Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better?

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Patrick

DIY torches test oil wax 14

At this time of year it gets darker and earlier and so the idea for a party or the garden came up "Let's build torches ourselves" on. So on YouTube and get inspired. Torches with oil or with wax was now the question. The base material should be a roll of toilet paper. We just decided to test both.

We build DIY torches with oil and DIY torches with wax. In addition, we do this not only with toilet paper rolls, but also with kitchen paper rolls.

Which DIY torches burn longer? Which DIY torch burns nicer? What are the differences and advantages of a DIY torch made of wax and a DIY torch made of OIL or toilet paper and kitchen roll? We tested it and here you will find our experience and tips for making torches yourself.

DIY torches | You need to do this yourself

For our test we have a total of 2,4 kg candle waxs searched together. The wax came from old unused candles, burned down candles or leftover wax. The wax did not cost anything in this case (before, but not for this test 🙂). who Buy wax extra must, should 500g wax / candles get cheap for 1-2 € in the store or Order cheap wax / candles online. We bought for the oil Sunflower oil for 0,97 € the 1 liter in the discounter.

After we have already tested the whole thing, here you will find a list and measurements for the things that you need and should work well in the ratio.

DIY torch with wax

Toilet paper roll (3-ply) or kitchen roll
➨ approx. 400-500g wax (Candle wax leftovers or bestsellers 2024: The best and most popular in the top 10 comparison | Honest tests)
pot or a high pan (to melt the wax)
Fireplace for heating (Hot plate, grill etc.)
document (Newspaper, cardboard etc.)
Kitchen ladle (for stirring and pouring over the wax)
tongs (to turn and turn)

DIY torch with oil

Toilet paper roll (3-ply) or kitchen roll
➨ approx. 500ml OIL (Sunflower oil or other)
Container or plate (for sucking up and soaking the oil)
tongs (to turn and turn)

Do it yourself torches with wax

Do-it-yourself torches with wax 11
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 50 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

For the DIY wax torch you will of course need wax, the more the better! We have a total of 2,4 kg. We could get out of that 5 toilet paper rolls and 1 kitchen roll 6 wax torches do it yourself.

Do-it-yourself torches with wax 1
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 51 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

For each torch made of wax that was approx. 400g with approx. 500g you really have enough for one torch. It also always depends on how much you pour wax over or immerse. With 400g we only had the most essential wax absorbed, more could not hurt.

Do-it-yourself torches with wax 2
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 52 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

An Electric grill was enough to get the wax from 40 degrees to melt. Old table as a base. A ladle to stir. Barbecue tongs were great for turning the toilet rolls and removing the hot torches with wax.

The wax is completely melted, now you can soak a toilet paper roll full of wax. From the halfway point you turn it.

Danger! Please be careful with children! HOT! Don't let anything fall in, it can splash!

Do-it-yourself torches with wax 10
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 55 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

The DIY torch with wax is ready and can be taken out of the pot to cool and dry. Place them on the prepared surface.

We do the same with a kitchen roll. The bigger the pot, the better. The grill tongs help a lot.

Then put 3 toilet paper rolls in the pot at the same time so that it goes faster. Only with plenty of wax in the pot!

Note: the more paper a kitchen roll or toilet roll has, the more fuel it has and can absorb more wax, which can increase the burning time. Pouring wax over it several times to get a thicker layer of wax affects the burning time in the same way. That means you need a lot more wax, of course! Read more about wax!

Do-it-yourself torches with oil

Make torches yourself with oil 2
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 58 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

The toilet roll and kitchen roll just have to be completely soaked with oil. The best thing to do is to use one tall pot. With what we took, not really good for turning and vacuuming

Make torches yourself with oil 3
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 59 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?
Make torches yourself with oil 4
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 60 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?
Make torches yourself with oil 1
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 61 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

According to our knowledge, should 500ml is enough for one toilet rolln. We feel that a kitchen roll should be a little more, but we used 500ml for the torch made of oil for testing. It is best to leave them on a plate until you are ready to use them.

Note: The burning time of DIY torches with wax can be different! Candle wax contains paraffin, which can be different for every candle and influences the burning time and the burning process. We used a mix of many candles that everyone might have on leftovers in the household. The values ​​& results can be different for everyone and therefore this test is only a kind of little guideline of what you can expect if you want to make such DIY torches.

