Outside the sun is shining a lot now, it is getting warmer and the flowers are starting to grow again, the birds singing, you can go out in a light jacket ... short: the spring is coming! So normally not really the time of the year where you think lots about candles. But I already started this in January and want to show you the end of a looong lasting small project!
I simply wanted to recycle the leftover wax from the candles I burned during Christmas time. I also had lots of wax left from the last year too. I like to burn fat candles and there is always one or two cm of candle left, when the wick won't burn any more.
I smashed all the white wax (or better the stearin) to pieces, pulled out the wicks and put it in a big sausage can in a water bath on the stove to melt.
I prepared a cardstock chips can as a mold for the new candle. I made a hole in the bottom and pulled a waxed new wick through and fixed it on top on a stick, so it stayed in the middle. When all the wax was liquid, I filled it into my mold and let it cool down.
So far - so easy! Then I pulled accidently out the wick and had to redo all the steps again :-(
This time I let it cool down really well and get the candle out by breaking the mold.
Did you see the hole in the middle of the candle on the last picture above? I don't know why it does that, but I didn't mind and tried to light up the candle.
It didn't burn well. In fact the flame drowned always in the wax dripping down from the sides.
I took it to my husbands workshop and with a hot wire I cut of the top ring, until the top of the candle was more or less in one plane. Now it burned with a stable flame quite nicely!
But not for long!
As you can see on the top photo, the wick leaned to the side and burned a hole in the wall, letting the wax flow out.
Aaaaahhhhhrrrgggghhhh :-(
I had some more wax pieces left and with the remnant of the odd candle I did for the third time all the steps you can see on the first two photo blocks - After eating frustrated another can of chips to get a new mold :-)
This time I tied the wick under the mold with a double knot and during cooling down I hold the wick under steady tension, to avoid it making curbs again. Also I kept some wax and when the middle of the candle formed again its bizarre crater, I filled it up. Two times!
I can't really believe it, but now it works!
The candle burned already three evenings without a new disaster!
Let's hope it stays this way! If not, you will hear me using ugly words :-)
A bientôt,
Jane
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