Bulk Beeswax - Will County Beekeepers Association
Bulk Beeswax?Our customers use bulk beeswax in the following ways:WATERPROOFING: matches, tent seams, shoes, fishing flies and netsLUBRICANTS: zippers, saw blades, drawers/window slides, wood screws/nailsSEALS: metal, wood, cement, paper & leatherAS INGREDIENTS IN: furniture polish, soap, lip balm, hand cream, bullet lube, mustache wax, candles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, beehive foundationBINDING & STRENGTHENING: bow strings, sewing thread, rope & dread locksARTISTIC APPLICATIONS: encaustic painting, batik, lost wax sculptureBeeswax RecipesEver wonder what to do with those leftover beeswax candle stubs and scrap? Turn them into useful household products that not only will save money, but most likely be far superior to equivalent commercial products. The following recipes all use beeswax. For each recipe, safely melt the beeswax gently in a double boiler. Do not use a microwave oven since the wax could reach the flash point and ignite. Do not cover the wax when using water to heat. Otherwise, water could condense on the lid and eventually get into the wax.?Lip BalmIngredients:1tblsp beeswax2 tblsp coconut oil2 capsules vitamin E?Lip GlossIngredients:1tblsp beeswax1 tblsp sweet almond or coconut oil4 drops esential oil (orange, lemon, mint,....)?Bare Wood FinishIngredients:1lb beeswax1 pint turpentine1 pint boiled linseed oilApply with soft cloth, dry, then buff with wool?Wood Furniture PolishIngredients:1ounce beeswax1 pint turpentine2 cups water1 ounce soap flakes?Petroleum JellyIngredients:1ounce beeswax1/2 cup mineral oil (or baby oil)?Hand LotionIngredients:1parts beeswax4 parts olive oil (add a little coconut oil)?All Purpose Skin CreamIngredients:3 ounces beeswax2/3 cup mineral oil or baby oil4 ounces lanolin3/4 cup water1 tsp boraxfew drops of you favorite fragrant oil?Antiseptic BalmIngredients:2 ounces beeswax1 ounce Jojoba oil3 ounces sweet almond oil1tblsp wheatgerm oil1 tblsp myrrh essential oil1 tblsp tea tree essential oil?Herbal SalveIngredients:2 ounces beeswax1 ounce Jojoba oil3 ounces sweet almond oil1/2 ounce canola oil2 tblsp essential oil of your choice?Moisturizing CreamIngredients:1ounce beeswax4 ounces sweet almond oil2 ounces water1 tsp vitamin E oil1 tsp lavender essential oil???Disclaimer:??Through the years our customers have submitted the above recipes. We have not tested each recipe and??cannot make any guarantees or claims about the accuracy and effectiveness of each recipe. Please use at??your own discretionHow Bees Make WaxIt all begins on a flower in a field. Bees collect nectar from flowers and bring it to the hive where it becomes either beeswax or honey. A bee's diet consists primarily of honey, and any honey not consumed by the bees or in the raising of brood is stored as surplus and is ultimately consumed in the winter months when no flowers are available. However, it is honey's other use that interests us, its conversion into beeswax.The production of beeswax is essential to the bee colony. It is used to construct the combs in which the bees raise their brood and into which they store pollen and surplus honey for the winter.Worker bees, which live only around 35 days in the summer, develop special wax-producing glands on their abdomens (inner sides of the sternites of abdominal segments 4 to 7) and are most efficient at wax production during the 10th through the 16th days of their lives. From about day 18 until the end of its life, a bee's wax glands steadily decline. Bees consume honey (6-8 pound of honey are need to produce a pound of wax) causing the special wax-producing glands to covert the sugar into wax which is extruded through small pores. The wax appears as small flakes on the bees' abdomen. At this point the flakes are essentially transparent and only become white after being chewed. It is in the mastication process that salivary secretions are added to the wax to help soften it. This also accounts for its change in color.The exact process of how a bee transfers the wax scales from its abdomen to its mandibles was a mystery for years. It's now understood to be processed in either of two ways. Most of the activities in the hive are cooperative so it should be no surprise that other worker bees are willing to remove the wax scales from their neighbors and then chew them. The other method is for the same bee extruding the wax to process her own wax scales. This is done using one hind leg to move a wax scale to the first pair of legs (forelegs). A foreleg then makes the final transfer to the mandibles where it is masticated, and then applied to the comb being constructed or repaired.Beeswax becomes soft and very pliable if the temperature is too high (it actually melts at 149 F). Likewise, it