Long Candle Lighter/Snuffer Troubles

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ioannes_pius

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Christ is Risen!

I am the head altar boy, so to speak, at my parish, but I am certainly prone to making mistakes!

A couple months ago, in my stupidity, I was using a candle lighter/snuffer to light the candles prior to mass, and when I brought it back to the sacristy, I drew the taper back into it and didn’t push it back out quick enough. Consequently, the taper is now stuck in the shaft. What makes it worse is that I did this right after maintenance had been performed on it.

Just so everyone knows what I’m talking about, here is a picture: (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

My question is: does anyone have any advice on how to remove a taper that is stuck from a candle lighter/snuffer?
 
Warm NOT hot that area up, (tapers are made of wax so if too hot can melt the wax and it’ll really be stuck inside that long tube if yours is the same type as the picture), and using a stiff piece of wire e.g. straightened out coat hanger wire, from the opposite end use this wire to push the taper out.

The long handled candle snuffer/lighter at my parish is the type where the taper is inserted into a not too long ring of brass on the back of the handle, similar to a table napkin ring though a little longer.

I’m sure there are others on this board who are more experienced in this area than I.
 
Use a barbecue lighter (the kind you usually use to light the wick), or a cigarette lighter (or some other source of flame that will heat the area, but not a blow torch, food torch or cigar torch, as those might melt the metal) and heat the area where the wick is stuck (probably near the tip, if possible just point the lighter down the tip) and apply gentle pressure until the wick comes out, you may need to angle it so molten wax can drip out onto a safe surface. you could also try scraping the inside with something like a penknife.
 
Sort of, I had a stiffly moving wick yesterday and I tried to use the wick’s flame to loosen it, but it didn’t work in the few minutes I tried (but there were extenuating circumstances like I was using it as my candle for the procession in the Easter Vigil (despite being the senior AS I didn’t get incense 😦 ) and we needed the lighter on the Altar for later on. I also didn’t have an external source of the flame because again, the Easter Vigil was starting. That said, I have a long history of getting wax out of places
 
What is a traditional solution? Sorry, I’m a bit confused.
 
I recall that happening to me, but I can’t quite remember how I resolved it. Maybe applying pressure to the back of the thumb hold, while raising it, in an attempt to get the remains of the taper out?

You could get a metal skewer and just try to scrape it out through the open seam.
 
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Ah I see.

What exactly does it involve? Do I got a large container of hot water and drop the candle lighter into it?
 
I would think the heat of a 1500W blow dryer would sufficient, yet not over the top so as to damage anything. I’ve used them on frozen pipes and also for shrink tubing. A heat gun is the same principle, only more. Just something to consider.
 
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