Authentic Candle Making

[BornAgainRebInNC]

Apologies if this topic has already been covered somewhere else on TAC. (If so, please direct me to the posting!!!) My wife is interested in making period correct candles at reenactments and living histories. Could someone please direct me to where we can get instruction and buy the materials to be successful.

Thanks!!

Todd Vajner

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: Authentic Candle Making

Todd -

Hobby Lobby usually has bricks of good beeswax, a pound apiece. They also have good cotton wick you can use. Everything else you probably already have.

For 16-18 candles you will need:

2-3 pounds of beeswax
Several feet of wick
An empty Hawaiian Punch-type quart can with the top removed. The taller the can, the taller the candle. This is your "melting pot"
A large boiling pot
Two chairs
A 4-5 foot piece of dowling, or some kind of bar, hockey stick, something to hang drying candles from

The non-industrial way to do it is to chop up the wax and put it into the empty quart metal container. You take that can of dry wax pieces and put it into the large pot with water up about 3/4 of the height of the can, and then heat the water up to about medium high. This will melt the wax in a controlled way. You want to keep the wax at the same level (as best you can) inside the quart can while you're making candles, so keep several chunks of dry wax nearby to drop in and melt to keep the level the same from time to time.

While it is melting, cut your wicks about 16- inches in length. Each length of wick is going to make 2 candles. This will make sense in a second.

Take your 2 chairs and set them about 4 feet apart. Take the bar (dowel, hockey stick, whatever), and place it across the two chairs where it is steady and low enough to be handy. You will need it close by the stove where your wax is melting.

Making the candles takes some patience. You dip the wick into the melted wax for a second, and then bring it out. You don't want to hold it in there too long, as the wax will melt off as the candle grows in size. Let it drip a second or two - it will start to harden relatively quickly. Then do the other end of your length of wick. Once both ends have been dipped, hang it over the dowel/bar between the chairs to cool while you continue doing the same with your remaining lengths of wick. By the time you work your way through the "chain", they will be cooled enough to work with again. Each time you dip that wick (yes, that's where the phrase comes from), you will get an additional layer of wax on the candle. It starts out slowly, but will thicken quickly as you go. This is the basic process. Dip, drip, and hang to cool. Then do it again. And again.

This is important - Once you have about a pencil-sized diameter of wax built up on the wick, you will need to gently roll it on a flat surface to "straighten" it out and keep a neat candle shape. Otherwise it will end up a blobby crooked mess. Most people skimp on that step and end up with crazy looking lumpy candles. Also, you will notice as you go, as the candle thickens, it will taper naturally from the top to the bottom without you having to do anything. You will just need to keep an eye on the bottom where wax accumulates. I keep a sharp knife handy and every now and then I trim the bottom to keep them nice and just throw the excess back into the melting pot. Just keep going until the candles get to the width/size you like. Once you have that, just let them hang and cool for about an hour, and then trim the wicks to separate them. Bang. Got yoself candles.

The quart can will generally give you nice thick candles about 5-6 inches in length, which are perfect for campaigner lanterns, bayonets or just a holder. Plus the melted beeswax has a great mellow smell that will last around in your kitchen for a day or so.

Rich

[BornAgainRebInNC]

Re: Authentic Candle Making

Rich,

Thanks for the in-depth candle-making directions! The wife is really looking forward to giving this a try (-at home first, then at some of our Living History events).


--Todd

[crabby]

Re: Authentic Candle Making

Mr. Libicer has provided you the steps for making dipped candles. One addition is that you can dip both ends of the wick at the same time unless your container is very small.

By the 1860's commercially manufactured candles were readily available for most economic classes. Hand dipped candles as described above would only have been made by the poorest or remotely located of women.

However, as I see you are from N. Carolina your wife might want to do some research on ersatz candles and candle making.
Here is a link to an article by Vickie Betts which might lend itself to your wife's idea. I have seen (and helped) Vickie make
'Confederate Candles' and let me tell you it fascinates folks. ;)


http://www.uttyler.edu/vbetts/candle.htm

[BornAgainRebInNC]

Re: Authentic Candle Making

Ma'am,
Thank you kindly for the recommendation on producing Confederate candles. It looks like something Miss Debbie should be able to master and teach to others.

We wish you a wonderful winter season and a very Merry Christmas.

Your Humble Servant,

Todd Vajner
Todd