Been making wax sand using this method now for three seasons and I am sold on it. I got the idea from Rich Faler’s book called “Perfect Sets”. I use a 28 gallon galvanized wash tub, a cheap electric burner from Walmart and a 250 watt heat lamp. The only thing I do different is I also use a hood on top of the tub to help retain the heat. I put 5 gallons of dry sand in the tub and add 1.5 cups of flake wax to it. Turn the burner on High and turn on the heat lamp. Then I stir it about every 30 minutes with a quick mixer. It typically takes about 2 to 3 hours to finish and I never have to worry about scorching it. And unlike the solar method, the sun doesn’t have to be shining. When finished I take it to my breezeway for cooling on a clean tarp. When cooled I put it in a clean 5 gallon bucket and hit it with the mixer again to breakup the clumps if there is any. Then I seal it with a lid and store it in the basement until it is needed. I know some say not to put the lid on tight, but I have never had a problem. I can usually do 15 gallons a day, so it works for me.

What material is the tub cover made from?

It’s made of aluminum and it’s 3’x3’. I found it at Home Depot.

Thanks. Looks like an efficient method.

Where do you get the sand ?

I use a percentage of sand with my waxed dirt.
A much lighter cover

I have used river sand, but this time I used bagged sand from Home Depot that has been sifted, cleaned and dried. I did have one bag that had some moisture in. It only took a couple hours to dry on the patio.

I take mine from pocket gopher mounds. Dry it, sift it and then add my wax and heat.

Thats what I had in mind to try this season. How much sand are you mixing in? Only reason I hesitate to use all sand is that it is a pain to blend around here. Dont use an awful lot of wax dirt anymore as most of my sets are hammer bedded and covered with haylage like Zagger does it, but go through about 10-15 gallons a year.