becomes brittle and difficult to manage if the temperature is too low. However, honeybees maintain their hive at a temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfect for the manipulation of beeswax, not too hot to be drippy and not too cold to be brittle.A honeycomb constructed from beeswax is nothing short of a triumph of engineering. It consists of hexagon shaped cylinders (six-sided) that fit naturally side-by-side. It has been proven by mathematicians that making the cells into hexagons is the most efficient shape. The smallest possible amount of wax is used to contain the highest volume of honey. It has also been shown to be one of the strongest possible shapes while using the least amount of material.The color of beeswax comprising a comb is at first white and then darkens with age and use. This is especially true if it is used to raise brood. Pigmentation in the wax can result in colors ranging from white, through shades of yellow, orange, and red all the way to brown. The color has no significance as to the quality of the wax (other than its aesthetic appeal). Formerly, wax was bleached using ionization, sulphuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide which resulted in the inclusion of toxic compounds. Bleaching has now been abandoned by reputable candle manufacturers and other suppliers of beeswax.If beeswax has a medicinal smell, chances are that it has been chemically altered or bleached. Here at Beeswax Co. LLC, we only use North American beeswax that is 100% pure... definitely not chemically processed. Smell one of our candles for proof of its purityBeeswax vs Paraffin????Beeswax is a 100% natural fuel created by bees.??Paraffin is a toxic byproduct of the oil industry.??Beeswax candles burn cleaner than any other.??Paraffin candles give off many of the same toxic fumes as are found in auto exhaust.??Beeswax candles burn longer than others and do not drip.??Paraffin candles are relatively short burning and drip excessively.??Beeswax candles emit bright light that has the same light spectrum as the sun.??Paraffin candles produce a disorganized light spectrum very similar to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs.??Beeswax candles emit negative ions that actually clean the air and invigorate the body.??Paraffin candles produce toxic petrol-soot that eventually stains all interior surfaces.??Beeswax candles are naturally scented by the honey and nectar of flowers packed into the honeycomb within the beehive.??Paraffin candles typically contain artificial fragrances and colors which also produce toxins and stains when burned.??Beeswax candles come from a renewable resource: beeswax?Paraffin candles come from a nonrenewable resource: petroleum.?The Beeswax Company candles are 100% pure beeswax....... no artifical scents or colorsBeeswax FactsThroughout the ages beeswax played a significant role in history and folk lore. From the myth of Icarus flying too close to the sun with wings made of beeswax to Pilyn (23 AD to 79 AD) who described a broth made from beeswax used as a remedy for dysentery and as a skin softener, beeswax was frequently used by the ancients. In some cultures beeswax was used as currency and was highly prized. In fact, in 181 BC when the Romans defeated the Corsicans, they imposed at tax of 100,000 pounds of beeswax.In the 1300's farmers in France paid an annual tax of 2 pounds of beeswax each. One can only wonder what became of the unfortunate farmers with no beekeeping skills. In that same century a petition was presented to the London Court of Alderman by the 'Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers" which ultimately established them as the oldest English guild. During the same period the Roman Catholic Church decreed beeswax candles to be the only candle appropriate for use in Catholic churches.Even in modern times beeswax finds many uses and applications. As one goes back in time the list becomes even longer. In fact, the importance of honey production in ancient times was secondary to the production of beeswax. The following are but a few of the applications of this incredibly versatile substance:Candles and ornamentsLip balmCosmetics and medicinal creamsFoundation for new honeycomb in hivesSlippage prevention for belts in vacuum cleaners, sewing machines, etc.Waterproofs shoes, fishing linesLubricant for doors, windows, toolsWax for skis, toboggans, bow stringsCreates a freely moving surface on irons and frying pansFurniture polishSoap makingBeard and mustache waxGrafting waxCrayonsSealing on jams and jelliesReconstructive surgeryLeather waterproofing"Lost-wax" method of castingEmbalming proceduresDental proceduresPolishesWood fillerTack clothGlass etchingWhat's so great about beeswax as a candle and as a fuel in general? First and foremost, beeswax candles burn brighter, longer, and cleaner than any other candle! The flame emits essentially the same light spectrum as the sun and in the process of burning emits, negative ions that are known to clean the air and invigorate the body (reportedly, stimulating the puitary gland, thus increasing creativity, intuition, and dream activity).Finally, this 100% natural fuel created by bees is naturally scented by the honey and nectar of flowers packed into the honeycombs and gives off a subtle fragrance as it burns. In short, it's a natural substance straight from mother nature.Technical beeswax facts: (All the things you probably never wanted to know about beeswax!)