TRICK CHRISTMAS CANDLES SHOOT UP WHEN LIT (Jan, 1933)
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jan, 1933
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TRICK CHRISTMAS CANDLES SHOOT UP WHEN LIT
Red Christmas candles that will-amaze and mystify the children can be prepared in such a way that when the wicks are lighted the outside, which is merely a shell, will shoot into the air and reveal a stick of candy. This is much more surprising and novel than an ordinary jack-in-the-box and is quite as safe.
Make the candles by rolling shiny red paper into a tube. Each tube fits over a stick of candy set in a hole in a 3 in. wooden disk, also enameled red. In the top of each tube, resting on the candy, is placed a coil spring tied up with a cord, and the ends of the cord project out of the top to form the wick. The cord is prepared in advance by dipping it into a hot, saturated solution of saltpeter with a little glue added. When the wick is lighted, it will burn down quickly and release the spring, and the candle shell will be shot high into the air.
A few candles prepared in this way will add to the gayety at any Christmas or New Year’s party.—G. S. G.
how many kid lose eye in this way?
Comment by latente — April 2, 2007 @ 2:24 am
the good ol’ days, when kids were encouraged to play with fire and pointy, unpredictable projectiles…
Comment by Jeffery Wright — October 23, 2007 @ 6:09 am
[...] found this crazy Christmas trick candle for kids through Modern Mechanix blog. You light the wick and the child gets a surprise because the outer shell of the candle comes [...]
Pingback by Trick candles & call out to candle blogs · Candle Making @ CraftGossip — September 2, 2008 @ 9:50 pm