Every person is a child at heart. What do children like? That's right, all clapping and sparkling! After all, no holiday can be imagined without fireworks, and some manage to make them at home.

Fortunately, this rarely happens. Much more often we buy pyrotechnics on the eve of the New Year holidays. Unfortunately, the quality of their workmanship often leaves much to be desired. This is especially true of cheap pyrotechnics, the wicks of which are sometimes obscenely short.

And how to make a wick from improvised materials? Is it real at all? There is practically nothing complicated about this.

The simplest option

Surely everyone in childhood at least once, but dabbled with matches. Remember how beautifully saltpeter, peeled from them, burns? Before you make a wick, you will need to scrape it from a couple of boxes. The resulting saltpeter is tamped into juice sticks or something similar. Dense tamper - the guarantor of long burning.

Despite their primitiveness, such wicks burn very stably, and with proper sealing, they are practically not afraid of getting wet. Perfect option For safe use dubious pyrotechnics!

If there is such an opportunity, then before you make a wick, try to get them. They burn excellently, easily withstand even getting wet, so you can make just excellent out of them.

There is also a method involving the use of ordinary adhesive tape. Again, you will have to grind the sulfur from a couple of boxes of matches, and then cut off a narrow strip of adhesive tape of the required length. Put it with the sticky side up, pour a thin strip of match nitrate on it.

From above, press down this entire structure with the same strip of adhesive tape. The resulting ignition cord can be used even in winter conditions, since it is slightly exposed to moisture. Since it is extremely easy to make a firecracker wick this way, it can be recommended for pyrotechnic enthusiasts of all ages.

Attention! Strictly follow all fire safety regulations, otherwise you can easily start a fire.

For city dwellers

If you have a little poplar fluff lying around on your balcony since spring - great! One has only to stuff dry fluff into a rolled-up newspaper to make a pretty good wick out of it. Needless to say, all material must be absolutely dry.

Method for young chemists

To make a reliable wick according to this recipe, you will need ordinary potassium permanganate, Moment glue or similar, as well as matches. A small amount of potassium permanganate, glue is taken, and then these two components are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Attention! We should not forget that "Moment" is not only extremely flammable, but also contains many substances harmful to your health. Be sure to ensure that the room is well ventilated when doing this kind of work.

You should not rush, it will take at least ten minutes to completely mix the components. Since the resulting mixture is too liquid, you should wait a few minutes until the curing process has passed.

After this time, the resulting puddle must be carefully molded, giving it a more compact appearance. When the composition acquires the consistency of plasticine, it must be rolled out, giving the appearance of a sausage. Thickness doesn't matter.

And how to make a wick from matches and the composition we have described? It's simple: if you need a wick that burns quickly and very reliably, then a certain amount of ground match nitrate should be added to the composition before it hardens.

How it works?

Have you wondered why such difficulties? The fact is that the wick resulting from our actions not only burns perfectly (and at an acceptable speed), but also easily withstands the ingress of water and snow. With it, you can easily launch fireworks from a safe distance, even setting it directly in a snowdrift.

Potassium nitrate is our choice!

If you ask the representatives of the older generation, they will surely tell you about all the ways to get a wick that were used by children in the USSR. Among the main components, it has always occupied a place of honor. In those years, it was sold in all agricultural stores, so there were no problems with obtaining it.

How to use it? First, saltpeter must be dissolved in ordinary water, taking one part of the active substance and three parts of the liquid. The easiest way to make a wick is to soak an ordinary newspaper in the resulting mixture. More precisely, you can simply dip it in a jar and immediately take it out.

After that, the paper should be thoroughly dried. Attention! Since the products from the evaporation of the working composition are not very useful for human health, it is advisable to do this outdoors.

And how to make a wick for firecrackers from the resulting material? We roll the dried newspaper into a thin tube, if necessary, tying it with a thread. A certain skill requires only bringing it to "combat readiness".

To do this, set fire to the very tip of the "sausage", and then bring down the flame. A smoldering light is the goal of all of ours. It will easily endure even light moisture, and the burning rate is such that it will reliably protect you from premature pyrotechnics.