?????????????Stable chemical makeup that essentially remains constant over time?????????????Chemical formula: C15 H31 CO2 C30 H61?????????????Insoluable in water, density 0.95?????????????Becomes brittle below 18 C?????????????Becomes soft and pliable above 35 C to 40 C.?????????????Melting point 65 C (149 F, highest melting point of any known wax)?????????????Does not deteriorate over time (usable wax found in ancient tombs)Practical Uses of BeeswaxThe glandular secretions of honeybees can do more than divide the cells of a hive; beeswax-based paint-coated walls in Ancient Greece and copies of the Magna Carta were delivered in 1215 bearing a beeswax seal. These days, it's mostly an ingredient in candles and cosmetics, but you can visit a craft store or a farmers' market, pick up a cake of it, and put it to work around the house as well.Use beeswax to:Unstick a drawer. A thin coat of beeswax on wooden rails makes the wood drawers on Granny's old bureau slide smoothly. It does windows, too. Use wax to lubricate sashes.Free frozen nuts. Help loosen a rusted nut by lubricating the bolt's threads with melted wax.Wax wood. For structural elements that need to look good but take no wear (such as exposed ceiling beams), heat equal parts beeswax, linseed oil, and turpentine. Apply with a burlap rag while the mixture is still warm.Preserve bronze. To ward against oxidation caused by moist air, brush on a solution of 1/3 pound beeswax melted in 1 quart turpentine. Buff it with a towel to create a thin, hard coat."Whip" frayed rope. Wrap a waxed length of string tightly around the rope's tip about a dozen times. Tie off the loose end and trim the excess.Lube screws. Georgia Beekeepers' Association president Robert Brewer rubs wax over the threads of screws to make them drive smoothly and resist corrosion.Condition a wood cutting board. Add a half-teaspoon beeswax to a cup of mineral oil, microwave until the wax melts, and apply the mixture to the board with a soft cloth.Polish concrete counters. Give a sealed, dark concrete countertop a muted, natural luster by rubbing melted beeswax over the surface with a chamois cloth. Let it dry and then wipe, says Fred Hueston, director of the National Training Center for Stone and Masonry Trades.Preserve a patina. Seal a copper sink by rubbing it with softened beeswax and polishing off the excess with a lint-free rag, says Shane Jost, owner of Mountains Edge Copperart.Waterproof leather. Combine equal parts beeswax, tallow, and neatsfoot oil (available online). Warm the mixture and use a rag to rub it on your work boots or gloves.AcordionsArchery WaxBalmsBagpipesBakingBasketryBatikBlacksmithingbronze preservation ?Bullet LubeBullet CastingCandlesCandy makingChocolatesCopper SinksCosmeticsCracked HoovesCrayonsDental Flossdidgeridoos mouth piecesDreadlocksEar CandlingEar PlugsEncaustic PaintingIroning WaxJewelryGlass EtchingGraftingModeling ClayLipsticksLost Wax ProcessLubricantMoustache WaxNon Toxic Wood FinishOil Spill ControlPainting RestorationParachutes (WW II)PolishesPool TablesPluckingPysankyReedmaking - OboeSewingSoapmakingThreadlockWaterproofingWire PullingWhipmakingWaterproofing?TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN AND EDITED BYT. W. COWAN, F.G.S., F.L.S., F.R.M.S., &c.Editor of ' British Bee Journal,' the 'British Bee-keepers' Adviser,'Author of ' British Bee-keepers' Guide Look,' Ac.PUBLISHED BYJOHN HUCKLE, KINGS LANGLEY, HERTS.1889.CALIFORNIABEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.HISTORICAL.BEES-WAX was known in ancient times. The Bible tellsus of a land flowing with milk and honey ; and wherethere was honey, there must also have been wax. Plinyspeaks of white wax, and in the time of Dioscorides waxwas rolled into sheets according to a method described byhim.At that time materials for lighting made from waxfetched a high price ; they were used at divine service,and the consumption which was at first comparativelysmall, was afterwards increased by the spread of Christ-ianity. The bleaching of wax was at that time carried onas an independent trade, and one sees how