"That's great, river! I look forward to seeing pictures of your candles." thanks bakers, my candles cover a couple basics, tealights and votives. i also make dixie cup votives! lol, they are larger than the normal votive molds one can purchase from any beekeeping supply company. so easy and just the cost of a box of dixie cups and some wick pins. i also have a beehive skep votive, and two beehive pillar type candles that sell well, and sometimes can't keep up with orders for these, so i am starting early. all of my molds are one piece silicone and are handmade in canada. well, except for the dixie cups!.........
the skep/pillar molds are unlike any other molds one can purchase in the united states. i thought i had posted pix of some of these finished candles, but think i posted them in packages, so will post pix of the finished candles when i get there!
last spring i asked him if he would be interested in producing a mold for me to 'reproduce' uco type candles to fit uco brand candle/candilier lantern; similar but not the same. uco is a brand name better known in the camping, backpacking world for uco gear/brand candle lanterns. the candles made for the lanterns can also be used as emergency candles. i have used these lanterns/candles for years, for camping, travel, emergency lighting and on the deck. actually used a couple lanterns this weekend for a campfire on the river even though i love coleman lanterns . the uco gear beeswax candles sell for 12 bucks in a 3 pack. i thought i could maybe hit two markets with this. i could sell these candles to folks who have these lanterns, cover the emergency candle buyers, and most of all keep my own supply on hand without paying amazon, cabellas or rei (outdoor supplier/outfitter).........
he has made these molds for me and i will be receiving them this week!
"River, maybe dumb Q, but how do you end up with so much wax ?"mikey, this is not a dumb question. for many years i harvested wax and did nothing with it. just hoarded it and stored it. when i became interested in what do i do with all this wax and making candles/lip balm i had a very generous supply of years worth of wax. lip balm takes very little wax, candles a great deal of wax. as i started making candles and selling them, the wax supply ran short and i supplemented/supplement my wax supply with trading with other keeps for something or purchasing wax.
"she only runs 8 frames in a 10 super hive so the wax and cells extend way out past the top bars.
On she buys wax also some of which needs additional cleaning. thus the need for a better way to melt wax. Move it out of the kitchen and onto the work bench."keith is correct and astute as to how i super my hives! i do run 8 frames instead of 10 frames in a honey super. these frames are very thick with wax/honey. i use a maxant plane when i uncap honey frames and in the past run the plane and uncapped wax to the level of the frame or equal to the frame face (hope this made sense?), like you would if using a knife, just follow the frame with the knife to uncap. what i do now is to just barely run that maxant plane to uncap the honey (the plane depth is adjustable), so the result is less wax i harvest BUT less wax the bees have to rebuild/draw out and more time spent making honey.
mikey, when my candle sales really took off, i knew i wouldn't have enough of my own wax to meet demand, and i didn't/don't want to lose sales or customers, so i purchase/have purchased wax to supplement what i do have from my own bees. i have run out of trades, all my trades are now hoarding wax for candle-making and lip balm recipes i have given them...........
