Tip for the day.

In my recent candle making class, one of the hobbyist asked me if she can use crayons for coloring candles.

Well if you want to want to make great candles then the answer is NO. Though it may seem that crayons are colored wax so why not use them to color the wax. Its the pigments with which the crayons are colored that are insoluble. They don't dissolve in the wax. They simply float and it may seem that they have colored the wax. As a result of this the pigments get centered around the wick and clogs it. While burning the candle these pigments inhibit the fuel(melted wax) to reach the wick and your candle may not burn properly.

So definitely, coloring wax with crayons for candle making is a NO NO. Always use the candle making dye only to make great candles.

Type of Waxes

This week on Candlelumiere I am going to tell you about the different type of waxes.

There are variety of waxes available in the market and have various applications as well apart from candle making such as cosmetics and sculpting. In this article I am going to tell you about two most commonly used waxes in candle making:

Paraffin Wax & Soy Wax.

Paraffin Wax is one of the most widely used wax in the candle industry. Because of its properties paraffin wax provides wide area of possibility for making designer candles with beautiful textures.

Paraffin wax was introduced in late 1800’s. It is a petroleum by product primarily obtained from the slack wax. It goes through treatment processes like crystallization, filtration, purification and decolourization before forming a well refined Paraffin wax. Lesser the percentage of oil content in the wax more the wax is considered refined. 0.5% oil content is the most refined form and this is what you need to look out for while buying a paraffin wax for your candle making project.

Paraffin wax is solid at room temperature. It is white, odourless, translucent and brittle. It melts at approximately 40°C. Paraffin wax should always be stored away from the heat source. Paraffin wax has a flash point. Even if it doesn’t reach the flash point it will melt. More precaution measures are mentioned in my article “Safety Measures for Candle Making”.

Soy wax is a natural, eco-friendly, renewal wax formed from soybean oil. That’s why it is categorized as a vegetable wax. Soybean oil goes through process of hydrogenation which gives out Soy wax. This hydrogenation process affects its melting point, due to which it is solid at room temperature.

The biggest advantage of soy candle is that they burn clean without any black soot. Further, soy wax has a fairly low melting point which is why soy wax candle burn longer comparatively. It is most commonly found in flakes form.

Soy wax is a soft wax, most suitable for making container candles or T light candles. Due to its softness it cannot be used alone for making free standing candles, unless it is blended with another hard wax like paraffin wax or additives. Else soy wax candles are made without any additives.

Soy wax has gained its popularity in the candle industry and is considered as the healthier and eco-friendly choice.

Safety Measures for Candle Making

Candle making is the most enjoyable craft in my experience. But it also requires lots of caution and care to avoid ruining your enjoyable experience.

Here are some of the safety measures I strongly recommend to hobbyists in my class.

1.    Always make use of the thermometer when melting the wax. It is best advised to know the wax temperature. It will help to know the pouring temperature and repeat the desired results.

2.    Use a double boiler for melting the wax. Double boiler is the safest way to melt the wax. It helps to prevent the temperature from exceeding 100 degrees celsius. And with this temperature you can make any type of candle.

3.    Never leave wax unattended. Not even for a little while. If you must leave the wax unattended, turn off the heat and then leave.

4.    Never overheat the wax. Wax has a flash point. Flash point is the point beyond which the wax will combust. There won’t be any spark or warning before the wax reaches the flash point.

5.    Don’t keep wax near heat source. It could catch fire or it will melt. Always keep your wax away.

6.    Use of fire extinguisher is the best way to control the fire situation. If it is a small fire limited to the melting pot you can try to cover it with lid. But this way will be only useful if the fire is not too out of control.

Another way of controlling the fire situation is use of sand. But you will need good amount of sand to throw it on the fire area. Simply sprinkling some sand won’t do any good.

7.    Never use water to extinguish the fire caught while melting wax. Wax will be in liquid form and water will only spread the liquid and fire further and worsen the situation.

8.    If you are making candles from your kitchen which is where most beginners start from, then cover your kitchen top with papers or card boards to avoid spills and cleaning hassles.

9.    If at all while making candles you spill wax on your hands, immediately put your hand in cold or room temperature water and scrap of the wax.

10.  Never pour melted wax in the drain unless you want a plumbing situation. Hot wax will immediately turn solid when it comes in contact with the water and clog your sink.

Enjoy candle making and be safe!

Diwali candle making workshop

DIY - Decorate wax with wax

Decorating candles is as fun as making candles. There are variety of candle decorating accessories available. I am going to share with you a technique to decorate a plain candle with wax itself.

For this project you will need:

Plain pillar candle

Cookie cutter

Hair dryer

     1.       Here’s a pillar candle I picked for this project. The texture you see is achieved through cold pour.

 2.       To make these chunks, pour melted wax on flat surface like a tray and once the wax is soft enough cut the chunks with cookies cutter.

 3.   With help of the hair dryer, soften each wax piece one at a time, just enough to stick on the pillar candle. As you blow hot air on the wax piece you will see the surface of the piece melting. This is the right time to place the wax piece on the surface of the pillar candle and press it gently. 

4. I decided not to over do it as I wanted to keep it simple. So here's the final look.

          With this technique you can make wonderful decorations with help of different shapes of cookie cutters. Also, in this technique you are using wax to decorate the candle which will melt off as the candle burns, hence safe as compared to laces or wallpapers which are used to decorate candles.

       Enjoy!!!

Tips for candle making troubleshooting

Initially when I started making candles I faced some candle making problems. Many a times I found the solutions accidentally and just around the house. Getting that perfect candle requires lots of trials and errors and every candle maker has their own formula and ways. Here are few tips to troubleshoot some common candle making problems:

1.       Wax leakage from the wick hole -

·         Many times even the sealer available in the market has failed to hold in the wax. One day when I was out of the sealer I tried the leftover wheat flour dough from my kitchen. And since then it has never failed in my experience. Apply just a little dough around the wick hole and you are set for leakage free candle making.

·         Other method which I find very neat and clean is using a magnet. However, this is useful for metal molds only. Fit the candlewick in the candle stand and place it on the wick hole inside the mold. And from the bottom of the mold place the magnet.

2.       De molding candle - Often removing candle from the mold can be a challenge. Here are few tips you may try,

·         Make sure that the candle is completely dry.

·         If your candle is dry and still not coming out easily, place it in the freezer till the mold is cold to touch for about 5 minutes. Make sure you don’t keep the mold any longer, this may cause your candle to crack.

·         Mold release spray on the inside of the mold will help remove the candle easily. Vegetable oil also acts as an excellent mold release agent. Just a few drops enough to cover the mold walls, any more than that will cause mottling effect which you may not desire in your candle.  

3.       Mold maintenance – here are few tips to ensure your molds live long:

·         Make sure you never clean your molds with water. It will only rust the metal mold.

·         After you are done making candles, spray a little mold release spray or vegetable oil from inside and from outside of the metal mold. This will help in cleaning the left over wax, if any and not cause rust.

·         Store your molds well in a carton to prevent any bends.

Hope these helped.