Beeswax votive candles

[Erichalfbee]

cracking is usually caused by the wax cooling too quickly

Yes. My silicone mould candles never crack. Strange that remelting in the oven then switching it off didn’t work. I’ve also found that pouring too fast, wax too hot or wax too cold can do it too. Seems it’s just luck

 

[JamezF]

Because wax increases in density (and therefore tries to occupy a smaller volume) as it cools, I guess that if the outside cools too fast relative to the inside at some point the outside wax is going to be trying to contain a volume that isn't shrinking as much as it is. Cracking is the natural result of such a situation.

I've posted before that my daughter is doing a project for her Art A Level that involves working with a fair volume of molten wax -- probably about the same as six house bricks as it turned out. She poured it into a mould made of 12mm plywood, and there was no way we were going to let her do that sort of thing anywhere indoors. Contrary to my expectations the wax did not crack at all. I have to assume that's because the ply was a sufficiently good insulator that the wax cooled much more slowly.

Making a plywood votive candle mould could be a touch tricky though

James

 

[JamezF]

Making a plywood votive candle mould could be a touch tricky though

I may be underthinking it. Perhaps all you really need is a lot of insulation around the mould?

James

 

[elainemary]

These look really good. I’ve today just done a test for a similar sized can. The wax cracked. So I put it in the oven to remelt the top and let it cool in the oven. Still cracked. How did you avoid cracks?

I’ve been reading with votives you need to do a second pour and maybe even a third. Wax shrinks by 6% when turning from liquid to a solid and cracks are caused by cooling too quickly. The crack actually helps the wax bind together so do another small pour on top. Also do it in a warm room and keep doors closed from drafts. That’s the action I’ve taken and haven’t had a crack after the second pour. Petra Arnhart (Beeswax Alchemy) uses felt to wrap around each votive to slow the cooling but any insulation that’s easy to apply without disturbing the wax will help

 

[E&MBees]

I may be underthinking it. Perhaps all you really need is a lot of insulation around the mould?

James

I had problems with one of my candle moulds, cooling too quickly and the wax developing a sink hole. I now wrap a piece of ironing board felt around the mould. Works a treat and no more sink holes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve been reading with votives you need to do a second pour and maybe even a third. The crack actually helps the wax bind together so I’d do another small pour on top. Also do it in a warm room and keep doors closed from drafts. That’s the action I’ve taken and haven’t had a crack after the second pour.

Now that seems very simple and a slight discrepancy in wax colour won’t matter in a can.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had problems with one of my candle moulds, cooling too quickly and the wax developing a sink hole. I now wrap a piece of ironing board felt around the mould. Works a treat and no more sink holes.

One of those foam inserts with holes in might do… if you could get big enough holes.

 

[Midget Gem]

Does anybody know if there are regulations covering the sale of candles?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does anybody know if there are regulations covering the sale of candles?

I’m not sure there are any if you sell pure beeswax but if you are selling scented candles there are.
It’s why I use only proprietary blends from 4candles as they have done the safety data sheet stuff themselves.
There’s a thread here about hazard labels
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/selling-candles-legally.52140/page-2#post-845244

 

[Erichalfbee]

Candle tins from amazon: Candle Tin 4oz - 24 Piece Candle... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0875WMWXZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Using 4candles NT44 wicks, seems to my inexperienced eye to give a good burn and reaches the edges of the tin

I was so impressed I’ve had a go myself. I’ve pre waxed the NT44 and stuck it in a sustainer. I’ve put scent in mine too.
Totting up the raw materials plus £1 an ounce for the wax they come out just under £4.50
Trying a trial burn.
Now how to price them

 

[Kaz]

I was so impressed I’ve had a go myself. I’ve pre waxed the NT44 and stuck it in a sustainer. I’ve put scent in mine too.
Totting up the raw materials plus £1 an ounce for the wax they come out just under £4.50
Trying a trial burn.
Now how to price them

Ooh, let me know what you think and what you decide on price. I think that wick gives a really nice burn

 

[JohnRB]

Hiya,

I've made loads of the 4candles votives and would add the following ideas

After they have set, I pop them in the fridge to get cold. I then squeeze the metal mould to 'crack' the seam between wax and mould. I use a pair of pliers to grip the end of the pin and pull the votive out.