By the way, before you make a homemade wick, be sure to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of modern products of this kind. Almost certainly, what you see will impress you so much that you definitely won’t dare to approach an extinct firecracker.

A more serious way

The disadvantage of the above method should be considered the fact that a thin newspaper is in no way suitable for the role of a Fickford cord. It can quickly go out, and then burn out sharply right in front of your astonished eyes. The consequences can be very sad.

Therefore, it is desirable to get high-quality cotton rope. It is also soaked in the above aqueous solution of saltpeter and dried thoroughly. To make the design as reliable as possible, you can lubricate it with a mixture of potassium permanganate and Moment glue. We have already given the recipe for the “hellish composition” above.

This ignition cord will withstand even significant moisture, which will not have any effect on its ability to burn. By the way, what can a wick be made of if you do not take into account the above methods?

And again potassium nitrate

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to refuse this substance, since it is only with its help that sufficiently reliable wicks can be created. So, we take about two parts of saltpeter and one part of ordinary granulated sugar.

We grind all this in a porcelain mortar until a fine and homogeneous powder is formed. The resulting composition can be hammered into juice tubes (as in the match nitrate method).

Important note

Before you make a wick with your own hands, do not forget about the responsibility for all your subsequent actions. It is possible to launch pyrotechnics only in the absence of a strong side wind, outside dense urban areas. Application is not allowed similar products in hot and dry weather, as well as their use by minors.

Here's how to make a wick without using expensive tools.

Despite the abundance of electrical appliances, candles are still popular, and if you want to make a candle with your own hands, then you need to know how to make a candle wick. Candles give a special mood during the holidays, they can create a special atmosphere during a romantic dinner, and candles can also come in handy during a power outage, from which no one is immune. You can buy a candle in a store, or you can try to make it yourself - any shape and size, with different decorative elements or flavored. But before you start making a candle, you need to make a wick.

The wick is a kind of capillary through which the molten candle mass enters the combustion zone. Each type of candle has its own wick. The texture and thickness of the wick may depend on the thickness of the candle, on its material, on the color, its filling with decorative particles, and much more. For example, there are candles in which only the middle burns out, while the walls remain intact, and their own types of wicks are used for them.

For each candle, the wick is selected by trial and error, and sometimes you need to try several options. It should be remembered that a too thin wick will constantly go out, and a thick wick will smoke and the candle will melt strongly.

Usually the wick is woven from cotton threads. They can be twisted, braided and even crocheted, the optimal type of weaving is selected based on the characteristics of the candle. If the candle is made of wax, then thick loose threads are used as a wick and they are not tightly intertwined, but for the rest of the candles, on the contrary, they use thin threads and tight weaving to avoid soot. This is due to the viscosity of the molten candle mass: for a more viscous wax, wide capillaries are needed, and lighter paraffin, stearin and various fats need thinner capillaries, otherwise, due to an excess of combustible material, the candle will smoke very much.

Typically, the wicks are impregnated with sodium nitrate solutions, namely:

• 30 gr. slaked lime, 8.5 gr. sodium nitrate and 550 ml. water;
• 5 gr. ammonium chloride, 5 gr. sodium nitrate, 10 gr. borax and 5 gr. calcium chloride is dissolved in 500 ml of water.
• 1 gr. ammonium chloride, 1 gr. sodium nitrate and 700 ml of water;

Make homemade wicks and as follows: dissolve 2 tablespoons of table salt and 4 tablespoons of borax in one and a half liters warm water and lower a cotton thread or twine of the desired thickness into the solution for 15 minutes. The soaked wick is suspended and allowed to dry for 5 days. Then a paper clip is attached to the wick and dipped in melted wax 3-4 times until it is completely covered. After that, the wick is also suspended until completely dry. Store finished wicks wrapped in newspaper.

Pyrotechnics, both large and small, have long been an integral part of almost any holiday. Moreover, we are talking not only about fireworks, but also including sparklers, crackers and firecrackers.

