A Burning Abstraction Free Form Candle Embellishing Techniques

This fun process will let you easily create beautiful, unique candles.

Store bought candles may be used, so previous candle making experience is not necessary.

The idea for this technique was an inspiration to combine three of my hobbies - Candle Making, Wood Carving, and Leather Working.

Of course,you do not have to use all three, and combination of these techniques looks good.

Materials

The style of candle you choose will determine which of the following tools are needed.

• Pillar Candle - Dark colors work best. Any shape will work.
• Wood Carving Chisels - Veiners or gouges. A gouge (U shaped chisel) was used here.
• Strop - A leather or rubber strop and some stropping compound to keep the chisel edge sharp.
• Ball Peen Hammer - The head of this kind has a rounded side and a normal side.
• Poly or Rawhide Mallet - For hitting stamps. A piece of 2" x 3" wood about 18 inches long may be substituted.
• Leather Stamps - These are available in a huge variety of shapes from pictures and letters to geometric.

Towel - An old towel or soft cloth to cushion the candle when hammering.

Chiseling

The wood carving chisels are great for creating a free flowing design. The gouge is pushed while turning to create the design. Strive to make one smooth continuous cut - starting and stopping may mar the candle. At the end of the cut, lower the handle towards the candle to make a smooth transition out of the wax. For safety, keep all body parts out of the path of the cut - a properly sharpened chisel will cut to the bone if it slips.

I recommend using Flexcut brand chisels which come ready to use (most other chisels are supplied unsharpened), and are available in a palm grip tool that is easy to work with. Never work with a dull edge - the results will be of poor quality since you will be tearing instead of cutting.

To maintain a razor sharp edge, chisels should be stropped before each use. The stropping compound is applied to the strop, then the chisel is held at an angle matching the bevel while pulling towards you. Never push the chisel as it will ruin the strop. The chisel, strop, and stropping compound used in this article were obtained from Buck Run Carving Supplies.

Hammering

Round divots may be made with the ball peen hammer. If a random effect is desired, just strike the candle with the ball end. If precise placement is desired, position the hammer then strike it with a mallet or wood block. The harder the hit, the larger the impression. Do not use another metal hammer to strike the hammer as this may result in sparks which could hit your eye.

Stamping

Stamping is a technique I discovered recently that adds an entirely new dimension to this style of candle. The advantage of using these is their high level of detail compared to the above techniques. For this design I used two leather crafting stamps. Since the concept of this article is an free form abstract design, shape stamps were chosen rather than pictorial stamps. Of course if you prefer, this technique may be applied to a more rigid geometric designs or other patterns.

The stamp is positioned where desired then struck with a mallet or block of wood. Never use a metal hammer on leather stamps as it will damage the stamp. The first stamp used was a camouflage tool (commonly called a cam). Because of its radiating pattern, I highlighted each hammer mark with one impression.

The candle still seemed a bit plain, so additional impressions with a small square geometric stamp were added at random. The finish effect of this stamp was almost like a four point star.

When using leather stamps on candles it is important to test the impression they make on scrap wax or an old candle as it will not come out the same as it would on leather. Wax does not compress as readily as leather so it pushes outward and creates the lighter color halo visible in the photos - essentially becoming part of the design.

Finishing

Once your basic design is complete, use a soft cloth to brush off any particles of wax that may be stuck to the candle. Any small scratches may be polished out with a piece of old nylon stocking. Deeper scratches may be covered over with additional carving, hammering, or stamping. If you plan to use the tools for woodcarving or leatherwork remove all traces of wax - it will transfer to your work, and wood and leather finishes will not penetrate the wax.

Summary This is a quick and simple project that can be done by anyone. If working with children, I suggest not using wood chisels for safety reasons. Since the tools needed can be shared among a group, this technique also lends itself to working with scout groups and other organizations.

By Bob Sherman