Candlemaking Information for 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 on 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:

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I recommend IGI 1343 , in fact, this 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.

 

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.

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.