Field Trip To Northern Lights Candle Factory

The Monday/Tuesday class recently went on a field trip to the Northern Lights Candle Factory in nearby Wellsville, NY. Andy Glanzman, the founder and president of the company, gave us a tour and told us how the company got started (he used to make very sculptural candles and sell them at craft fairs, and now he sells products to companies like Restoration Hardware and TJ Maxx). We learned about how wax, a material the students have used in their mold making and casting projects, is made from different natural and synthetic oils, and formed in molds or glass vessels. We got to experience the factory line and think about how the molding and casting process could be used for mass production.

(Photos by Mike Fleming)