extensive itwas by the fact that towards the end of the seventeenthcentury there were in Hamburg 1 alone fourteen bleaehing-houses for wax. It is certain that, with the exception ofoil and tallow, as also of the common torch, no othermaterial for lighting was known except wax, and thiscould only be used by very rich people.Even princes who allowed themselves this luxury (asit was then held) were accounted extravagant. But, inaddition to tapers, wax was used in still larger quantitiesfor the manufacture of artificial flowers and fruits,which were much used as ornaments for rooms, for arti-ficial flowers made of woven fabrics were not thenknown.The Reformation dealt a heavy blow to the wax trade,and consequently bee-keeping also suffered, from the factthat the Evangelical Church did away with tapers atdivine service.27?4 BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.By the introduction of sugar bee-keeping- was decreasedstill more, and the production of wax was reduced to aminimum. As powerful competitors of wax, thereappeared in commerce wax obtained from various plantsand minerals, such as stearine, paraffine, ceresine, andothers, which still further lowered the price of bees- wax.Germany/ has always produced a very much-prizedwax for technical, medicinal, and artistic uses ; so havealso the various Austrian provinces and Switzerland.Turkey is said to produce the best of all known de-scriptions of wax. Turkish wax is also the dearest ;usually of a bright orange colour. France produces a largequantity of splendid wax. Closely following the Frenchcomes the Spanish, in cakes of from 2 to 3 Ibs. in weight.Italy also produces large quantities of excellent wax. Ofthe various kinds of wax other than European , the WestIndian, Egyptian, and Barbary wax are highly prized.THE PRODUCTION OF WAX.Bee-keepers, and amongst them Swammerclam, Ma-raldi, Reaumur, and others, were for a long time ofopinion that bees collected wax directly from flower?.(Swammerdam : Biblia Natures ; Maraldi : Observationssur les Abeilles ; Memoir es de VAcad. des Sciences, 1712 ;Keaumur: Histoire Nat. des Abeilles). But the experi-ments of Hunter have shown that the bee by no meansplays so simple a part in the production of wax, for thisgreat anatomist, so long ago as the year 1702, gave adescription of the segments of the bee's abdomen, bywhich the wax is separated into small scales (Philostph.Trans., 1712>, an observation which Huber of Genevaconfirms in his Nouvelles Observations sur les Abeilles,II., chap. 1. Already in 1G84 Martin John had madethe same observation.** It is difficult to say who first discovered the scales of wax,but they were noticed and described by Herman C. Hornbostel,a Hanoverian pastor, in the Hamburg Library about 1745. AGerman farmer, a member of the Lusatian bee society, alsonoticed them in 1765, and this fact was communicated to Bonnetby Willeim. In 1774 Tlicrley mentioned them, and so didWildmau in 1779. T. W. CBEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES. 5Beeswax, then, is not found ready-made in nature,but is produced in the bee's bod}' ; it is like honey,an organic production, and not a mechanical or technicalone. Wax is formed in the body of the working- bee,of fluid honey, and pollen. But it is not formed in-voluntarily, as every well-nourished animal body formsfat, but voluntarily, viz., when the bees wish to form it,and when they have taken fluid honey, and pollen, in alarger quantify than they need for their own bodilynourishment, and the surplus is neither given as food toFIG. 1. Wax-scales on under side of abdomen.the brood, the queen, or the drones, but is retained,further digested, and allowed to pass into the blood-vessels, in order to be organically, chemically distilledthere, and to exude as a kind of fatty matter by the seg-ments of the abdomen.The wax leaves the secreting glands in a fluid state,and solidifies in the form of small transparent whitescales, five-cornered, shining like mother of pearl, insize about two square millimetres, such as are found inlarge numbers on the floor-boards of a strong colonywhen comb building.When the bees want to build comb, they hang6 BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.together in the form of a bunch of grapes, by which a.certain amount of order is observed. The bees do nothang irregularly one upon the other by the booklets oftheir feet, but the whole bunch is formed by the beesholding together in the form of a chain. The great heatgenerated in the cluster of bees facilitates the separationof the wax from their bodies (fig. 1).Newly-built combs vary in colour from a light yellowto an orange red. It is remarkable that a light yellowwax comes from dark kinds of honey like, for instance,heather honey, and a dark orange red wax from