Candle Recycling

[TomBartlett]

I've got a few candle 'husks' around the house. I was thinking of melting them down and making a new candle out of them. Can't chuck them away, obviously! So I was wondering, what should I use as a wick? Will anything do, or do some materials wick better than others?

 

[calibanzwei]

As a poor student I used string from the poundshop - cut the top off a beer can, stuck it on an electric hob and melted down the stubs. Add some Brut/Old Spice to taste ( ) and hang the weighted string (a nut will do) from cutlery in the centre on the can and allow to cool.

Shaggadelic!

 

[Bushwhacker]

The missus got one of those Glade smelly candles in a glass jar a while back. The wick burnt down in no time (3 nights) leaving probably half the wax still in the jar, what a rip off!
I chucked a couple of lit birch shavings into the jar and got more than double the life out of it for minimal effort.

 

[Toadflax]

I've used ordinary string, plaited into a thicker wick if necessary. Don't use too thin a wick, otherwise you'll just get a very small flame.

I melt the wax in a (washed!) tin can sat in a pan of boiling water, then pour it into a suitable sized plastic container with the wick fixed to the bottom of the container (e.g. poked through a very small hole - if the hole is small, you'll only get a small amount of wax leaking before it sets) and held vertical by fixing it to a pencil laid across the top of the container. For chunky candles, you may need to do a second pouring, as the wax contracts on cooling, so you get a dip in the centre.


Geoff

 

[Toddy]

Find a chunky jar or glass. Candlewick is soft braided cotton, you can unwind cotton string and braid it loosely and it'll work fine. Leave the last five cms unbraided and use these to tie the wick evenly onto a big washer or a couple of wee ones.
Melt the wax as Toadflax recommended or in a tinfoil lined saucepan, and soak the wick in it. Remove and allow to cool straight hanging from the washers. It won't take long.
Centre the wick in the jar, wrap it over a stick lying on the top to keep it centred and pour over the melted wax and allow to set.

You can do it in layers if you like to make it pretty, add essential oils to scent it, and if you do it in a jar (like the ones for doritos type dips ) you can put the lid back on and it puts it out. Those jars are also very stable and can be used camping

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Adze]

String didn't work very well for me when I tried it, but then I only tried the once as it was a bit of a failure. The prices here look affordable.

http://www.4candles.co.uk/wick/wick_samples.html

I use candle stubs for making 'all weather' firelighters. Roll a 2inch long, finger fat sausage from cotton wool, or better still use on of those circular cleansing pads the wife's got (shhh!), melt the wax in some hot water and dip half the sausage/pad in the molten wax. You've then got a fluffy bit which will take a spark from a firesteel struck in the next county and a waxy bit which will burn long enough to get even quite damp tinder/kindling burning well.

Cheers,

 

[leaf man]

You really shouldnt melt it in a tin on the hob, wax is unstable and burns when it gets 'super heated', trust me, i did it so you have been warned.
I use natural garden twine, thight roll it and then rub it in beeswax to stiffen it up before putting it into the melted wax. I think it also adds a little homemade touch too

 

[calibanzwei]

You really shouldnt melt it in a tin on the hob, wax is unstable and burns when it gets 'super heated', trust me, i did it so you have been warned.

Low heat, care taken, 11 years ago

 

[Deanno]

Have you tried it in a pringles tube. its great, you can add diferent colours and the tube can be ripped away with ease.

 

[MrEd]

You really shouldnt melt it in a tin on the hob, wax is unstable and burns when it gets 'super heated', trust me, i did it so you have been warned.

jus use a bain marie (double boiler) to control the heat better and prevent overheating

 

[AJB]

Hello, I made these an age ago...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39760&highlight=candle+fire

 

[Toddy]

Have you tried it in a pringles tube. its great, you can add diferent colours and the tube can be ripped away with ease.

Neat idea and it won't leak out like the kitchen towel roll ones do

cheers,
Toddy

 

[rik_uk3]

Instead of messing about trying to make new candles, why not melt the wax, mix with sawdust and when the mix is cooler pour into egg boxes to mould into shape; you end up with home made and long burning firelighters.

A good size bag of sawdust can be had for about a quid in places like pet shops or even Wilkinsons.

 

[AJB]

Or generally given away at your local timber merchants

 

[Tengu]

Or you could mix 90% parrafin wax to 10% beeswax to make greenland wax

 

[MrEd]

Or you could mix 90% parrafin wax to 10% beeswax to make greenland wax

much ebtter use than burning it lol

 

[TomBartlett]

Thanks for all the great advice. These aren't beeswax candles, but that's a great suggestion. I have quite a bit of sawdust lying about from my various carving experiments, so I might give the firelighters a go!
I still want to try and remodel at least some of the wax into a candle, keep SWMBO happy as she got that candles in the first place

 

[Deanno]

Instead of messing about trying to make new candles, why not melt the wax, mix with sawdust and when the mix is cooler pour into egg boxes to mould into shape; you end up with home made and long burning firelighters.

A good size bag of sawdust can be had for about a quid in places like pet shops or even Wilkinsons.

where abouts are you? if you are after sawdust let me know my dad's a carpenter and he often get loads of the stuff fine, coarse etc He's near Kidwelly??