What Is This Technique Called?

[Quentin]

I snagged this picture from a British website. These are beautiful. What is this technique called and how do I make pillars like these?

[Hopie]

It looks like mottling wax...perhaps one of the true pros will come along to verify?

[ncraiders]

38 minutes ago, Hopie said:

It looks like mottling wax...perhaps one of the true pros will come along to verify?

I am no expert but i agree with Hopie it looks like mottling wax to me as well.  I have seen alot of pillars like those online where they are using mottling wax.  I can't be 100% sure tho as i don't use paraffin wax, I only use palm.

[Scented]

It looks like rustic to me and those are made pouring cool into cold molds. 

[Hopie]

I've been playing with mottling wax for a few months now, and Pam W. was kind enough to tell me that rubbing the outside of the metal mold with ICE will give you the rustic look I was after. She was SPOT ON! Thank you, Pam W. for the tips! 

 

I wick the mold, then place it in the freezer until the wax is melted...add dye then FO...then take mold out of freezer and pour the wax at about 150-160 degrees. After letting my first layer set a bit, I'd pour my second layer, then rub ice cubes on the outside the molds (very carefully). Lovely, rustic finish when unmolded. A few of them I did are in the Old Style Candle Gallery if you wan to see the effect I got.

 

I hope this helps? 

 

OH, and here is a link I found right here on Craftserver, I would LOVE to get these STUNNING effects one day...I'll keep on pouring until I can create these beauties!! http://www.craftserver.com/topic/3041-frosty-layer-pillars/?tab=comments#comment-33957  

[Lizzy]

looks like cold pour rustics to me...freeze your pillar molds, pour 1/4 way when wax is ready, slush wax around in pillar molds a bit, then finish your pour. 

[Jcandleattic]

5 hours ago, Lizzy said:

looks like cold pour rustics to me...freeze your pillar molds, pour 1/4 way when wax is ready, slush wax around in pillar molds a bit, then finish your pour. 

This is exactly what it looks like to me as well. 

[Pam W]

On 7/17/2018 at 9:53 PM, Scented said:

It looks like rustic to me and those are made pouring cool into cold molds. 

Scented is right on this.......pouring cool into the cooled molds will give you that effect.  And if you do not get the end results that you are looking for..........nothing is lost, i.e., remelt and repour......kwim

[Pam W]

11 minutes ago, Pam W said:

Scented is right on this.......pouring cool into the cooled molds will give you that effect.  And if you do not get the end results that you are looking for..........nothing is lost, i.e., remelt and repour......kwim

I just gotta say that  remelt and pour are my fav words

[Quentin]

There seems to be a consensus. I have three questions based on what I gathered from all the comments. 1) I assume I would use mottling wax?  2) On freezing the molds, overnight perhaps? 3) What temps are you referring to when you say pour "cool" wax? How cool is "cool"? 4) Are there any special tricks I should know about removing it from the mold?  That was actually five questions but this is really interesting. I want to make these. They're beautiful. Perhaps majestic would be a better word to describe them.  

[Lizzy]

5 hours ago, Quentin said:

There seems to be a consensus.

I have three questions based on what I gathered from all the comments.

1) I assume I would use mottling wax?  Yup. I use IGI 1274 or 1343  but prefer 1343

2) On freezing the molds, overnight perhaps? Yup, that's sufficient.

3) What temps are you referring to when you say pour "cool" wax? How cool is "cool"? You pour at the regular recommended pour temp - cold or cool pour refers to pouring the hot wax into cold or frozen molds. Be sure to "slosh" it around in the mold a bit. 

4) Are there any special tricks I should know about removing it from the mold?  Not really from my experience. Just make sure it's completely cooled. 

That was actually five questions but this is really interesting. I want to make these. They're beautiful. Perhaps majestic would be a better word to describe them.  

My answers in red...that's just from my experience and how I do it. Maybe others can chime in with their methods and knowledge
Hope it makes sense. I have the hardest time explaining things. I'm better at showing how it's done than explaining. LOL
 

[Lizzy]

here's a few I made using years ago....I got the mottle and the rustic in one. 

