Confederate Candle

[Rick]

CONFEDERATE CANDLE.--

Melt together a pound of beeswax and a quarter of a pound of rosin or of turpentine, fresh from the tree. Prepare a wick 30 or 40 yards long, made up of three threads of loosely spun cotton, saturate this well with the mixture, and draw it through your fingers, to press all closely together, and to keep the size even. Repeat the process until the candle attains the size of a large straw or quill, then wrap around a bottle, or into a ball with a flat bottom. Six inches of this candle elevated above the rest will burn for fifteen or twenty minutes, and give a very pretty light, and forty yards have sufficed a small family a summer for all the usual purposes of the bed-chamber.


From Confederate Receipt Book - 1863

[panch0]

Very cool, Do you have pics of this to get a better idea Rick? Thanks.

[Rick]

No, sorry. Pictures weren't all that plentiful plentiful in 1863 I guess.

[Rick]

I envisioned this thing shaped like a snake, about the diameter of a soda straw or slightly smaller, 30-50 yards long. It I interpret it correctly, you just keep working the bees wax and resin onto the threads until you have the desired size. Then wrap the whole thing around a bottle. To use it, just raise the end six inches of it up so it doesn't ignite the whole "ball of wax". Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[welderguy]

I envisioned this thing shaped like a snake, about the diameter of a soda straw or slightly smaller, 30-50 yards long. It I interpret it correctly, you just keep working the bees wax and resin onto the threads until you have the desired size. Then wrap the whole thing around a bottle. To use it, just raise the end six inches of it up so it doesn't ignite the whole "ball of wax". Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Thank you rick your directions are much more clear.

[pocomoonskyeyes]

Rick I was wondering about the old methods of survival just after you posted these little nuggets. I looked (web search)for pioneer techniques, mountain men, and Native American. Yet I didn't find anything to rival what you produced... So 'fess up where did you find them?

[crashdive123]

Google Confederate Receipt Book. You can view it on line.

[Rick]

Oh, Sure! Give away all my trade secrets.

Well, that and the post script.....From Confederate Receipt Book - 1863

[pocomoonskyeyes]

Wasn't sure if it was an actual book or just a list as seen at that site.