The key to safety when using pyrotechnics is, first of all, strict adherence to the operating instructions. However, there are situations when it is necessary to improvise in order for the holiday to really succeed. For example, a purchased firecracker has a too short wick, and it is dangerous to use it, but I really want to. Then there is a way out: make a wick for firecrackers with your own hands.

There are several ways to do this. The difference in them mainly lies in the choice of combustible substance.

Therefore, each method has its own characteristics:

1. As a cord, you can use insulation from wires or a rod from a pen that has run out of ink. We fill the wire with sulfur, removed from the match heads and crushed into powder. We tamp the filling well with a needle or toothpick. Be careful as the force of friction can cause an accidental fire. The denser the sulfur is packed, the longer the wick will burn.
2. In order not to grind the sulfur heads, you can simply gently break them off and lay them in a row on adhesive tape. Then roll the tape into a tube so that the sulfur is inside. The more heads, the longer the cord.
3. Ordinary thin rope can be soaked in a solution of saltpeter, which can be purchased at a gardening store (this good fertilizer). Saltpeter will need to be dissolved in water to a good saturation, and then lower the cord there for several hours.
4. Combustible composition can be made from potassium permanganate and super-glue. These two components must be combined and mixed well. At first, the mixture will turn out to be liquid, but over time it will thicken to the state of plasticine. Roll the resulting substance into a thin sausage. Here is the wick for you.
5. In summer, poplar fluff is suitable for making a wick. Collect it, remember well and wrap it in a paper tube.

How to make a firecracker without a wick

You can independently make not only the wick, but also the firecracker itself. There can be several options for fillings: these are sulfur from matches, and saltpeter mixtures, and much more. If you understand chemistry, you can easily pick up suitable composition. The body is also made from improvised materials. It is possible to make it from cardboard, foil, small plastic jars ... It all depends on what effect you are counting on.

Making a firecracker without a wick is difficult, but possible. True, it’s not very clear why the wick is preventing you ... And there are much more ways to make it as it should be, rather than vice versa. But still there are such options.

Our faithful friends, matches, will come to our aid. We clean off sulfur from them, usually one whole box is enough. Then we carefully grind it into powder and pour it onto a piece of foil about 10x10 cm in size. Next, cut out the side of the box - phosphorus cherkash. We clean it from the remnants of paper. Cut into two or three parts and put to the sulfur powder. We wrap the foil to make a small square with a flammable core inside. Ready! In order for the firecracker to detonate, you just need to hit it with a hammer.

Another way is to use napkins, electrical tape, caps and small stones for making. First you will need to exfoliate the napkin. Cut the resulting thin part into eight equal squares. Grind the contents of the caps in the center of the cut out piece of napkin, and put the pebbles on top. Wrap the resulting mixture so that the shape of the firecracker resembles a small onion. For tightness, wrap the tail of the bulb with electrical tape. To detonate, throw your invention against a wall or throw it hard on the pavement.

And yet, we will include one in our list of recipes, how to make a firecracker with a wick and gunpowder. Take a piece of thick cardboard and roll it into a cylinder. Choose the parameters of the piece yourself, it will serve as a case for the future firecracker, respectively, it should not be very large.

On the one hand, we make a plug. It can be made from plasticine or the same cardboard. If you prefer the second option, coat it well with glue so that the plug stays in place at the right time. Next, we make gunpowder. It can be made from potassium nitrate, coal and sulfur. The proportions must be observed as follows: six parts of saltpeter, one part of coal and the same amount of sulfur. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. The quantity depends on the size of the case. We fall asleep our gunpowder inside the case and proceed to the manufacture of the wick. Any method can be used, but the option with a rod from a handle and sulfur from matches is still recommended.

The length of the wick should be such that you have time to move to a safe distance. We are preparing a plug for the other side of the case. We insert it and make a hole in it that matches the diameter of the wick. If it turned out more, we additionally wrap the wick with paper so that it is tightly fixed in the cap of the firecracker, and the design itself is airtight. Firecracker is ready.

