All About Candles and Candle making. Do you know any of the answers?
I am making a small business out of candles. Mostly the molding and sculpting of them. I have been experimenting in beeswax and ordinary wax, and I ha...
I am making a small business out of candles. Mostly the molding and sculpting of them. I have been experimenting in beeswax and ordinary wax, and I have used 2 different styles of wicking (Both wicks with end-clips and a wire core, and a cheap long string wick that came with a few of the molds that I have bought). I have questions in order that I may know more about wicks, wax, and candles for further experimenting and understanding.
First; What are the main purposes of the wire at the core most commercial wicks? What type of metal is usually used? Steel? Aluminum? Does the type of metal matter? I have noted that the wire helps in keeping the wick rigid while molding and while it’s burning, but are there other reasons for it?
Second; What are some of the materials that are used in most wicks? Is it just generic string? Or is it actually something specially designed for candles?
Third; Where does the wax go as it is burned? Does it evaporate? If so, I have noticed that bigger candles (wider than 2 inch in diameter) tend to burn much slower. Is this because of the wick?
or
Does a candle’s wax actually become fuel for the flame as it melts and pools around the wick? This would explain the lengthier burning of larger candles and where the wax goes as the candle burns.
Fourth; Is it bad to put the candle out and relight it too many times? I have noted that when this is done, especially in wider candles, the wax melts differently and can become unstable if it burns further inward without actually melting the outermost wax.
Fifth; Does melting the wax too many times change it’s physical properties? Does it become brittle? Or does it become soft? And could it eventually become useless for making candles with?
If so what do you suggest is the maximum times the wax should be melted? What is the maximum temperature that you suggest I bring the wax to while molding? I’ve noticed that with beeswax, about 180 F and ordinary wax, 190 F is when it begins to boil (as long as I keep stirring the wax and keeping the temperature evenly distributed). I usually pour the wax into my molds at these temperatures.
A chart of optimum wax temperatures would greatly help if one exists. I just want to understand it as much as I can because the trial and error process is all I have to use as a guide. And so far I have spent a lot of time and effort making quite a few plain votive and taper candles… but, I do not want to do anything that is going to waste money or ruin raw materials or tools.
THANKS FOR THE HELP
Wow, you do have a lot of questions. I can help with a couple. Candle wax is burned by the wick, and is the fuel for the wick.
Zinc Core Cotton Wrapped Wicks are my favorite, as they are stiffer and stand straighter, burn slower. Size matters, and that is a fact. Most sites will tell you the sizes for the wicks and the max size you can pour using that size wick. Many large candles have 3 or more wicks for that reason. The candle will burn more evenly, without as much waste. Granted anyone having and burning candles knows to slowly and gently push in the outter softened edges to keep the burn even and not waste the outter edges.
Wax…well that is all different and I never hold them near the boiling point as there is a flash point of fire. The wax is intended to melt at lower temperatures, with the max flash point listed such as 180 or 190 degrees. This is the highest temp the wax should ever get to before catching fire itself. Also, the flash point is important for adding in your FO’s (fragrance oils) and colors depending on the type you intend to use. As for the maximum time you should re-melt the wax, I know I have re-melted and re-poured candles, (bits pieces or ends, shavings etc) maybe 3 times. It isn’t worth the bother to me after that. I don’t know if it changes the properties or not. Doesn’t seem to.
Hope this helps you a bit. Good Luck to you in your business.
The ‘candlemaking 101′ section at this website addresses a lot of your questions, and has good links, too. One thing to watch out for with older metal-cored wick is that it often contained lead, which dispersed into the environment when burned. It’s a good idea to make sure any metal-core wicks you use are lead-free. Good luck.
http://www.fragranceoilsuppliers.com/
That is a lot of questions, I suggest that you start easy!
Candle making is not really that hard, but you do have to be cautious (making candles involves high temperatures, flammable substances, and potentially harmful chemicals). The beginner should start with container candles (usually in tins or glass jars) as this will get you some experience working with waxes, wicks, dyes, and scents. Note that there are many different types of waxes (container, pillar, soy, gel) and scents (not all are all safe together). I would recommend that you look at some of the sites I provided links to, take a lesson, or buy an introduction book/video. There is a lot of good and bad information out there, please use caution.
I highly recommend staying away from “Hobby Store” supplies (especially scents and waxes) as they are ALWAYS the lowest quality and the highest priced!
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=AZUQLF0FGKJCY&isPopup= (Kits & Videos)
http://www.candlesandsupplies.com (good for kits, supplies, info, videos, etc)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/candlemakingsurvival/ (great on-line group)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/candlequestions/ (great on-line group)
http://candleandsoap.about.com/ (good instructions)
http://www.candlecauldron.com/ (a very informative site)
http://www.gatehousecandles.com/ (my site)
Hope this helps!