Ok, so pot with water in it, metal container no lid, enough water to control metling without making pot float around, medium heat, and boiling water. Am I missing anything? For the jute part, do I just dip the jute it then let the wax harden? Or should i let it soak for a couple minutes?
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Safe way to melt paraffin wax?
- Thread starter ryts100
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Ok, so pot with water in it, metal container no lid, enough water to control metling without making pot float around, medium heat, and boiling water. Am I missing anything? For the jute part, do I just dip the jute it then let the wax harden? Or should i let it soak for a couple minutes?
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Glass jars (even not pyrex) in a double boiler are absolutely fine, just put it in cold water and heat together. It's not the heat that breaks glass, but the rapid expanding/contracting that occurs when heated (or cooled) QUICKLY. So don't put the hot jar in cold water as that will crack it too. Just chuck the jute in, give it a swirl and pull it out. Use a skewer or a stick and put it onto some baking paper.
Alright, thanks. I put a chunk of wax in a small chicken broth can, inside a pot with water in it. the cans sitting on the bottom of the pot, where it's being heated by the coils. Heat's at mid-low-medium.
If you break the wax down into smaller pieces, or ever shred it first it'll melt more quickly and evenly. (i.e. it's safer)
When I want to make firestarters I use chips of broken down old candles, in a small wide-mouthed glass jar (salsa jar, basically) in a small saucepan.
Put everything over low heat. Low and slow is the way to go. No hot spots, no (HELL no) rolling boil necessary. Silicone oven mitt is all I need to lift the jar and do the pours.
As someone said, don't put the hot jar down anywhere near cold water. Put it back in the heated saucepan (gently, no splashing) or on a trivet. You do have trivets, right? You shouldn't even be attempting this if you don't have any trivets.
When I want to make firestarters I use chips of broken down old candles, in a small wide-mouthed glass jar (salsa jar, basically) in a small saucepan.
Put everything over low heat. Low and slow is the way to go. No hot spots, no (HELL no) rolling boil necessary. Silicone oven mitt is all I need to lift the jar and do the pours.
As someone said, don't put the hot jar down anywhere near cold water. Put it back in the heated saucepan (gently, no splashing) or on a trivet. You do have trivets, right? You shouldn't even be attempting this if you don't have any trivets.
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i just use a disposable baking ban and an electric hot plate that i got out of a high school science set. works fine.
just set the heat on low and wait for the melting to begin.
edit: forgot to add. once the wax has started to melt, gently stir it with a wood tongue depressor. add in your jute and once it get a good soaking let it hang dry. an old copper coat hanger from the dry cleaners works great for a drying rack.
again make sure to keep the heat on low and once its at a point it starts to bubble/boil you should turn off the heat and let it cool down. the wax will still be workable as it cools.
just set the heat on low and wait for the melting to begin.
edit: forgot to add. once the wax has started to melt, gently stir it with a wood tongue depressor. add in your jute and once it get a good soaking let it hang dry. an old copper coat hanger from the dry cleaners works great for a drying rack.
again make sure to keep the heat on low and once its at a point it starts to bubble/boil you should turn off the heat and let it cool down. the wax will still be workable as it cools.
If you break the wax down into smaller pieces, or ever shred it first it'll melt more quickly and evenly. (i.e. it's safer)
When I want to make firestarters I use chips of broken down old candles, in a small wide-mouthed glass jar (salsa jar, basically) in a small saucepan.
Put everything over low heat. Low and slow is the way to go. No hot spots, no (HELL no) rolling boil necessary. Silicone oven mitt is all I need to lift the jar and do the pours.
As someone said, don't put the hot jar down anywhere near cold water. Put it back in the heated saucepan (gently, no splashing) or on a trivet. You do have trivets, right? You shouldn't even be attempting this if you don't have any trivets.
Ok, done. I didn't break it down, but I will next time. I didn't really use a boil. The water just made little bubbles that clung to the bottom and to the can, and steamed. I took both off the heat together, then took the can of wax out. Dipped the jute twine in one piece at a time, and put it on a piece of wax paper. Planning on comparing it to regular jute twine tomorrow. And uh...what are trivets?
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G'day Chris
Kind regards
Mick
You sound like a compounding pharmacist. Do you get many extemp Rx's?
Kind regards
Mick
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- Oct 8, 1998
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- 5,403
I have used an electric range a number of times, and never had a problem.
I am not discounting the warnings already offered, just my experience.
One thing that works well for me... I bought a crap pan at the thrift store, and just leave the wax in there...
Marion
I am not discounting the warnings already offered, just my experience.
One thing that works well for me... I bought a crap pan at the thrift store, and just leave the wax in there...
Marion
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
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- 175
Still a student at the moment Mick. Not too many come into the pharmacy, but still plenty of formulations labs at uni. I hate extemporaneous Rx's, and hope when I'm registered to never have to make up another cream or ointment or anything. I'll pass it off to the new student and "supervise."
By peers I meant fellow students. Not meaning to sound condescending to them, but as pharmacy students many (not all) are young with real sheltered lives whose experience isn't beyond the computer screen. But they do get better grades than me...
Chris
PS sorry for the hijack
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- 3,061
I'm sure it has been mentioned (but I admittedly didn't read the whole thread) but here is the way I do melt wax.
- Use a Chicken Broth can (something like Swanson's Chicken Broth). This type of can is thicker than normal soup cans and it has a wider overall opening.
- Use a small pot (about twice the diameter of the Broth Can).
- Use a small amount of water in the pot. You want the water to come up about 1" - 1.5" inches onto the side of the can when the can is in the pot.
- Use a potholder to handle the Can. Yep, learned that one from experience.
- Don't be impatient and force the Can onto the bottom of the pot (hoping that the wax will melt faster). Yep, learned that one from experience also.
- As has been said, Pay Attention.
- Use a Chicken Broth can (something like Swanson's Chicken Broth). This type of can is thicker than normal soup cans and it has a wider overall opening.
- Use a small pot (about twice the diameter of the Broth Can).
- Use a small amount of water in the pot. You want the water to come up about 1" - 1.5" inches onto the side of the can when the can is in the pot.
- Use a potholder to handle the Can. Yep, learned that one from experience.
- Don't be impatient and force the Can onto the bottom of the pot (hoping that the wax will melt faster). Yep, learned that one from experience also.
- As has been said, Pay Attention.
I did it pretty much the same way you do, but i used gloves to pick up the can, and let it sit(while watching it) in the pan to melt. Poured enough water to let it sit on the bottom of the pan.