>I am interested in making bees wax candles from the wax rendered in my
>solar wax melter.  Unfortunately, I don't know how to colour the wax
>(red, green, etc).  Is there a standard reference for candle making that
>would answer this question?  Thanks for your help.
 
I make moulded candles from the cappings wax and old comb wax that has been
processed through a solar melter.  There are a number of impurities in the
first blocks and I scrape off any black bottom layers and remelt and then
pour through a warm cloth (there is an artificial dish-cloth sold as "Chux"
in Australia which serves the purpose admirably).  I warm the cloth and a
metal colander and then pour the melted wax through these into empty ice
cream containers.  The resultant wax is clean enough for candles and varies
from primrose yellow through to old leather.  You can also bleach wax by
repeated cycles through a solar melter and dripping into water (preferably
rain water).
 
I do not apply any other foreign matter to the candles as my selling point
is that they are made from natural beeswax.  However there are special
paints sold by makers of candle moulds - E.H. Thorne in England has a very
good catalogue and you can order direct or check craft supply companies
close to home.  I see from the catalogue there are paints which are applied
to the finished candle to highlight patterns.
 
If you are making foundation with your beeswax and then rolling it into
candles there are other options such as glitter and dipping paint.
 
The address for E.H. Thorne (Beehives) Ltd. is Beehive Works, Wragby,
Lincoln LN3 5LA - email [log in to unmask]    - Web   http://www.thorne.co.uk
 
Have fun.
 
Betty McAdam
HOG BAY APIARY
Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
j.h. & e. mcadam<[log in to unmask]
http://kigateway.eastend.com.au/hogbay/hogbay1.htm