Candles for Inletting

[Mgray]

Hello All,
I am wondering what the best candles would be for blacking parts to be inlet. I am restricted to things used during the 18th century. Thanks in advance.

-Maria

[Mike Brooks]

I personally don't care for an open flame on my bench.

[smallpatch]

An oil,lamp works much better than candles.

[bama]

Be careful with the oil lamp, they work very well but I think that is how Hershel burnt his shop down. I use the cheapest wax candles I can find they smoke the parts very well and are easy to light and blow out, plus they don't spill any flammable liquid if they get knocked over.

[David Rase]

I personally don't care for an open flame on my bench.

Mike,
Having been in your shop I can understand your concern. 
David

[Jim Kibler]

Collect some soot and mix it with just a bit of oil.  Brush this on with a good sized brush and you'll be much further ahead than fooling with a candle.

Jim

[Bob Gerard]

Jim, cane your ‘Bone Black’  work as well for inletting black?

[Jim Kibler]

Jim, cane your ‘Bone Black’  work as well for inletting black?

Yes, it works really well.  Just mix with a bit of oil.

Jim

[mountainman]

If you are restricted and need to be period correct, I'm guessing pure beeswax candles is what they used at Colonial Williamsburg, Whether they used it for inletting I'm not positive but I faintly remember them using one when were there in 2016
Here is a pic

[P.W.Berkuta]

If you are restricted and need to be period correct, I'm guessing pure beeswax candles is what they used at Colonial Williamsburg, Whether they used it for inletting I'm not positive but I faintly remember them using one when were there in 2016
Here is a pic

HEY -- what's that vehicle doing out there??? Must be one of those 1775 models

[Mike Brooks]

Be careful with the oil lamp, they work very well but I think that is how Hershel burnt his shop down. I use the cheapest wax candles I can find they smoke the parts very well and are easy to light and blow out, plus they don't spill any flammable liquid if they get knocked over.

His shop burnt down when a visitor stopped by when he wasn't there. The visitor helped him out by filling the Woodstove up with wood then left. When Hershel came home his shop was gone. Always nice when people help you out.

[Gaeckle]

Be careful with the oil lamp, they work very well but I think that is how Hershel burnt his shop down. I use the cheapest wax candles I can find they smoke the parts very well and are easy to light and blow out, plus they don't spill any flammable liquid if they get knocked over.

His shop burnt down when a visitor stopped by when he wasn't there. The visitor helped him out by filling the Woodstove up with wood then left. When Hershel came home his shop was gone. Always nice when people help you out.

That's a bummer. If that happened to me I'd be devastated

[Steeltrap]

I use modern materials. I can because I saw them in back to the future.....so they are now historically correct.....

[Long John]

I doubt that a colonial gunmaker would use beeswax for sooting parts.  Candles were reserved fro use as a light source, especially in the house, because of the relatively low level of smoke.  I suspect that hog fat was melted into an earthenware bowl containing a wick, much like the smudge pots of 50 years ago that were used along construction sites.  I use a wick in a small bowl with lamp oil.   It produces a much sootier flame than beeswax, is much cheaper and is easy to snuff-out.
JMC

[Joe Stein]

How about a Betty Lamp? 
Joe Stein

[Mike Brooks]

Jim, cane your ‘Bone Black’  work as well for inletting black?

Yes, it works really well.  Just mix with a bit of oil.

Jim

I think Kibler has the best 18th century method..

[Grischi]

I'm using an oil lamp. Works well.

Christian

[Steeltrap]

A lit oil lamp perched on a small table as you waive a long steel barrel across the flame….what could go wrong?

[P.W.Berkuta]

I use a cheap $10.xx hurricane lamp that I got off of EBAY. I removed the up-right arms and glass globe, plug the holes in the base. Works great - I shut it down after I use it all it takes is a match to relight it - no big deal. Use what you feel is comfortable for you .

[Grischi]

A lit oil lamp perched on a small table as you waive a long steel barrel across the flame….what could go wrong?

It is up to everyone to take proper precautions. - Fire extinguisher, fire blanket, maybe work outside

Christian

[P.W.Berkuta]

Maybe we should not be shooting guns that use an explosive like black powder -- I got it we all can use air guns - yea - that's the ticket . Let the flaming begin!

[Mule Brain]

Be careful with the oil lamp, they work very well but I think that is how Hershel burnt his shop down. I use the cheapest wax candles I can find they smoke the parts very well and are easy to light and blow out, plus they don't spill any flammable liquid if they get knocked over.

His shop burnt down when a visitor stopped by when he wasn't there. The visitor helped him out by filling the Woodstove up with wood then left. When Hershel came home his shop was gone. Always nice when people help you out.

An interesting tid bit on this, he used the barrels from the fire to reinforce his new shop floor.

[Mgray]

Thanks for all the advice. I am not worried about burning the shop down as this question is purely about what I should use for inletting parts whilst I am at living history events where I am working outside. In the shop I use inletting black or Jim Kibler's method of soot and oil. At an event it is messy to use soot and oil and historically inaccurate to use inletting black so I am wondering what is historically accurate that burns the most soot for blacking.

[Mike Brooks]

I don't think it's historically inaccurate to use inlet black.

[Mule Brain]

Whale oil lamps would have been used as well, but good luck finding it now