a 12 gang large candle mold are what I picked up at an antique store, I was looking for a vintage cocktail shaker. I went with a friend lets call him George Stapleford and I spotted the new candle mold, marked $39.00 on sale for $19.00, much less than I paid for a 6 gang mold.
My beeswax/tallow candles burn for 12 hours with proper attention to the wick.
But the real find was this ‘slicer’ or that is what the sticker said. Then it got confusing it looked like it was marked $14.00 and that was marked through and 7.– was marked. I took it to the counter and asked the price, $7.00 it was and after I paid I told them it wasn’t a slicer.
As I was paying George pointed out the name on the end WIRZ, sounded famaliar, could it be Dr. Henry Wirz the commandant of Andersonville?
On the top edge is is marked 3 Gr., and 346 [the top roller bar is also stamped 346] with 4 stars and then the letters WIRZ. Made of mahogany and brass with iron screws this 24 gang pill making machine is 19th century, there are hand planing marks and plane blade chatter marks on the tool.
Have to look into the association with Wirz.
Stephen