I let the candles warm to room temp then grip the candle and push the end of the pin against a chopping board to start the pin and bottom plate moving. It can help to slip a very thin paring knife between the baseplate and the candle if stuck

I use the pre-beeswax-waxed wicks (Wickwell NT Votive wick). As these are beeswax coated, you should be covered by the BBKA insurance, which only covers pure beeswax candles.

Inserting the wick is the most difficult part. I roll the wicks between my fingers so they have a round profile then pop in the fridge to stiffen up. I use the metal votive pin to enlarge the hole in the candle - insert from each end and jiggle to make the hole large enough to get the wick through. Wick insertion works about 8 times out of 10 - I do find the occasional wick that won't go through without bending and getting stuck. In this case, I just jiggle the hole a bit bigger and use another wick. Once the wick is in, a warm fingertip can just press the wax at the top of the candle to fill the hole where the wick comes through

This all sounds like a real faff, but once you get used to it it is really very quick and simple. If you wonder why I dont just fill votive glasses with a wick in place, it is because I like to sell mine with a spare candle or two as refills. Made as described, the glasses burn almost completely clean. If you scrape out the sustainer at the end you can just pop a refill straight in

 

[elainemary]

Hiya,

I've made loads of the 4candles votives and would add the following ideas

After they have set, I pop them in the fridge to get cold. I then squeeze the metal mould to 'crack' the seam between wax and mould. I use a pair of pliers to grip the end of the pin and pull the votive out.

I let the candles warm to room temp then grip the candle and push the end of the pin against a chopping board to start the pin and bottom plate moving. It can help to slip a very thin paring knife between the baseplate and the candle if stuck

I use the pre-beeswax-waxed wicks (Wickwell NT Votive wick). As these are beeswax coated, you should be covered by the BBKA insurance, which only covers pure beeswax candles.

Inserting the wick is the most difficult part. I roll the wicks between my fingers so they have a round profile then pop in the fridge to stiffen up. I use the metal votive pin to enlarge the hole in the candle - insert from each end and jiggle to make the hole large enough to get the wick through. Wick insertion works about 8 times out of 10 - I do find the occasional wick that won't go through without bending and getting stuck. In this case, I just jiggle the hole a bit bigger and use another wick. Once the wick is in, a warm fingertip can just press the wax at the top of the candle to fill the hole where the wick comes through

This all sounds like a real faff, but once you get used to it it is really very quick and simple. If you wonder why I dont just fill votive glasses with a wick in place, it is because I like to sell mine with a spare candle or two as refills. Made as described, the glasses burn almost completely clean. If you scrape out the sustainer at the end you can just pop a refill straight in

Those are great tips Thankyou. I did some of them before I wrote the original post..fridge, pliers and hubbies vice in the garage, jiggling the pin to try to enlarge the hole. But you’ve given a few other ideas and I’m going to have another go as I do like the idea of popping the votive into different glasses and giving a spare too, as presents

What size wick did you use? I think the NT 29 will work with a bit of practise.
It’s interesting as I’m getting a really nice flame with NT29, been burning for 4 evenings now and still going strong. The glass is looking v clean

My trials with NT 29, 32 and 35 with wax directly into the glass and votive wick with sustainers also going well. Burnt for 2 nights and all burning at similar rates. The larger wicks are giving slightly larger flames.

Pic below is the NT29 after 4 nights and a couple of tea lights I’m burning tonight in some new tea light glasses

Pls advise re your wick size experience thanks v much, it’s v helpful 🕯
Elaine

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ooh, let me know what you think and what you decide on price. I think that wick gives a really nice burn

The 44 pool stops short of the sides of the can for me so I’ve ordered some 47 to try.

