Beeswax & Candlemaking From time in memorial Beeswax has been used in the production of Candles for illumination.
Beeswax is a voluntary secretion from the fourth to seventh ventral plates of the Bees abdomen. The wax originates in a liquid state in the wax secreting gland and is passed into depressed cavities, where it is moulded into shape by the segment bearing down on it from above. This liquid solidifies and forms small scales about 3.0mm across and 0.1mm thick, which the Bees withdraw from the wax pockets.
Normally only young Bees of between 10 - 17 days old secrete these wax scales. However some older Bees can and do produce wax, dependant upon the state of their wax gland development. During the winter for example, physiological growth may be considerably retarded so that the glands develop slowly or not at all.
To produce wax, Bees must consume considerable quantities of Stores to enable wax secretion to take place. When building or repairing comb, the Bees hang vertically in festoons. The wax scales are picked off by their hind legs, then grasped by the forelegs. The wax scales are then manipulated in the mandibles where a strong salivary juice is added, hence rendering the wax more ductile, so that it can be positioned and moulded as required. It is estimated that for 1lb (500gr) of Wax produced by Bees, they consume about 10lb (5Kg) of stores. Therefore secretion of wax takes place during a heavy honey flow or when vast quantities of food are available. It is suggested that 1lb (500gr) of beeswax consists of 500000 wax scales.
The colour of pure Beeswax is white in newly built comb following a feed of Sugar Syrup, but varies from pale primrose to darker shades, influenced by the food available.
Other Types of Wax
Apart from Beeswax, wax can also be derived from Animal Fats, Minerals, Petroleum and Vegetation sources.
Animal Fats - Tallow from
Oxen, Sheep, Seal and Whales.
Mineral Wax - found in
the Caucasus and some parts of the USA.
Paraffin Wax is an example
of a product obtained from Oil - during the refining of Petroleum.
Vegetable waxes are found
on the exposed surfaces of many plants or in some cases from
the seeds.
Preparation of Bees Wax
Beeswax has a melting point of 65o C and has a high resistance to the passage of heat. If it cooled too quickly it becomes pale and dull in colour. It will also become very brittle and due to uneven contraction cracks will develop. Bees wax should not be allowed to exceed the melting point, as it will darken in colour due to carbonisation.
In some applications ie: - Bees wax Polish, Carnauba Wax (which has a melting point 86 - 90oC) is added to Bees wax to harden it off and hence giving it a very highly gloss finish. Carnauba wax is extracted from under the leaves of a Carnauba Palm found in the Amazon Rain forest in South America. Stearin is also a useful hardener of Bees wax but must NOT be used in Latex or Silicon Rubber Moulds.
I have utilised a Solar Wax Extractor for many years during the period April to the end of August (basically the Northern Hemisphere Summer Season).
The frames (two at a time) are placed in the extractor and left for two to three days with full sun. This ensures that all the wax is obtained from the frame.
To maintain quality, the following points should be followed: -
Keep shades of wax separate.
In the case of contaminated wax it is suggested that the wax be boiled in soft rainwater. My method is to add 1.5lb of wax to 1pt of water. This mixture is slowly brought to the boil then allowed to simmer for a further thirty minutes, allowing all traces of honey and dross to separate from the wax. The mixture is allowed to cool slowly when the wax will settle on the top when cold. Then drain of the liquid and dispose of the dross on the compost heap. Any dross that has adhered to the underside of the wax is scraped off and disposed of in a similar manner. If the wax is dark in colour, try adding two teaspoons of Hydrogen Peroxide to the rain water, this may lighten the Beeswax slightly (Ref. "Beeswax" by Ron Brown published by Bee Books New and Old Tapping Wall Farm, Burrowbridge Somerset. 3rd Edition 1995 [revised]).
The wax is then melted down in a double saucepan and strained through Butter Muslin. If the wax is still contaminated I further strain it through Paper Towelling (sometime known as "Kitchen Roll") to remove fine traces of propolis or pollen. As this takes longer - the wax will cool down so straining takes place in an electric oven heated to around 80oC. For obvious reasons this has to be an electric oven - due to the fire risk of a Gas oven, NB - A naked flame and hot wax can cause an explosion! It should be noted that "All wax processing should be monitored carefully during all heating processes". Wax that has been strained in the manner described should be a light yellow or pine colour. It is essential to extract all propolis from Bees wax being processed for candle making because its presence will cause the candle to spit when burning.
