Candle Making

[wilderness]

So I thought I'd have a go at making some candles with the small amount of beeswax I've recovered. As with all things related to beekeeping it is not as simple as it first appears

I collected some used tea light aluminium bases and melted out the residue with a heat gun. I bought some wicks from a company called 4Candles (great name). Their website suggests that batches of beeswax vary in the way it burns so I got a range of wick diameters suitable for beeswax tea light candles. NT20, NT23 and NT26. I've poured the wax and tried each of the wick sizes. They all burn with a very small flame ~3mm and have a pool size of 15mm and burn for about 5 hours.

Anybody else into candle making who can point me in the right direction of wick diameter to get a bigger flame? Apparently the larger the wick, the bigger the pool size and the risk of "drowning" the wick. If I go smaller wick size then I think the flame will be smaller and you will get "tunnelling".

I said it wasn't easy

I'll stick to tea lights for the moment before adventuring into something bigger.

 

[Poly Hive]

As ever google is your friend in need... if you ask it.

http://www.rusticescentuals.com/wickchart.html
http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/beeswaxcandles.shtml
http://www.santafecandle.com/learn/candles/wick.htm

The critical thing in candle making is that your wax is as clean as clean can be. I used to filter mine through surgical lint for the moulded ones.

PH

 

[wilderness]

Thanks PH,

I had Googled (actually Binged) around but not found that (those) site(s).

So to get a bigger flame should I go up in diameter?

 

[Poly Hive]

I have to be honest and tell you that my ex wife was the wicking expert and she trialled them to find the best.

If your flame is too small that says to me it is not able to carry enough vapour, and so yes I would go up a size and see how that works.

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

my ex wife
PH

She got on your wick then

 

[wilderness]

OK, I'll try going up in diameter and will report back.

 

[BKF Admin]

Thats got to be joke of the month

 

[Norm]

If you just want bog standard candles to use for yourself then take a look here.

 

[wilderness]

Hi Norm,

Thanks for the link. I was also looking to re-use junk to make some candles.
Did you have to use a release agent to get the candle out of the mould or is there enough "give" in the cans to separate the wax from the can?

I'll persevere with a wider wick for the tea lights then experiment with other shapes.

 

[RoofTops]

Thornes list wicks against the candle diameter. This may be a good starting point. https://secure.thorne.co.uk/cgi-bin...ge&THISPAGE=page10156.html&ORDER_ID=315565630

 

[Norm]

Thanks for the link. I was also looking to re-use junk to make some candles.
Did you have to use a release agent to get the candle out of the mould or is there enough "give" in the cans to separate the wax from the can?
.

No need for release agent in this case as the cola can or the yog pot are just peeled off the candle. If you do have a good mold for posh candles, fairy liquid works as a release agent I am told.

 

[Apis]

A quick squirt of PTFE spray does the trick beautifully and leaves no discernable residue.

 

[Poly Hive]

Better still to buy good quality moulds.

PH