 

[JohnRB]

Those are great tips Thankyou. I did some of them before I wrote the original post..fridge, pliers and hubbies vice in the garage, jiggling the pin to try to enlarge the hole. But you’ve given a few other ideas and I’m going to have another go as I do like the idea of popping the votive into different glasses and giving a spare too, as presents

What size wick did you use? I think the NT 29 will work with a bit of practise.
It’s interesting as I’m getting a really nice flame with NT29, been burning for 4 evenings now and still going strong. The glass is looking v clean

My trials with NT 29, 32 and 35 with wax directly into the glass and votive wick with sustainers also going well. Burnt for 2 nights and all burning at similar rates. The larger wicks are giving slightly larger flames.

Pic below is the NT29 after 4 nights and a couple of tea lights I’m burning tonight in some new tea light glasses

Pls advise re your wick size experience thanks v much, it’s v helpful 🕯
Elaine

Sorry, should have said. I use the NT29 votive wick. When I started making these I’d just written a Christmas special for our association newsletter - the idea being Christmas gifts you could just make and they would work. I trialled all the vorive wick sizes with timings and notes on burn performance as I was a bit worried to recommend something that rurned out to either be unsafe or poorly performing. NT29 was the best in my trials.

I can also recommend 4candles wood wicks. If you use “Wood Wick 1.016 (15.875mm x10” I cut these to length to fit in a pots & co ceramic desert pot and it makes a great container candle that crackles as it burns. I haven’t seen the equivalent in a beeswax candle anywhere else and they are my favourite. The wicks work best double thickness.

 

[JohnRB]

Sorry, should have said. I use the NT29 votive wick. When I started making these I’d just written a Christmas special for our association newsletter - the idea being Christmas gifts you could just make and they would work. I trialled all the vorive wick sizes with timings and notes on burn performance as I was a bit worried to recommend something that rurned out to either be unsafe or poorly performing. NT29 was the best in my trials.

I can also recommend 4candles wood wicks. If you use “Wood Wick 1.016 (15.875mm x10” I cut these to length to fit in a pots & co ceramic desert pot and it makes a great container candle that crackles as it burns. I haven’t seen the equivalent in a beeswax candle anywhere else and they are my favourite. The wicks work best double thickness.

I've dug out my Christmas article. Here is the bit on votives:

Votive candle

I also really like the votive candle made using moulds and wicks from 4candles.co.uk.

You find these in churches all over the world, but they make a great glass candle gift. When made of beeswax they will burn for at least 10+ hours. You could simply stick a wick to the bottom of the glass and pour directly, but I like to use the mould shown – it results in an exactly central wick every time and gives a very evenly burning candle. They are very simple – place the metal pin with the round base in the mould and pour the wax in at 70°C, filling it to the very top. Once set and cooled, the candle pulls out of the mould easily by gripping the end of the pin and pulling. If it is stuck, just place in the fridge for a few minutes. Ease a thin knife in between the baseplate and the bottom of the wax and lever it slightly away so that it is unstuck all round. Then holding the candle body, push the end of the pin against a hard surface and simultaneously pull on the base plate to remove the pin from the candle. You are left with the unwicked candle shown, with a perfect hole down the centre. 4candles sell beeswax coated wicks of the right size (Wickwell NT29 Votive Wick) with sustainers already fitted (see photo). These push through the hole and press into place - trim the wick to 5mm and it’s finished. The result is a candle with a perfectly centred wick. This fits exactly in the votive candle glass and when finished, the glass can be scraped out and a new candle replacement popped in. These candles burn very well, look professionally made and are a great gift, especially if supplied with a couple of spare candle refills. Note, you don’t need to worry about hot wax running off the candle as it just stays in the jar, but you must use a heatproof coaster as the glass will get hot.

Tips.

