rockets. I'm hopeful that a request from NASA will come any day now.
I don't have a warranty policy. The thermostat, cord and lid are covered by the manufacturer (Presto) and a blank warranty card is included in the unit. Presto will probably not cover the heating element or pot as there is a hole drilled in it.
I always insure each shipment unless I am instructed otherwise. I've
only had one unit damaged in shipment, and it was covered by UPS.
If you are unhappy with the melter, you can return it to me at your cost, and I will refund the whole amount you paid me for it initially.
I have not had anyone be unhappy with the melter, and I've never had one returned.
Return to the Wax Melter Page.
people have seen this page since September 29, 2003.
Return to: Angel Inn Capital Management.
© 2004 by Angel Inn Capital Management, all rights reserved. Text, graphics and HTML code are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, preprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission of the copyright owner. Angel Inn and Angel Inn Network are trademarks of Angel Inn Capital Management.