MAKING A WAX MELTER FROM A PRESTO POT

SOONER OR LATER YOU MAY FIND THAT YOUR DOUBLE BOILER CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH YOUR DEMAND FOR HOT WAX.WHILE COMERCIAL WAX MELTERS CERTAINLY HAVE THEIR PLACE IN A PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT,PRICE FOR A COMERCIAL MELTER CAN SET YOU BACK AT LEAST $600.00.FOR MANY HOME CANDLE MAKERS THAT KIND OF INVESTMENT IS SIMPLY NOT PRACTICAL WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES OR IF THIS IS JUST A HOBBY FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY GIFT GIVING.ENTER THE PRESTO KITCHEN KETTLE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE PRESTO POT.

THE PRESTO POT HAS A FEW FEATURES THAT MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE TO CANDLE MAKERS THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR WAX MELTING CAPACITY BEYOND THE DOUBLE BOILER.FIRST OF ALL IT HAS A BUILT IN HEATING ELLEMENT THAT IS ABLE TO MELT 7-8 LBS. OF WAX IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES.IT HAS AN ADJUSTABLE THERMOSTAT TO REGULATE YOUR TEMPERATURE AND GET YOU INTOTHE BALLPARK OF YOUR PROPER WAX TEMP.ALWAYS CHECK WITH A THERMOMETER IN CASE THE MELTER IS NOT ENTIRELY ACURATE.IT HAS A NON-STICK SURFACE THAT IS EASY TO WIPE CLEAN WITH A PAPER TOWEL WHILE IT IS STILL WARM.AND THE MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURE IS THAT THEY ARE AFFORDABLE,AND AS YOUR NEEDS GROW,YOU CAN SCALE UP THE NUMBER OF POTS THAT YOU USE.YOU CAN USUALLY FIND THEM AT WALMART FOR 20-30 DOLLARS.NEVER SET ABOVE 250 DEGREES AS THIS MAY CREATE A FIRE HAZARD.THE ONLY DRAWBACK TO THE PRESTO POT IS THE ELECTRICAL CORD.IT IS MAGNETTICALLY ATTACHED TO THE UNIT AND IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFULL,CAN BE DISLODGED EASILY ESSENTIALLY TURNING OFF THE MACHINE WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE.ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON THIS.HERE ARE THE DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN POT.

ITEMS NEEDED:

PRESTO POT

3/8" BRASS HEX NIPPLE

3/8"BRASS FULL-PORT BALL VALVE(BALL VALVES ARE PREFERRED OVER ANY OTHER KIND OF VALVE BECAUSE OF THE HEAT TOLERANCE AND BECAUSE OF THE SHORT MOTION REQUIRED TO OPEN AND CLOSE THEM.)

3/8" BRASS ELBOW

TOOLS REQUIRED:

POWER DRILL

CRESCENT WRENCH

19/32"DRILL BIT

CENTER PUNCH

THREAD TAP TO MATCH THE SIZE AND THREADS OF THE BRASS FITTINGS.

TEFLON TAPE

BEGIN BY USING THE CENTER PUNCH TO MARK THE LOCATION OF YOUR PILOT HOLE.BECAUSE OF THE NONSTICK SURFACE OF THE POT,THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT TO GUIDE YOUR DRILL BIT.POSITION IT AS CLOSE TO THE BOTTOMAS POSSIBLE,BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THE RESULTING HOLE WILL NEED TO BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE HEATING ELLEMENT.(DON'T WANT TO END UP DRILLING INTO THE HEATING ELEMENT)

MAKE SURE YOU ARE WEARING PROPER EYE PROTECTION.

USING A SMALL DRILL BIT,CREATE A PILOT HOLE TO GUIDE THE LARGER DRILL BIT.THE SIZE OF THE SMALLER DRIL BIT IS UNIMPORTANT,THE POINT IS TO CREATE A PILT HOLE TO GUIDE THE LARGER DRIL BIT.WITHOUT A PILOT THINGS GET SLOPPY.

PLACE THE POT UPSIDE DOWN ON A FIRM SURFACE .THEN USING THE19/32" DRILL BIT,BORE THE HOLE OUT FOR THE LARGER DIAMETER.

USING A THREAD TAP THAT IS SUITED FOR THE SIZE OF THE BRASS FITTING,TAP THREADS INTO POT.YOU WILL WANT TO BACK OUT THE TAP EVERY FEW TURNS AND CHECK TO SEE IF THE BRASS FITTINGS CAN BE INSERTED.ONCE THEY CSCREWED IN WITH SOME SLIGHT RESISTENCE,STOP TAPPING.

USING THE TEFLON TAPE,PREPARE THE BRASS FITTINGS BY WRAPPING THE TAPE AROUND THE TREADS IN A CLOCK-WISE FASHION.

WITH THE NIPPLE FITTING WRAPPED IN TEFLON TAPE,SCREW IT INTO THE POT.THE WRENCH COMES IN HANDY HERE.DO NOT TIGHTEN IT ALL THE WAY TO THE HEX.IT IS NOT NECESSARY.AT THIS POINT,THE NIPPLE PROTRUDES ONLY SLIGHTLY INTO THE POT.BUT IT IS SECURELY IN PLACE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE THREADS

USING THE WRENCH INSTALL THE BALL VALVE.PAY ATTENTION TO THE ORIENTATION OF THE VALVE.IT IS INSTALLED SO THAT TO OPEN THE VALVE IT IS PULLED AWAY FROM THE POT.TIGHTEN SECURELY.SOME ROTATION OF THENIPPLE WILL OCCUR HERE AND THAT IS A GOOD THING.TIGHTEN UNTILL THE WOLE ASSEMBLY FEELS RELATIVELY TIGHT AND SECURE.REMEMBER THAT THE POT IS MADE OF ALUMINUM SO YOU WILL NOT WANT TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE.IT IS EASY TO STRIP THE THREADS IN THE POT.THEN FLIP OVER YOUR POT AND GIVE IT ANY FINAL ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE THE BALL VALVE HANDLE LEVEL WITH WITH YOUR WORK SURFACE.

ADD THE LAST FITTING,THE ELBOW.NO TOOLS DEEDED FOR THIS AS IT ONLY NEEDS TO BE HAND TIGTENED.KEEP THE VALVE HANDLE STABLE AS YOU INSTALL THE ELBOW.

THE LAST THING TO DO IS TEST FOR LEAKS.FILL THE POT WITH WATER ABOVE THE VALVE AND ALLOW IT TO SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS.CHECK THE FITTINGS FOR ANY WETNESS WHICH WOULD INDICATE A LEAK.TIGHTEN FITTINGS AS NESESSARY.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.

ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN USING ELECTRICAL TOOLS.WEAR EYE PROTECTION.USE CAUTION WHEN DEALING WITH HOT WAX.KEEP CHILDREN OUT OF THE AREA WHEN WORKING.HOT WAX WILL CAUSE SEVERE BURNS ON SENSITIVE CHILDRENS SKIN.ALLOW WAX TO COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE STORING YOUR MELTER.WIPE CLEAN AFTER EACH USE.A SMALL AMOUNT OF MAINTAINANCE WILL KEEP YOUR MELTER WORKING PERFECTLY FOR YEARS TO COME.