• If you pour the wax too hot, you may get cracks or sink holes appearing in the top of the wax as it sets. You can pour a little more melted wax in, but if this doesn’t work, simply remelt the candle and repour at the right temperature.
• If you pour too cold, the wax will be setting as you pour, giving an uneven surface finish and a lumpy top. Simply remelt and pour again.
• The 4candle coated wicks can be difficult to push through the hole without sticking. Jiggling the metal pin in the hole to make it slightly larger and rolling the wick tightly between thumb and forefinger to make sure it is uniformly round helps.

Costs:

• Beeswax coated wicks: £4 for 50 (8p each)
• Votive mould and pin: £2.10
• Votive glass: 72p each or 12 for £7.05 (59p each).
• Once set up and using your own wax, the cost of glass and candle can be just 67p each and uses just 55g of wax.

 

[JohnRB]

I've dug out my Christmas article. Here is the bit on votives:

Votive candle

I also really like the votive candle made using moulds and wicks from 4candles.co.uk.

You find thes

Here's the bit about using a Pots & Co Ramekin. I've since found that you can get rid of any gap between wax and container by running a blowtorch gently round the edge after it has set. You can remelt just enough that the gap is filled.

Pots & Co Container candle


While searching online I found a candle company that recycles Pots and Co pudding ramekins into a beeswax container candle, so I thought I would have a go. The Pots & Co ramekin makes an ideal container for a candle as they are oven and heat proof. They also come with a very nice pudding and once washed out are free! Both these things should naturally appeal to beekeepers. Container candles are very fashionable but aren’t often made with beeswax; as the wax cools and shrinks it doesn’t stick to the side of the container and leaves a gap. Candlemakers try to avoid this and even blend specific container waxes that stick to the sides. I don’t think it matters at all - it shows that you are using natural beeswax and not some unholy blend of waxes. The gap can be minimised by warming the container before pouring and pouring the wax at 69°C to 70°C. For a bit of fun, I tried using both a traditional cotton wick and a wood wick. Wood wicks are very popular but can be tricky. They burn with a good flame and make a soft crackling sound – perfect for those cosy winter evenings by the fire. Like cotton wicks, wooden wicks must be trimmed down to 5mm before each lighting – they can be cut with sharp kitchen scissors. On the left, below, cotton wick, Wickwell NT 59. (Note the use of a heatproof coaster and the slight gap between the wax and the side of the container). This wick worked well if it was trimmed regularly to 5mm. The wooden wick, on the right, was excellent. I used Lumetique Original Woodwick 1.016, 15.875mm from 4candles. I found that using a double thickness (as recommended on the 4 candles website) worked best. The only downside being that, because of the way the wooden wick sustainers work, about a cm of wax in the bottom of the candle was unburned. The crackle and flame both made up for this though and this is my favourite candle so far. If you are going to get a present from me this Christmas, this is probably it! Note: You may be able to just stick the wick in place using a glue dot, rather than the metal sustainer, allowing more wax to be burned. Why not try it and let me know how it works?

Cost: Cotton wick 8p, Wooden wick 35p, beeswax » 100g

 

[Erichalfbee]

That’s brilliant John. I love the idea of a crackling candle

 

[elainemary]

I've dug out my Christmas article. Here is the bit on votives:

Votive candle

I also really like the votive candle made using moulds and wicks from 4candles.co.uk.

