# problem with my presto pot



## Cyndi (Apr 26, 2005)

Sometimes my spout gets clogged up and/or it works best if you heat the wax up to 180 degrees. I take a thin wire and poke the spout so it will go through.


----------



## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

How much wax did you have in the pot? Sometimes it takes a while for the heat to work it's way into the spout. I've used mine as low as 160 degrees and it works, but takes a longer amount of time for the valve to warm up.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

*Know nothing about the Presto , just read posts*

I saw a post somewhere a person suggested a different, shorter elbow or nipple then the website shows to alleviate this problem.


----------



## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

*Pot Problems*

When I first built mine I had the same problem and I kept a heat gun handy to warm the valve when I wanted to pour ( once it started it was Ok till after I stoped and the valve cooled ) then I found a valve @ Home Depot that has a male thread on one end so it keeps the valve closer to the pot (heat source) and you can run the wax temp cooler.

The valve I found is in the "Air Tool Section" not plumbing:scratch:


----------



## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

Thank you all... I will work on heating the valve until my husband has a chance to get me one from Home Depot. I read the reply to him and he said it made good sense to him.

Thanks
charlotte


----------



## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

can you post a picture? I started out with a fairly short nipple screwed into the pot. The handle of my valve is about 1 1/4 inches out from the pot. I extended my copper fitting after the valve to about 5 inches (from the pot to the end) with a 45 deg elbow on the end. I started out with something shorter, but the pot seemed dangerously close to the edge of the table.


----------



## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I have this pic and you can look at it if you dont laugh at the mess, I will try to get a close up later today.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/honeyman46408/mypicpot.jpg?t=1223280515

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/honeyman46408/PrestoPot2.jpg?t=1223310534


----------



## 1reb (Jul 29, 2008)

what is candletec website address?
Johnny


----------



## RAlex (Aug 18, 2001)

http://www.candletech.com/general-information/do-it-yourself-wax-melter/


----------



## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

honeyman46408 said:


> I have this pic and you can look at it if you dont laugh at the mess,


----------



## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

I will shorten the snout when I get a chance. For now... I am preheating the pot a little... turning down the heat and adding the wax... now it flows well. I do need to build a stand to set it on so I can get my measuring cup under the spout. I can see that it needs to be watched carefully but it sure beats a double boiler.


----------



## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

*Re*



cdanderson said:


> I will shorten the snout when I get a chance. For now... I am preheating the pot a little... turning down the heat and adding the wax... now it flows well. I do need to build a stand to set it on so I can get my measuring cup under the spout. I can see that it needs to be watched carefully but it sure beats a double boiler.


Are you putting water in the bottom? I keep water in the bottom (just below the outlet) this catches a lot of "stuff" and when I let it cool I scrape off a lot of it so it is a little cleaner for the next time.

I have learned where to set the temp cotrol so I put the water and wax in it and go do something else till I am ready to pour (that mabee several hours) and another thing I have learned is to look at the wax and when I can see through the melted wax it will come out *real* nice.

just another 2 cents & and we dont need any more coments from U *RatMan*


----------



## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Here is couple of candles I made.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/honeyman46408/mypic0002.jpg?t=1223476453

Another thing I like to do is make my own molds and I find salt & pepper shakers are about the right size for some nice little candles

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/honeyman46408/mypic0001-1.jpg?t=1223476671

Oh if you haven`t guessed it is raining here today so here I am at the puter insted of working


----------



## MapMan (May 24, 2007)

I'm planning on getting a presto pot, and I always wondered why the instructions used a female valve/male nipple arrangement. What you are doing there is creating a heat break - even though the parts are connected, there is enough of a gap between fittings that this dissipates some heat going to the valve. Add to that a greater distance from the pot heat, and the wax won't flow as well, unless the pot is good and hot. You can get male threaded valves - just have to browse the hardware store - or ask.

MM


----------



## The Honey House (May 10, 2000)

*Homemade mold*



honeyman46408 said:


> Here is couple of candles I made.


Very nice! 
I've got a nice 6 to 8 week semi-vacation coming up and I think 
that I just might get back into the candles again. 
Thanks Ed, you do good work.


----------



## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

The clogged valve must be a universal problem because Dadant sells a heated valve (M006142) for this application. At $173.75 I am OK with small nipples.


----------



## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

I did put water in it when I first put wax (from the solar melter) in the pot. Then this melted mixture is poured into cups to cool where the wax and water seperates. 

When I am pouring candles in the molds I dont put water in the presto pot... I have read that water in the wax will cause the candles to sputter ?


----------



## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

The Honey House said:


> I've got a nice 6 to 8 week semi-vacation coming up .


I thought you were retired, I get a 6 month vacation twice a year



cdanderson said:


> When I am pouring candles in the molds I dont put water in the presto pot... I have read that water in the wax will cause the candles to sputter ?


I keep the water below the valve so the wax floats on top of the water and every time I let it cool there is always some more "gookie stuff" in the cooled wax.

I realy like swaping ideas so keep them comeing I don`t care what riverrat says about the "Pot"


----------



## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

honeyman46408 said:


> I realy like swaping ideas so keep them comeing I don`t care what riverrat says about the "Pot"


Yea what hm says.:scratch: I dont care what the beesource fire marshal has said in the past.:no: You people about got me convinced I need one of them presto fire pots


----------



## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

I understand the pot could be dangerous but so could every other aspect of melting wax ! The biggest problem was I made an awful mess in the kitchen last night and being the "woman of the house" I didnt have anyone to fuss at 

So I can put water in the bottom of the pot each time I use it and as long as I dont tip the pot I should always get wax through the spout ? Hmm...Will it (wax and water) seperate as it melts or do I have to heat it and let it sit several hours ?

charlotte

P.S.
When someone has time... I wish you would do a tutorial thread on how to make your own molds.


----------



## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

cdanderson said:


> When someone has time... I wish you would do a tutorial thread on how to make your own molds.


 
Sounds like a good topic for the chat room one night HM why dont you get that going:thumbsup:


----------



## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

I only use water when I'm melting wax that is still a little dirty, like right out of the solar melter. Put some water in the pot, throw the wax in and when it's melted, shut off and unplug the pot and let it set untill the wax hardens. In cool weather I just place it outside the door. 

When the wax is hard, open the valve and the dirty water drains out. Turn the pot over and the wax will come out since the pot is tapered and the wax also shrinks a little as it cools. Scrape what little dirt is left off the bottom of the wax and wipe the pot clean
.Later throw the dry chunk of wax in without water. When it melts, run it through a filter into your pouring pot and pour your candles. I started out using a double boiler and stood there forever waiting for wax to melt so I could pour a few candles. When I put my presto pot together and tried it for the first time, I couldn't believe how much time it saved. It is really a pleasure to use.

Right now, I have coarse and fine filters set up so that my pouring pot sets in a bucket. The wax comes out the presto pot spout, goes through the filters and directly into the pouring pot. Any spills are caught in the bucket


----------

