| Archive for The Potting Shed A forum to discuss Crafts, Cooking, Gardening, Countryside, Livestock and Pets |
| Leonie2 |
Anyone made beeswax candles? (Lottie)LottieEvergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 740 Posted: 02 Mar 2006 10:12 am Post subject: Any made beeswax candles? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would love to make some beeswax candles. Anyone had a go at candle making? If so could you post instructions please? And where you can get any things to need to get going - like the string that goes through them or do you use any string? Many thanks _________________ I am at that purple age! Back to top Plocket Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 865 Location: The playroom! Posted: 02 Mar 2006 10:17 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've made candles but not from beeswax. And I'm not sure where the instructions are. I'll have a root around and see what I can find for you Lottie. In the meantime find yourself an old saucepan you won't want for cooking any more! _________________ A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands www.plocket.co.uk Back to top Lottie Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 740 Posted: 02 Mar 2006 01:06 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks 0 I have got myself an old pyrex one from the charity shop Thank you - very much appreciated _________________ I am at that purple age! Back to top Leanne Perennial Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 342 Location: herts Posted: 02 Mar 2006 01:13 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i was given a kit which contained wicks and sheets of beeswax, and it was just a matter of rolling up the sheets with the wicks inside! not very skillful or taxing!! _________________ Leanne Back to top |
||
| Pilsbury |
Hi used to live in a craft shop for 10 years and have made candles on and off for 25 years so will have a go at answering any questions you have.
The basic equipment you need to start is a saucepan and a bowl that will fit in the top, only ever heat wax in a bowl over hot water like chocolate otherwise it could catch fire a mould of some sort to pour into, you can buy special ones but you can start off with a yoghurt pot or the like to see if you like it. wicks, you can buy different sizes and should use the thickness of wick that is the average diamiter of the candle you are making, it is sold in 1/2", 1", 2" ect and it means a 1" wick is ment for a 1" diameter candle. blue tack is useful for sealing the hole at the bottom of the mould where the wick goes through and a pencil to tie the top of the wick to to hold it over the top of the mould. the wax should be heated to between 67c and 70c anymore and it can melt moulds and it will shrink to much on cooling. It sounds really complicated but it isnt if anyone wants more info let me konw or if you have articles i will be happy to write 1 with pic if you let me know how. |
||
| mrutty |
We used to have to make candles with my grandmother and we always did it straight on the heat  I'd better unteach Becki my bad habits.
By the way the wax from those small cheeses for kids lunch boxes make great candles. |
||
| lottie |
Well thanks for that pilsbury - and you know what I am going to say next don't you.
Yes please, I really would love a 'workshop' with photos. I have a bee keeper near me, and can get the wax easily. Before I started using it in soap and body cream. I did read up about it on the web, and scared myself witless, as I was tempted to soften it in the microwave to cut it. Thank heavens I checked it out first - a house fire and or explosion would have followed had I gone down the microwave route. Do you know or have a link for the wicks, where to get them? I presume you just can't buy a piece of string. Oh I am so excited about this, it is brilliant that you have first hand experience. Scented candles for Christmas presents. More home made gifts for family and friends. To live in a craft shop.......................heavenly. Thank you everso much. |
||
| Pilsbury |
Been a while since i have bought wick commercially so not sure of the places for the cheapest price but this a good quality supplier
www.candlemakers.co.uk and if you google candle making supplies there are thousands of them. If i remember right it is better to make beeswax candles with a blend of parafin wax as it burns cleaner, church candles are normally 10-20% beeswax. |
||
| Pilsbury |
[quote="mrutty"]
We used to have to make candles with my grandmother and we always did it straight on the heat I'd better unteach Becki my bad habits./quote]
You can heat it over a flame in a pan but just like oil it can ignite if it gets to hot, much safer to heat it in a bowl over hot water as it only needs to be about 65c anyway and it doesnt take that long. |
||
| Leonie2 |
Yes please to an article/workshop, we like those  We're not as sophisticated as Downsizer where we have separate articles, all our "how to's" are posted as a sticky in the relevant section. Shout if you need any help
|
||
| Libby |
this sounds fun, how many prongs in the fire can you have I just hope I don't get the candles mixed up with the soap or christmas cake 
Libby |
||
| Kathy |
|
||
| Haize |
I hope to give this a go at Christmas some time. We shouldn't be living in a building site any more by then, so I'll be able to justify time spent messing around with beeswax instead of tiling the bathroom.
|
||
| Pilsbury |
Ok, I just dug out my box of candle making goodies so will have a go later today.
How can i post multiple pics in a post? never been able to do it on any forum or would it be easier if i wrote some text and then email it to someone to turn into a sticky, dont mind really as i love candle making. P.S. in my box of goodies i have a couple of reels of 11/2" and 1/2" wick if anyone wants a couple of meters to have a go with. If you have to get other stuff its probably as easy to order a bit with the rest but if its only the wick you need to have a go PM me and i will send you some, till i get low that is
|
||
| Leonie2 |
Pilsbury when you're typing a post if you look just beneath the white box that you type into there's a link that says "Add image to post", click on there and it will let you upload straight into your post, carry on typing and when you're ready to add the next picture do the same again. You should be able to post as many pics as you want that way. Otherwise if you you get stuck with that I can host the pics on a remote server which you can insert into the text in your post or I'd be happy to type up for you if you'd prefer that way. Just let me know, I'm happy to help whichever way you prefer. And thank you for the offer to create a "how to", it sounds like a really interesting hobby.
A question I've had, and I can't remember if I've asked it before, can you add essential oils to the candle wax for scent and how much would you add, are there any guidelines? |
||
| mrutty |
Yes you can add oild and depends on the size of the candle. Say 3-5 drops for every clotted cream tub sized candle (i hope you can picture what I mean).
By the way save all the old dirty wax and make a big candle as it will burn happily in the greenhouse under a bench and help as a propergator, in fact Knickers uses tealights to power hers. |
||
| Pilsbury |
Yep you can add oils to the wax to scent the candles and how much to add is up to you the more you add the stronger the scent as it burns.
add the oils when you have melted the wax and are just about to pour it, this way its not to hot and all the oil doesn't vanish as you are heating it. |
||
| Haize |
Hmm... Given how much I adore the stuff, on the rare occasions we have it, it would be the biggest tub available 
|
||