Hints for pillars

[Guest OldGlory]

I need to get better at pillar making because one of my clients wants them. She has a very rustic style business in the Smoky Mountains which appeals to the tourist traffic. Think: log cabin, rural, woodland. She buys container candles from me currently and would love it if I could make another half dozen products for her, but I can't. Pillars I can do.

All you pillar magicians, can you give me some tips? I think I would like to do some layering and I can come up with the color combos. She knows which scents she wants. I understand about poking relief holes.

I have 1274 wax which is a mottling wax but I am open to other waxes.

I would so appreciate some advice!

[Jcandleattic]

I use, a pre-blend pillar, IGI 4625, and IGI 1343. 1343 is a straight paraffin, where as 4625 and pre-blend are both blended paraffin's. You can get really pretty rustics with the 1343 but that wax doesn't hold as much scent, but the scent load it does hold throws great and you really don't need much more. (it will hold more with additives, but eh - I only use stearic when making rustics with 1343) 

The trick with rustics is to pour cool and pour sloppy and in layers. 

You can get rustics with the 4625 but it's not as easy, IMO you have to work hard to achieve the look than with the 1343. And with my pre-blend (it's actually called Pre-production blend and is a granular wax I get from C&S) it's practically impossible to get any rustics in that. But it makes a beautiful straight color, or layered pillar. It's practically fool-proof for regular nothing too fancy pillars. I love it for layers. 

I've never used your 1274 so have no advice or experience to share with you for that. 

 

HTH - anything else I can help with just ask... 

 

[Scented]

1274 is a version of 1343 with more consistent mottling capabilities, I believe, and should actually perform as well as the 1343 with the added benefit of getting mottles. 

 

Cool, cool and cool is the way to go with temps on rustics, but you can fake a rustic to a degree too. Pour as sloppy as you want or pour and swirl and swish etc. and do it again, build up a little bit of a layer. I get 1 oz pp of fo easily in the 1343. The heaping T are supposed to help with the rustic. Don't force cool unless you have to do so. If I'm pouring a series of pillars (and I often do) the grouping of them produces heat on the middle bunch the most. Sometimes I have to pull out the ice pack I have and chill off a pillar if the heat starts melting my design (not that I have a design per se, but sometimes I do. 

Edited August 30, 2014 by Scented

[Jcandleattic]

1274 is a version of 1343 with more consistent mottling capabilities, I believe, and should actually perform as well as the 1343 with the added benefit of getting mottles. 

Ah, thank you! I had no idea. I tend to find a wax I like and stick with and not research much else. LOL 

[Guest OldGlory]

Ok, cool and sloppy.

How cool? These harder waxes, when they cool, harden quickly. What's the right temp?

Sloppy is not in my nature, but I really want to get good at this. So, do you mean be sloppy when pouring the wax into the mold? Get it on the sides, but unevenly? Slosh it around a little?

Anyone have a picture of some rustic pillars?

And what is a heaping T?

Edited August 30, 2014 by OldGlory

[Jcandleattic]

Ignore the flame on the one I'm burning. The wick on that one was way to small. 

 

Just a basic sample. 

I think the heaping T refers to a heaping T of Stearic

yes, slosh it around a little, pour it sloppily up against the sidewalls of the mold, etc; 

 

cool enough to stick to the sides of the mold but not slushy - 

 

HTH

[Danni5173]

For rustics, I do what everyone else does- pour it cool and sloppy with the stearic. 

For more of a mottle and a little bit smoother candle (less rustic), I pour warmer (170-185) with a teaspoon pp of mineral oil. I subtract the teaspoon from the fragrance oil amount. I do this with 1343 wax and 1oz pp of fo. I actually just did one- if it mottles right, I'll throw a pic up here tomorrow. 

Pillars are super easy and a lot of fun to make especially when you get sloppy. You never know what a candle will turn out like, until you unmold. 

Edited August 30, 2014 by Danni5173

[Scented]

Pouring cool at about 150-160 ... try 155 I guess. Too cool and layers may have a tendency to separate. (Relief holes, who poked, help with adhesion of layer to layer as well as temps, but it's more like an extra bonding.) 

Your 1274 will already have a mottling tendency. There are ways to cut back on the mottling, but really rustic mottles are very, very cool looking. 

Yes, heaping Ts of steric. Oops. Knew I was tired but thought I'd typed that. 

You pour sloppy into the mold. You will see air bubbles. You can either pop 'em, dislodge them or leave them. Leaving them will give you a pitted look. 

The cooler the pour the more rustic the look has been my experience. 

 

If you want, check out Judyvega's tutorial on rustic layers I believe. 

Edited August 30, 2014 by Scented

[Guest OldGlory]

Awesome sauce! You all gave me some really good pointers and now I can't wait to try them.

Danni, I am so glad to know that you have to reduce the FO load by that teaspoon of mineral oil! Last pillars I made ended up leaking a tiny bit of oil - know I know why.

Scented, thanks for clarifying about the heaping T of stearic - does everyone use vegetable stearic even if it's a paraffin wax? Does it matter? Stearic helps the FO load? Do customers complain about the pitting that bubbles create?

Thanks for the pic Jcandle, that is exactly what I want to end up with. And, great job!