Where can I buy firecracker wick

If you are not eager to make a firecracker or its components yourself, then you have a direct road to a pyrotechnics store. There, experienced salesmen will tell you which wick better fit for your product. Usually wicks and strings (for professional fireworks) are sold in skeins, meaning either mass use for big holidays, or cut off as much as you need.

In order not to make a mistake with the choice of the wick, decide for yourself how many firecrackers will go into action, and how far you will have time to move away from the moment of arson. If in doubt, ask a professional for advice. Let him give you comprehensive recommendations on exactly how many centimeters of wick you need to purchase. If you don't want to leave the house in search of the right product, online stores also have plenty to choose from. At your service there will always be a manager or administrator who will give you at least detailed information on quantity, quality and cost.

If we need to blow something up and not get injured, then we need to ensure the harmless detonation of the pyrotechnic charge. The most primitive way to do this is to make a fuse, one that we can light at a harmless distance. Here are a few methods for preparing the wick.

Instruction

1. Bickford cord. We take ordinary insulation from the wire or several straws for drinks fastened together. We fill them with crushed heads from household matches, gunpowder or another combustible mixture. This method is comfortable because our wick will not be able to blow out the wind. Even if it rains, he will not be able to soak such a wick. So that the "stuffing" of the Fickford cord does not burn out too quickly, it is allowed to tamp it. If we didn’t have gunpowder and nothing else besides matches, we can spare ourselves the need to scrape the heads off the matches. We break them off primitively, lay them out in a row and wrap them with tape.

2. Jute wick. We take a jute rope, soak it in a solution of sodium or potassium nitrate and dry it thoroughly. The wick is ready for use.

3. Stopin. In order to make such a wick, we also need a jute rope, but shabby cotton is also allowed to be used. We soak a not too thick rope in a solution of saltpeter, dry it. But that is not all. Now we will mix the organic glue with the powder pulp. You should get a homogeneous thick mass. Through this mass we need to stretch the rope. When everything hardens, the wick is allowed to be used.

4. hunting matches they themselves serve as a wonderful wick. They do not go out and burn for approximately 20 seconds. But so that our charge does not detonate ahead of time, it is necessary to monitor the sparks flying off the matches.

5. Poplar fluff. extraordinary summer version wick, from the fact that poplar fluff is allowed in June. But making a wick out of fluff is easier than everyone else and nothing needs to be impregnated. Primitively we will collect fluff, take it and wrap it inside with a folded tube of newspaper or paper.

You will need

• - Zippo lighter;
• - the latest wick;
• - sharp scissors;
• - screwdriver;
• - tweezers or tweezers.

Instruction

1. It turns out that even famous lighter, which will burn invariably and everywhere, also needs to be taken care of. In particular, she needs to change the wick. Yes, Zippo advertises that the wick will last forever, but if gasoline is not the purest, the impurities it contains can cause the wick to burn. When ignited, the wick may spark, or it may not ignite immediately at all - this means that it is time to change it.

2. Try to pull the wick up a little with tweezers (finally, at a non-burning lighter). When the wick stretches up a little, cut off the upper part with scissors - the one that protrudes above the edges of the windshield.

3. If this procedure does not help, or if you decide to replace the entire zippo wick, first of all, pull out the lighter-insert. To do this, with one hand, grab the windshield - the upper protruding part of the lighter, and with the 2nd - the lower part of the body. Now look at the bottom of the insert. Did you see the screw head? It is he who holds the wick. Loosen the screw carefully.

4. Now it is allowed to remove the felt pad from the insert. After that, using tweezers, remove the cotton filler and the old wick from the body. Take the newest wick and thread it through the insert, carefully insert it from below into the hole, pick it up with tweezers from above and pull it up.

5. When inserting the cotton filler back into the body of the lighter, place the long part of the wick between its layers. Carefully cut the top of the wick flush with the edge of the windscreen.

6. Replace the felt valve and secure the structure with a screw. The screw must be tightened sufficiently so that the lighter is coolly inserted into the body. Before inserting the lighter into the body, check that the flint is free in place. If there is a need for this, insert the newest flint. Assemble the lighter and see if it opens and closes nicely.