[Lizzy]

[Trappeur]

Gorgeous! gorgeous!

 

Trappeur

[Quentin]

8 hours ago, Lizzy said:

My answers in red...that's just from my experience and how I do it. Maybe others can chime in with their methods and knowledge
Hope it makes sense. I have the hardest time explaining things. I'm better at showing how it's done than explaining. LOL
 

You just about covered it. That gives me a good head start. I've got at least one of those waxes, I'm pretty sure. I might just do that this afternoon. Grabbing a couple of and headed to the freezer now .

[Hopie]

No need to freeze overnight, I only freeze my molds long enough to melt the wax. Then, after the first pour, I do as Pam W. suggested, and rub the sides with ice cubes. Great rustic finish every time.

[Hopie]

On 7/21/2018 at 2:09 AM, Lizzy said:

 

Both of these rustics are BEATIFUL! Love the black ones especially...I've wanted to to one in black and white...sort of a "concrete" look. 

[grama]

The only problem I have found using 1274 & 1343 is that as the pillar burns it starts to bulge out and you have to steady keep hugging it to keep it rounded.  I use 4625 with the same rustic look & like others said put mold in freezer and I pour real cool, like around 135-140. Edited to add you can add stearic to the 1274 or 1343 and it will help with the bulge but with the mottling wax to much and it doesn't mottle good.

Edited July 23, 2018 by grama

[Quentin]

20 hours ago, Hopie said:

.I've wanted to do one in black and white...sort of a "concrete" look.

That's a cool idea. I like that.

[Quentin]

10 minutes ago, grama said:

I use 4625 with the same rustic look & like others said put mold in freezer and I pour real cool, like around 135-140.

If I'm understanding this correctly, you can do this even without a special mottling wax. The effect is more from the cold meets hot shock  than any special characteristics of a designated mottling wax. 

[Hopie]

38 minutes ago, grama said:

The only problem I have found using 1274 & 1343 is that as the pillar burns it starts to bulge out and you have to steady keep hugging it to keep it rounded.  I use 4625 with the same rustic look & like others said put mold in freezer and I pour real cool, like around 135-140. Edited to add you can add stearic to the 1274 or 1343 and it will help with the bulge but with the mottling wax to much and it doesn't mottle good.

 

Perhaps the ones that bulged need a bit of down wicking? I've had to go all the way down to the 21 flat braid to get them to burn better. Still testing these, though. I found that in our hot, dry heat, a lot of wicks seemed to burn like tiki torches and created that same bulge you speak of. Going to do some more burns soon with the 21 ply to see if that eliminates the bulge issue...

[Jcandleattic]

As others have said, a few hours in the freezer with the mold should be sufficient for making them cold, no need for an overnight stay unless you want to do them first thing in the morning and don't want to wait for them to cool down.

I know others have said cooling your wax is not necessary, however, I do use cooled down wax. I don't know exactly the temp but it is right after is starts to solidify on the sides of my pour pot, but when scraping the sides, it melts right in again. Once it does that I know it's cool enough to get the affect I want. I also don't  use a specific mottling wax. Normally I will use 1343 with a bit of stearic added (about a TBLS per pound) in or I will use my 4625 and once made usually can't tell by looking at them which wax I used and have to read my notes. 

You asked about unmolding also, and sometimes, if I pour too cool, then some of the wax won't shrink as much, and sometimes wax will stick to the mold, making it a little more difficult to remov, however, I have found that all that does is add to the rustic look, and then in turn makes me have to take extra care cleaning my molds instead of just wiping them down with a paper towel. I'll actually have to warm up the mold to melt the stuck-on wax. 

 

3 hours ago, Quentin said:

If I'm understanding this correctly, you can do this even without a special mottling wax. The effect is more from the cold meets hot shock  than any special characteristics of a designated mottling wax. 

Yes, exactly.