Re: How do you make candles?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/23/99 5:21:57 PM Eastern Standard Time,

ftaylor@... writes:

<< I have never made a candle in my life (just watched my Dad as a kid) Can't

I

just melt some paraffin down add FO, pour it in a jar and add a wick? Is

that to simple? >>

If your looking for easy...not fancy...here is all you have to do.

To prepair the jars...

I mostly use baby food jars. For me these are very efficiant and I like

that they have a lid. You can use any type of container you like though. I

have used beautiful wine gobblets before that were great. You can get wick at

any craft store. The best place Ive found is s. What I did was measure

the wick to the depth of the jar and then add a few inches. I tie one end of

the wick to a weight..I normally use a bolt. You can buy what you are suppost

to use at Michales too. For my own use a bolt works just as well. The other

end of the wick I twist around a pencil. This way I can rest the pencil

across the opening to the jar and keep the wick centered in the jar.

As far as the wax goes...I have used Gulf Wax that is found in the canning

section at the grocery. It needs to be melted in a double boiler. What I find

to be less messy is to take an old coffee can and bend one side into a spout.

I put the wax into the can and the can into a pan of water. Once the wax

melts..just add you scent.

When the wax is almost melted you will need to heat up your jars. The shock

of hot wax into cold glass can cause the glass to shatter. So you need to

remove the wick, and heat the jars up. This can be done by just popping them

in the microwave for a few minutes. When you take them out (they will be

hot!) Just place the pencil over the opening and let the wick dangle back in

the center if the jar.

Please remember that everything will be hot. The coffee can that has the hot

melted wax in it will burn you very easily. Gently pour the hot wax into the

warn jars. Make sure that the wick is positioned in the middle of the jar and

let it cool. After the jars are full place the can of leftover wax back into

the pan of hot water.

After the candles start to cool they will start to indent. Its hard to

explain but you will see what I mean. As this happens just pour some more of

the wax from the coffee can on top of the candles to make them flat again.

You may have to do this several times

When the candles are done and cool you are basically done. All you have to do

is unwind the pencil from the wick and trim it to about 1/2 inch.

Carli

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[Guest guest]

Hi, Becky! By coincidence, Heloise had a " thing " about making candles in

her column in the newspaper today! According to her, you can buy wicks,

hang them from a rod into a container like an empty Pringles can, and use

that as your mold.

She said that you can melt old candles down in a makeshift double boiler

(empty can inside a saucepan of water) on low heat on the stove, then pour

it into the Pringles can and let it set up. I don't still have the

article here, so I'm reciting her instructions from memory. I know she

has a Web site, though; you might want to check there to see if her column

for today is on it. :->

- Ela

(000)___(000) Ela Heyn

/ @ @ \ ferret@...

| |

======@====== http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5483

[Guest guest]

I've been making candles for a long time and did quite a bit of reading after

having problems. Although I am far from an expert, I have learned alot along

the way. Here are a few tips I have learned over the years:

1. Canning parafin is not a great wax for candle making. Purchasing wax from

a crafts store that is made for candles is smarter. Waxes are all different

and have different melting points. Stearine levels also make a difference in

burning qualities. I purchase " premium " wax in bulk slabs which is blended

for general candlemaking and have found I have better luck. There are

different types depending on what you want to do. The primary difference is

melting points. Some are softer than others, some have more stearine in them

etc.

(Little story: We have candlemaking day where a group gets together, and we

use up everyone's supplies one woman bought a bunch of " bargin " candles

to cut up and melt. When we cut these, they disintegrated, and turned to

powder. My guess is....high stearine. These candles were most likely a

chemical compound mix of some sort. But I didn't like using it, call me

weird. I tend to go primitive with most everything I do. I try to stay with

as basic of ingredients as I can. And although I have nothing to back it up,

my gut just didn't like using them.)

2. Wick size is very important. I continually had problems with drowning

wicks, wicks that fall over, or torches when the wick uses the wax fuel too

fast. Make sure the wick you use is proportionate to the size of candle you

are making. I have decided to use wicks that have a wire core in them. At

first I growled at metal in my candles, but have found the reinforced wicks

to burn so much better.

3. Be sure to prime you wick by soaking it thoroughly in wax beforehand.

4. Anchor the wick in some manner. A wick with slack or has curves in it

will not stay straight as the candle burns and will usually have moved during

pouring if not properly ancored. I have often found the wick up against the

side of my candle as it burns down.

5. Allow your wax to cool sufficiently prior to pouring. If it is poured too

hot, as it cools you will have a concave crater down the middle as it

shrinks. I pour my wax as cool as I can get it, and then continue to fill as

it cools and shrinks.

6. If possible, gently heat your container prior to pouring. (I use wax to

anchor my wicks, and heating the container melts it! so this makes if

difficult to heat the container) This will allow for a smoother finished

product. If the container is cold, the wax cools rapidly along the sides as

it is being poured and you end up with lines. Sometimes though, this looks

really cool.

7. Do NOT use crayons as colorants. Crayon clogs wicks.

8. ummm...ummm...I know there are more, but enough already. Wax type and

wick smarts are biggies. Makes all the difference in the world. Otherwise,

candle making is great fun!

Anyone interested in making candles will find it rewarding to read up a bit.

I am up in my attic early this morning, and am lazy, otherwise I would run

downstairs and get the name of the book I have. Sorry folks. Later

ferret wrote:

> From: ferret <ferret@...>

>

> Hi, Becky! By coincidence, Heloise had a " thing " about making candles in

> her column in the newspaper today! According to her, you can buy wicks,

> hang them from a rod into a container like an empty Pringles can, and use

> that as your mold.

>

> She said that you can melt old candles down in a makeshift double boiler

> (empty can inside a saucepan of water) on low heat on the stove, then pour

> it into the Pringles can and let it set up. I don't still have the

> article here, so I'm reciting her instructions from memory. I know she

> has a Web site, though; you might want to check there to see if her column

> for today is on it. :->

>

> - Ela

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hey all,

Thanks so much for the instructions on making candles. I think I'll start

out cheaply but if it works at all I'll move up to the better stuff. Now I

know why those candles at the dollar store are so cheap. I use to see

expensive 'aromatherapy' candles and think " piff! (with a curled lip) I'm

not spending $7 on the same candle I can get at the dollar store for a

buck! " Now I know better. Thanks!

Blessings,

Ozark Becky