whitehoney, as, for example, vetch honey.This circumstance, which Mons. de Layens, a well-known bee-keeper and author in France was the first tonotice, led this sagacious inquirer to think that thecolouring of the wax was probably due to pollen,and this was chemically proved to be the case by Dr. A.Von Planta, the famous Swiss chemist.Beeswax consists of two different substances. It isa mixture of cerotic acid (cerin), which is soluble inalcohol, and of myricine, which is only slightly soluble inalcohol. Besides these constituents beeswax containsorganic colouring matter, also other organic matters,which can be separated in the purifying. The colouringmatter is best removed by bleaching in clear sunshine.Chemically pure wax is, when white, colourless andtasteless, and in thin scales is very transparent, showsa splintery fracture, and at 20C. assumes that peculiarkneadable condition which is qualified by the descrip-tion of being ' wax-like.' The melting point of waxis very high, between 63 and 64C., and this isa good means of recognising the genuineness of theproduction, together with the specific gravity, whichlies between 0-965 and O969.The elaboration of wax not only makes great claimson the vital powers of the bees, but also costs them, aswell as the bee-keeper, much honey. It has been calcu-lated that for one pound of wax, from ten to fifteenpounds of honey are required, without counting the lossof time caused in the building. Von Berlepsch makesBEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES. 7the proportion from 13 to 1, Dr. Donhoff from 14J to 1,and Cowan estimates the production of wax at 20 to 1.Bat 20 Ibs. of honey are worth 20 shillings, while for1 Ib. of wax one gets only 2 shillings.* The intelligentbee-keeper will see by these figures how valuable goodcombs are.It is to the interest of every bee-keeper to try andprotect his combs from the ravages of the wax-moths.These moths, of which there is a large and a smallkind (Galleria cereana, Galleria alvearia) lay their eggsin the combs, or in the debris of the bee-hives. It is thelarvaB which hatch from these eggs that spin webs roundthe comb and eat it. It is specially the large kind oflarvae that very much increase the difficulty of pre-serving the combs. The right way to get rid of them,or to kill them, consists in hanging up your frames ofcomb in hermetically sealed boxes, and in warm weatherto burn a piece of sulphur in it every three or four weeks.The ravages of the wax-moth may also be preventedby hanging up the combs and exposing them to a currentof B FOUNDATION.There came a time when the bees did not satisfy theneeds of the bee-keeper as regards accuracy in buildingthe rows of comb, and their habit of beginning to buildtheir comb on the edges and the sides gave some bee-keepers the idea of providing the centre of the under sideof top bar with a sharply projecting strip of wood (Giebel-hausen and Bottner). A line of wax was also recom-mended (Dr. Honert). The bees were to build regularlyupon it. Sometimes they did, but more often they didnot. Tongs were also prepared which made impressionsof the cells on little pieces of wood (Wilde).* Recent experiments of Mr. G. de Layens show that, undercertain favourable conditions, bees may only consume 6*3 Ibs. ofhoney to produce 1 Ib. of comb ; so that at least 10 to 16 Ibs. ofhoney may be reckoned as necessary under ordinary circum-stances for the production of 1 Ib. of comb. T. W. C.S BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.Otto Schulz writes {History of Artificial Comb) thatthese methods succeeded in inducing bees to buildstraight by constant time-wasting manipulations, yet allone's hopes were not realised, and the vexation wasespecially great when the bee-keeper in the early spring-put in a frame provided with the impressions, and atthe beginning of the construction perceived that princi-pally drone-cells were being built.The carpenter, Mehring, of Frankenthal in the,Palatinate, was the first to conceive the idea of con-structing a pair of plates of wood on which wereongraved the impressions of the bases of the cells, withwhich he pressed out of wax-sheets the first foundationsof the comb. Diimmler in Homburg, Kunz in Jagendorf ,Sand in Gundau, Peter Jacob in Fraubrunnen in Switzer-land, perfected the ingenious discovery, and soon furnishedvery useful foundations. But it was Otto Schulz, ofBuckow, who, later on, brought the artificial combs to aperfection hitherto unattained.