I ran across the picture of an antique candler and decided that I could build one along the same design. Here are some pictures and instructions if you are interested.
Most of the following parts can be purchased from Lowe's and Hobby Lobby.
Parts list: One gallon paint can w/lid.
One rubber cup toilet bowl plunger.
One plastic utility light fixture base.
One power cord.
One 200 watt bulb.
One 10" X 10" 1/4" plywood.
Two 1/2" wood screws.
One swath of felt. (Hobby Lobby)
One stick of hot glue.
One 1/4" drill bit.
Electrical tape.
Pencil
Tools: One screw driver matching screw heads.
Hot glue gun.
Tin snips.
Reciprical jig saw with metal & plywood blades.
Dremmel Tool with cutting disc.
Hand drill.
One piece of medium sand paper.
1) Seperate the lid from the paint can.
2) Remove the handle from the toilet bowl plunger.
3) Place the toilet plunger cup on the top of the can lid centered and trace the rim onto the lid. Remove the cup and then draw a second circle inside the tracing approximately 1/8" from the traced line. (This will be used to hold the plunger cup in place.)
4) Drill a hole in the center of the lid so a jig saw blade can be inserted to cut the tracing out of the lid.
5) Cut to the inside circle and then around so as to cut a disc from the lid leaving a 1/8" lip to the original traced line.
6) Using the Dremmel tool and cutting disc cut a groove entirely around the outside lip of the open end of the plunger cup. Take your time and make sure the groove is a uniform 1/8" deep at least.
7) Cut the neck of the pluger cup off at the point where the inside of the cup concaves into the neck. The idea is to cut the neck off so as to leave a 1" hole. Try to keep the cut as flat as possible.
8) Insert the plunger cup into the paint can lid from the underside of the lid working the groove onto the lip of the lid until uniformly seated.
9) Cut four felt washers with holes that match the 1" hole in the pluger cup. The washer sides should be approximately 1/2" wide. Glue the washers onto the viewing hole on top of the pluger cup one at a time until you have a nice soft thick cushion. This will seal to the side of the egg when viewing and cut out light leakage.
10) Drill a 1/4" whole in the center of the bottom of the paint can.
11) Place the paint can onto the plywood and trace around the can bottom.
12) Cut the traced circle out of the plywood and sand the edges to smooth. Cut a half inch groove 1/8" deep from the center of the wood disc to edge. (This will hold the power cord when installed.)
13) Split the end of the power cord and bare 1/4" of the wire and twist the ends.
14) Thread the exposed ends of the power cord through the bottom of the paint can pulling it through the top opening far enough to work with.
15) Connect the two exposed ends to the seperate sides of the utility light ficture. I does not matter which wire is connected to what terminal it will work either way.
16) Tape the terminals or screw heads with a small piece of electrical tape.
17) Pull the power cord back through the bottom hole until the light fixture is flat on the bottom.
18) Hot glue the wooden disc to the bottom of the paint can with the groove facing the can bottom and the power cord running through it. Make sure the power cord is held taught so the light fixture remains flat on the inside bottom of the paint can.
19) With the two 1/2" screws secure the light fixture to the bottom of the can. The screws should penetrate the metal bottom and also drive into the wood bottom without coming through.
20) Screw the bulb into the fixture and place the lid onto the top. I used a 200 watt florecent bulb to keep the heat down. A small high wattage spot light style bulb may work well as it will focus the light even more.
The paint can I used was coated inside with a dull green paint so I sprayed some glue on the inside and lined it with aluminum foil.
Once you have the lid secured you can plug it in and start candling.
Completed candler.
Plunger cup installed into paint can lid.
Wooden base secured to the bottom with power cord.
Inside of can showning mounted light fixture and bulb installed.
Enjoy
Most of the following parts can be purchased from Lowe's and Hobby Lobby.
Parts list: One gallon paint can w/lid.
One rubber cup toilet bowl plunger.
One plastic utility light fixture base.
One power cord.
One 200 watt bulb.
One 10" X 10" 1/4" plywood.
Two 1/2" wood screws.
One swath of felt. (Hobby Lobby)
One stick of hot glue.
One 1/4" drill bit.
Electrical tape.
Pencil
Tools: One screw driver matching screw heads.
Hot glue gun.
Tin snips.
Reciprical jig saw with metal & plywood blades.
Dremmel Tool with cutting disc.
Hand drill.
One piece of medium sand paper.
1) Seperate the lid from the paint can.
2) Remove the handle from the toilet bowl plunger.
3) Place the toilet plunger cup on the top of the can lid centered and trace the rim onto the lid. Remove the cup and then draw a second circle inside the tracing approximately 1/8" from the traced line. (This will be used to hold the plunger cup in place.)
4) Drill a hole in the center of the lid so a jig saw blade can be inserted to cut the tracing out of the lid.
5) Cut to the inside circle and then around so as to cut a disc from the lid leaving a 1/8" lip to the original traced line.
6) Using the Dremmel tool and cutting disc cut a groove entirely around the outside lip of the open end of the plunger cup. Take your time and make sure the groove is a uniform 1/8" deep at least.
7) Cut the neck of the pluger cup off at the point where the inside of the cup concaves into the neck. The idea is to cut the neck off so as to leave a 1" hole. Try to keep the cut as flat as possible.
8) Insert the plunger cup into the paint can lid from the underside of the lid working the groove onto the lip of the lid until uniformly seated.
9) Cut four felt washers with holes that match the 1" hole in the pluger cup. The washer sides should be approximately 1/2" wide. Glue the washers onto the viewing hole on top of the pluger cup one at a time until you have a nice soft thick cushion. This will seal to the side of the egg when viewing and cut out light leakage.
10) Drill a 1/4" whole in the center of the bottom of the paint can.
11) Place the paint can onto the plywood and trace around the can bottom.
12) Cut the traced circle out of the plywood and sand the edges to smooth. Cut a half inch groove 1/8" deep from the center of the wood disc to edge. (This will hold the power cord when installed.)
13) Split the end of the power cord and bare 1/4" of the wire and twist the ends.
14) Thread the exposed ends of the power cord through the bottom of the paint can pulling it through the top opening far enough to work with.
15) Connect the two exposed ends to the seperate sides of the utility light ficture. I does not matter which wire is connected to what terminal it will work either way.
16) Tape the terminals or screw heads with a small piece of electrical tape.
17) Pull the power cord back through the bottom hole until the light fixture is flat on the bottom.
18) Hot glue the wooden disc to the bottom of the paint can with the groove facing the can bottom and the power cord running through it. Make sure the power cord is held taught so the light fixture remains flat on the inside bottom of the paint can.
19) With the two 1/2" screws secure the light fixture to the bottom of the can. The screws should penetrate the metal bottom and also drive into the wood bottom without coming through.
20) Screw the bulb into the fixture and place the lid onto the top. I used a 200 watt florecent bulb to keep the heat down. A small high wattage spot light style bulb may work well as it will focus the light even more.
The paint can I used was coated inside with a dull green paint so I sprayed some glue on the inside and lined it with aluminum foil.
Once you have the lid secured you can plug it in and start candling.
Completed candler.
Plunger cup installed into paint can lid.
Wooden base secured to the bottom with power cord.
Inside of can showning mounted light fixture and bulb installed.
Enjoy
Last edited:
