#HTE

Set Fire To The Mountain… Safely!

Love your local geological landmark? What better way to show that affection than to burn it to the ground! If the successful Cascadia Candle Co. Kickstarter campaign is an indicator, a lot of people really feel that way. Northwest dwellers (and admirers) will soon be able to take responsibility for taking the top of Mt. Saint Helens, upsetting the fiery god in Mt. Hood, or finally getting some sparks out of Rainier. 

The project was started by Bradley Swift, a Portland area beekeeper and founder of Portland Bee Balm. As he put it, when you’re surrounded by “big beautiful blocks of wax” all the time the idea to make candles is inevitable. The trick was to do something unique, which in the ancient field of candle arts is a difficult thing to do.

These tiny behemoths were made using LiDAR scans of the mountains converted into a scalable 3D model. The model was then adjusted for 3D printing and, after much tinkering, the model was prepared for casting… and waxing.  The result is an odd but fun way to show love for the landscape, and a great way to get more beeswax smell into your life. Soy wax is also on offer, should the plight of bees be a concern. And the development process also yielded some fun concrete versions as well.

The big mountains would make a big statement on a table or mantle, and are a pretty great deal for real beeswax at the early bird $30. The $12 tea light set feels like a waxy sampler platter, packing less geologic impact but maybe more likely to be used.

You can check out the Cascadia Candle Co. campaign here. It runs through July 21, 2016.

What beloved natural edifice would you love to set fire to?