You find these in churches all over the world, but they make a great glass candle gift. When made of beeswax they will burn for at least 10+ hours. You could simply stick a wick to the bottom of the glass and pour directly, but I like to use the mould shown – it results in an exactly central wick every time and gives a very evenly burning candle. They are very simple – place the metal pin with the round base in the mould and pour the wax in at 70°C, filling it to the very top. Once set and cooled, the candle pulls out of the mould easily by gripping the end of the pin and pulling. If it is stuck, just place in the fridge for a few minutes. Ease a thin knife in between the baseplate and the bottom of the wax and lever it slightly away so that it is unstuck all round. Then holding the candle body, push the end of the pin against a hard surface and simultaneously pull on the base plate to remove the pin from the candle. You are left with the unwicked candle shown, with a perfect hole down the centre. 4candles sell beeswax coated wicks of the right size (Wickwell NT29 Votive Wick) with sustainers already fitted (see photo). These push through the hole and press into place - trim the wick to 5mm and it’s finished. The result is a candle with a perfectly centred wick. This fits exactly in the votive candle glass and when finished, the glass can be scraped out and a new candle replacement popped in. These candles burn very well, look professionally made and are a great gift, especially if supplied with a couple of spare candle refills. Note, you don’t need to worry about hot wax running off the candle as it just stays in the jar, but you must use a heatproof coaster as the glass will get hot.

Tips.

• If you pour the wax too hot, you may get cracks or sink holes appearing in the top of the wax as it sets. You can pour a little more melted wax in, but if this doesn’t work, simply remelt the candle and repour at the right temperature.
• If you pour too cold, the wax will be setting as you pour, giving an uneven surface finish and a lumpy top. Simply remelt and pour again.
• The 4candle coated wicks can be difficult to push through the hole without sticking. Jiggling the metal pin in the hole to make it slightly larger and rolling the wick tightly between thumb and forefinger to make sure it is uniformly round helps.

Costs:

• Beeswax coated wicks: £4 for 50 (8p each)
• Votive mould and pin: £2.10
• Votive glass: 72p each or 12 for £7.05 (59p each).
• Once set up and using your own wax, the cost of glass and candle can be just 67p each and uses just 55g of wax.

View attachment 34305 View attachment 34304

Excellent thanks

 

[Wilco]

Here's the bit about using a Pots & Co Ramekin. I've since found that you can get rid of any gap between wax and container by running a blowtorch gently round the edge after it has set. You can remelt just enough that the gap is filled.

Pots & Co Container candle


While searching online I found a candle company that recycles Pots and Co pudding ramekins into a beeswax container candle, so I thought I would have a go. The Pots & Co ramekin makes an ideal container for a candle as they are oven and heat proof. They also come with a very nice pudding and once washed out are free! Both these things should naturally appeal to beekeepers. Container candles are very fashionable but aren’t often made with beeswax; as the wax cools and shrinks it doesn’t stick to the side of the container and leaves a gap. Candlemakers try to avoid this and even blend specific container waxes that stick to the sides. I don’t think it matters at all - it shows that you are using natural beeswax and not some unholy blend of waxes. The gap can be minimised by warming the container before pouring and pouring the wax at 69°C to 70°C. For a bit of fun, I tried using both a traditional cotton wick and a wood wick. Wood wicks are very popular but can be tricky. They burn with a good flame and make a soft crackling sound – perfect for those cosy winter evenings by the fire. Like cotton wicks, wooden wicks must be trimmed down to 5mm before each lighting – they can be cut with sharp kitchen scissors. On the left, below, cotton wick, Wickwell NT 59. (Note the use of a heatproof coaster and the slight gap between the wax and the side of the container). This wick worked well if it was trimmed regularly to 5mm. The wooden wick, on the right, was excellent. I used Lumetique Original Woodwick 1.016, 15.875mm from 4candles. I found that using a double thickness (as recommended on the 4 candles website) worked best. The only downside being that, because of the way the wooden wick sustainers work, about a cm of wax in the bottom of the candle was unburned. The crackle and flame both made up for this though and this is my favourite candle so far. If you are going to get a present from me this Christmas, this is probably it! Note: You may be able to just stick the wick in place using a glue dot, rather than the metal sustainer, allowing more wax to be burned. Why not try it and let me know how it works?

Cost: Cotton wick 8p, Wooden wick 35p, beeswax » 100g

View attachment 34306
View attachment 34307

Had been eyeing up woodwicks but wasn't sure about them with beeswax. Thank you!