When we first started, using wax molds was the logical choice. They’re easy to source, and the process is straightforward—pouring melted wax into molds and waiting for it to cool and harden. At the time, I was mostly focusing on keeping the bees alive so I needed a lower effort solution. However, while this method produced beautiful candles, it was slow and labor-intensive at scale. Thus, we turned to a different candle making method for our beeswax tapers – candle dipping.
Candle-dipping dates back centuries as one of the most traditional ways to create candles. It’s easy to imagine medieval Benedictine monks hand-dipping beeswax candles outside their monastery, patiently dipping each one layer by layer. Because most of us lack the patience of Benedicties, over time, the process got more and more mechanised. And thus dipping machines were born. These machines improved candle-making by streamlining the dipping process, enabling the production of dozens—or even hundreds—of candles in a single session.
Old candle dipping carousel from 1920s. 
How a Dipping Carousel Works
A dipping carousel is essentially a large rotating mechanism designed to hold multiple candle wicks and dip them systematically into a vat of beeswax. The process is cyclical and precise:
- Suspension: Wicks are attached to the carousel’s arms, hanging freely to ensure an even coating.
- Dipping: The carousel rotates, lowering the wicks into the molten beeswax.
- Cooling: The wicks are lifted and given time to cool slightly before the next dip.
- Repetition: This process is repeated multiple times until the candles reach the desired thickness.
The key to this process is keeping the wax at a consistent temperature and allowing enough dry time between dips. But when it works, it really works. Even the wicking (setting up the wicks) is way easier. I went from wicking 60 candles in 45 minutes to wicking 680 in 45 minutes with the carousel.
Building Our Own Carousel
Since dipping carousels aren’t something you can buy off the shelf we had to build our own with some base parts we purchased. This was no small feat! It involved me remembering how to weld and the help of a neighbor.
As seen in the images above, our workshop’s carousel is now the heart of our candle-making process. It may look industrial and bulky, but it’s been tremendously helpful for us to get out orders, especially around the Advent surge.
We Still Use Molds
This isn’t to say we’ve thrown away all of our molds. For a lot of our products (non-tapers) we still need them. Molds are helpful for building our designed candles (vine pillars, holy family, etc.) But I’m happy to say we’ve fully transitioned the taper side of our business (normal tapers and advent tapers) to using the dipping carousel.
