Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Molded Candles
It is quicker to mold candles. For candle molds, use plastic or paper cups or
cut-down milk cartons. To keep the candles from sticking, the molds can be
sprayed with a nonstick baking spray (the lecithin-based type) or just brushed
with cooking oil. Metal molds should be both oiled and chilled before you
pour in the tallow. There are silicone-type preparations that are also used for
mold release. As with dipped candles, a shorter and wider shape is best when
using tallow, which is not as fi rm as a wax.
Since the bottom of the mold will be the top of the candle, the wick
should be threaded out through the bottom and should protrude about an
inch (2.5 cm). This is easily done when using paper or plastic containers for
molds. If you can't make a hole in the bottom of your mold, leave a little coil
of extra wick in the bottom that you can pull out when the candle is removed.
If you have a wick sticking out the bottom of the mold, knot it there so you
can pull it straight and tight while pouring in the tallow. It could be fastened
at the top to a wire or stick that rests on top of the mold to keep it straight and
centered in the candle until it hardens.
Colored Candles
To make colored candles, stir in 2 teaspoons of powdered household dye,
such as Rit or Diamond Dye, for each pound of tallow, and mix well into the
liquid tallow.
Sheep Carpentry
This topic has plans for building various pieces of sheep equipment, and there
are plan-services booklets available (see Resources). There is always a need
for useful equipment, and you might fi nd a ready buyer for duplicates of the
pieces you make for your own use.
Teaching and Writing
Whatever you do well can always be a source of income if you teach or write
about it. A well-organized small sheep operation can offer farm lecture tours
for a fee. On-farm “sheeplore” classes can be a day class or a weekend bed-
and-breakfast offering. Wool handcrafts, such as spinning and weaving or
locker hooking, can be the meal for your millstone: teaching classes at a com-
munity college, giving private lessons, or writing articles for a magazine all
provide extra income and may create a market for your fl eeces as well. The
