How to Make Scented Incense Sticks
Incense sticks can be purchased in any Asian market, but you can also make your own.The ingredients are inexpensive and can be purchased easily in any large city or online. But the advantages of making your own are not only economical; if you make your own you can have any scent you want. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Bamboo or thin hardwood sheets
- Potassium nitrate
- Gum tragacanth or gum arabic
- Scented material
Instructions
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Select the sticks that will be the center of your incense sticks. You need a hard wood that will burn with an accelerant, but not burn without it. Bamboo is the traditional choice. If you can't get bamboo, use any hard wood that you can purchase cheaply in thin sheets. Avoid soft woods with a high oil content that burn easily. Also avoid woods that will not burn under any circumstances.
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Use a hammer and chisel to split the bamboo or other wood into sticks about the length of a long pencil and the thickness of a stick match. The thinner the sticks are, the more of them you will get, but the easier they are to break.
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3
Make the glue that will hold the accelerant and scent to the stick. Gum tragacanth works best, but gum Arabic is easier to find. You can always find these "industrial glues" at a chemical supply house. They are often available at large pharmacies or hardware stores. Follow the instructions on the package or add 1 teaspoon of the gum to a glass of warm water and let it sit overnight. Mix the accelerant -- the potassium nitrate -- and the scent into the glass of glue. Dip the sticks in the mixture and twist the stick while taking it out of the glue. You should leave 2 or 3 inches bare at one end of the stick.
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4
Hang up the sticks on a rack to dry. The sticks should not be touching, and you should put some newspaper down underneath the drying rack. They need one or two days to dry, depending on the ingredients you used. The sticks should not be dripping when you hang them up. You might need to apply the mixture to the incense sticks several times -- drying for an hour or so between each application.
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Tips & Warnings
Make one or two sticks and try burning them before making a large batch. Sometimes the sticks will not burn correctly, but this can usually be fixed if you soak the sticks overnight in water before applying the mixture.
References
Resources
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