# filtering wax



## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

Ben Little said:


> How do you all filter wax for candle making ? I have tried some paint strainers and sieves and cloths etc and I would like to get something that will make it VERY clean. Is there such a system for this ? I don't want to charcoal filter it and make it white wax, just clean enough for nice candles .
> Thanks
> Ben


I am a beeswax newbee, but learning all I can and much of it from experts in the UK where their wax cakes in honey shows are stunning. From what I can gather so far, the real secret to clean wax is filtering it more than once. Nylon stockings and paint strainers and even paper towels or old sweatshirts all should do the trick as the filter. I am amazed at how much slum gum comes out of what looks like clean wax. The Britts take it to the extreme- recommending washing wax in rain water and all sorts of things. One guy even used a fork to separate out his cappings- but that is especially to get the very light colored wax favored by honey show judges. I think filtering twice should do the trick for your needs. There are lots of tips here: http://www.easternapiculture.org/resources/honey-show-prep.html
Best of luck.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

For my final cleaning I use an old slow cooker with tee shirt material as a filter.This is after a couple of trips through the solar melter.This is clean enough for things like lip balm and other cosmetics so would be more than ample for candles.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

..........or just let it settle, and dipper off the clean wax on top. 


Crazy Roland


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

I filter through paper towels the final go round. Just be prepared to lose wax to the paper towels as they clog. Cheap ones work better than expensive ones, you don't want the absorbent. I use the wax impregnanted paper towels for fire starters.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I've found the best way for me is to use a solar melter, then scrape the bottom of the cake of wax with hive tool do get the junk off, then repeat. I repeat this all several times, it gives me cleaner wax than trying to use a filter. I find that most the junk in the wax is fine enough that Tshirt or sweat shirt fineness does not filter out all the junk.

Dipping cleaner wax off the top of a melted pot of wax is the cleanest. Solar melting will help with bleaching the wax. I suspect it's ultraviolet light that makes the wax lighter, but am not sure at all. But something in the sunlight will make wax lighter with each melting.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

jbeshearse said:


> I filter through paper towels the final go round. Just be prepared to lose wax to the paper towels as they clog. Cheap ones work better than expensive ones, you don't want the absorbent. I use the wax impregnanted paper towels for fire starters.


I second this.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

I make candles also, and the very best thing to use is one of those micro fine nylon bag filters that you put inside a 5 gallon pail for filtering honey. Some of the bee supply companies sell them and they are about $5.00 each, you can reuse them over and over as they are very durable. Gets the wax as clean as you would ever need it to be for any purpose.


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## wglord (Nov 23, 2009)

Ben;

Use a clean - old is fine - white cotton athletic sock for the final filtration. I use a cheap aluminum coffee pot, pull the sock over the top - and it is a tight fit - and pour the wax into the pot through the sock. Pour pure clean wax out of the spout of the coffee pot into your candle molds.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

These are all awesome ideas ! I especially like the coffee pot idea, I might have to go to some yard sales and find me a big coffee maker 

Thanks everyone !!

Ben


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## suburbanrancher (Aug 5, 2011)

I used paper towels in my solar wax melter, but butter muslin…oh my, that makes the wax so BEAUTIFULLY clean and smooth. I now use it for all FINAL filtering prior to using the wax in products.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

I heat the cappings. Let it cool. Lift off the wax block. 

I put some water in a large pan..turkey pan or large cake pan ...put 1/8 inch screen over the pan, paper towel on the screen, wax cake on the paper towel. I put it in the oven on a low temp. The wax melts through the towel and floats on the water. Turn off the oven, let cool. The paper towel then works great for starting maker, the wax is clean...lifts off the water easily.

Works for my few back yard hives


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