Melt Pot?

[Nerlly]

I'm sort of vaguely considering getting a Melt Pot. It's been on my list for a while but I would need to justify it, I can get it for around £35 but at the moment that's a bit hefty, lol.

Nevertheless I thought I'd just ask for people's opinions. What will I be able to do with it that I can't do without it? I do know how it works, and in the past I've seen projects using it, which is where my interest springs from. I've had one or two stabs at using melted UTEE - without Flex - and have used foil containers which obviously means that I can't keep it molten. So far I've just poured it and stamped into it.

So go on, UKScrappers, sell it to me.....lol!

(Oh, and feel free to dissuade me if you've got one you never use. Come to think of it, I don't often see them in the Marketplace - what does that tell me??)

[Alipeeps]

The reason I bought mine is that you can use it not ony for UTEE but beeswax (I'd advise - as I in turn was advised to by lovely UKS members - to get an extra tray for it though so you can use separate trays for UTEE and beeswax) and you can do some lovely projects with beeswax! And with beeswax you really do need to keep it warm as you're using it so a meltpot is vital.

[Nerlly]

The reason I bought mine is that you can use it not ony for UTEE but beeswax (I'd advise - as I in turn was advised to by lovely UKS members - to get an extra tray for it though so you can use separate trays for UTEE and beeswax) and you can do some lovely projects with beeswax! And with beeswax you really do need to keep it warm as you're using it so a meltpot is vital.

Okay Ali, thanks. Extra points to you there for trying to sell me a second pan, lol. I have used beeswax and I didn't mind nipping to the kitchen (my desk is located about three feet from the cooker, lol) to reheat it each time...but that's certainly another point to consider!

Next.....

[ScrappyDandyDoo]

I am actually going to invest in a second project pan so that I can use it for shrinkplastic and polymer clay

I don't use mine as much as I should, but I don't craft as much as I want to :-(
I do love it though.
Have a look on youtube for tutorials ;-)

J xx

[Nerlly]

I am actually going to invest in a second project pan so that I can use it for shrinkplastic and polymer clay

I don't use mine as much as I should, but I don't craft as much as I want to :-(
I do love it though.
Have a look on youtube for tutorials ;-)

J xx

What - you can shrink shrink plastic in it, and bake polymer clay?? I didn't know that!

Wow, you're good at this!

[ScrappyDandyDoo]

What - you can shrink shrink plastic in it, and bake polymer clay?? I didn't know that!

Wow, you're good at this!

LOL were is the "like" b utton when you need it

Yes you can, but my project pan has wax in it and I don't want to mix the two.

have a look at tIms 12 tags - there was one with shrink plastic melted in to utee - looked pretty damn cool to me

[CLAIRELVICK]

Hey Nerlly!
I absolutly LOVE my melt pot, but like previously said, I really don't get it out often enough. It's one of those things that when it's out, I will use it all the time, but when it's packed away I will forget! Other than beeswax and stamping into the UTEE, I also love making my own embellishments using the mould 'n' pour. I did a video & a post a couple of years ago for the Creative Moments blog, all about using the melt pot with mould 'n' pour here is the direct link. I have a great project idea to make some cameos too! Just need to dig it out again!!

Hope that helps you decide

[Alipeeps]

Okay Ali, thanks. Extra points to you there for trying to sell me a second pan, lol. I have used beeswax and I didn't mind nipping to the kitchen (my desk is located about three feet from the cooker, lol) to reheat it each time...but that's certainly another point to consider!

Next.....

Heh. Well my cooker is.. umm.. 3 rooms away from my craft desk and even involves a small flight of stairs down into the kitchen! So beeswax isn't do-able unless I actually craft in the kitchen... and even then the cooker is more like 8-10 feet from the table (it's a big kitchen!).

[Nerlly]

Heh. Well my cooker is.. umm.. 3 rooms away from my craft desk and even involves a small flight of stairs down into the kitchen! So beeswax isn't do-able unless I actually craft in the kitchen... and even then the cooker is more like 8-10 feet from the table (it's a big kitchen!).

Ooh, that sounds nice! I have a pretty small house, although the kitchen's quite a good size considering. We have a living room with a little extra corner where the door leads in from the kitchen, and that's where my craft area is. It's actually perfectly placed as I can look at the telly without contortions, and its proximity to the kitchen means that I can burn things while I craft!

[Alipeeps]

Ooh, that sounds nice! I have a pretty small house, although the kitchen's quite a good size considering. We have a living room with a little extra corner where the door leads in from the kitchen, and that's where my craft area is. It's actually perfectly placed as I can look at the telly without contortions, and its proximity to the kitchen means that I can burn things while I craft!

Heh. Sounds like my mum's cookery technique when I was a kid... she would put stuff in the oven, get distracted by the TV/a book, and lose track of time. Dinner was often slightly crispier than it should have been.

DH and I have worked out that the entire ground floor of our previous house (2-bedroom end terrace with through lounge/diner) would probably fit into the kitchen of our current house! The kitchen is in a part of the house that was extended, originally as a garage and then converted into a kitchen!

[Dan99]

Although I have a melt pot now, for a long time I used a ceramic tart/oil burner for beeswax. The tealight inside keeps the wax in the "bowl" on top nicely melted for as long as you need it

[Hils]

When I first got mine I used it loads - but, as with most things, when it went away it got forgetten about! One thing to consider is it does use a lot of UTEE, and UTEE ain't cheap :/ Yes, you can re-use it, but if you are using mostly clear, you will find it gets more and more amber the more you use it. Fine if you want a yellowed, vintage-y look, but not if you don't!

[Nerlly]

When I first got mine I used it loads - but, as with most things, when it went away it got forgetten about! One thing to consider is it does use a lot of UTEE, and UTEE ain't cheap :/ Yes, you can re-use it, but if you are using mostly clear, you will find it gets more and more amber the more you use it. Fine if you want a yellowed, vintage-y look, but not if you don't!

Thank you, that's a good point. What happens if you sit a little foil pot or similar in the pan? Shame there isn't such a thing available with the melt pot, really.

[Hils]

Hadn't thought of trying that Helen! Seems so obvious now! I'm guessing that would work well, but it is only a guess.
I suppose another solution would be to do loads of melt potting all in one go, but that doesn't suit my way of crafting!

[cantstopstampin]

I love mine, but gotta admit - haven't used it much over the last 6 - 9 months, maybe need to get it out again.

AND, I have a pot of beeswax which I haven't opened yet - must get on to do something with that.