Making Beeswax Candles at Jas Townsend and Son
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You should make a video about soap-making!
+Bookhardtsbooks Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks! - I believe most of the beeswax beads are just the same wax in a different form factor. They should work fine.
I'd love to see an updated version of this video but filmed on The Homestead.
I remember making candles in second grade. We made them inside the little milk cartons public schools get. It was fun from what I remember.
You've mentioned before that candles could be made of tallow as well, could you please do a demonstration of making tallow candles
Im under the impression that fat candles smoke alot...never made any, just what my grandma said
Von Fowler I think you are correct - beeswax burn bright and smokeless.
There are stories of starving people eating their tallow candles.
Tallow candles tend to smell bad and as such were rarely used by people who had money. Modern rendering techniques makes modern tallow less stinky.
Love that lovely harp music at the very beginning! And at the end!
Thank you! Very interesting. I’ve rolled beeswax sheets, but never poured it. It looks fun, and would make a great gift. 😊🕯
Old mate hasn't aged a day in 12 years
When I was a kid we made very rustic looking candles by repeatedly dipping the wick in the wax. With each quick dip more wax would stick to it. Then we'd decorate them by sticking coloured wax to them. Loved the smells.
The wire idea was ingenious.
that moment when you go "ohhhh", so that's how you get the tops to look pointy on the candle (Thanks Jon)
Everytime I watch one of your videos, my project list gets longer and longer...😊😊😊
Same :)
Instead of using the wire hook, you can just stick one end of the wick through the bottom of one mold then the other end of the other mold, and both would come out the top.
The melted beeswax must have the most wonderful scent while it's being poured! Another enlightening video about 18th century life, and the candles turned out beautifully.
I have two of your mold, I love them and make several hundred candles a year with them for my rendezvous lanterns. Once the wax has cooled in the mold, I allow the molds to freeze (in the freezer in the summer, outside in winter). I have never had any crack, and not only will the candles be ready to remove from the mold much sooner, but they remove very easily, allowing you to omit the spray lubricant. This has always worked great for me, for both pure beeswax as well as beeswax/tallow candles.
I remember making "dip" candles in the Boy Scouts back in the 60's. We then made candle holders from empty fruit juice cans. We got to use our candles when the troop went camping and I'm sure the scoutmasters were worried to death we'd start a fire in our tents, because they constantly warned us of the dangers! But, we survived with no tents burned down! Fun times in the Scouts back then. Not so much today from what I read.
My kids made beeswax candles at a local nature center's honey festival and we had them displayed at home with their other school projects.
Then, a winter storm knocked our power, they wanted to be big helpers and insisted on using their beeswax candles...so we did.
They actually made theirs by the dipping method rather than using molds. They also made on by rolling thin sheets of beeswax around the wick. All of those candles were sacrificed so that we coukd have light that night.
I bought this kit and the heritage lantern for my husband for Christmas! I'm going to make the candles before I package it up though so we can light the lantern right away. Great tutorial! I cannot wait.
I love how honest you are about the fact there is going to be wax all over, including probably on the floor. Having made candles with my mom (paraffin, not beeswax) I'm very familiar with those drips.
FYI always get the bright yellow wax not the white. It’s raw and smells so much better!!
excellent, heading over to the website now!
Very nice video, you do the best instruction videos I have ever seen. Do you have a tallow candle video? How do they burn?
Seeing that he didn't reply I will do my best to answer. I've made tallow dips. I used a home rendered tallow which was quite clean. The fat is much softer than beeswax hence that they were more for the lower classes, beeswax being the premium candle. They burn with less light. They do sputter no matter how clean the tallow. Some say they smell a bit but mine didn't. And most important is that they are more delicate given that they are made from a softer fat. Tallow is barely hard enough to make a candle from. I have not tried molding tallow candles. I have no idea whether that works. Now that I write this I wonder if folks made tallow dips reinforced with a little expensive beeswax. Seems to me that it would have been practical if they could afford some. It also occurs to me that it might not have been period but candles in a container would work great for tallow candles rather than tapers.
I worked someplace with beef tallow candles and they burnt amazingly no real issues and they were much slower burning then a lot of wax candles.
Kat Funk : There are different kinds of tallow. There is kidney fat and once that is purified it is dense and hard like wax. See the Pemican making videos on how to refine kidney fat.
Cool!
Enjoyed this video.
What type of oils would they have had to use in the candle making stand? Since they didn't have cooking spray. Would they have melted some butter to pour in there, or what about flower?
Most vegetable oils will work just fine.
