Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/300

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CAN

itrument contriv'd for that Purpofc, into Pieces of rhe Length of the Candle requir'd ; then put on the Rods, or Broches, or elfe plac'd in the Moulds, as the Candles are intended to be dipp'd or moulded.

Making of dipp'd Candles.

The liquid Tallow being drawn off from the Tub above- mention'd, in;o a Veffel call'd the Mould, Sink, Abyfs, &e. of an angular Form, perfectly like a Prifm, except that it is not equilateral ; the Side on which it opens being only ten Inches high 5 and the others, which make its height, 15. On the Angle, form'd by the two great Sides, it is fupport- ed by two Feet, and is plac'd on a kind of Bench, in form of a Trough, to catch the Droppings, as the Candles are taken out, each Dip. At a convenient Diflance from this, is feated 'the Workman, who takes two Rods, or Broches, at a time, itrung with the proper Number of Wicks; viz. fixteen, if the Candles are to be of eight in the Pound ; twelve if of fix in the Pound, g£c. and holding 'em equi- diflant, by means of the fecond and third Finger of each Hand, which he puts between 'em, he immerses the Wicks two or three times for their firft Lay ; and, hold- ing 'em fome time over the opening of the Veffel to let 'em drain, hangs 'em on a Rack, where they continue to drain and grow dry- When dry, they are dipp'd a fecond time, then a third, as before ; only for the third Lay they are but immcrg'd twice, in all the reit thrice. This Ope- ration is repeated more or lefs, according to the intended Thickncfs of the Candle. With the laft Dip they Neck 'em ; L e. plunge 'em below that part of the Wick where the other Lays ended.

It muft be obferv'd, that during the Operation, the Tal- low is flirr'd from time to time, and the Stock fupplied with frefh Tallow. "When the Candles are finifh'd, their piqu'd Ends, or Bottoms, are taken off; not with any cut- ting Instrument, but by palling them over a kind of flat brazen Plate, heated to a properpitch by aFirc underneath; which melts down as much as is requifite.

Method of making Mould Candles.

Thefe Candles are made in Moulds, of different Matters : Brafs, Tin, and Lead are the moft ordinary. Tin is the belt, and' Lead rhe worth Each Candle has its Mold, con filling of three Pieces, the Neck, Shaft, and Foot : the Shaft is a hollow Metal Cylinder, of the Diameter and Length of the. Candle propos'd : At the Extremity of this is the Neck i which is a little Metallic Cavity, in form of a Dome ; having a Molding within-fide, and piere'd in the Middle with a Hole big enough for the Wick to pafs through. At the other Extremity is the Foot, in form of a little Tunnel, thro which the Liquid Tallow runs in- to the Mold. The Neck is folder 'd to the Shaft, but the Foot is moveable, being apply'd when the Wick is to be put in, and taken off again when the Candle is cold. A little beneath the Place where the Foot is apply'd to the Shaft, is a kind of String of Metal, which ferves to fup- port that part of the Mold, and to prevent the Shaft from entering too deep in the Table to be mentioned hereafter. Laftly, in the Hook of the Foot, is a Leaf of the fame Metal, folder'd within-fide, which advancing into the Cen- tre, ferves to keep up the Wick 5 which is here hook'd on, preciftly in the Middle of the Mould. The Wick is in- trodue'd into the Shaft of the Mould, by a piece of Wire, ■which being thruft thro the Aperture of the Hook, till it come out at the Neck, the Wick is ty'd to it ; fo that in drawing it back, the Wick comes along with it, leaving only enough a-top for the Neck 5 the other End is fatten'd to rhe Hook, which thus keeps it perpendicular. The Moulds, in this Condition, are difpos'd in a Table piere'd full of Holes, the Diameter of each being about an Inch : thefe Holes receive the Moulds inverted, as far as the String in the Foot. Being thus placed perpendicularly, they are fill'd with melted 1 allow, (prepar'd as before) drawn out of the Tap into a Tin Pot ; and thence pour'd into the Foot. After the Moulds have Hood long enough to cool, for the Tallow to have come at its Confidence, the Candle is ta- ken out, by raking off the Foot, which brings the Candle along with it. Thole who aim at Perfection in their Work, bleach or whiten their Candles, by fattening them on Rods or Broches, and hanging them out to the Dew, and earlieft Rays of the Sun, for eight or ten Days : Care being taken to ilreen 'em in the Day-time from the too intenle Heat of the Sun ; and in the Night from Rain, by wax'd Cloths.

f-Vax Candles are made of a Cotton or Flaxen Wick, flightly twilled, and cover 'd with white or yellow Wax : Of thefe there are feveral Kinds ; fome call'd Tapers, us'd to il- lumine Churches, Proceflions, Funeral Ceremonies, ££■<;. See Taper; and others us'd on ordinary Occafions. For the firft Kind, their Figure is Conical, ftill diminifhing from the Bot- tom .which has a Hole to receive the Hook of the Candleftick, to the Top which ends in a Point ; The latter are Cylin- drical. The firft arc cither made with a Ladle, or with the Hand.

Manner of making Wax Candles with the Ladle.