* Since then he ha^never been unfaithful to his principles, viz. : to furnisha perfect product at a low pi-ice and in large quantities.That this undertaking has grown in the hands of the' Bee-lord ' (literally the bee-village-magistrate), as ourmanufacturer is called in the bee-world, is to be seen bythe fact that his business increases every year, and that,in 1885, he produced and despatched about 18,000 kilo-grammes (a kilogramme = 2i lbs.).t Competition wasnot wanting. Comb foundation manufactories have shotup like mushrooms from the ground in the two last de-* Some of the best machines have been made in America, andMr. Root was one of the first in that country to popularise theuse of foundation, and to construct a practical machine for itsproduction. Amongst the most popular machines the best are,the Vandervoort, Dunham, and Root, but none of these excelthose made in England by A. Godman. T. W. C.f These figures have been considerably exceeded by Messrs.Dadant & Son, who in 1887 produced and sold 57,831 Ihs. ofcomb foundation, notwithstanding that the season was a bad onein America. T. W. C.BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.cades. Of those best known we may mention in Germany,Friedrich in Griefswald, Hermann Bruder in Waldshut(Baden), A. Herlikofer in Gmiind ( Wiirtemberg),Adam Wendler in Aschaffenburg (Bavaria), Weyell andBreidecker in Sauer-Schwafbenheim (in Khenish Hesse),Voight in Bahn (Pomerania). In Austrian Hungary,Anton John Wagner in Vienna, Joseph Ludwig, theMaster Carpenter of Moravian Bee-keepers' Union inBriinn; in Switzerland, Siegwart in Altdorf (Uri),Hermann Brogle in Siesseln ; in England, Messrs.Abbott of Southall, London ; * in America, Ch. Dadantof Hamilton (Illinois).FIG. 2.- Rietsche Foundation Presser.By the recent improvement of the presser, bee-keepersare enabled to press for themselves the foundations theyrequire, instead of selling their wax at ridiculously lowprices. JRietsche in Bieberach (Baden) supplies suchpresses, Fig. 2, as well as Hermann Greve, in Neu-Braden-burg (Mecklenburg), and Ihring and Fahrenholz,in Berlin.The Italian hand-presser, Fig. 3, of Guazzoni, who also* Besides Messrs. Abbott in England there are Messrs. Blow,Neighbour, Baldwin, Howard, and Stothard, who manufacturecomb foundation T W. C.10BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.invented the wax-smelter, Fig. 4, is a very practical ap-pliance. Of course in the home manufacture of foundation6aone must not expect first-class goods, for every trade needslong practice, and a bee-keeper will .seldom attain per-BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.11fectipn if he has only to produce the foundation herequires for his own use.FIG. 4. Guazzoni's Wax Smelter.12 BEES- WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.WAX EXTRACTION.By the invention of the moveable comb hive 'andhoney extractor the production of wax has sunk to theminimum. The bee-keeper who uses moveable comb,hives only allows his bees to build such combs as maybe required for brood and honey. The combs designedfor the latter never wear out, and can be used not onlyten, twenty, or fifty, but even fifty plus fifty years andmore, as the damage caused by the extracting is alwaysrepaired by the bees. Brood-comb, on the contrary, mustfrom time to time be melted down and replaced by new.An apiary of twenty to thirty frame hives will onlyFIG. 5. Solar Wax-extractor.yield very small quantities of wax. It is therefore allthe more necessary carefully to collect all refuse waxin order to melt it down. The most suitable apparatusfor this is the solar wax-extractor, which consists of alittle wooden box with a moveable glass cover (seeFig. 5). Inside there is an inclined sheet of tin (markedby dotted lines), upon which the combs to be melted arelaid.If the extractor is placed in a very sunny place thewax melts and flows into the little tin trough, which isplaced under the tin plate at i in illustration. The refuseremaining is taken away when the molten wax ceasesto flow.Those who wish to melt small quantities of wax with-out an extractor should put them in a loose bag, place afew laths in a copper, so that the bag shall not touchBEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.the bottom, weight it with a stone, pour water over it,and then let the mass boil. The wax melts, rises tothe surface of the water, and is taken off after it has be-come cold. For large quantities the wax- press (see fig. C)FIG. 6. Wax Press.is suitable, and is used by the Heath bee-keepers innorthern Germany. The illustration is so exact that itneeds little description to make one understand thehandling of it.The bar B presses the block of wood A upon the bagcontaining the wax, and this flows with the water into14 BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.the pail E. As soon as the latter is full, the tap is opened,the water then flows into the basin F, and is put backinto the wax-kettle, that the wax may remain boiling,which would not happen if cold water were added.When the pressing is finished the water is allowed torun