Advice 3: How to make a panel of poplar fluff depicting a kitten

Poplar fluff is an annual misfortune of cities where poplars are planted in large numbers. During his “departure” there is no escape from him anywhere! If you show imagination, it is allowed to use poplar fluff with benefit and pleasure - for example, for the manufacture of genuine panels. Soft and fluffy white fluff is beautiful natural material for creativity!

You will need

• - thick dark paper - the basis of the panel; ideally - black velvet paper or cardboard, but it is also allowed to use a dark blue, dark chestnut or dark green base;
• - a photograph or a picture depicting a kitten;
• – Blank sheet paper and a sheet of carbon paper;
• - chalk or white pencil;
• - scissors;
• - glue stick;
• - small cosmetic tweezers;
• - clean and dry poplar fluff, de-seeded;
• - frame with glass (optional).

Instruction

1. Put a carbon paper and a photo or picture on a blank sheet of paper. Transfer the silhouettes of the image of the kitten onto a blank sheet of paper, not forgetting the eyes, nose, mouth. Cut out the resulting silhouette; carefully cut out the eyes with small scissors. It turned out a sample for the panel.

2. Apply the sample on a dark base, with the support of chalk or a white pencil, circle the silhouettes of the sample, strictly draw the silhouettes of the eyes.

3. First make the eyes of the kitten. Poplar fluff flagella are used to make silhouettes. In order to make them, you need to take a small ball of fluff, stretch it and roll it between your fingers to the state of a rope. Apply a small amount of glue to the eye area and carefully apply a poplar flagellum along the silhouette. To make pupils, roll up small balls and fix them with glue inside the silhouettes of the eyes.

4. The torso and head of the kitten are made as follows: the silhouettes are circled in the necessary places with glue, and after that flagella from fluff are superimposed. Inside the silhouettes, the surface of the base is also smeared with glue, and after that, with the help of tweezers, fluff is laid out. The more fluff, the whiter and furrier the kitten will turn out. The muzzle is two loose balls rolled from fluff. It is allowed to “draw” the nose by pushing the fluff to the sides reverse side tweezers or the tips of scissors. Whiskers and claws on paws are made of flagella.

5. Lastly, it is allowed to make a landscape: grass, clouds, etc. In order to fix the image, and also so that the panel does not gather dust, it is recommended to insert it into a decorative frame with glass.

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Note!
In a similar way, it is allowed to make an image not only of a kitten, but also of another animal: a dog, a bunny, polar bear and other white-colored animals, and not only animals - what fantasy tells!

At the current time, the production of candles at home has become famous. The necessary thing for this is a wick. It is allowed to extract it from ready-made, store-bought candles, but it is not always of great quality. Consequently, it is allowed to make a wick with your own hands.

You will need

• Thick cotton thread (twine, tourniquet or floss is also suitable) about 30 cm long
• Salt - 2 tablespoons
• Bura - 4 tbsp. l.
• 1.5 cups of water
• Utensils for soaking
• Dishes for melting wax
• paper clip

Instruction

1. Pour one and a half glasses of warm water into a cup or other dish, dissolve 2 tbsp. tablespoons of salt and 4 tbsp. l. Boers. Soak the thread or tourniquet in this solution for 15 minutes.

2. After soaking, hang the thread on a clothesline to dry clothes in a dry room. In order for the thread to dry completely, let it hang for five days.

3. Melt the wax in a specially prepared dish. Secure the thread with a paper clip. Dip it in melted wax 3-4 times. It is necessary that the future wick be completely covered with wax. Later, hang it up again on a clothesline to dry. In a few minutes, the handmade wick will be ready.

4. To make a candle, cut the required length, not forgetting the reserve. It is allowed to keep the finished wick rolled into a skein.

5. To create a colored fire, one teaspoon of chemicals can be added to the mixture for soaking the wick. Let's say strontium chloride will give a red flame, table salt - clear yellow, borax - yellow-green, potassium nitrate - violet.

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Note!
When creating a wick with a colored flame, it is impossible to apply several chemicals at the same time, because. it can cause a chemical reaction.

