Candlemaking!

[lethargic_man]

Burning Chanukah and Havdalah candles always leaves such a mess! I collect up the wax drippings, and from time to time make them into a new candle. Commercially, candles are made by dipping them into hot wax, letting the new layer on the outside set, them repeating the process until it's the width you want, but that's far too much effort, so here's what I do for cottage-industry candles. :o)

First, make a mould out of thin cardboard. Cylindrical is the simplest, but you can do other shapes as well, even non-prismatic: my brother once made a dodecahedral candle! Your cardboard should be smooth to the touch; rough cardboard will stick to the candle. (If you only have rough cardboard, line it with Vaseline first.) Use Sellotape to close up your mould, but try to minimise the area in contact with the interior - Sellotape adheres poorly when in contact with liquids, and we'll be relying on any leaks being small enough that wax escaping through them solidifies, blocking passage to further loss.

Now, take a piece of string, unravel it into its component strands, and plait three strands or strand pairs to make a wick. (I have no idea if this is more efficacious than just using a normal piece of string, but someone once recommended it to me, and I'm sticking with what I know works.) Punch a hole through your mould's base for the wick; the knot at the bottom will hold it in place. Now Sellotape over the hole you've made! To keep the wick central to the candle, hold the top of the wick in place with a hairgrip, or alternatively pierce it with a needle or unbent paperclip.

Now melt your wax in an old tin can; it's safest to do this in a saucepan of boiling water. When the wax has melted, let it cool (see above point about ready solidification), then pour it into your mould. It's best to do so with the mould in another tin can, both to keep it unright, and also in case wax escapes at the bottom.

The wax will (being more sensible than water) shrink as it solidifies, you may want to top your mould up as it does so. When the whole lot has set, you may find it's constricted towards the mould walls, leaving a hole down the middle; you can fill this up too.

And now I bet someone follows up telling me the flaws in my method, and giving a much better method for making your own candles. :o)

Comments

[liv]

That's very cool that you make leftover wax into candles. (I have no idea whether your method's any good since I'm hopeless at crafty stuff like that!) My sister used to collect interestingly shaped bits of leftover wax and use them as ornaments. But moulding the wax into homemade candles is much more stylish!

[darcydodo]

So, I think I recall making candles in three ways. One I did at camp, and it was by employment of the first method you mention, which I actually find to be a lot of fun. You just need to make sure your pot's big enough so that you can dip properly. Another, I think I must have done a few times: use sand for your mould. You get some grains sticking to the outside, but that's not really a problem. Also, it works better for squat candles, but I presume that your reconstituted candles aren't necessarily for Chanukkah or for making Havalah anyway (any thoughts about several wicks?! :)) Anyway, it works very well. And then there were the beeswax candles we made one year. But that actually involves taking a sheet of beeswax and rolling it around the wick, so that's irrelevant to reconstituted candles.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Also, it works better for squat candles, but I presume that your reconstituted candles aren't necessarily for Chanukkah or for making Havalah anyway

Hmm, not sure... if you reuse wax, do you have to use the new candle for the holiest of the purposes the original ones came from (Shabbos > chanukah > havdalah). Any thought, livredor, blackherring?

any thoughts about several wicks?!

Presumably, make several very thin candles, then heat carefully to soften just enough, and plait. I might try that nice time I do this. Which probably won't be for several more years now. :o)

[hatam-soferet.livejournal.com]

if you reuse wax, do you have to use the new candle for the holiest of the purposes the original ones came from

Seems pretty likely.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Oh, kol hakavod for the appropriate icon, btw. :o)

[darcydodo]

Thanks. I do when I can. :)

[snjstar.livejournal.com]

very cool
I remember moulding old wax into shapes with the heat from my bedside lamp when I was younger.