This
is basic instruction on making making paraffin candles using
metal molds.
You
will need:
Double boiler (or old pan with water and
melting/pouring pot) candlemaking thermometer (or candy thermometer),
long handled wooden spoon, wooden skewer or knitting needle,
screwdriver and scissors.
Also,
candlemaking is messy. If you are working in your kitchen, I
would spread newspaper all over the floor and around the working
area. There will be dripping for sure.
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The
mold:
When
you purchase a mold at the crafts supply store, it will normally
come as a set, meaning, it will come with a little bit of wick,
a thin metal road to tie the wick to, a little screw, and some
putty to seal the hole at the bottom of the candle.
If you are using any other object other than a candle mold,
for example, people make candles in milk cartons, used tomato
and vegetable cans, flower pots etc., and you don't have any
of these store bought kits, you can use a pencil or other similar
object to tie the wick. Traditional candle molds have a hole
at the bottom to thread the wick through. If you are using a
household item, either you will have to drill the hole yourself,
or use a tabbed wick. Also, make sure that the mold you choose
will be able to withstand high temperatures. You are going to
pour the paraffin somewhere in between 180- 200° F
Below:
Tabbed wicks. They come in many sizes. The ones on the right
are for votives and they measure 3" tall.
If you are using a traditional metal mold,
the first thing you need to do is wick the mold. Insert the
wick from the underside of the mold and thread it through the
hole until it reaches the top of the mold. Tie a knot with the
wick on the rod that will lay across the top of the mold. With
the wick secured at the top of the mold, turn the mold upside
down and pull the wick taut, and secure it with a wick screw
on the underside of the mold. Cut the wick about an inch away
from the screw and completely cover it with mold sealer, pressing
firmly to prevent leaking. Place mold in a tray to catch any
wax which may leak out. Your mold is now ready for pouring.
This
is what it looks like, top and bottom. Note the putty covering
the screw hole at the bottom. Plumbers putty works great.
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About
the wick:
I
recommend that you use 100% cotton wicks. Some wicks have a
thin hair-like wire going through the center, normally made
out of zinc, that everybody says is safe. I personally don't
use them. In the past, that thread used to be made out of lead,
and I hear that some Chinese imported candles, still are made
that way.
It
is up to you.
Now,
when you buy cotton wick to make your candles, it normally comes
in spools and you buy it by the yard. You have to make sure
that the thickness of the wick is appropriate for the diameter
of your candle mold. If you make the candle with a wick that
is too big or too small, your candle won't burn properly. Wick's
manufacturers come will all kinds of codes and numbers for the
wicks, and it can be confusing, so I won't start quoting numbers
here, but when you purchase the wick, the label will say something
like: "suitable for candles 2" in diameter, or 3"
in diameter. Just make sure you purchase the right one for your
mold.
Making
the candle
Place chunks of paraffin in your melting
pot. You will need a larger pot full of water, or double boiler,
where you will submerge the melting pot.
Below
is one of my traditional, hard working melting pots. It holds
2- 4 LB of paraffin.
Insert a thermometer to track the temperature
of the paraffin as it melts. If you are using any mold releasant
or other additives, add them now.
What
kind of paraffin to use? there are many kinds in the market.
But if you are buying it from your crafts supplies store, that
is the one!
OK,
I will give you more info. If you are making pillars and you
want them to mottle, meaning, they have that nice cloudy effect,
as in my Peace Candle:
I
recommend 2 types. There is a mottling paraffin IGI 1274. And
also IGI 1343 which is a multi purpose wax and you can basically
make it mottle more, less, or nothing at all, by adding Vyvar.
As
I said, there are many paraffin waxes out there, and you can
experiment to find your favorite one.
The
reason candles mottle is because of the content of oil in the
mix. Normally, the paraffin plus the scented oil that you will
be adding to it, will be enough to make it mottle. You can always
add more or less oil to control how much mottling you want.
Also, the longer it takes your candle to cool, the more it will
mottle.
As
I mentioned, if you want a totally smooth candle with no mottling
at all, then add a bit of Vybar. Normally 1/2 to 1 tablespoon
per pound of wax. But again, experiment with it.
Some
people also add stearic acid, which is a plant derivative, and
this will increase the opacity and hardiness of the candle.
Now,
back to making candles:
When
the wax in the melting pot has completely melted, you can color
the wax.
The
picture below show the most common way to color the paraffin:
color chips or liquid dye, although you can get the dyes in
powder and bricks, but it is more complex to figure out the
amounts to get the desired color shade.
Here,
your creativity will be your best friend. Add a bit of color
at the time and test for the color shade that you want by pouring
a small amount of wax into some water. The way to do this is,
have a small paper cup or ceramic bowl that you will keep for
this use only. Fill it up with water and with your wooden soon,
drop about a teaspoon of your colored wax on the water. The
wax will cool immediately and you will get an idea of the final
shade. You can adjust the color intensity by adding more color,
again, a bit at the time, and testing it until you get what
you were looking for. This is the fun part, and you will eventually
develop your signature colors over time.
You have heard about coloring your wax with old crayons. Yes,
you can do that too.Try it. It is fun!
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After mixing in the color, heat your wax to approximately 190
- 200°F. Remove from heat.