If you have oranges or lemons and obscene candles at home, then make genuine candles from them to decorate your home and ceremonial table. Their production will take a little time at all, and the result will certainly please you.

You will need

• - oranges or lemons;
• - candles or paraffin;
• - kapron thread.

Instruction

1. Cut the orange into two identical halves and carefully scoop out all the pulp with a spoon. You won’t need it much more, so you can squeeze juice out of it or eat it easily. It is allowed to use not only this fruit, but also lemon, tangerine or grapefruit. The result is a half, similar to a saucer. Now take paraffin or candles, put them in a saucepan and melt over a hefty low heat or in a water bath.

2. Make a wick from a slice of kapron thread, its length should be slightly larger than the height of your candle. It is allowed to take already prepared wicks from candles that have been melted if they are suitable in height. Then with one hand hold the wick in the middle of the “saucer”, and with the other hand carefully pour melted paraffin into it. It is necessary that a small slice of the wick remains on the surface. Wait for the paraffin to harden, this usually takes a few minutes.

3. This candle looks amazing on the table and has a great smell. If desired, it is allowed to lay out a few stars of cloves or slices of cinnamon along the edges of the peel. It remains only to light a candle and arrange a romantic dinner. Do not forget about safety precautions when using a candle, be careful with fire.

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As you know, candles can be made at home. Basically, they are all made from paraffin. Now I bring to your attention a water candle. Make it much faster and much easier. Go!

You will need

• – water;
• - sunflower oil;
• - stack;
• - a candle;
• - plastic bottle;
• - stationery knife.

Instruction

1. First you need to cut out plastic bottle a circle equal to the diameter of the stack. After that, take a clerical knife and make a small hole in the middle of this circle.

2. The next step is to pull the wick out of the candle. This can also be done with the support of a clerical knife. After that, take a perforated plastic circle and stick a wick into it. For this, it is allowed to use a primitive rod from the handle.

3. Now we pour water into the stack. After that, we pour vegetable oil there. Its layer should not exceed 5 millimeters.

4. After that, we take a circle with a wick inserted into it and wipe it thoroughly so that there are no traces. Then we put it in a pile of water and vegetable oil. Your candle is ready! It is allowed to try to set it on fire. Is it on? I think how! Luck!

Helpful advice
The candle will stop burning when the oil runs out. If this happens, diligently pour it into the water candle, pulling out the plastic circle with the wick in advance.

Do you want to create romance in nature? But there is nothing at hand. From a dilapidated bowl and a candle it is allowed to create a unique designer accessory, the one that will delight you and your companions on a chilling evening.

You will need

• - A dilapidated hiking mug;
• – Candlestick;
• – Blue acrylic paint;
• - Matches (toothpick);
• – White acrylic paint;
• - Clear varnish for fixing.

Instruction

1. Take a mug, rinse, clean. Dry thoroughly. Cover with blue paint. Leave to dry for 2-3 days.

2. Using a match or a toothpick, apply small white or yellow dots - these will be stars. Dry thoroughly.

3. Cover your product with clear varnish. Insert a candle inside. Ready! Enjoy the charming romantic mood while the candle wick is smoldering.

Gel candles add originality and mystery to any interior. They will create a romantic atmosphere and serve as a good present. Making gel candles with your own hands is very easy. In the presence of imagination, they will turn out to be not almost trashier than those sold in stores. In addition, the production of candles - interesting process, to which it is allowed to connect children.

You will need

• Glass cup, small vase or flask
• Decor: shells, pebbles, beads, etc.
• 1 st. gelatin spoon
• 1 st. l. glycerine
• 1 glass of water
• Mug or bowl
• Saucepan with water for a steam bath
• Pencil, pen or stick
• Essential oil
• Food coloring
• Wick (it is allowed to make independently, buy ready-made or extract from an ordinary candle)

Instruction

1. Mix glycerin and gelatin in a mug or other bowl, pour into a glass cold water and leave for 1 hour. During this time, the gelatin will swell.

