Still Trying to Light That Candle...

[Trench]

So, I've tried some suggestions from my last candle thread. I'm trying to get some wax to melt on to an ember so it turns to flame.

Here's my question. I only have parafin candles right now. I can't get it to melt with my ember. Does beeswax have a lower melting temp than parafin? I'm wondering if this is my problem.

 

[J.D.]

The type of wax doesn't matter. Try thicker fabric for your char.

 

[Trench]

The type of wax doesn't matter. Try thicker fabric for your char.

Good suggestion. I've got some pretty thin fabric.

 

[lonehunter]

Good point! I first tried pillow ticking, was not real impressed..Terry cloth works great! But use great caution when selecting which of your wife's bath towels will be sacrificed, It could get real ugly on ya, Real quick! :haha:

 

[necchi]

Now I'm gunna give ya a secret, used by many of those fellers that win the fire starting contests.
We all know all fabric is not created equal, many fabrics and material used for clothing has not only sizing added so it stays flat for cutting and sewing but other chemicals are used for flame retardent. That's why old store bought shirts an pants don't make good char, it has flame retardent added to meet UL standards.

Now for a good hot char cloth some of the best stuff out there is called MONK ClOTH, it's used as a special covering for ironing boards. Because of the heat and steam needed for ironing stuff the fabric used for it is color and chemical free.
Monk Cloth has an open weave with thick cotton strands, when that stuff is charred it'll catch a spark and burn HOT. It's spendy, but a 1/4 yard will get ya along ways.
Don't spread this info too far, it's tough enough in the contests without everyone useing the best stuff out there.

 

[napolean]

Saw a guy light a candle w/ char once. He rolled the charr into a "tube" that fit over the wick. Struck a spark on the end away from the candle, and blew the ember towards the wick.
Jon D

 

[jbtusa]

Exactly! Roll your charcloth up into a roll, use 2 pieces if thin charcloth, spark the end and hold the roll's ember next to the wick and blow. The wax will melt onto the rolled charcloth and ignite and then the roll ignites the wick.

You can do the same using charred punky rotten wood. It works every bit as well as charcloth. I actually prefer using charred wood so that I don't burn my fingers.

 

[msuspartan]

Trench, Trench...Trench!!

Get with it Man....get a Zippo and your problems are over, OR do the 'BUBBA' thang and git a bit of kerosene (a gallon'l do) and repeat, "Hey Y'all watch this" and spark the kerosene.
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Garoonteed ta work!!!!! :blah:

Then go to Hospital immediately (and don't tell the wife :hatsoff: )

Cheers, DonK :thumbsup:

 

[Trench]

Trench, Trench...Trench!!

Get with it Man....get a Zippo and your problems are over, OR do the 'BUBBA' thang and git a bit of kerosene (a gallon'l do) and repeat, "Hey Y'all watch this" and spark the kerosene.
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Garoonteed ta work!!!!! :blah:

Then go to Hospital immediately (and don't tell the wife :hatsoff: )

Cheers, DonK :thumbsup:

I'm not giving in, yet! However, at this rate it's easier for me to make a fire and light the candle off that. :wink:

 

[russecv58]

go to walmart and in the sporting goods section is the wicks for oil lamps. they make great char and theyre cheap too. 2 bucks for the package. :v

 

[FPDoc]

+1 on the Monk's Cloth. It looks like basket weave leather decoration, 4-5 threads over and under to make the cloth, its thick and chars well. Wally World..

 

[paulvallandigham]

It never hurts to stack several patches( charred clothe) together, around a piece that has an ember burning on it. You then can blow the ember to ignite the other pieces of charred clothe, too. Combined, wrapped around the wick, you can get enough heat to melt the wax to its gaseous state, and ignite the fumes that come off it.

Most people think what burns in a candle is that wick, because they see the tip of the wick glowing. What you are really igniting- and why it takes a bit of time even holding a flame from that lighter to the wick to get a flame going-- is the gas coming out of the wick from the melted wax. The wick serves as a vehicle, to draw the fumes from the melted wax up and feed the flame. If that cotton wick is Not surrounded by wax, it burns so fast it makes your head spin.

So, heat up the wax with your charred cloth, and don't ***** foot about doing it!

Its frankly much easier to blow an ember in charred cloth into tinder and start a separate fire there, followed by using that flame to ignite a candle, than to try to ignite that thin wick on a candle from even several layers of charred cloth feeding an ember(s). But, it can be done.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

Burlap works outstanding as char cloth. :thumbsup:

 

[SpottedBull]

We had a contest at our recent event to light a candle with flint and steel. Had a young buck do it in 20 seconds...took one of the old timers about 22 minutes!!

The kids secret, that I told him, was to put the candle through two fingers, sticking through the bottom of your bird's nest and light the bird's nest using char and blow a flame up! So he did and beat everyone!

 

[boar]

So does cheesecloth. Dilly

 

[msuspartan]

Brilliant idea!! Very smart. :thumbsup:

Cheers, DonK