daniel holtwiesche | PORTFOLIO

Candle Cut

Development and construction of a special machine for cutting beeswax candles to length

Technically, but also practically, the material wax poses considerable challenges when cutting and trimming. 

Its extreme stickiness as well as its low and immediate melting point are extremely problematic. A special solution had to be found to cut or trim the bottom end of hand-drawn beeswax candles.


Hand-drawn beeswax candles are made by repeatedly dipping a wick into liquid wax. With each dipping process, another layer of wax sticks to the wick. In this way, the diameter of the candle grows step by step to the desired size.

However, a cone-shaped tip forms at the lower end. This tip usually has to be removed so that the candle can stand freely or in a candle holder.


Candle making is manual labour that is usually carried out in manufactories.


In this case, however, the client was a workshop for people with disabilities, which is why partial automation was desired, which was to be harmoniously integrated into the craft business.


My designed and realised machine is therefore based on a slowly rotating turntable on which conical troughs are arranged in a circle. The raw candles are placed in these moulds by hand.

The rotary disc rotates slowly past a heated milling head, which cuts the candles to length. Raw candles can be placed continuously and finished candles can also be removed.

© Daniel Holtwiesche

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