# Straightening a Candle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 6, 2018, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908 "2018-04-06T04:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/1 "2018-04-06T04:30:45Z")
My baptismal candle got left over a heater. (Not my doing, FWIW.) I caught it before it actually melted, but still, it’s no longer straight. The wax isn’t actually slumping down, but the candle does bend over at an angle. I’ve been reluctant to try to do anything that might damage it even further, but all the same, I’d love it if it were straight again. Anyone got any experience with reshaping candles? ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/2 "2018-04-06T11:43:19Z")
Former pro candle maker here: You can try to slowly warm it up and reshape it. Don’t use a towel or anything that will leave marks when it gets soft. If it’s hot out, the sun might do it. Or on the dash inside your car. Use a glass dish or a metal tray. Once in the correct shape, let it cool. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/3 "2018-04-06T12:46:12Z")
Is it straight sided (even if tapered)? Get it warm and roll it on a really smooth surface. Or … try hanging it from one end and put it in a _very_ slightly warm spot for a while. E.g., over the coils at the back of a fridge. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/4 "2018-04-06T13:04:21Z")
If I was going to try to get it warm, I’d try putting it in a ziplock bag and immersing it in warm/hot water rather than the sun or behind the fridge. That way you can monitor how soft it’s getting. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/5 "2018-04-06T13:12:11Z")
Wanted to add, looked up the melting point of wax: ~37C/99F so keep that in mind. No boiling water that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/6 "2018-04-06T13:26:49Z")
You can’t look up _the_ melting point of wax, because there are many kinds of wax with different melting points. But I think that baptismal candles are traditionally made from beeswax, which melts at about 62ºC (144ºF). Of course, it starts softening at a lower temperature than that, which is really what we want, not full melting. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/7 "2018-04-06T13:59:52Z")
Yeah, that was for paraffin wax. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/8 "2018-04-06T14:58:35Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Wanted to add, looked up the melting point of wax: ~37C/99F so keep that in mind. No boiling water that’s for sure. That may be the melting point of pure paraffin wax, but candles aren’t pure wax. A candle with a 37C melting point would be extremely impractical - you’d have to store it in climate controlled warehouses and ship it in refrigerated trucks in summer. I found [this page](https://www.candlescience.com/wax/paraffin-wax) that sells wax for candles, and their definition of a low melting point wax is \<130F, for use in container candles and tealight candles. The paraffin wax blend they sell for free-standing (pillar) candles has a melting point of 138F. Anyway, I suspect immersing (well, floating) it in lukewarm water would soften it sufficiently so you could bend it back gently. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/9 "2018-04-06T15:13:02Z")
Well, I have my doubts that the OP will be sure about the wax type or purity of his baptismal candle, so caution with the water temperature is probably a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/10 "2018-04-06T15:23:44Z")
Has anyone ever tried sticking a candle in a microwave for just a few seconds? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/11 "2018-04-06T15:32:15Z")
That would probably be a bad idea. I don’t think I’d trust the heat to be evenly spread. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/12 "2018-04-06T16:44:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But I think that baptismal candles are traditionally made from beeswax, which melts at about 62ºC (144ºF). Props to **Chronos** for minding his beeswax. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/13 "2018-04-06T16:57:07Z")
If you have a sous vide machine you can get very accurate water temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/14 "2018-04-06T17:15:17Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > If you have a sous vide machine you can get very accurate water temperature. And assuming it can be set low enough, you can start well below the melting point and work up slowly. Excellent idea. (My son bought a sous vide wand that hangs on the side of a soup kettle. It does a good job.) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straightening-a-candle/811908/15 "2018-04-06T17:23:30Z")
I believe at least one of mine goes below 100°F