DIY torches with wax VS. DIY torches with OIL

DIY torches test oil wax 7
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

Now we want to know! What burns better, longer, nicer? What is the difference between a toilet roll and a kitchen roll or wax and oil? We line everything up and set them on fire at the same time!

Tip: To light up, just take a few drops of grill lighter or, if you have one, the wicks from the candles!

DIY torches test oil wax 9
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 62 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

4 Minutes

After 4 minutes, all DIY torches will have a nice flame. The kitchen roll with oil obviously doesn't burn down so quickly from above.

DIY torches test oil wax 10
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

8 Minutes

The wax extends the flame down faster, which doesn't mean it will burn down faster. There is a nicer big flame. The oil, on the other hand, only burns slowly from above, the flame appears smaller.

DIY torches test oil wax 11
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

20 Minutes

All DIY torches burn brightly. The torches with wax look more burnt down. The torches with oil are not completely on fire. Both variants currently give a good flame picture.

DIY torches test oil wax 18
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

30 Minutes

You already have the feeling that torches with wax burn down faster. A torch made of paper towel and wax burns down the fastest. The oil amazes us a little.

DIY torches test oil wax 24
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

40 Minutes

We can't recommend a DIY torch made from paper towels with wax. Either there was not enough wax or, due to the structure, there was more air in the kitchen roll, which then burns off faster.

DIY torches test oil wax 26
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

50 Minutes

Furthermore, the DIY torches with toilet paper are still burning very well. The kitchen roll with oil still burns, but for how long?

60 Minutes

An hour has now passed and you can see which torch is still well in the running.

DIY torches test oil wax 29
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

70 Minutes

The torch with kitchen paper and oil only has a kind of Bunsen burner flame and is as good as out. The remaining two DIY torches are still burning where the flame that dances with wax creates more.

DIY torches test oil wax 34
Left: 2x torch with wax Right: 2x torch with oil

80 Minutes

It is drawing to a close. On the right the torch with oil only has a small flame on top. The left torch still has a bigger flame, both will probably go out soon.

DIY torches test oil wax 36
Homemade torches: oil vs. wax – which material burns better? 66 Homemade Torches: Oil vs. Wax – Which Material Burns Better?

83 Minutes

The two DIY torches made of wax and OIL went out almost at the same time, unbelievable. Now we can draw a conclusion.

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Test results & conclusion: DIY torches do it yourself

TP = toilet paper KP = kitchen roll paper

ArtTP with waxTP with oilKP with waxKP with oil
The BrandCollect and melt wax, soak and turnBowl with oil and soak and turnCollect and melt wax, soak and turnBowl with oil and soak & turn
burning time about 1,5 habout 1,5 habout 50 Minabout 1 h
impressionNice flame, burns as a wholeFlame good, but not always as beautiful as with waxNice elongated flame burns as a whole elongated flame later, burns from top to bottom, first shorter flame.
BenefitsBurns a long, beautiful flame, handicraft time with children, keep using old candleslow expenditure of time, quick production & harmlessbeautiful flame
, Craft time with children,
Reuse old candles
low expenditure of time, quick production & harmless
DisadvantagesTime and effort to manufacture, no wax (BUY!), Risk of injury (hot) many utensils requiredburns differently than wax, but still a good torchTime and effort to manufacture, no wax (BUY!), Risk of injury (hot), many utensils requiredburns differently than wax, but still a good torch, burns down faster
Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ConclusionMega torch, time consuming and can cost wax. Effort highSuper torch, very little time and effort, little cost, hardly any utensilsGreat torch, but the burning time is too short, time-consuming and can cause costs for wax, high effortGood torch, but short burning time, nevertheless quickly manufactured, costs low

Making wax torches yourself with children is a great leisure time and fun. So you still use the remaining wax from burned candles. It's quick and easy with oil, it burns for about as long! Have fun making torches.

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Patrick

For me, information plays a crucial role when purchasing new products. That's why I devote myself intensively to reading and researching on the Internet. On my website, Ehrliche-tests.de, I share articles about topics and products that pique my interest, as well as my experiences with products that I have bought and tried. My product tests, tips and recommendations can be useful when making a purchase or if you have questions about a specific topic. If you have any questions about any of my posts, products or topics, don't hesitate to leave me a comment or email me.

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