a small taper of tallow, wax, or spermaceti; the wick of which is commonly of several threads of cotton, spun and twisted together.
A tallow-candle, to be good, must be half sheep's and half bullock's tallow; for hog's tallow makes the candle gutter, and always gives an offensive smell, with a thick black smoke. The wick ought to be pure, sufficiently dry, and properly twisted; otherwise the candle will emit an inconstant vibratory flame, which is both prejudicial to the eyes and insufficient for the distinct illumination of objects.
There are two sorts of tallow-candles; the one dipped, the other moulded: the former are the common candles; the others are the invention of the sieur le Brege at Paris.
As to the method of making candles in general: After the tallow has been weighed, and mixed in the due proportions, it is cut into very small pieces, that it may melt sooner; for the tallow in lumps, as it comes from the butchers, would be in danger of burning or turning black, if it were left too long over the fire. Being perfectly melted and skimmed, they pour a certain quantity of water into it, proportionable to the quantity of tallow. This serves to precipitate to the bottom of the vessel the impurities of the tallow which may have escaped the skimmer. No water, however, must be thrown into the tallow designed for the three first dips; because the wick, being still quite dry, would imbibe the water, which makes the candles crackle in burning, and renders them of bad use. The tallow, thus melted, is poured into a tub, through a coarse sieve of horse-hair, to purify it still more, and may be used after having stood three hours. It will continue fit for use 24 hours in summer and 15 in winter. The wicks are made of spun cotton, which the tallow-chandlers buy in skeins, and which they wind up into bottoms or clues. Whence they are cut out, with an instrument contrived on purpose, into pieces of the length of the candle required; then put on the sticks or broaches, or else placed in the moulds, as the candles are intended to be either dipped or moulded.
Wax-candles are made of a cotton or flaxen wick, slightly twisted, and covered with white or yellow wax. Of these, there are several kinds: some of a conical figure, used to illuminate churches, and in processions, funeral ceremonies, &c. (see TAPER); others of a cylindrical form, used on ordinary occasions. The first are either made with a ladle or the hand.
1. To make wax-candles with the ladle. The wicks being prepared, a dozen of them are tied by the neck, at equal distances, round an iron circle, suspended over a large basin of copper tinned, and full of melted wax: a large ladle full of this wax is poured gently on the tops of the wicks one after another, and this operation continued till the candle arrive at its destined height; with this precaution, that the three first ladles be poured on at the top of the wick, the fourth at the height of \( \frac{1}{4} \), the fifth at \( \frac{1}{2} \), and the sixth at \( \frac{3}{4} \), in order to give the candle its pyramidal form. Then the candles are taken down, kept warm, and and rolled and smoothed upon a walnut-tree table, with a long square instrument of box, smooth at the bottom.
2. As to the manner of making wax-candles by the hand, they begin to soften the wax, by working it several times in hot water, contained in a narrow but deep caldron. A piece of the wax is then taken out, and disposed by little and little around the wick, which is hung on a hook in the wall, by the extremity opposite to the neck; so that they begin with the big end, diminishing still as they descend towards the neck. In other respects the method is nearly the same as in the former case. However, it must be observed, that, in the former case, water is always used to moisten the several instruments, to prevent the wax from sticking; and in the latter, oil of olives, or lard, for the hands, &c. The cylindrical wax-candles are either made as the former, with a ladle, or drawn. Wax-candles drawn, are so called, because actually drawn in the manner of wire, by means of two large rollers of wood, turned by a handle, which, turning backwards and forwards several times, pulls the wick through melted wax contained in a brass bason, and at the same time through the holes of an instrument like that used for drawing wire fastened at one side of the basin.
If any chandlers mix with their wares anything deceitfully, &c. the candles shall be forfeited. Stat. 23 Eliz. and a tax or duty is granted on candles, by 8 and 9 Anne, cap. 6. made for sale, of one penny a pound, besides the duty upon tallow, by 8 Anne, cap. 9. And by 24 Geo. III. cap. 11, an additional duty of a halfpenny a pound: and by the same an additional duty of a halfpenny a pound is laid upon all candles imported (except those of wax and spermaceti, for which see Wax-Candles), subject also to the two additional 5 per cents. imposed by 19 and 22 Geo. III. besides the duty of 2½d. formerly imposed by 2 W. Jeff. 2. cap. 4. 8 Anne, cap. 9. and 9 Anne, cap. 6. And every maker of candles, other than wax candles, for sale, shall annually take out a licence at L.1. The maker of candles shall, in four weeks within the bills, and elsewhere in six weeks, after entry, clear off the duties on pain of double duty: nor sell any after default in payment on pain of double value; 8 Anne, cap. 9. The makers of candles are not to use melting houses, without making a true entry, on pain of L.100, and to give notice of making candles to the excise officer for the duties; and of the number, &c. or shall forfeit L.50, stat. 11. Geo. I. cap. 30. See also 23 Geo. II. cap. 21. and 26 Geo. II. cap. 32. No maker of candles for sale shall begin to make candles, without notice first given to the officer, unless from September 29th to March 25th yearly, between seven in the morning and five in the evening, and from March 25th to September 29th, between five in the morning and seven in the evening, on pain of L.10, 10 Anne, cap. 26. The penalty of obstructing the officer is L.20, and of removing candles before they are surveyed L.20, 8 Anne, cap. 9. The penalty of privately making candles is the forfeiture of the same and utensils, and L.100, 5 Geo. III. cap. 43. And the penalty of mingling weighed with unweighed candles, of removing them before they are weighed, or of concealing them, is the forfeiture of L.100, 11 Geo. cap. 30. Candles, for which the duty hath been paid, may be exported, and the duty drawn back; but no drawback shall be allowed on the exportation of any foreign candles imported. 8 Ann. cap. 9. 23 Geo. II. cap. 21.
