Jesús Peña making candles; June 9, 1945.
The very best candles are made of pure beeswax, which gives less smoke and which burns longer, but since such candles are very expensive, most are part paraffin. . . . The loose ends [of the cotton wick] are tied, washed in soapy water, and hung on nails driven in a hoop a meter in diameter. A hoop of this size, which may have up to 75 nails, is suspended from a rafter so that it may easily be revolved. The worker places the cazuela [a clay casserole] with melted wax just beneath the hoop with enough fire to keep the wax liquid. Then, with a tin dipper, he pours hot wax in turn on all wicks, twirling them so that the wax runs evenly all around. The soapy water prevents the wax from sticking to the wick where it is hung from the nail. Thus the round of the hoop is made so that by the time the candlemaker returns to the first wick, it is cool and ready for the next bath. . . . From 10 to 15 baths of wax are necessary, depending on the thickness of the candle (1948). Jesús Peña, a former sacristan, made candles for the church.
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