DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO BUY BIG BLOCKS OF CANDLE MAKING WAX? ALSO DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEIR OWN WAX? WHAT INGREDIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS TO USE?

-- MARY LIZ (FROG4EVER16@AOL.COM), April 18, 2001

Answers

Never made my own, other than tallow. That doesn't burn well at all - too much smoke and burns super fast.

Mid-con and Pourette both offer parafin as well as beeswax... They both have sites, but I don't have the addy for either. Any crafts store, Wal-Mart, etc will have it, but it will be much more expensive. Even Jo Ann Fabrics carries wax... Both kinds.

One hint - watch the flash-point on parafin!! Get it too hot and it will catch on fire.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 18, 2001.

When I was making large amounts of candles Ben Franklins would order it by the case for me. Much cheaper. The last time I looked, they still carried it in the blocks at a fairly reasonable price.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 18, 2001.

Regarding melting parafin: We used to do it in a clean coffee can, and rather than put the can directly on the heat source, we would heat a pot of water and set the can with wax into it. Made it a sort of "double boiler" and there was less danger of the wax starting on fire.

-- Joy F (So.Central Wisconsin) (CatFlunky@excite.com), April 18, 2001.

I visited a candle factory in Pennsylvania one time and they had scrap wax from making dipped candles for pennies a pound, I think maybe 10 cents or so it worked out to. They just sold boxes of it, no weighing. It had a few drips of other colors and was a little dirty but was mostly white. You can make candles out of pure paraffin or add a small amount of stearine to add to make the candles harder. You only need a couple of tablespoons per pound of paraffin.

-- Rod Perrino (redjouster@aol.com), April 18, 2001.