Name: DIANA
Message: I AM BATIKING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
YOU MENTIONED THE USE OF AN ELECTRIC SKILLET IN ORDER TO KEEP THE WAX AT A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE.
DO YOU MELT THE WAX DIRECTLY IN THE SKILLET OR DOES IT SIT INSIDE A CONTAINER AND THEN PLACED IN THE SKILLET?

I place the wax directly in the skillet. When I am finished, I unplug the skillet and let it cool completely, allowing the wax to solidify inside the skillet, then store it that way. I do not like to use a container in boiling water to melt wax because it does not get hot enough.

If you use beeswax and/or regular food-grade paraffin for batiking, as most people do, the skillet may be cleaned out later and reused for food, though it's enough of a pain that you won't want to do this often. Although dyes and dye auxilliaries are in almost all cases unsafe for use in food preparation equipment, both beeswax and the paraffin sold for use in sealing jars of jams and preserves are food safe. Some synthetic microcrystalline or sticky wax, used as a substitute for beeswax, is also food-grade; check before purchasing. Genuine beeswax melts at a lower temperature than synthetic waxes and may therefore be easier to work with.

Be careful to keep the wax temperature low enough that it does not smoke, approximately 240 degrees F. (115 C.). Wax that is hot enough to smoke may damage your lungs and presents a serious fire hazard. A wax fire cannot be put out with water, but may sometimes be smothered with the skillet's lid.


(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)