How do candles work now?

Game Version: 424c21e-tiles_linux64
Mods: no npc needs and alternate map key

I tried crafting a bundle of 8 candles from tallow and now I have 8 candle [ 0 / 100 wax ] in my inventory. If the tallow isn’t being used as fuel what is it being used for? How do I get wax to reload my freshly made “empty” candles?

I tried searching for candles on the discourse and issue tracker but nobody seems to have reported crafting candles not working (there was an issue a while back about items spawning empty but that was resolved) and the wiki is out of date and says they should be crafted with 100 fuel. So uh, what do I do with these empty candles?

–Edit–

I just tried a new character and spawned in some candles. These were at 100/100 wax and when I crafted some with him they were at 0 / 100 so I spawned in both “wax” and “candle wax” before I realized that you can’t reload a candle. This is a bug right? Why would you want to craft an empty candle?

I pulled and compiled version 0fc6ebb yesterday and tried again to debug in candles and craft them from different materials and the spawned ones worked right but the crafted ones are always at 0 / 100 wax. I even checked in the JSON for the item and recipe and the item specifies 100 initial charges of fuel and the recipe doesn’t specify anything about charges.

Is there some way I can edit the files to fix this because I really like using candles, in fact, they are usually pinned to my crafting menu as a favorite and this is bumming me out.

–Edit–
Somebody has opened an issue on the github so I guess I’ll just follow the discussion there instead of posting for advice here.

Here is the link to this issue on GitHub so others can follow it. Since google points to this page but not the GitHub one.

Also while we wait for fix anyone have any good early game alternatives to candles ?

Think the best bet is to just hunker down and chop a lot of wood. It’s what I’ve been doing.

And then what do you use with the fire for best light time to fuel use ? brazier ? hobo stove ?

Been using the LMOE shelter stoves as I spawned by one. just shove logs into it them and don’t lack for trees.

So at almost the same level, you can take tainted fat from zombies and make it into lamp oil, for the oil lamp. Might be the way to go until candles come back.