Is that a spare crockpot just for melting wax or do you have a method of cleaning it so you actually could use it again for food?
Better to get a second-hand one from a thrift store, but wax is basically an oil, so it can be cleaned out.
Start by scraping out as much wax as you can, probably with a plastic knife so as not to damage the finish.
Turn the pot on, empty, and let it heat up. Wipe out as much of the remaining wax as you can with paper towels.
Now add a little water and a little detergent and scrub again (using something you can throw away). This should do the job, although you may want to repeat the process.
To test, boil some water and pour it in. If wax forms on the surface as it cools, then I'm an idiot and you may need a new crockpot...
wow, i didn't know they had crock pots in the 18th century..... ;)
Dutchover basically the same thing
They probably just burned down their houses a lot.
Just drop it in - that's the good part. You don't have to worry about water spoiling the wick.
I really enjoyed watching you do this. I make beeswax candles during Yule, I make them "birthday" sized and dip them with a hemp wick.
Really nice video!! Thanks!!! Keep up the good work!!
wasn't there another method of making candles by dipping the wick in melted wax, letting the covered wick cool, then dipping it again etc. ?
yes, there was
That method while much more simpler in a vat of wax and a string to allow coatings to cool, is also more serial and lengthy in process in multiple dips and time to cool enough to allow re-dipping.
Casting, takes more equipment and their necessary functions, but casting is a one time done process with no needed reapplications of the wax in methods of manufacture.
It's my understanding that the dipping method is how candles were made for centuries. I wonder when the first molded candles were made?
If you do not make the wax to hot, then the cooling will not take long and the coats that goes on every time you dip wil be more thick also.
Split molds ar a good solution too.
I would use a funnel, it might be safer to do this🤔 Moira
From England.
My aunt has a couple of bee hives in her garden,so we usually have a lot of homemade honey and wax.I used to just place the purer was near the stove so that it gets easy to model.You can make candles that way aswel~
Allthought they look like crap XD
How did you sharpen the metal pieces? I have a terrible time getting the wick thru the holes. I almost gave up yesterday.
Beeswax candles is the only type of candle I will burn in my home (except for the occasional paraffin type birthday candle) the smell of beeswax reminds me of 18th/19th century.
I see you are using a crock pot for heating the wax. Do you just drop the wax into the crock pot or do you use another container and water to make a double boiler? Thanks
Damn i had no idea this channel was this old lol
Glad to see yall keep going
My ancestors in the 18th century were Tallow Chandlers and soap boilers. Very interesting to see this video.
What did you use on the slow cooker to make it easier to get the wax out?
Hi, how to I keep the wax from melting through the bottom of candle mold, I place wax over the holes but it melts right through and drips on to my pan. Thanks
Try pouring the wax at a lower temperature.
That candle mold would be very useful for me, I make candles from leftovers every winter. We buy them when they are on sale, because we don't have electricity
Thank you for the idea of using a slow cooker. I bought one of your kits years ago but didn't have an idea on a safe way to melt the wax. For ones without a temp setting and only have low or high which do you suggest? Also if one has left over wax can we let it solidify and use it next time?
He looks so young
My Man John. Boy you could Mr.Les Stroud a few lesson's on survival. House from straw, Earthen oven (one in 24 hour's ) , Fire making. A master of outdoor cooking, and candle's . wow man I am impressed. By the way I remember in that very touching video were you seasoned your rice and vinager ration's with candle. how doe's that work let alone taste? Is it sweet since it's bee's wax ? I am curious. These videos are fantastic . Thank you.
dowopdodge Thank you for your very kind comments. Most of the inexpensive candles in the 18th century were tallow candles - the equivalent of suet and were mentioned more than once being eaten by starving folks in the time period. Sweet, no not much, the vinegar was not as bad as you might think especially as in the time period sour flavors were more popular than today. -- Thank you for taking the time to watch all these videos and taking the time to comment.
You cannot convince me that John isn't Les Stroudin disguise. I can see through that hat
Yes that's what I thought. They look like twins .
I love your videos.
At the 5:00 minute mark, you used a big blob of wax to cover the wick hole so the wax didn't run out. An alternate method that I remember being used at church camp when I was growing up, was that they dipped a stick in the wax then put a drop of wax on the hole and that sealed it nicely.
Sometimes though they didn't did that, and when they poured the wax in, it solidified so quickly that there wasn't really any wax that flowed out so it seems that sealing the hole may not be that important. It was many, many years ago, so I may be remembering it incorrectly, or there might have been some wax build up inside that sealed it that way, I'm not sure. And I believe it was a different mold design.