2. In a glass, the one that will later be a candle, put decorative elements, say shells. When you wake up to fill with liquid, they can float up, therefore it is allowed to stick them on superglue or pour a gel mixture into them and force out the air. Lower the wick into the glass and fix it on a pencil or stick so that it stays even.

3. Heat the mixture on a steam bath so that the grains of gelatin are completely dissolved. Care must be taken that the solution does not boil.

4. After that, add a few drops to the gel mixture. essential oil and dye. These ingredients are not indispensable, they are allowed not to be used.

5. Carefully pour the mixture into the glass with decor, making sure that the wick remains in vertical arrangement. After this, you need to leave the candle for a while, let it harden.

6. Check and make sure the mixture has set. gel candle ready with your own hands!

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Note!
The amount of essential oil should match the size of the candle. It is allowed to add about 5 drops to a small glass.

Helpful advice
To speed up the process of solidification of the candle, it is allowed to put it in the refrigerator.

The candle is one of the great inventions of mankind. For many millennia, it was necessary to somehow feed the burning lamps, pour melted fat or oil into them. Such a lamp had to be re-mounted every time. He smoked heavily, and the smoke was persistent bad smell. From all these inconveniences, the invention of a candle saved. Now, candle making is more of a wonderful hobby - a way to realize your creative potential. One of the difficulties on the way of mastering this revived craft is precisely the manufacture of the wick.

What is it and why is it needed?

Traditionally, a wick is a piece of fabric or thread of various thicknesses and weaving densities. Its material absorbs flammable liquid and helps it rise up. From the molten liquid, even more combustible vapors spread between the fibers of the wick fabric and around it. The wick is easy to set on fire, vapors and flammable liquid burn, illuminating the area around. But to set fire to the mass (oil or fat) into which the wick is lowered can be difficult, and sometimes impossible.

Thanks to the special design of the wick, kerosene or other highly flammable liquid (for example, alcohol) does not immediately ignite, and their combustion in more advanced burners can be controlled.

In a candle, the wick is impregnated with wax or paraffin. Thanks to the correct wick (material, density, thickness), the flame is even and illuminates the room without soot or flashes. Paraffin or wax gradually melts, turning into a liquid state, is absorbed into the fabric and fuels the flame with combustible vapors. So the candle gradually burns out, remaining stable enough not to melt completely.

Thanks to correct selection the diameter of the candle and the thickness of the wick, as well as its exact position in the middle of the candle, a long-lasting and reusable device is obtained.

What are they made of?

Wicks for oil lamps were made from any absorbent fabric of plant origin. Oil or fat was placed in a shallow vessel. At its edge, a twisted piece of fabric pre-soaked in the same flammable liquid was placed. For lack of a better one, they were, in general, tolerable lamps. However, they still had quite a few shortcomings. Firstly, such a bowl with a burning wick is difficult to move - it is easy to spill melted fat, and even more so oil. Secondly, the flame of such a lamp constantly smoked. And the fat also spread a very noticeable unpleasant odor. However, just such lighting fixtures often used by whalers in distress or Arctic explorers as early as the beginning of the 20th century.

For candles, wicks began to be made from a specially prepared thread or twine, also having vegetable origin. Unlike an oil lamp combustible material now began to act gradually, it became possible to pick up correct diameter and wick structure. In addition, the candle can be moved, although rather carefully so as not to extinguish the flame with a stream of air.

Wax (specially processed wax) is used to make a wooden wick for candles.- a torch, simply - a dried sliver. Of course, it must be specially prepared. The splint must be taken well dried, then it must be impregnated with wax and only after that rolled into wax. Such a candle, if all the parameters are chosen correctly, burns evenly and for a long time.

Modern candles can be equipped with a reusable wick. The candle and fuel material are burned, but the wick remains and can be used to make a new candle. The material for such, one might say, an eternal wick, is fiberglass. In this case, you have to replace the candle. This approach may be justified for decorative candles having a complex shape.

Sometimes a purchased candle also has to replace the wick. One of the reasons for the emergence of such a need may be non-compliance with the technology of preparing the wick, primarily its insufficient drying. It happens that this element does not quite correspond to the candle for which it was applied. For example, a thread that is too thick can form a ball of soot at the end and will smoke a lot. Or it turned out to be thin, and the flame is filled with melt.