away.In order to free the so-called raw wax, obtained inthis way, from any impurities which it may stillcontain, it is melted once more in a copper half-filledwith water, well stirred for a few minutes, and thenleft for about two hours over a moderate fire, not beingallowed to boil. When the kettle is taken off the fire,the scum is taken off and the cake of wax allowed to gethard. The impurities in the wax have now partly sunkto the bottom of the kettle and are partly attached tothe under side of the cake, from which they are scrapedwith a knife. Many bee-keepers repeat this meltinga second time, and thus are able to get a better and purerwax.THE ADULTERATION AND ANALYSIS OF WAX.It does not redound to the credit of the present agethat it is often called the century of adulteration, butthis is not to be wondered at. The evil spirit of adultera-tion has crept into all branches of handicraft, so that nowthe adjective ' pure 'can be applied to only very fewarticles of commerce. Of late attempts have been madeto supplant the honey of our bees by any available sub-stitutes, and it is no better with regard to wax.Tallow, stearin, vegetable wax, earth wax (ozokerit),and other inferior kinds of wax are mixed with bees-wax,and are sold as such in the trade.* The adulterations of wax,' writes Dr. A. von Planta,1 are so difficult to detect, that it is scarcely practicablefor those who are not experts. Pure bees-wax melts a,tC-3'5 0. T have tried the melting point of twenty-fivesuch pure specimens of bees-wax obtained from differentcountries, and it entirely agreed with that stated above.'But since adulteration has been effected with earth-wax,paraffine, and animal fats, the melting point does notBEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES. 15provide sufficient evidence. Otherwise this methodwould have furnished a good test for those who are notexperts.There remains, therefore, no other way but to takethe wax to a chemist, who will find out the quantityof cerotic acid and the non-volatile fatty acids, and suchan analysis will provide a much safer criterion withregard to the adulteration.The following simple tests, however, have often beenfound useful : (a.) When wax is chewed there shouldbe no unpleasant taste, and it should not stick to theteeth. If wax is adulterated with other ingredients thetaste alone will detect them. If it sticks to the teeth theadmixture of resin can be assumed, (b.) Pure beeswaxfrom that adulterated is also determined by first bump-ing quickly on a hot iron plate a small bit of beeswaxwhich is known to be pure. The smell given off isnoticed. Then the piece of wax to be examined isburnt in the same way. If it contains ceresine adisagreeable, fatty, white smoke is given off, whichdiffers the more from the smell of wax the more ceresinethere is mixed with it. This is a simple way of testingthe purity of purchased comb foundation.THE EMPLOYMENT OF WAX FOB ECONOMICALPURPOSES.Beeswax, on account of its illuminating powers, is usedfor the manufacture of candles and wax-tapers. Also,011 account of its tenacity and flexibility, firmness andhigh melting point, it is indispensable in the great in-dustry of making wax figures and for modelling. Waxrenders us important services also in house-keeping. Inthe following we have some useful recipes :(a.) Sewing Wax.The beeswax is made up into little round balls andgives stiffness and smoothness to sewing thread.16 BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.(5.) Grafting Wax.Melt together one part of yellow wax, two parts ofrosin, one part of turpentine, and a little lard. Let itget cool, and roll the mass out on a slab into sticks.This is the warm-melting grafting wax. At the presenttime cold grafting wax, recommended by J)r. Lucas,is often used, and this is prepared from rosin and spirit.(c.) Furniture Polish.Melt two parts of wax, and stir into it, after it istaken off the fire, one part of turpentine.(d.) Wax Floor Polish.Mix 200 grammes of potash and 200 grammes ofwater, heat to boiling point, and gradually add whilestirring 400 grammes of yellow wax. After this hasbeen boiled up again, pour in 900 grammes of water,and heat until a milky fluid results. This is useful forpolishing furniture and floors. (Els.-Loth. Bee-keeper.)(e.) Waterproof Packing Paper.Take twenty-four parts of blue soap and four parts ofwhite soap, fifteen parts of wax, and boil in 120 partsof water. Dip the packing paper into it, let it wellsoak, and hang up over a string to dry.(/.) Leather Grease.For the preparation of this, mix 1 \ Ibs. of pure yellowwax in Ij Ibs. of oil of turpentine, 1^ Ibs. of castor oil,12J Ibs. of linseed oil, and \\ Ibs. of tar, and let thewhole be thoroughly well mixed. By occasional appli-cations from time to time (about every six months)harness is protected by this grease from the influence ofair, heat, perspiration, and all moisture.