tin candle holder

[Teno]

I do mine using an Altoids tin. Not much sofisticated, but do the trick very well. Thanks for the idea.

Altoids candle box

Right now, in Argentina we have a very hot summer and the candles (cheapo tallow) tend to melt. Will replace those (when used) with better parafine o bees wax candles.

Small dripless will be better, but way hard to find them here.

 

[JohnC]

Thats really neat..

 

[tombear]

Off to buy some Altoids...

 

[deenewcastle]

Not sure whether they are any use to anyone, but my housemate smokes hand rolled cigarettes, so we have a few tobacco tins hanging around. The hinged ones (Cutters Choice) (l/w/d) 155mm x 85mm x 28mm, and will hold 3 x 5 1/2" candles. I am happy to send FOC the 4 she has just given me to 4 individual UK forum members if you PM your name and addie. She is always getting more, so if I get more than 4 PMs, someone may have to wait a week or so.

 

[tombear]

One for me please!

If I'm not too late that is!

Tom

 

[tombear]

Hi All
Marcia has just sent me pics of the tinder box they have just finished for me before they post it.

I am absolutely chuffed to bits with it, they have used some excellent hot dipped tinplate thats heavier than the stuff they used before. I described what I wanted and they pretty much mind read the rest as it is absolutely spot on. Ok its just a modified version of one they make for 18th C reenactors but with the candle holder on the inside of the lid, no finger handle on the out side and the handle for the snuffer plate off set and it's 4 inch diameter to fit in a pocket.

I've some flax linen samples to turn into char cloth, will make some tallow and some raw beeswax candles with the wick Toddy was kind enough to supply and it ill be a fitting repository for the steels Mike made. Hopefully it will inspire me to get good at firelighting with sparks.

ATB

Tom

 

[Toddy]

Nice, very nice

Hear, don't be buying samples if you want linen for charcloth; I sew constantly, I'm constantly producing offcuts of linen. If you want some send me a pm and I'll fill a poly envelope with some for you. It's raw unbleached stuff I'm using just now if that would suit.

cheers,
M

 

[jdlenton]

that's just lovely gorgeous in fact.

I have a large collection of fire making kit i use for teaching the next thing on my list is something like this an 18th century flint and steel kit. I've been meaning to go out and find all the bits for a while but never got round to it. Am inspired now ow and then i need a stone age kit and then .......

 

[tombear]

Toddy, will send PM, cheers!

I can't recomend Carl and Marcias stuff too highly and they are really lovely people to deal with.

They do a 18th C household 6 inch tinderbox

http://www.cg-tinsmith.com/images/Photos/tindboxdampout.JPG

Their site is well worth even if its just to admire their museum grade reproductions.


ATB

Tom

 

[Tengu]

Ive a load of small boxes

what do you do if they have rust on them?

 

[tombear]

My shiny tinderbox arrived from the US and I am chuffed to bits with it

I knocked up a case for it to make sure the lid doesn't get knocked off and to protect the finish some.

Playing with it indoors is being frowned upon...

Cheers to Toddy for the linen I made the char from.

ATB

Tom

 

[Miyagi]

Tombear that's a lovely piece of kit!!

 

[Chinkapin]

If you are wanting to make a candle lantern and you want something clear to block out the wind, let me suggest Isenglass. Most of you are probably too young to have ever heard of it. It is actually mica sheets. Mica is a mineral. If you have ever seen some of the old gas or wood stoves that had small window panes that looked like they were made out of a fragile looking plastic appearing material -- that was Isenglass. It is still available. It used to be very cheap, but has gotten fairly expensive in the last decade or so. A 4in X 5in piece cost about 10 dollars US. You might be able to find a used piece in a junk dealers. It can take any amount of heat and is stronger than it looks. I have used it with good results. It was at one time used in buggy windows, and the old snap on side curtains of early automobiles. It can be bent somewhat but not too much.

 

[Le Loup]

Now I wish i could do that!

If I could I'd make one of these that I saw in a museum in Lancaster

For scale the sulphur matches are about 2 , 2 and a half inches long if I remember right.

ATB

Tom

You don't by any chance remember the date on this piece do you Tom?
Regards, Keith.

 

[Le Loup]

Great piece of work on that candle holder, well done. I love it.
Keith.

 

[tombear]

Hi Keith
sorry but the pics I have don't show the text description. I'll see if the museum can tell me. In Lancashire sulphur matches were still in use towards the end if the 19th C as there was , if my memory serves me right, a vet of Waterloo still selling them in his 80s or 90s to support himself, there's a pic and a bundle of his matches in the local museum.

ATB

Tom

 

[Tengu]

Isnt that good?

I have some huge old biscuit tins if anyone wants some for metal.

 

[Pignut]

Nice! And I have an altoids tin in the car!!!! (yay)

What would be good for the candle holder?

 

[tombear]

Hi Keith
finally heard back from nice lady at the museum and all they have on record is it was donated in 1937 and was stated to be 19th Century. If we go back in the summer want me to arrange to take some dimensions and better shots that show construction?

Atb

Tom

 

[fishfish]

These little tins and boxes were originally made by skilled artisans called Whitesmiths.
Not really seen nowadays or much discussed either and when it is, it is usually considered to be soft alloy workers.

I don't even have any links for them, but as a little girl I watched an old man who was a friend of my Grandfather (and he was older than my Grandfather who had been nearly eighty when I was born) use tiny little metal tools to curl metal edges on lids and rims to make the little tin tea and sugar holders that miners carried. He made a set for my father to take camping. He made it look so easy that it was many years before I realised that bending metal smoothly was hard work

Off to have a look for patterns and links

cheers,
Toddy

p.s. all I can find with any patterns are for tinsmiths. I know my Grandpa's friend said it was whitesmith work though.

did you find any toddy?