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35K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  sherrieallen 
#1 ·
Ok I came up with this idea last night. I was looking at my wifes old candles that were burned out with no more wick and i got cheap. I decided to melt the candles back down and reuse the wax. The only problem is I am cheap and didn't want to buy wicks. Ok enter phase 2 of my thought process. Their is a newfangled candle caled a wood wick candle, made out of a wide thin piece of wood. Ok So those 2 thing came together into a glorious combination I call the twig wick. Do you remember what happens when you chew on a tooth pick? it separates into long fibers but still holds it long round shape. this is the effect we are looking for. Take a small twig and your hatchet slowly start striking the twig up one side rotate and go back down the other side. Continue doing this until the twig resembles a chewed tooth pick. So their is your basic wick now their are a few things, If you are going to use it with typical candle wax go ahead and prime it by dipping it in melted wax or paraphine and let harden. Their are a couple cool things about this idea. First you can use it with tons of different fuels. alcohol, fat, wax ect. If you are a homesteader you can create a candle out of entirely natural non man made materials. Totally sustainable without having to buy parts. Secondly the flame is supper controllable. Add 3 or 4 twig wicks and you now have a large light producing flame that can also help heat your shelter. Or one small twig wick if you want efficiency. So hope you enjoy and can use the idea. Have a good one
 
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#5 ·
OMG! Like minds! This last Thursday, I got this idea to go up into the attic and go through all the boxes that have sitting up there for years. My husband needed a lot of convincing to get him to help me lug all those boxes downstairs. We started at noon. In the process, I found boxes of old candle that had melted in the attic heat. ( Never store your candles in the attic if you live in the southern USA). Cheap as I am...I too, decided to melt them down and make new candles. So now I have a box of candles with no wicks. I DO have some of those 1/2" thick wicks used for tikki torches. I was wondering if I could split those up into thinner strands and use those? I also learned that if you get a tin can and line it with a layer of cardboard and then pour the melted wax inside, it will create a candle that will burn for hours, Plus will get hot enough to cook over. Or so I was told. I have yet to test this myself. BTW...We did not finish our cleaning of the attic until 10PM that night...but I did find lots of useful items, which I packed together in one box and labeled. Amazing what items one can find lost in the attic storage.
 
#6 ·
good stuff...i also reuse my burned through candles for the wax...ive been taking fabric strips from the bottom of worn out jeans...or the little dangling pieces on those cheap Mexican blankets..twist them and soak them in melted wax....but me thinks this idea would work much better...thanks!
 
#8 ·
Y'all are amazing. Please don't forget to make a video. I am very interested in seeing this method in use. I am a visual learner and seeing pictures or a video would help me greatly. I would like to learn both of these methods - making a wick and using a tin can with cardboard to make a candle. Amazing!
 
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