(00 Wax Dubbing for making Boots WaterproofIs prepared by melting together 6J parts of yellow wax,2(5^ parts of mutton fat, 6J parts of thick turpentine,GJ parts of olive oil, and 13 parts of lard, and stirringBEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES. 17into this 5 parts of well-heated lampblack. The massis then poured into little wooden boxes. The dubbing iswarmed and rubbed in with the fingers. The hardleather is softened, and becomes perfectly water-proof.(7i.) Removing Cracks in Horses' Hoofs.Wax and honey in equal parts are melted togetherover a slow fire, and thoroughly mixed. It is usedin this way : the hoof having been thoroughly cleansedwith tepid water the above mixture is well rubbedin with a brush. After several applications the fissuresand cracks disappear, and the hoof regains its softness.USES OF WAX IN MEDICINE.(a.) Remedies for Coughs, Expectoration, Erysipelas.Breathe the vapour of w r ax which is melted ona hot iron or a brazier of charcoal.(.) Healing Salve.Honey, oil, and wax melted together are made into asalve which hastens the healing of old wounds and ulcers.(c.) Marigold-flower Plasters for Wounds.From marigold flowers a plaster can be made bybruising- the flowers and the stalks and mixing them withas much lard as will cover them, allowing the mass toboil over a moderate fire for an hour, and then squeezingit through a cloth. The liquid that is pressed out is puton the fire again, and as much yellow wax added as willmake .it of the consistency of a plaster. If less wax i.sused, marigold flower salve is obtained. Both prepara-tions are useful for all kinds of wounds.(d.) Remedy for Diarrhoea.In France the following remedy is frequently found of18 BEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES.use : Scoop out the core of a quince, fill it with, hotwax, and let it roast gently and for a long time by the fire.This is eaten fasting for three consecutive mornings.(e.) Salve for Wounds after Removal of Warts.Prepare a salve of white wax and fresh unsalted butterin equal parts, and mix a little white wine with it.(/.) Salve for Burns.A. mixture of wax and linseed oil makes an excellentplaster for burns. Stahl's burn-salve is made of equalparts of butter and yellow wax.(g.) Corn Plaster.For corns a good plaster is made of wax, tallow, anda little verdigris.(k.) Tooth-stopping.Tooth-stopping is prepared by melting 3 parts of purewhite wax with 3% parts of mastic, adding a few dropsof oil of peppermint, and making it into pills on amarble slab. The hollow teeth are filled with these sothat food may not lodge in them and irritate thenerves.(i.) Wax Salve for Skin Diseases.5 parts of white wax, o parts of spermaceti, 5 partsof sweet almond oil, are melted together in an enamelledsaucepan, poured out into little paper boxes, and whencold are cut up into small tablets.COSMETIC SPECIALTIES.(.) Glycerine Wax Balsam.2 parts of white wax, 2 parts of spermaceti, 8 partsof sweet almond oil, 4 parts of glycerine, part of attarBEES-WAX AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES. 19of roses, are carefully melted together in an enamelledsaucepan over a slow fire, stirred until cold, and putinto glass jars.(6.) Crime Celeste.1^ parts of white wax, 3 parts of spermaceti, 3 partsof sweet almond oil, are melted together in a porcelaindish over a water bath, and when cold 2 parts of rosewater are stirred in.(c.) Cold CreamIs used to keep the skin delicate and soft. It is pre-pared by rubbing together in a water bath 1 part ofwhite wax, 2 parts of spermaceti, 8 parts of sweetalmond oil, and 5 parts of rose water.(d.) Cosmetique.Melt in a porcelain dish over a water bath 500grammes of yellow wax, and 125 grammes of whitesoap, take it from the fire, let it cool, and beforethe mass has set stir in 5 grammes of bergamot and1 gramme of Peruvian balsam. It is rolled intosmall sticks on a glass or marble slab, and these arecovered with paper.LONDON:Printed by STRANGEWATS & SONS, Tower Street, Cambridge Circus, W,C*RETURN TO the circulation desk of anyUniversity of California Libraryor to theNORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITYBldg. 400, Richmond. Field StationUniversity of CaliforniaRichmond, CA 9480f 4698ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS2-month loans may be renewed by calling(510)642-67531-year loans may be recharged by bringingbooks to NRLFRenewals and recharges may be made 4days prior to due date,DUE AS STAMPED BELOWQCT07200B27508SF559pennler. J.D3Bees -wax.15 cfCOLLCTi'JI giKleWlttTlOM-LIBRARY, BRANCH OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, DAVIS3 1175 00162 0163 ................
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