The Wicks being twitted, and cut, of the proper Length, a Dozen of 'em are ty'd by the Neck, at equal Diltances' round an Iron Circle, fufpended directly over a large Bafon of Copper, tinn'd, and full of melted Wax : a large Ladle full of this Wax, is pour'd gently, by Inclination, on the Tops of the Wicks, one after another ; fo that running down, the whole Wick is thus cover'd : the Surplus return- ing into the Bafon ; where 'tis kept warm by a Pan of Coals underneath it. They thus continue to pour on the Wax, till the Candle arrive at its deftin'd Bignefs. It mull be obferv'd, that the three firft Ladles are pour'd on at the Top of the Wick, the fourth at the Height of *, the fifth at ~, and the fixth at * ; by which means the Candle arrives at its pyramidal Form. The Candles are then taken down hot, and laid afide of each other, in a Fcather-Bed folded in two, to preferve their Warmth, and keep the Wax foft : They are then taken and roll'd, one by one, on an even Table, ufually of Wallnut-tree, with a long fquarc Inflru- ment of Box, fmooth at Bottom. The Candle being thus roll'd and fmooth'd, its big End is cut off, and a conical Hole made in it.

Manner of making Wax Candles by the Hand.

The Wick being difpos'd, as in the former, they begin to foftcn the Wax, by working it feveral times in hot Wa- ter, contain'd in a Brafs Caldron, tinn'd, very narrow and deep. A piece of the Wax is then taken out, and difpos'd, by little and little, around the Wick, which is hung on a Hook in the Wall, by the Extremity oppofite to the Neck : fo that they begin with the big End, diminifhing ftill, as they defcend towards the Neck. In other refpects, the Method is the fame here, as in the former Cafe ; only that they are not laid in the Bed, but are roll'd on the Table, juft as they are form'd. It muft be obferv'd, however, that in the former Cafe, Water is always us'd to moiften the feve- ral Inftruinents, to prevent the Wax from flicking ; and in the latter, Lard, or Oil of Olives, for the Hands, Ta- ble, &c.

Cylindrical Wax Candles, are either for the 7*able, or 'Drawn. The firft kind are made of feveral Threads of Cotton, loofely fpun, and twitted together, cover'd with the Ladle, and roll'd, as the Conical ones, but not piere'd.

Wax Candles drawn, are fo call'd, becaufe actually drawn, in the Manner of Wire, by means of two large Rollers, or Cylinders of Wood, turn'd by Handles, which turning backwards and forwards feveral times, pafs the Wick thro melted Wax, contain'd in a Brafs Bafon ; and at the fame time thro the Holes of an Inftrument, like that us'd for drawing Wire, faften'd at one Side of the Bafon ; fo that, by little and little, the Candle acquires any Bulk, at pleafure, according to the different Holes of the Inftru- ment thro which it paffes : By this Method, may four or five hundred Ells length be drawn, running. The Inventi- on of this, we owe to Pierre Slefimare, of 'Paris, about the Middle of the laft Century.

The Word Candle comes from the Latin Candor, of Candeo ; whence, the Greek x.a.vJ)iha. Sale, or Auction by Inch of Candle ; is, when a Piece of Candle being lighted, People are allow'd to bid while it burns, but as foon as ex- tinct, the Commodity is adjudg'd to the laft Bidder. There is alfo a kind of Excommunication by Inch of Candle ; wherein, the Time a lighted Candle continues burning, is allow'd the Sinner to come to Repentance, but after which, he remains excommunicated to all Intents and Purpofes.

CANDLEMAS, a Feaft of the Church, held on the fecond of February, in honour of the Purification of the Holy Virgin. Sede fays, '"Tis happy for the Church to " have chang'd the Luttrations of the Heathens, held in " the Month of February^ around the Fields, for the Pro- " ceffions with Candles, &c." This Cuftom was instituted by Pope Gelafus, who abrogated the Lupercalia. The Feaft takes its Name from the Number of lighted Candles, at the Procefllon ; antiently us'd among us, and ftill among the Romanifls.

CANDYING, properly fignifies the turning of any thing white : 'Tis particularly us'd by the Confectioners, where white Sugar, us'd in their Preparations, is thicken'd and crif- talliz'd on the Surface of the Veffel, in manner of Ice.

Sugar-c A.xinY, or candied, is a Preparation of Sugar, cri- ftalliz'd by melting fix, or feven times. See Sugar.

CANE, or CANNA, a Meafure of Length, frequent in Italy, and the South Parts of France $ more or lefs long, ac- cording to the Places where it is us'd. At Naples, the Can- na is equal to 7 Foot 3! Inches, Englifb Meafure : The Canna of Tholotife, and the upper Languedoc, is equal to the Varre of Mrragon, and contains 5 Feet 8f Inches ; at Montpellier, in "Provence, (Dauphine, and the lower Lan- guedoc, to 6 Englifo Feet 5- Inches. See Measure.

CANEPHORA, a young Girl, who in the antient Sa- crifices bore a Baiket, wherein every thing neceffary for the Sacrifice was contain'd. The Bafkets were ufually

crown'd