This seems like a really fun rainy day project. 😊
Without reading through a couple hundred comments, can anyone speak to the mold lubrication of the 18th and 19th century….pre- PAM in a can?
I know this has probably been asked before, but why not use a turkey baster? If you get one that sufficiently large enough I'd think you could fill one candle at time with very little mess. I guess that begs the question of how large the mold chambers are, how much wax does it take to make each candle?
White wax does not crack under cold conditions, or when speedily cooled; only yellow or tainted wax does.
White beeswax is VERY purified, having handled it for many years, I can say this with certainty.
White wax will shrink, plastically, until it is it's appropriate size.
I really enjoyed your video how to make candles.
I like your method for heating the candlewax from a slow cooker, safety first to prevent the wax reaching flash point. I have made canles the in the past from molds but never made the long candles and I will do this some time in the future.
Greetings from Manchester UK and thanks for posting.
what of the use of tallow in candles? I realize this is not the most pleasent kind of candle but I have read that this was a thing back in the day,and was just curious how tallow would compare to wax.
Have you done an episode on the expense for the people of the time. I seen a video claiming only the rich had candles.
But you have done the work I trust your research.
Is there instructions that you could give me on how to dip my wick in wax before I put it in my taper molds?
I prefer to run a gun cleaning rod (pistol) with a patch or a soft swab into the mold. Better control and coverage of the release oil (vegetable) cheap in some cases and overall easier.
Do you happen to know what sort of mould release agent they used historically?
Would these also be used for tallow candles? Any changes to the method for tallow?
I suggest binder clips.
Question: Can you put anything in the wax while it's melting for fragrance? Peppermint oil, orange or lemon rind shavings, ect?? :)
yes but I wouldn't use zest or peelings, essential oil would be a lot better and the scent would be more uniformly spread out
Is it possible to get candle molds that make more than 8 candles? I’d like to get a mold the make something like 20 candles at a time.
What would a historically accurate mold release be? Would they have used tallow?
please update the links they are no longer available and I would really like to check out the things you offer
Pure beeswax is too slow burning, it won't stay alight, it is better to use it as an additive to the parraffin wax which burns a lot faster. You can experiment with the quantities to get a good mix which you like, if you want drippy candles to make a bottle look good then no beeswax, if you want a long burning candle which doesnt drip then more beeswax.
I myself like shorter thicker candles which I use in a modified coal oil type lantern or stand alone candles. I use metal cigar tubes (good excuse to smoke some cigars) and a 2x4 block drilled out to hold the cigar tube. another side note I use empty candy tins (altoid) and make field candles good for use in camp or to start fires when damp. Carries easy in a saddlebag or coat pocket. These are great videos!! Great projects to do with your kids.
I like the content and historical context of your videos, and the cooking methods and theories are still applicable even to this day.
But... if someone is really wanting to emulate the past candle making with materials and methods, I doubt a spray can would be used. More likely another separator state material such as a drip of oil around the circle opening at the top and the oil will drop as a fine film curtain.
Yes I've been watching these out of sequence and he seems to jump back and forth between modern and traditional methods, or even combining them sometimes. I'm wondering if maybe these were originally meant as just instruction/helpful videos in relation to his products, and then developed into more of a historical information series? Not sure yet.
Wow!
I want one👍♥
Moira
From England.
Have you ever made these with soy wax? Just curious.
Hi, just to let you know, the British military Arctic candles measure 11.5 cm x 3.25 cm. They're used mainly by the Royal Marines and made of tallow which can be used for cooking 🍳. I doubt if these find their way to the USA 🇺🇸? A suggestion is to make these both in stearine and beeswax as an initial batch for your shop.
All molds sold out. Out of stock, or discontinued?
Don't worry, we will get more. You can use the "Notify when Available" button to have the website tell you when they are back in stock.
Oh my gosh! A baby faced townsend!
I bet PVC piple as molds would work good to for thicker candles
Garry Lycos I haven't tried it, sounds like it might work. If you give it a try I would love to hear about it.
I've been making candles for years to give to friends and family, so I have plenty of my own materials. A few months ago, my brother wanted to start making candles too and bought this kit.
I was really impressed with the quality of the molds and one day when my brother was out, I borrowed his mold without asking.
When he came home, he saw what I was doing and started to get mad. He said, "what are you using to make those candles???"
I said, "it's none of your beeswax."
