Citronella Candles

[LynnS]

Where can I purchase buckets to make these(citronella) and what is it you use to treat to make sure no leaking? I have said for 2 years I want to do these but never did. Now is the time. I don't want real big buckets but medium size.

Wal Mart last year had those silver ones. Will look again but they were kinda bold and a shiny silver.

Thank You,

LynnS

[TxSioux]

I've always used just regular old buckets from Home Depot or Lowe's. IMO, they look better over time w/ all the soot that gathers. The nice painted ones really start looking nasty fast. While you're there pick up the refill wicks for Citronella torches. I unwind those for a single strand -- they're just untreated cotton. I wind those tightly around a wick & dip it in wax, so it won't unravel. That makes the best smoking wick for an outdoor bug candle that I've ever found. I see lots of people using regular wicks, but those won't smoke & make a huge flame, which is what you need.

Susan.

[LynnS]

Thank You

That is interesting HOME DEPOT. We don't go there unless doing yard work or remolding but will now. I knew there were some that were nicer looking. That silver is not pretty.

I just did some searching and really really leaning toward Lemongrass. I don't think making the citronella in the house(basement) is a good idea. Should not burn inside so sure melting the wax and adding that FO will be bad too. I have people ask for this scent (lemongrass) or lemongrass and sage and now I know why. Kills bugs and I am sure safer than the citronella. I think this is one of the reason I had put this off for over 2 years.

Interesting on that wick idea for Citronella. I am sure something needs to be done to throw better and get those skeeters to die (I hope) or just get rid of them. Better than putting on all that aerosol bug spray.

I take care of yellow jackets the cheap and easy way. No spraying or risking getting stung. I poke holes in Mountain Dew bottles. Leave about 1/4 full and add just a tad of water. Hang on a wire coat hanger in barns etc and bees and yellow jackets just love it and "DIE". I did it at our Fairgrounds. Bees everywhere. I fixed up bottles and husband hung them. A few weeks later our animal shelter(near the barns where bees were) said people wanted to know if they did it. They said NO so I finally confessed. The livestock people thought a great idea and safer for them. Time to get this potion made up so I can get in the barn safely. No harsh fumes with this. Really thinking about this at my shows this spring and early fall. Bees love my candles and I fight shooing them away.

LynnS

[erinmfritz]

I've always used just regular old buckets from Home Depot or Lowe's. IMO, they look better over time w/ all the soot that gathers. The nice painted ones really start looking nasty fast. While you're there pick up the refill wicks for Citronella torches. I unwind those for a single strand -- they're just untreated cotton. I wind those tightly around a wick & dip it in wax, so it won't unravel. That makes the best smoking wick for an outdoor bug candle that I've ever found. I see lots of people using regular wicks, but those won't smoke & make a huge flame, which is what you need.

Susan.

This is an interesting wick process. Can you tell us more about what size wick you are using, what kind of wax and the container size for the regular old buckets.

[nayarx8]

I also prefer Lemongrass to Citronella. Something about Citronella makes me gag! Just this past week, I made myself a lemongrass/tangerine candle for use on my patio. Worked VERY WELL!!! We have been having a problem with gnats, bees, and flies, but every time that candle is lit, we hardly get any bugs!

The reason I didnt use just straight Lemongrass was because I was wanting to experiment with adding different FO's to the Lemongrass to see if it would still work as a "bug repellant", and this particular mix did. I used 2/3 Lemongrass to 1/3 Tangerine.

Also, because it was just a test candle for myself, I went ahead and used a leftover painted tin from Walmart, and 2 CD-12 wicks. It seemed to work for my situation, but it might not work for everybody elses:D !

[Sharon in KY]

I've always used just regular old buckets from Home Depot or Lowe's. IMO, they look better over time w/ all the soot that gathers. The nice painted ones really start looking nasty fast. While you're there pick up the refill wicks for Citronella torches. I unwind those for a single strand -- they're just untreated cotton. I wind those tightly around a wick & dip it in wax, so it won't unravel. That makes the best smoking wick for an outdoor bug candle that I've ever found. I see lots of people using regular wicks, but those won't smoke & make a huge flame, which is what you need.

Susan.

Great ideal, Ill have to try that wick thing. Now to find a cheep citronella.

[Sharon in KY]

How about spice scents do bugs like spice. I have a ton I'm not going to use. Good way to get rid of them...

[Ramaroa]

Sandalwood is a good repellant, I usually burn sandawood incense sticks around the garden among my batallion of things to keep away the biters during summer. Also good old lavender is good in your skin for repelling mossies, so I reckon it would work well in a candle. Eucalyptus is anothr good one. Burning strong smelling herbs, such as sage or rosemary on your BBQ is another recommendation to keep the blighters away, so again might be worth a try

So go for it, I'm sure you could knock up a killer concoction and when you do, can I have the recipe?

[LynnS]

I like Nayarx8 idea, lemongrass and tangerine. I gotta do that. Awhile back I was looking for tangerine and someone said Tennessee Candle Company. I must do a search and find it. Mix the 2 and have just plain tangerine for me. Good summer/spring scent. Since this mix works no harsh smell with Citronella. Citronella is a bad one.

LynnS

[TxSioux]

This is an interesting wick process. Can you tell us more about what size wick you are using, what kind of wax and the container size for the regular old buckets.

I use zinc wicks & they work really well for this project -- the zinc core helps hold the wick up so it won't fall over in the melt pool. I just wind the cotton around the wick tightly -- you don't want to leave any of the wick showing. If you don't want to dip your fingers into the wax you can hold the cotton & wick together w/ needlenose pliers (they have the cheap ones at Dollar Tree) at the base then start winding the cotton around the wick. Get the cotton started around the wick & dip it into the wax up to the level where you stopped winding. It will dry quickly & you can take the pliers off. Continue winding the rest of the cotton & cut when you get to the top of the wick. Use the pliers to hold the top of the cotton & wick together, straighten the wick & redip in the wax. Once that dries place it in the container & pour. Geez, that was a long description for a relatively simple process!! The cotton will make a big flame they will burn off a little smoke. Also, for my bug candles I mix equal parts Citronella, Lemongrass & Lavender -- it takes the 'bite' off the citronella & works really well.

Susan.

[oops99]

My citronella candles always burn into a deep hole in the middle, and I wind up throwing out about 50-70 percent of the candle (I'm not a candle maker, just a civilian looking for advice).

Is there a way to melt the wax in the container back to a flat surface, and put in a new wick? I was thinking about heating up a peice of staightened out coat hanger with a torch to make the hole for the wick, but don't know what to do about melting the wax.

I don't want to sound like a cheapskate, but I hate throwing out these things so often.

Thanks in advance for any help.

oops99

PS. This a really cool site

[Ramaroa]

Ooops99, that is exactly how I started making candles. :rolleyes2 Be aware, be very aware that once you start down this road you simply cannot stop, so welcome to the club.

My very first endeavours into 'candlemaking' was to find some wicks so that I could melt and repour stoopid shop bought citronella candles for the garden that were always left with half the wax in the bucket. I bought some wicks, chucked the old wax in a saucepan and melted it outdoors on the BBQ; because then I had no idea what I was doing, but it seemed like a good plan and it worked just fine. I'd definitely be a bit more wary these days about shoving a pan of wax onto a gas flame, but hey ho you live and learn. You just have to find something suitable to melt the wax in and away you go.

Have fun!

[oops99]

Thanks Ramaroa,

But what I am looking for is a way to melt the candle "IN" the container and redoing the wick in one shot.

I see people talking about a heat gun, would this melt the wax enough to make the top surface flat, like a new candle?

thanks,

oops99