If
you are going to scent the wax, add the scent just before pouring.
Remember to make extra, so you can save the left over wax to
refill the well that forms, due to the contracting of the cooling
wax.
Before
I go on, there are many techniques to actually pouring your
candle. For example, when you pour your paraffin into the candle
mold, it is very possible that
it will leak through the bottom whole, even though you had a
screw in it, and you plugged the whole thing with putty. Solution:
make sure you have a tray underneath the candle mold, one of
those cookie making trays will do. Then add about an inch of
cold water so that the bottom of the candle mold sits on it.
This will help keep the putty cold enough until the wax begins
to harden a bit.
At
this point, some candle makers put their molds in a water bath.
I don't. My candles are mottled and they look better if I let
them cool slowly at room temperature. If you are making very
smooth, shinny candles, you might want to try the water bath,
in which case, , you will have to have, or build, a container
deep enough to house your candle/s. If you are making just one
of two candles, any container tall enough will do. Make sure
that the water does not overflow or go into the candle molds.
About 30 minutes after pouring, you will notice a well forming
in the cooling wax.
You
must insert a slender poking rod (a wick rod, skewer, or knitting
needle works well for this) to break the skin on the cooling
wax and relieve surface tension. Make sure that you insert the
needle close to the wick, in the center of the candle, making
sure not to scratch the sides or bottom. You may need to poke
and relieve surface tension several more times, depending on
the size of the mold. Allow at least 20 minutes between each
poke.
If
you don't do this properly, air pockets can form inside the
candle as it cools. After you light the candle, when the flame
reaches of these air pockets, it might go out, or even sink
into the candle. It is a mess and the candle gets ruined. You
don't want that!
After
five or six hours, if you are making a small or medium size
candle, you must refill the well with the wax that you set aside
earlier. Heat it again and pour at approximately 190°F. When
you do this, make sure that you don't pour over the edges of
the candle. If the candle has started to separate from the mold,
the hot paraffin will run between the candle and the mold, ruining
the surface of the candle. You should not attempt to remove
the candle until the mold is cold to the touch. Probably you
should wait until the next morning to do this.
By
looking closely at the edge of the candle, where it meets the
mold, you will see a small space. This is where the candle has
released from the mold. To extract the candle, first remove
the rod from the top and then the mold sealer and wick screw
from the base of the candle. Hold your hand over the opening
to catch the candle. Carefully hold the mold by the base, and
turn it upside down. The candle should drop into your hand.
If the candle does not come out of the mold, lightly tap the
sides of the mold to help release any stuck areas. Do not pound
on the mold. Any dents will prevent the candle from releasing
and the mold will be ruined. If the candle still does not release,
place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, and then try again.
To
remove a seam line on the candle surface, use a dull knife or
metal spatula. Hold it at a right angle to the candle and slide
it down the seam. To make the candle stand straight, you may
have to square off the base by either cutting and trimming with
a knife, or rotating the candle in a heated pan, melting off
the irregularities, and leveling the base.
How
you finish the bottom of your candle is up to you. You will
have to trim the base to make it flat and level. Some candle
makers finish their candles by gently melting the bottoms on
a flat hot surface. There are special "hot plates"
that professional candle makers use for this purpose.
I
find that if you do not have a strong exhaust fan overhead,
this finishing method produces a lot of smoke. I trim my candles
by hand.
As
you become more experienced, you will be able to pour candles
very smoothly and your finishing will be flawless overtime.
Also, you will develop your own techniques.
There
are many styles of candles that you might want to try, such
as chunk candles, stripped and deferent kinds of blending and
swirling colors. I will be writing about them later.
SAFETY
RULES
Never
leave melting wax unattended - not even in a double boiler.
Never overheat wax. It will spontaneously combust when it reaches
its flash point (usually about 375°F for paraffin). For safety,
do not heat above 212°F. The fumes from overheated wax may cause
severe illness. If this happens, evacuate the area and be sure
it is well ventilated before returning.
Always keep wax away from open flames.
Always
use a thermometer. You should always be aware of the wax temperature
for safety reasons and good results.
Always
use a double boiler. Typical melting temperatures can reach
200°F and a double boiler will help control the heat. If you
don’t have a double boiler, you can use an old pot with water
and a coffee can to melt the wax.
Never put water on a wax fire. Always keep a pot lid, baking
soda, and a dry chemical fire extinguisher handy when heating
wax. Use the pot lid to smother fires in the melting container.
Baking soda will smother small fires, but a fire extinguisher
is essential for a major accident.
Always
use pot holders or pliers when handling hot pots or cans.
Never
pour wax down the drain. It will clog it as it cools. Pour any
waste wax into a can or milk carton.
DISCLAIMER:
I am offering some basic instruction on candlemaking free to
the public. I do not accept any liability at all from your use
of the instructions or products. Safety is in your hands and
is your responsibility.
Note:
How much essential oil you use is based on your personal taste.
Start with 1/2 oz of essential oil per 4 LB of wax and adjust
to your taste. I If you are using synthetic candle scents,
please follow the manufacturer's guidelines.
If
you have any questions about candlemaking tips or techniques,
please email
me
I will be happy to help you with any questions you might have.
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