Hello,

Near as I can tell the structure is so different it isn't going to work.

After about two minutes of checking I found a candle wax supplier. he listed 17 different waxes for making candles. If your plan is to use discarded or surplus candles to produce a particular type of wax. There are just too many variables. Still the concept of making your own sculpture wax is a viable concept. There are many recipes available on line. Buy the ingredients, follow instructions. Waxes are chosen for their working characteristics, blending them isn't anything unusual, many do. Brad

I guess I need to clarify to all :)

Victory brown wax is a different ball game from candle wax. I am familiar with waxes and casting bronze. That is why I am asking if anyone 'knows' of a way to make candle wax suitable for casting. As it is, and I have tried adding different things, it still seems to be too hard and brittle to slush cast. I have tried to slush cast the wax and it almost works for pieces without unndercuts, - still brittle though.

In a nut shell the crystalline structure of parrafin is big, microcrystalline was is small.

What I am asking is if anyone knows how to modify it.

Thanks,
Henri
www.henribeaulieu.com

Henri,
The problem gets to be the term "candle wax" really has no definite meaning. I found many different types, too many to know what you have. But if you insist in candle wax, Ok. The Roman Catholic Church demands that it's ceremonial candles contain 51% bees wax. About 1/10 of the bees wax produced is used in candle making. Mostly replaces by cheaper petroleum based paraffin. The Egyptians used bees wax, historically speaking, to do lost wax casting. For more than anyone ever wanted to know about bees wax. Go to
www.cd3wd.com or do a search on "value added products from beekeeping" The stuff is everywhere and in everything. Wax gets to be a big world. There literally are animal, vegetable and even mineral. Then synthetics. This problem gets further compounded by yet another variable. You want to slush cast it into your mold. Temperature of the wax and the temp of the mold will have an effect. The problem is then compounded by the movement of the mold during filling, the gravity effect. It's a little like making a chocolate Easter bunny, lots of spinning and turning. The problem of finding a recipe. Is that most people are looking for waxes that set up harder than your brown and are more carvable and finish able after being produced. Do I have the answer for you, don't know. Brad

Does anybody have any pictures of the Bees wax pieces from a few years ago?

There was an artist that was taking some of his waxes and placing them into hives. The bees would add to them and mine and rearrange portions. He would then harvest and edit their work to his vision.

Gene Olson
Sculptor
Elk River, MN

yeah, okay. - in response to the not knowing what kind of candle. I will call the vatican and ask them.