I am a self taught candle maker.
They started out being for my own use so organic & local were my first concerns, not appearance. But when people started to buy them, I worked hard on learning to make the beautiful beeswax look better.
I found that there were a certain amount of people who were interested in really tall pillars.
REALLY TALL! Up to 15”.
![15 beeswax pillars](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/0e3aa0/1514792943/isbi_fullxfull.1514792943_7yt7b6gh.jpg?version=0)
Gorgous, right?!
So I thought, how hard can it be?
Turns out, just like everything in life...a lot harder than you think.
I was finally able to find molds that large (2”x 17” & 3”x 17”) and I thought that was the hard part.
Beeswax has a melt point of 130 degrees. That’s why it’s such a long burning wax. With a candle this large, it’s a lot of really hot wax. I quickly learned that mold sealer and duct tape were no match for that much hot wax.
I don’t have pictures of all the times scalding hot beeswax came oozing out the bottom of my mold, because I was too busy screaming and buring myself. But after 6 times of being unsuccessful at pouring a 3”x 12” Pillar, I gave up and decided to sleep on it.
What I came up with is, “stay cool”.
All that heat AND pressure from over 40ozs of burning hot Beeswax in a sheet metal cylinder needed some refrigeration.
![](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/27e5c2/1467542602/isbi_fullxfull.1467542602_8sg3ieqr.jpg?version=0)
So I froze the mold before I filled it and then I rested it on an ice pack.
![](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/348c6f/1514794313/isbi_fullxfull.1514794313_3rtd39f2.jpg?version=0)
But, on my 7th try, turns out I was too timid. (I can’t imagine why!) I poured too slowly. I got segments.
![](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/d641e9/1514795915/isbi_fullxfull.1514795915_at0gir67.jpg?version=0)
There were lines and bubbles. Not what I expected of own work.
![](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/b6ece8/1514796841/isbi_fullxfull.1514796841_1f1gzoef.jpg?version=0)
But, I knew I was on the right track. So I dove in for an 8th time. Newly clean, wicked and chilled mold. I sat it on the freshly frozen ice pack and began to pour all 40+ozs of molten Beeswax at once!
I closed my eyes. I held my brealth and counted to ten.
![3x 12 organic beeswas pillar](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/4299b3/1514802067/isbi_fullxfull.1514802067_dqx41kg5.jpg?version=0)
![Pure organic beeswax pillar candle](https://img.etsystatic.com/isbi/88031f/1467549142/isbi_fullxfull.1467549142_id5zgmyt.jpg?version=0)
I turned out almost perfect. I hand make every one so none of them will be perfect, but I'll keep at it until it's as close as possible.