Now you see where the phrase -burning the candle at both ends" comes from, you get twice as much light, however when burned horizontal you waste 4x6 times the wax so catch it below to reuse, candles we're very expensive
Last year i found wax of a dead hive of wild bees near our reenactors camp, together with my friend we made candles by dipping the wick repeatedly into the hot wax and let it dry. It was great fun, some people gathered round us to look because they never had seen sombody making candles...we got a handfull of very good candles, even though they looked a little uneven they burned well!
Thank you for showing the process. The candle making kit is my next "wish list" order from your catalog. Love your videos, see you at The Nutmeg Tavern!
Wouldn't it be easier to just insert the wick from the bottom? Just seems like more work than needed to use a wire to finagle it.
I have an antique candle mould that is of yhe same type as you're using in the video. I would like to use it but it's rather rusty. Do you have any suggestions for how I can clean it up?
Awesome! That's just what I needed.
We bought a mold from you before there was a youtube. But I came here to figure out how to get them out this time, and I am glad I did!
Our teenager is impressed. Said they are instaworthy.
Instead of using a piece of wire to fish the wire through the hole, couldn't you just feed the wick through the bottom hole?
I don't see why you couldn't
The simplest bees wax candles used drained hive wax, rolled flat and rolled around a wick. They melted a bit faster but if you had hives they were fast and easy to make...
How common were beeswax candles or how much of their lighting needs was supplied by beeswax candles? At one time, we found a tree that had bee hive inside and collected the honey combs. I was amazed just how little wax there was. It appeared that either they used very few candles or they ate a tremendous amount of honey.
Andrew me
I think tallow candles were FAR more common in this era. The problem is tallow candles stink and spit grease.
A knot in the bottom of the wick dipped in wax and dried then string it down the center works well. Cut it off when the candle is almost set.
Great video. Is there a reason you make the tool and pull the string down instead of turning the mold over and feeding each end through one hole?
Thanks!
What a great tutorial, better than all others I've seen. Thank you very much.
I made candles off and on for years and while this made making these candles look easy their are a couple of things to know. If you use a Crock Pot it now for beeswax candle making only. Candle making is always best done outside it is messy. Beeswax is almost impossible to entirely wash off, Do Not put the Crock in the dishwasher unless you like beeswax covered dishes Many Crock Pots will not get hot enough to melt hard paraffin waxes. I use a hot plate and a heavy pot a lid is a good
Awesome video. I've been making beeswax candles for a few years (using Townsend materials) and by watching this video today learned some techniques that will make my job a LOT easier! Great idea with the slow cooker and the wick stringing techniques. :-)
Is the type of spray release paintable without silicone or with silicone?
Can melted wax from burned candles be recycled and used again in newly made candles? My candles seem to burn down fast. Is there a technique to make them last longer? Thanks for the video. I love my kit.
Coyote Trail as long as there is material, do it.
I want to know how regular wax was made back then or was it harvested only?
Was beeswax the only kind of wax available in the 18th century?
in the americas and europe, pretty much. Parafin wax wasn't observed until the 20th-century and only became availiable in bulk due to petroleum refinement. Prior to the 18th, beeswax was ridiculously expensive and almost soley used in church or by royalty.
So for about the last 3000 years, candles, if made, were made from tallow (rendered beef-fat). or for a time in the last decades of the 18th, rendered whale fat. Only a few animal fats set hard enough at typical human-comfort temperatures, and it's typically LARGE animals (cow, whale, bison, maybe elephants) Most asian candles were made from whale throughout history.
Plant based fats don't set without a chemical processing, and plant based waxes couldn't be extracted in quanty until recently. Also, there weren't many (if any) waxy plants native to America/Europe to begin with.
while base material for candles were fairly limited, candles weren't the only sources for light. There were oil based lamps and lanterns invented within a century or two after man settled down in the Fertile Crescent.
Paul Merrill
Greasy, smelly, smoky, spitting tallow candles were far more common in this time period.
awesome tutorial thank you
These candles don't release fumes do they? If not I'll give them a try.
thundersnowstorm beeswax is made of natural materials made by bees. When beeswax burns it scents your space and purifies your air. It is absolutely non-toxic.
What gauge wire are you using?
yes
How do you make stearin from tallow to harden the beeswax?
Good idea to use wire instead of dowels to hold the wicks taut and straight.
So at 3:00 you've made a wire crochet hook??
Good observation. A wire crochet hook may very well been very common to families, so you're right, that might have been used.
Woody615 It wouldn't have been common in the 18th century. Crochet is a much newer craft than knitting, and both are quite new in terms of textile history.
Working with candy molds I have poured liquids through a funnel into a small opening, even smaller than these. Seems to work nicely. Thanks for the video.
Very interesting and educational great videos keep them coming