Cheapest beeswax?

[tombear]

Hi folks
I've been making some tallow candles with flax wicks and fancy experimenting a bit more. I've read that beeswax was both mixed with the tallow to improve it and was sometimes used as a outer coating to make the candle store better.

Being both poor and cheap I am looking for the most economical sources of both raw and bleached beeswax. Since I know a lot of folks use beeswax in their projects I thought I would ask to see if anyone has any pointers not to be found by googling, which I've already done.

Incidentally new half and half beef and mutton tallow candles with passably trimmed twisted flax wicks do not smell or smoke a fraction their reputation would leave you to believe. The "worst" comment so far is that they have the slight smell of the baking tray when you pull it out of the oven before you pour the batter in for Yorkshires.

Cheers!

Tom

 

[Toddy]

Speak to Tengu

You make some interesting stuff Tom

cheers,
M

 

[tombear]

Cheers! Will do

While I'm waiting for a couple of tin moulds to come from the US I had a go at dipping a couple of 50% beef 50% mutton tallow candles using a wick twisted from some of my precious linen bondage rope

But when the18th C style 6.25" by 7/8ths" moulds have arrived and now a lovely chap in NI has supplied me with excellent about 3mm flax cordage to use as wick I will be making some that way. I've about 8lb of home rendered mutton tallow in the freezer now and with Britania Beef Dripping at 72p a pound in ASDA I can make all I want for my nefferious ends and when I can perfect hardening them will be able to swap some with other like minded loons.

At the moment, especially in a centrally heated hose they are greasy to the touch, if solid enough even when burning but I'd like to make them easier to store, hence the need for beeswax.

In period texts theres various ways of chemically hardening them but not being a chemist I'm loathe to start messing, especially with stuff with the word "lead" in its name. I tried it using allum but the instructions implied you added it to the finished tallow and heated it up not, as I believe you added it to the water in the first simmering stage. All I got was a green goo on the bottom of the pan that did not mix with the fat at all and left a black stain on the steel pan that I will have to remove with a wire brush on a drill!

ATB

Tom

 

[swyn]

Seek out your local beekeeping club/society. There is usually some spare comb going and it will be about now as the bees are being shut up in readyness for winter, also the last of the recent honey will have been taken off so there may be some broken supers going spare too.
Worth a try anyway. I'm a useless beekeeper so don't take my word for it!
(Well perhaps not so useless..., my two hives did make it through last winter to produce some lovely honey this summer!)
Hope this helps.

Swyn.

PS. Just seen your lovely candle too...Like! S

 

[tombear]

An excellent thought! With my luck it will be too wet or windy for beekeeping in the Valley and there won't be any!

Thanks for the comment on the candle, I didn't know what I was doing and the third one got dropped and ended going back in the mix. It took a ridiculous number of dips to make it up to 3/4 a inch diameter! I did learn a lot which was the point of the exercise. The wick seams to be burning at the correct rate and size of flame I wanted. I've some paited linen threads and some spare rushlights I will try as wicks when the molds arrive. If you are very careful you can peel the strip you leave of the outer part on a rush light and you have a pre waxed wick ready to use. I wish i had kept some of the good soft rushes whole now. Around here they were useless this year, not worth harvesting.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Now sorted for beeswax, got 2KG coming from a chap on ebay, freepost and quite reasonable. Just waiting on the moulds still as my friends the tinsmiths have been innundated with real work.

ATB

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

Now sorted for beeswax, got 2KG coming from a chap on ebay, freepost and quite reasonable.

Got a link for them Tom as I'm in need of some as well

 

[Toadflax]

I recently used thewaxfactory on ebay for 1KG - prompt, good price (£12 delivered) and good quality, clean wax. Not sure whether this is the same place.


Geoff

 

[tombear]

Yup, thems the bunnies!

Should be delivered tomorrow according to their shipper.

So I'll have plenty of materials including 12 yards of wonderful 3mm wide flax wick that a nice chap made for me, tried a bit in a pot of tallow and it works a treat!

ATB

Tom

Update
3rd Nov 10.30 AM and as promised the wax was delivered, smells nice. will dump it on a window sill till I need it to see if it bleaches at all in this poor winter sunlight. If it does i will cast some thin sheets using the nonstick baking trays and leave them to bleach.

 

[Passer]

Did you try Rossendale Sheetmetal for your tinsmithing needs?

 

[roger-uk]

Hi

I've been given some sheets of beeswax that were used as a craft project to make cmadles - wrap them around a wick. Can this be melted down and reused?