Wick
The main wick makers can be found in America, England, Spain and Germany. Normally double braided or square braided wick is normally used for Bees wax candles. For Paraffin wax candles, a flat or single braided wick is used.
Wick is produced in many sizes and graded towards the size of the candle. ie: - A one-inch wick is suitable for a candle approximately one inch in diameter. Too small or large a wick size, the candle will not burn properly and in some situations the molten wax will flow over the side of the candle. For a correct size wick the candle will burn without smoking and it will curl through an angle of 90o approximately.
Candle Making
There are many different ways of making candles, the most common being "Dipped", "Moulded" or "Rolled Beeswax Foundation" candles.
Dipped Candles
The main equipment required for "Dipped Candle" production is a suitable metal container about six to eight inches in diameter (Stainless Steel is preferred) for hot water, heated by an electric hob. A dipping tube of say four inches diameter is suspended in the hot water to keep the wax in a molten state at the correct temperature - maximum 20o Centigrade.
The diagram on the right, shows a simplified outline of the system.
The wick - one inch size and square braided is cut to the length required and is slowly immersed in the hot wax. When all the bubbles of air and moisture have stopped the wick is removed from the wax and suspended from a supporting frame to cool and set slowly.
When set, the wick is again dipped in the hot wax to allow a build up of wax on the wick, after successive dipping the candle will eventually develop. It is important that this process be conducted in a warm and draught free room, otherwise cracks will appear in the candle due to stresses from uneven cooling. Normally dipping of candles continues until the diameter of the candle is approximately 1 inch (2cm), then it is allowed to cool slowly.
Moulded Candles
The different types of moulds usually used in Candlemaking are - Glass, Latex, and Silicone Rubber. I have found it beneficial to make candles by all methods. Each method has its own properties and the end result obtained is generally a matter of personal preference. In my experience I prefer to use a glass mould for straight candles as they have very "Fine" finish and require very little polishing. However care must be taken with these moulds for various reasons:-
Being Glass, they
are obviously very brittle and liable to break easily.
Glass Moulds require
to be kept scrupulously clean.
They must be slightly
heated prior to the pouring of molten wax, so that the wax does
not cool to quickly. Uneven setting of the wax will occur if
they are too cold and "Rings" will be seen on the candle,
which will be difficult to remove.
Latex moulds are a very good and cheap mould and I have produced some very good candles from them. One of the main disadvantages with this type of mould is that they are not self-supporting like some of the Silicone Rubber moulds that I use. These moulds have to be supported in a wooden frame otherwise they would become unstable with the hot and molten wax. Over time - dependant upon the storage environment, Latex moulds can deteriorate and perish. When using Latex moulds I find it useful to soak the mould in warm soapy water, then shake the mould to remove all the soap bubbles. To prevent air bubbles from forming on the candle and disfiguring it, the molten wax is poured into the mould slowly. Do not remove the Latex mould until the candle is completely cold otherwise the candle can be easily damaged.
I prefer to use Silicone Rubber moulds as they have much finer detail, which enhances the finished product, especially when they are decorated. The procedure I have adopted, is the same the other methods, except that the candle can be removed from the mould when it is cool and placed on a flat surface.
Like the Glass mould, Silicone Moulds should be kept in a warm environment to prevent the molten wax from cooling too quickly.
Which ever method is used, the candle has then to go through the finishing off process. When a candle is removed from a mould it requires to be polished lightly with a soft cloth to remove any rough edges etc. Candles, or in fact any block of Beeswax will develop a "Bloom" over a period of time due to atmospheric changes. So to reduce this effect candles are lightly painted with a Wax Finish Lacquer to maintain their natural shine. Prior to this treatment I occasionally use either Tinted Wax Lacquer, which is a natural brown to highlight some of the relief pattern. Some of my Novelty or Animal Candles I use Hobby and Art Work coloured paints. In some circumstances to further enhance an effect I use Decorative Gold Powder, Glitter Paint or Gold Star shaped Sequins.
Rolled Beeswax Foundation
Coloured Beeswax foundation can be obtained from all the Apiary Equipment Suppliers. At our Honey Shows the arrangement shown in the Photo generates plenty of interest among the younger members who get quite involved in this activity. As the candles are generally only about one inch in diameter we only use one inch double plaited wick. It is usual to dip the wick in molten beeswax prior to a candle making session as shown in the photo.
Pete Ashley ©
Digital Photos by Pete Ashley ©Reigate Division of Surrey Beekeepers Association
Links to other interesting Beeswax and Candle Web Sites :-
Page updated - Wednesday, April 23, 2008