To replace the wick, you need to prepare a small set of tools:

• pointed pliers;
• paper napkins;
• wire;
• you may need a soldering iron.

Most often, it is quite easy to remove the wick, you just need to hook the edge of the metal cup, which many candles have, or pull the protruding end of the wick. But there may also be difficulties. In this case you can use a heated wire, it must be held with pliers. And heat over the flame, for example from gas stove. The wire must be immersed in the candle at the point where the wick comes out, and then pulled out. Turning the cooling wire, remove it too. A new thread can be inserted into the hole formed. To do this, again, you can use a piece of wire. A new wick must be glued to it. The end free from the thread must be heated again and stretched through the candle, so that the glued thread takes the desired position. Next, it remains only to cut off the protruding ends. The wick should protrude 6–8 mm.

How to choose the thickness?

Nevertheless, cotton or linen thread has remained the main material for the wick for centuries. The selection of its parameters, as practice shows, is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

• It is important to consider the thickness and structure of the thread. If it turns out to be too thin, the flame will be weak, such a candle will give little light. Too thick a thread will contribute to the formation of a large soot and, in addition to light, it will also smoke a lot, and the candle will burn out much faster.
• The density of the material also matters. The space between the fibers during combustion must be filled with combustible vapors, it is they who support the flame. So, for a wax candle, you need a thicker, but less dense thread than a wick for a paraffin or stearin candle.
• The diameter of the candle can also be a significant parameter influencing the selection of the wick. It would seem that a thicker candle should be equipped with a thicker wick. However, this is not the case at all. A strong flame will cause intense melting of the top layer of the combustible material of the candle mass, the wick will be heated by the melt and the flame will go out.

It is, of course, possible to correctly observe the ratio of the material and diameter of the candle with the indicators of the wick. In industrial conditions, where everything is standardized, errors are practically excluded. For various candles, a specially prepared thread of various knitting, thickness and density is supplied. But in the case self-manufacturing you have to go through the thorny path of trial and error.

How to do it yourself at home?

Cotton thread remains the most mastered material for candle wicks. It can be twisted, braided or crocheted, thus expanding the application options for different candle weights and candle diameters. Moreover, threads can be woven with different densities, and this, as mentioned above, is very important, since the molten masses from which candles are made behave differently.

For a candle with a diameter of 2 to 7 cm, a wick of 10–15 threads is usually used. If the candle diameter approaches 10 cm, 25 threads will be required. A product larger than 10 cm in diameter must be equipped with a wick of 30 threads.

When making a wick at home, of course, you will have to rely on your experience, which is not gained immediately. Like any hobby, candle making (and wick making in particular) requires patience.

When making a candle, it is important to place the wick clearly in the middle, otherwise the product will flow unevenly and burn out faster than required. It is convenient to use a plastic cup or any other hollow plastic product as a mold for casting. In this case, it is necessary to make a hole in the lower part and, after tying a knot on the wick, insert its second end into this hole from below. Pulling it out to the top of the future candle, fasten it by tying it to some spacer, for example, from a toothpick or pencil. Pour the melted candle mass carefully, trying not to move the wick.

The finished candle should be removed from the mold after the candle mass has completely solidified, it is quite simple to determine this by the temperature of the mold surface. While it is hot, it is better not to touch the candle.

Required impregnation

Creating a wick is not only about making a thread of the required density and thickness. In order for her to become a candle wick, she must be prepared for this. So that the wick does not burn out immediately, but performs its function, the thread must be impregnated.

In the case of a wax candle, impregnation with the same melted wax is sometimes sufficient. Wax is melted on fire in an enameled plate. The thread is placed in a plate and allowed to soak. The procedure must be repeated three to four times, until air bubbles no longer appear in the liquid wax. After that, it must be suspended until the wax is completely hardened. The thread for storage can be wound loosely on the bobbin, laying layers of paper. It is better to store in a cool place so that the wax does not spread. When necessary, you can cut off the pieces you need in length with scissors.