| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| 12Bore |
Getting on my WickIt's probably a stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway....Now that Thingmass is waning we are surrounded by bits of candles, is it possible to collect all the bits, melt them and make a new one? Not that I'm tight you understand 
|
||||
| Pilsbury |
yep its fine and quite easy to do, just strain all the bits of wick out before you re cast your candle.
if you dont have a candle mould use a yoghart pot and seal around the wick outside with blue tack or plasticine. |
||||
| 12Bore |
Thanks!
Do we melt the gunge in a bain-marie type thing? What's best as a new wick? Like I said, dumb questions, but if I don't ask, I won't learn. |
||||
| Pilsbury |
in a bowl over simmering water for the melting of the wax, you are best of with proper candle wick, you can get it from Ebay or many online shops and it is quite cheap.
there are different diamiter wicks available and the way to get the best one is find the diamiter of your chosen mould and get as close to that as you can, if in doubt you want 2" of 2.5" wick but its not a problem what ever you have. I have a step by step artical on candle making written out but I dont think its on downsizer yet but I will post it when I get home in a week. Any other questions let me know as I have been making candles for 25 years off and on. Cheers |
||||
| nats |
A friend of mine in Spittal collects them from around the parish (he's Priest-in-charge.... they get lots!) and makes candles for charity and I don't think he ever buys new. He separates all the colours and makes lovely things!! | ||||
| judith |
Do you mean this article? 
|
||||
| 12Bore |
Brilliant! Thanks folks, will have a play soon.
|
||||
| Pilsbury |
yep thats the one  when I put in my search I didnt use a gap between candle and making
must remember what I post where. |
||||
| Pancake |
Whilst on the subject of candles,
I bought a few of those wickless/simmering candles, or at least I think thats what they are called 
They are the shape of a jam tart, you put it in the top of a pot/metal ornament & light a tealight underneath so that the heat melts it & releases the scent, Anyway after a few hours the smell has gone & I am left with the wax & just wondered if it is possible to rescent it to use again? Helen |
||||
| vegplot |
We've just done this but on a trivet over a stove (no pan of water). It works well enough but hot wax over a hot plate in a container without a handle isn't a great idea. | ||||
| gnome |
i remember during the power crisis in the seventies, candles started to become scarce. my dad started to not only gather all the bits of old candles, but even melted down old crayons, and mix it with the leftover "lard" from the sunday roast. didnt smell too nice - but it worked. | ||||
| jag_clarke |
yeah i keep all the kitchen waist fat, put it in jars. then come summer i fill halfway an old can with some fat. then i make a wick from several toilet rolls stuffed inside one. then in bbq season i use cuple to light patio works well as produces big flame. and if bbq has truble starting bit of waist fat works a treat.
you can use a glazed box with black back as a solar melter. its how they separte wax for bees wax candles so it doesnt carbonise wax at all, it also filters it to some extent as wax drains and most of debry stays. |