How to Build a Hot Knife for Beeswax

Remove the tip of the soldering iron according to the manufacturer's instructions for your particular iron. Many irons attach the soldering tip with a simple screw at one end. Place the soldering tip on a hard, flat surface like a cement floor. Alternatively, you can use a spare soldering-iron tip. The surface and hammer must both be be hard enough to resist pounding metal.

Hammer the tip of the soldering iron flat using a heavy hammer or mallet, flattening it at the outer tip and leaving the end that plugs into the soldering iron round and intact. The soldering tip is hollow inside, which will make the job of hammering it flat easier. Pound the tip until it is completely flat and sharp, so it will be able to slice easily through beeswax once you've plugged it in. The shape of the tip of the soldering iron changes the heat transfer to the surface you are soldering, and the flat tip is ideal for transferring the most heat to the surface area for cutting beeswax.

Reassemble the soldering iron with the newly flattened tip. The end of the iron will grow quite hot when you plug the it in, enough to readily cut through beeswax. You'll also be able to switch back and forth between the cutting tip and the regular soldering tip for separate projects as needed. Most soldering irons have interchangeable tips, allowing you to turn your soldering iron into a tool with many uses.