Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: sleek on March 14, 2013, 05:11:33 am
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So I have recently gotten to candle making. Nothing fancy, just using up some deer tallow as I have more than I will ever use for weather proofing my hunting bow for wet weather hunting. I have been having a problem with my wicks not wicking. They start off just fine, but thendim down to the point of almost dead, or actually do die out.
I have tried cotton string, cotton balls I turned into string, hemp cordage reversed wrap to vary the diameter, store bought wicks and cedar bark. So far cedar shows the most promise, followed by a thick cotton wick, then an 8 strand reverse wrap hemp, and the worst is the store bought wick.
Right now I have a cedar wick candle that I scented with eucalyptus. It is burning well enough that I am happy with it. No smoke or soot, steady flame, pleasant aroma, and the flame is about 1/2 inch high. The wick is 1/4 inch thick reverse wrap bark.
The cotton wick soots allot, must be very wide ( 1/4 inch ) to continue to burn, and still puts off a small flame.
The hemp soots a bit, but not as much as the cotton, must be 8 strands, and the flame is about 1/2 as well.
Cotton string, I ran out/gave up on, but was only using one strand, and it barely kept a flame on top the wick.
The store bought wick couldnt stay lit, and it had the metal core in it ( whatever that does ).
I was wondering if anybody else had similar problems with natural fat/tallow candles, and how they solved them. As this nice little eucalyptus candle burns next to me, I think I am becoming a fan of cedar bark wicks. By the way, fry eucalyptus leaves in the tallow to get the oils out and cent the tallow. I believe you can do the same with rose petals and such.
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Ok, so after an hour of burning the 8 strands of hemp went out. So far, the best seems to be the cedar.
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Try soaking a wick in a strong Salt Water Solution.
Let it dry, Then make up a small test candle.
Somewhere back in time I read that it was suppose to help...
Never tried it myself.
David
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I was planning on making some candles soon too, but i will be using beeswax because thats what i got
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keep in mind the store bought wicks were designed for wax, not tallow. Wax and tallow are two very, very different materials. Ceder bark sounds a bit wierd. How do you make cordage from it?
Maybe try a jute wick, I made a wick for my oil lamp from it.
works great... but burns fast- huge flame, wick 1/4 inch diam, but flame like 3/4 to an inch.