Candle light is popular with all ages, from the bright-eyed five-year-old blowing out his birthday candles to the grandmother, who remembers the time when candles were used to light her home.
The candles of today are very different articles from those made in grandmother's time. In pioneer days candles were made from beef tallow. The process was simple but slow. First of all a number of wicks were prepared from soft cotton string. Then they were placed in position in a candle mould. This mould consisted of a number of tall cylinders, often three or six in number, with a small hole in the bottom of each. The cylinders were held together by a connecting tin tray, which also served to catch the overflow of fat. The wicks were fastened to a knitting needle and so placed that each wick or cord hung in the centre of a single mould. The lower end of the string was tightly twisted and drawn through the hole at the bottom and then knotted. This later became the tip of the candle. Then the melted tallow was poured into the cylinders and the whole thing was set out-of-doors to harden.
These homemade candles smoked and flared if not snuffed frequently. For this task a snuffer was used, which was in shape like a pair of scissors, with a small container on one blade to catch the bits of charred wick. Modern candles need no snuffing for the chemists have devised ways of making them smokeless, odorless and dripless. Both the wax and the braided cotton wicks are chemically treated for each type of candle to suit its particular purpose. Today you can buy candles of almost any shade of color and size you wish. They may serve as ornaments on a shelf or mantel, or lighted, add grace to the tea or dining table.
The way candles were made in Early America.
A modern candle factory is truly a fascinating place. There candles of every size and shape are turned out by the thousands. One type is made by dipping wicks into wax. These are first hung on frames which are placed on a sort of merry-go-round. By means of a lever, one of the frames is lowered into a vat of melted wax and then raised again. The merry-go-round and another frame with its load of wicks is dipped. So it continues until all the wicks on all the frames have been dipped many times. Thus at last all the bare wicks have been transformed into full-sized candles ready to be sent out to the shops and from there into homes to give light and cheer
If the candles are to be fancy ones, they are dipped into a dye bath and decorated in a number of ways. Candles of unusual shapes are made by pouring wax into specially shaped moulds. And what a variety of unusual shapes are popular today! All kinds of candles lend a festive air to a room and charm to a table set for a meal. D. Morrison
See Modern Candle Making Video:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your thoughts. All comments are moderated. Spam is not published. Have a good day!