How do you melt paraffin?

Answer 1

The way I do it is by putting the paraffin in a small pot and then putting the small pot in a larger pot half full with water, bring the water to a boil, heat the small pot with the paraffin until melted. Paraffin is wax, pure and simple. So it is quite simple to just heat the product until it melts. Purchased from the shop, it usually comes in one pound blocks in the US. It is a petroleum product so it will burn and catch fire. To melt it properly, use a water boiler. If you do not have this item, simply put a large pan of water to heat and place a smaller pan inside with the paraffin inside. Simmer the water and the paraffin will melt inside the smaller pan. It is not a hugely quick process but it is safe and will not burn down the kitchen. Do not microwave this item as it will produce unexpected problems. Chopping the paraffin into smaller pieces will produce a quicker melt. Adding used crayons will give nice effects if you are making candles. A word of thriftiness...do not use your good pan for paraffin melting as it is impossible to remove all the residue from the pan. I would suggest that you make a trip to your thrift shop or salvage store and get a cheap pan to use strictly for paraffin. If you are mold making, have the mold handy to pour directly out of the pan. Use protection because unexpected splashes will leave burns as paraffin will "stick" to skin and produce nasty burns.