Candles, Stear′ic. Under this head we may place the various sorts of candles moulded from the hard fatty acids of both animal and vegetable origin. The principal sources whence British manufacturers derive their acids are tallow, palm oil, and cocoa-nut oil. The processes employed for separating them are generally described under Stearic Acid. Candles formed of the fatty acids can now be prepared so as to imitate and almost rival those of wax and spermaceti; and they are quite as cheap as the nearly obsolete mould candles formed of common tallow. They are extremely hard; they do not grease the hands, and they burn away brightly and steadily, without giving off any offensive odour. Uncoloured, they are snowy white, but a yellow tint is frequently given them by gamboge.
Candles, Tal′low. From ordinary tallow or from tallow which has been freed from much of its oleic acid by pressure. These have so unpleasant an odour and are so apt to gutter, that they will probably ultimately disappear from use. They are, however, sold at so low a price, that among the lower classes they must long retain their hold. For dip candles the wicks are immersed in melted tallow, and after rubbing with the hands are placed straight and allowed to harden, after which they are arranged upon the “broaches” ready for dipping. For mould candles the last operation is omitted. Great care is taken to select a cotton that yields the least possible quantity of ash after burning.
In the process of “dipping,” the “dipping cistern” being filled with tallow of a proper temperature from the boiler, one of the broaches covered with wicks is placed upon the end of the “dipping beam,” and pressed down gently into the melted fat; it is then withdrawn, the bottoms of the candles just touched against a board placed on one side of the cistern for the purpose, and the frame removed to the rack. This operation is repeated until the candles acquire a sufficient size, when they are finally cooled, sorted, weighed, and strung in pounds for sale.
The mould candles once in common use were made of the finer kinds of tallow only; a mixture of 3 parts of sheep, with 1 part of ox suet, being preferred. See Wax.
Candles, Wax. These are most frequently made by pouring melted white wax on to the wicks, which are hung upon frames and covered with metal tags at the ends to protect the cotton from the wax in those parts. The frames are made to turn round, and melted white wax is poured first down one wick, and then the next, and so on. When the wicks have been subjected to this operation once and have become sufficiently cooled, they have a second, and then a third coat given them, until they are of the required thickness. The candles are next rolled into proper shape on a marble slab or wooden board. The conical top is moulded by properly-shaped tubes, and the bottoms are cut off and trimmed. Wax candles are now seldom moulded, but if so the same processes are followed as for stearic and paraffin candles. The large altar candles, which frequently weigh from thirty to forty pounds, are made by hand.
Wax Tapers. These, which are of various degrees of thickness, are not made of pure wax, but of wax (usually vegetable wax) and tallow, the latter being added to give them flexibility. When they are required to be coloured, resin and turpentine are added to the tallow. For further particulars, consult Wagner’s ‘Chemical Technology,’ “Candle-making.”
CANDLE NUTS. The kernels of the alearites triloba, the candleberry tree, a plant growing in most tropical countries. The nuts when dried, and stuck upon a reed, are used by the natives of the Polynesian Islands as a substitute for candles. They contain a large amount of pure palatable oil, which is sometimes used by artists as a drying oil. After the expression of this oil the cake has been used as a food for cattle; also as a manure.
The following is the composition of the nuts:—
| Shells. | |
| Water | 3·71 |
| Organic matter | 89·90 |
| Mineral matter | 6·39 |
| Kernels. | |
| Water | 5·27 |
| Fat | 62·97 |
| Cellulose | 28·99 |
| Mineral matter | 2·79 |
| Ash of Kernel. | |
| Lime | 18·69 |
| Magnesia | 6·01 |
| Potash | 11·33 |
| Phosphoric acid | 29·30 |
CAN′DLESTICKS. Metallic, earthenware, and porcelain candlesticks, snuffers, and snuffer-stands, are recommended to be cleaned by pouring boiling hot water on them (previously placed in an earthen pan), and, after wiping them quite dry with a cloth, to clean them with a piece of wash leather; those made of silver, or of plated copper, may be finally polished with a little plate powder; those of white metal, with a little whiting or fine chalk, and those of brass, with a little rotten-stone or one of the polishing pastes. For articles of this kind, made of bronze and papier maché, the water should be used only hot enough to melt the tallow, and they should be only gently dabbed or rubbed off with a very soft cloth or leather. The common practice of placing candlesticks before the fire to melt off the grease is injudicious, as the solder or japan about them is almost certain to be injured. Hence the common annoyance of damaged or “crippled” candlesticks in houses where there are careless servants.