[Nfb-krafters-korner] candle making

[Blindhands at aol.com]

Hi jean,
 
I will tell you a little, but probably ask you more.
 
It depends on what type of wax you want to use on the temperature you need  
to get it up in order for it to melt.  It depends then on what is the best  
wick to use with that particular wax.  Then another thing you need to be  
aware of is these harder waxes[take higher temps to melt] and you can not 
pour  it as a one time pour.  The harder waxes take longer to cool off and 
harden  and in doing this they do not melt smooth across the top.  They tend to  
sink in the middle generally where the wick is located.  They harden from  
the outside to the middle.  With the harder waxes you then have to repour  
to get a smooth top.
 
I used a one pour container wax that I found to be easy to use.  It is  a 
softer wax and melts at around 120 or 130 degrees.  You do not have to  have 
anything to melt this type of wax to measure how hot it is.  I used a  
pouring pot that are readily available where you get your candle supplies.   It 
is a large enough pot to hold a couple pounds of wax with a handle on it that 
 is heat resistant.  Now I would put the pouring pot into a sauce pan or  
even a frying pan that had water in creating a double boiler and I used a 
wooden  spoon.  Just by stirring it I could feel when it was melted enough to  
pour.
 
I would use all different type of things to pour my candles in.   Example: 
glass jars, ceramic bowls, coffee cups.  I loved going to a chain  of stores 
here called Christmas Tree Shop and I would pick up sugar bowls and  
creamers, holiday cups and glasses, salt and pepper shakers, wine glasses, tea  
pots, etc.  Just let your mind run while on this.  I also would go to  a rest
aurant  supply store warehouse and I would find great bargains on  glass ware 
there.  The person would go out in the ware house and sell me a  box of 
sample wine glasses that they had one or two of or discontinued ceramic  
pitchers for cream and fill up the box and charge me $10.  These wine  glasses 
were the samples the sales people would bring around to show off and  would 
cost what I got the whole box for maybe 2 or 3 of these fancy  gglasses.
 
With the one pour wax you just pour it in and it hardens faster and does  
not sink in the ccenter.
 
Now for color and fragrance.I found a place that had color chips.  The  
Chips would color 1 pound of wax that color.  Since it was a wax chip to  begin 
with it was easy for me to cut in half or quarters to color smaller  
amounts of wax.  I used a talking food scale to weigh my wax so I could  color it 
and add the proper amount of fragrance oil.  With coloring the wax  you need 
to keep in mind if you are using a clear wax or a white wax.  My  one pour 
was a white wax.  So that would dilute the color and I would have  to double 
up to create a true color.  Example:  1 red chip added to  one pound of wax 
would make pink wax, but 2 chips would give you the red.
 
When I started out I would get the fragrance in 1 ounce bottles.  So 1  
ounce sents 1 pound of wax.  I also used a plastic  type of eye  dropper.  It 
was special as it measured larger amounts of fragrance  oils.  By using that 
I could measure amounts out example 8 ounce candle wax  or 4 ounce and I 
don't remember off hand how much of the  fragrance  I  needed for the smaller 
amount but that is how I did the smellie stuff.
 
The last thing I would use was one of my suppliers had these long cotter  
pins available that I would use to hold the wick in the center of the  
candle.  I would use a blob of wax and put that on the metal tab on the  wick and 
stick it in the bottom of the jar.  My husband would use masking  tape and 
tape the cotter pin across the center of the jar[or whatever I was  pouring 
into] and that would keep it straight for me.
 
This was a long one and I can let you know the suppliers I got these things 
 from, but need to look it up for you.
 
I use to get when I first started out 11 pound slabs of the wax.  That  was 
enough to make  a good amount depending how large the glasses  were.
 
If you plan on making molded candles you need to use harder wax and that is 
 a hole other story.
 
Joyce, Misty and the doxie kids!!!