[Scented]

I am thinking all stearic is the same ... 

Stearic helps with a variety of things, but it tends, at a certain % to help with the FO load. 

I avoid pits as often as I can, so I'm not the to ask. 

[Danni5173]

Stearic really helps with the rustics but I think you can do rustics without it. I would freeze your mold and pour cool- that should give you a nice finish. I think stearic can help to bind the FO but I always use 1oz pp in 1343 and never have had a candle oozing fo.

I don't sell so I don't  worry about the pits- but now that I know how to get rid of them, I think I will. LOL Thanks Scented! They do lend themselves to the rustic nature of the candle, so I don't think people will complain but you never know.

 

Here is the top of my candle- the whole thing didn't mottle so I messed up but it's still a great candle. I just poured it at the wrong temp. But the mottle, looks like snowflakes- my favorite! :-)

 

http://s8.photobucket.com/user/stinkydancer1/media/IMG_0028_zps734029e6.jpg.html

Edited August 31, 2014 by Danni5173

[Guest OldGlory]

Danni, I really like the mottling on that candle! I want that effect along with the sort of uneven exterior. I have both 1343 and 1274 so I'll play with both - but pour them cool and add stearic. It will be an adventure for me!

[Scented]

I did forget to mention that when those air bubbles are on the inside, it will cause some air bubbles that may grow on the surface. This you'll see in your finished product more than anything. It'll bulge the sides or tops (depending on where they are at) and while it isn't a great bulge, it's a bulge that leaves the surface irregular. Now you can live with them and their growth or you can poke them with a pin and press some of that air out or you can start over ... there are probably some more ors, but I can't think of them right now. 

[Guest OldGlory]

Does tapping the sides of the mold right after you pour release most of the air bubbles? If I slosh the wax around, looks like I should take care not to create bubbles.Thanks for that info.

[Scented]

It does and doesn't. You can see the air bubbles. They are shiny beads in the wax. Just poke them with a chop stick or skewer to dislodge them. If they form back or produce another one, poke a little deeper and it should remedy the situation.

 

The closer to the top, the easier to zap it quickly with a heat gun (so that's another method) ... I thought I had a pix to be able to upload to show it, but it's not on my laptop. 

Edited August 31, 2014 by Scented

[Danni5173]

Danni, I really like the mottling on that candle! I want that effect along with the sort of uneven exterior. I have both 1343 and 1274 so I'll play with both - but pour them cool and add stearic. It will be an adventure for me!

Yeah- I was going for the whole candle look too but of course, pillar candles are never that consistent. Pillar candles are addicting and a load of fun, maybe because they are a little less technical. I like sloppy. LOL

[Guest OldGlory]

Doesn't the mottling wax have to be poured hot to mottle? I think it's going to be a lot of fun playing with pillars again.

[grama]

I was going to suggest freezing the mold like Danni5173 said.  When I first started trying to make rustics I read somewhere they said to freeze the mold and it really helps with the rustic look.  I use 4625 and get a good rustic with that.   

[Terry]

I am no expert on Rustics--only made two, LOL or pillars made a few more of those--but I did put my mold in the freezer and also wet a rag, wrung it out and put that in the freezer as well for around 10 minutes or so.  Took the rag and held it around the mold to keep it cold while pouring/sloshing the wax around.  I poured approx 150.  This may not be a viable option, depending on where you make your candles!  I make mine in the kitchen for now...

[Guest OldGlory]

Great info Terry. I love all the extra detail with the freezing cold rag to keep the mold super cold. Really awesome tip!

I appreciate all the help.

[Guest OldGlory]

I have 2 sizes of the round aluminum pillar molds - one is 3" tall and I think 3.5" wide, the other is 6" tall and 3.5" wide, standard sizes. I need to get a price to my client before she orders and I have given away all of the pillars I made so I don't know how much wax they hold. Well, wax and FO together. I'm thinking 3% FO load. Anyone have this information on hand?

[grama]

I like the freezing cold rag to keep mold super cold.  Especially when you are doing layers and your mold is not freezer cold.

[Flicker]

1274 is a version of 1343 with more consistent mottling capabilities, I believe, and should actually perform as well as the 1343 with the added benefit of getting mottles. 

 

Although I wish this were true, it's not. The 1274 does not use 1343 as a base. I don't personally find the 1274 throws as well with as many scents but sometimes the 1343 does not mottle so it's a necessary evil.

[Guest OldGlory]

Has anyone tried a 1274 & 1343 blend?

[Danni5173]

Not here- I just stick with 1343. I'm with Flicker on the throw. 1343 is better. I use 6% and the candles come out great every time with whatever fragrance, I have never tried 3% FO because I was afraid it wouldn't throw very well.

 

When I tried the 1274 for more consistent mottling, the throw was not as good but the mottling was better.

 

I think you'll be ok blending the two but you don't really need to unless you are trying to finish up the 1274. Just curious why do you want to blend them?

 

Your 3 x 6.5 mold- I think holds somewhere between 22 and 27 ounces of wax- I'm not sure on the exact number since I use this mold but I only use a pound of wax at a time. The size of this mold is wonderful though. I love it. If your curious, for me, with most scents, I use a 1/0 square braid. I can get away with a 2/0 square braid with some scents but not all that many.