The Roman candles were at first little strings dipped in pitch, or surrounded with wax; though afterwards they made them of the papyrus, covered likewise with wax; and sometimes also of rushes, by stripping off the outer rind, and only retaining the pith.—For religious offices, wax candles were used; for vulgar uses, those of tallow. Lord Bacon proposes candles of divers compositions and ingredients, as also of different sorts of wicks; with experiments of the degrees of duration, and light of each. Good housewives bury their candles in flour or bran, which it is said increases their lasting almost half.
Experiments to determine the real and comparative value of burning Candles of different sorts and sizes.
| Numb. of Weight | Time | The time | The expence | |-----------------|------|----------|-------------| | candles | one | candle | in 12 hours when candles are at 6d per dozen, which also show the proportion of the expence at any price per dozen Farthings and 100th parts. | | Oz. Dr. Hr. Min. | Oz. Dr. Hr. Min. | | Small wick. | 18½ | 0 14 | 3 15 | 59 26 | 4·85 | | Large wick. | 19 | 0 13½ | 2 40 | 50 34 | 5·70 | | 16½ | 0 15½ | 2 40 | 44 2 | 6·54 | | 12 | 1 5½ | 3 27 | 41 24 | 6·96 | | * | 10½ | 1 8 | 3 36 | 38 2 | 7·50 | | * | 7½ | 2 1 | 4 9 | 32 12 | 8·94 | | * | 8 | 2 0 | 4 15 | 34 0 | 8·47 | | 5¾ | 2 13 | 5 19 | 30 15 | 9·53 | | Mould-candles | 5½ | 2 12 | 7 20 | 42 39 | 7·87 | | 4 | 4 0 | 9 3 | 36 20 | 9·28 |
N. B. The time that one candle lasted was taken from an average of several trials in each size.
It is observable, in optics, that the flame of two candles joined, give a much stronger light than both of them separate. The observation was suggested by Dr Franklin. Probably the union of the two flames produces a greater degree of heat, whereby the vapour is attenuated, and the particles of which light consists more copiously emitted.
Lighting a Candle by a small spark of electricity. This method, which is an invention of Dr Ingenhouz, is recorded in the Phil. Transf. vol. 68. It is done by a small phial, having eight or ten inches of metallic coating, or even less, charged with electricity, which may be done at any time of the night by a person who has an electric machine in his room. "When I have occasion to light a candle," says he, "I charge a small coated phial, whose knob is bent outwards, so as to hang a little over the body of the phial; then I wrap some loose cotton over the extremity of a long brass pin or a wire, so as to stick moderately fast to its substance. I next roll this extremity of the pin wrapped up with cotton in some fine powder of resin, (which I always keep in readiness upon the table for this purpose, either in a wide-mouthed phial or in a loose loose paper); this being done, I apply the extremity of the pin or wire to the external coating of the charged phial, and bring as quickly as possible the other extremity wrapped round with cotton to the knob; the powder of resin takes fire, and communicates its flame to the cotton, and both together burn long enough to light a candle. As I do not want more than half a minute to light my candle in this way, I find it a readier method than kindling it by a flint and steel, or calling a servant. I have found, that powder of white or yellow resin lights easier than that of brown. The farina lycopodi may be used for the same purpose; but it is not so good as the powder of resin, because it does not take fire quite so readily, requiring a stronger spark not to miss; besides, it is soon burnt away. By dipping the cotton in oil of turpentine, the same effect may be as readily obtained, if you take a jar somewhat greater in size. This oil will inflame to much the readier if you strew a few fine particles of brass upon it. The pin dust is the best for this purpose; but as this oil is scattered about by the explosion, and when kindled fills the room with much more smoke than the powder of resin, I prefer the last."
Candle-Bomb, a name given to small glass bubbles, having a neck about an inch long, with a very slender bore, by means of which a small quantity of water is introduced into them, and the orifice afterwards closed up. This flask being put through the wick of a burning candle, the vicinity of the flame soon rarifies the water into steam, by the elasticity of which the glass is broken with a loud crack.
Candle is also a term of medicine, and is reckoned among the instruments of surgery. Thus the candela fumaria, or the candela pro suffitu odorata, is a mass of an oblong form, consisting of odoriferous powders, mixed up with a third or more of the charcoal of willow or lime tree, and reduced to a proper consistence with a mucilage of gum tragacanth, labdanum, or turpentine. It is intended to excite a grateful smell without any flame, to correct the air, to fortify the brain, and to excite the spirits.
Medicated Candle, the same with Bougie.
Candle. Sale or auction by inch of candle, is when a small piece of candle, being lighted, the bystanders are allowed to bid for the merchandise that is selling; but the moment the candle is out, the commodity is adjudged to the last bidder.
There is also an excommunication by inch of candle; when the sinner is allowed to come to repentance while a candle continues burning; but after it is consumed, he remains excommunicated to all intents and purposes.
Rub-Candles, used in different parts of England, are made of the pith of a sort of rushes, peeled or stripped of the skin, except on one side, and dipped in melted grease.
Candle-Wood, slips of pine about the thickness of a finger, used in New England and other colonies to burn instead of candles, giving a very good light. The French inhabitants of Tortuga use slips of yellow sandal-wood for the same purpose, and under the same denomination, which yields a clear flame though of a green colour.
Candleberry tree, in botany, the English name of the Myrica.