Candle Node

A candle is a column of solid fuel with a wick through its centre. The fuel is wax, the wick carries it to the flame, and the flame melts the wax at the top so that it can be drawn up. This site explains how candles are made by hand, from choosing a wick to trimming a burning flame.

The methods are few. A candle can be poured into a mould, built up by dipping a wick again and again, or shaped with the hands. Each method suits certain shapes, and each has its own typical faults. The chapters take them in turn.

Every chapter is written as a sequence of steps. It names the work, gives the order, and then says what can go wrong and how to tell that the work went right. Where a step carries a risk, such as heating wax, the chapter says so and keeps the advice general.

The glossary defines the terms the chapters use, so that a word such as tunnelling or pour temperature has one meaning throughout. Short notes explain single points in more detail, one at a time.

What the site does not cover

The site leaves out the chemistry of fragrance and colour, the heating appliances and their power supplies, and the display of candles as decoration. It stays with wax, wick, mould and flame.