← Traditional crafts
H63-02 · Module 2 of 7 · Pages: 21 · Worksheets: 7
Beeswax and tallow candles
Dipped, moulded and rolled candles from beeswax and tallow: choosing the wick, temperatures, test burning, oil lamps and fire safety
Secure checkout with Stripe · VAT included · The PDFs are in the language of this page.
Whole series: Traditional crafts, €39
In short
- Wax and tallow are melted only in a water bath. Wax never above 85–90 °C (185–195 °F); it is poured at 70–80 °C.
- Burning wax or tallow is never put out with water. Use a lid or a fire blanket.
- The wick is chosen by the candle's diameter and always checked by a test burn. Beeswax needs a thicker wick than paraffin.
- Tallow for candles is washed twice (H55-06); a blend with 30–50 % wax smokes less and doesn't drip.
- A lit candle is never left unattended, stands on a non-flammable base, 30 cm (1 ft) from curtains and shelves.
What's inside
Chapters
- Wax, tallow or a blend
- Safety: wax, tallow and flame
- The wick: heart of the candle
- Dipped candles
- Moulded candles
- Rolled candles from foundation
- Tallow candles and oil lamps
- Lighting, burning and storing
- Common mistakes
- Printable checklist
Worksheets
- Wax calculator
- Hours of light and cost calculator
- Dates and batch plan
- Candle log
- Candle calendar
- Labels
- Equipment and safety list
Fields and checkboxes can be filled in with Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop and mobile), and the calculator adds up by itself. Filling in may not work in some browsers. A print version comes with the screen PDF.
This guide in other languages: