The Farm

Candle Making

I was gonna try and make candles tomorrow, but I couldn't wait. I'm like a kid with a new toy.

We bought a kit, that had this pouring container, a thermometer, paraffin wax,3 molds and some wicks. I used bees wax instead of the paraffin wax.

Instructions said to melt bees wax to 150 to 160degrees. It was on the stove for more than a hour and never went over 145. I thought I would try it. It always can be re-melted right?

Yes I know I am using store bought bees wax. I just wanted to make sure I was doing right, before I wasted my girls beeswax.

Poured, wicks put in and cooling. I will post more pix when I pull them out of the molds.

Melting bees wax

I have a ton of wax from when I harvested the honey, and I decided to melt it down today.

These are all the cappings and scrapings from when I harvested honey.

I fashioned a double boiler with an old bowl. Make sure you use an old bowl, it will never come clean again.

The wax is starting to melt.

Cheese cloth over a cottage cheese container.

All the impurities that were in the wax

Finished product cooling down.

This one I did a while ago. Time to make some candles.

I have a bucket of honey drippings from the wax when I harvested honey a month ago. The honey crystalized in the bucket. My wife got the idea to use the heat from the wood stove to warm up the honey to strain it. She created a double using a large pot, that the bucket would fit in. She put some water in the pot, put in on the stove and a little bit later we have some nice golden honey.

My wife's homemade double boiler.

The crystalized honey, with Steve the stink bug, and Betsy the bee in it.

Starting to melt!

Poring the honey threw some cheese cloth!

The finished product!

Monty keeping a ear out for chipmunks while I split wood. You never know when a chipmunk might sneak up and attack you. Good thing I have my guard dog!