872 
WAX 
well-known beekeeper, G. M. Doolittle. The 
only objection to it is that it is rather 
small, but just the right size to take pieces' 
of burr-comb and other bits of wax that 
accumulate in the everyday working of 
Doolittle solar wax-extractor. 
the apiary. These accumulations can be 
thrown into the machine whenever one 
happens to pass by it; and instead of 
having a lot of little scraps scattered here 
and there thru the apiary, to be melted 
up at some future time, they may be con¬ 
verted at once into a marketable product. 
Pig. 1.—Boardman solar wax-extractor. 
These small machines are not suitable 
for melting up combs. For that, something 
as large as the Boardman should be used. 
THE BOARDMAN SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR. 
This is built very much on the same gen¬ 
eral plan as the one just described, but is 
larger. The rockers, or runners, afford 
facility for transportation, and also for 
tilting the machine at the proper angle to 
the sun. A common greenhouse sash may 
be used; but a large glass, say 30 x 60, is 
better for the reason that the sash cuts off 
much of the sun’s rays, making shade-lines 
along which the wax fails to melt. The size 
of glass that one is able. to buy will, of 
course, regulate the size of the extractor;* 
the depth of the box or tray may be from 
6 to 8 inches, the bottom being made of 
cheap lumber. It should be lined with 
common black sheet iron. Tin should not 
be used, because it reflects back too much 
of the sun’s light. The whole machine 
should be painted black; and the glass, 
while the machine is in use, kept scrupu¬ 
lously clean. 
SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTORS NOT SUITABLE FOR 
OLD COMBS. 
Solar wax-extractors have their use to 
handle new combs, particles of fresh wax, 
pieces of burr-combs, and the like, and can 
be used to clarify and bleach to a certain 
extent wax already caked, but they are not 
adapted to the handling of old black combs 
that have several generations of cocoons in 
them. Large sun extractors like the Board- 
man will get the bulk of the wax out of 
such combs, but they do not get all of it. 
If sun heat is used at all for melting, the 
refuse should be further treated. 
RENDERING WAX FROM OLD COMBS. 
For new combs the problem of rendering 
wax is a comparatively simple one, since 
the operation consists simply in melting 
them in hot water and dipping the wax off 
the top. This is true also of cappings 
where the total amount of refuse or im¬ 
purities is so small that there is practically 
no difficulty in getting all the wax. For the 
purpose a solar wax-extractor is satisfac¬ 
tory, altho not to be depended upon for 
speed nor great capacity unless very large, 
which would be expensive. 
When old comb is to be rendered, the 
problem becomes much more difficult, as the 
*Three pieces 20 x 30 will answer in an emer¬ 
gency. 
