Yet another nube :)

[Henryk]

I've decided after reading the 3 links that Vicky gives to give gel a whirl. I wanted to try them for a long time and since I'm disillusioned right now with my soy candles maybe now would be the time to try it! So, have a couple of nube questions of course.

What I want to do first is just a plain tumbler jar - frosted with a design on it for the holidays - I'm sure you've seen them around. I found out they are Anchor Hocking and I've used them for regular soy candles so I'm sure the glass is safe. I also have 10mm neck tabs but I assume high-neck tabs aren't needed unless you have embeds like sand at the bottom correct?

1. What is the clearest gel out of the three densities?

2. What is the best way to avoid bubbles?

3. I assume liquid color is the best?

4. How "early" can you make gel candles (I've read they cloud over time?)

Then I have glitter questions (that is going to be my limit at the moment as far as for "embeds" go until I get more comfortable with it).

1. Does it matter which density you use?

2. Doesn't that interfere with the burning - clogging the wick? (all my glitters are either the cosmetic ones from WSP or from Aroma Haven).

Finally - a specific question, has anyone specifically used the Star Dazzle Dust at http://www.rusticescentuals.com/dazzledust.html and/or the Sugar Dazzle Dust or for that matter, any of the other "dusts" on that page suspended in gel? I just find it hard to believe that actual glass particles won't interfere with the burning of a gel candle - though it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong

Thanks. Sorry for the complete nubie questions!

[Luci]

I've been doing gels for just over a year. Of the 3 densities, I don't find a lot of difference between the high and medium. Once in a while I use the low for fruit bowls because it's easier to get it to drip to the bottom. Suspending embeds without a loop is a real pita and takes a lot of patience. I'm making more fruit preserve jars than anything else. I also like doing the pies and sundae candles.

There are several techniques for eliminating bubbles, such as heating your container, etc. I've also used a heat gun a LOT! As far as glitter, I have totally ruined several candles because of using too much. That's been hard for me to get the teensiest amount. Same with dye. A little goes a LONG way. Of course I have to use dye with dessert, drink, and preserve candles, but except for a little orange with halloween and a tiny bit of blue for undersea, I don't use it much.

Clouding hasn't really given me much of a problem unless I didn't completely cover the sand on the bottom or use too much or the wrong fo.

Gel candles can be a lot of fun and there are so many different varieties and themes you can do. I've had tons of fun designing the undersea ones.

[jazzbo848]

you really should use the high neck tabs to keep the candle from burning to the bottom of the container. gel burns hotter than soy. and also unlike soy, you want your gel candle to leave about a 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch rim around the side of the container to cushion it from the heat of the candle.

i would suggest that you start with simple candles to learn wicking, how to use color (you can use wax color blocks), how many bubble you like and how to work with fragrance.

the only time i have seen gel candles cloud is because 1) there was wax on the wick or 2) the fragrance was polar/and or too much was used.

please be prepared to test, test, test.........

cheryl

[Vicky_CO]

Hey Henry welcome to my other world. I will go on one of my soap boxes again and answer the question on at a time.

1. What is the clearest gel out of the three densities? They all three have the same the densities are more for ability to suspending embeds and FO load.

2. What is the best way to avoid bubbles? Since you first are going to be without embeds I will not walk you through the rest because of that. What I have found that helps more than anything else when you mix you gel and FO let it cool way down and then reheat to pour temp.

3. I assume liquid color is the best? Like Jazz said blocks can be used but I prefer liquid just remember very little of either goes a long ways.

4. How "early" can you make gel candles (I've read they cloud over time?) Like Jazz says if you use nonpolar and the proper amounts it will never cloud I have gel candles sitting here that are over 4 years old that are perfectly clear.

I use the high neck tabs in all glassware just for safety but in my tins and pies(which are made in the aluminum pie pans) I go back to the regular 6mm tabs.

Glitters (always use cosmetic grade or like the dazzle dust) it is like color a little goes a long ways mainly because you are working with something that is totally clear. So every thing you put in it will show up and appear bigger in some cases. Gel is great for optical illusions.

[Vicky_CO]

Just to add you really want to use the dust types of glitter other types will really sink to the bottom unless you are pouring in layers then you can sprinkle a bit at each pouring to get it suspended like your embeds.

[mizbizzyb]

Well....I love your feedback in the soy area...guess it is my turn for some feedback

1. What is the clearest gel out of the three densities? All are clear - as far as the difference in the density the gel is thicker the higher the density and more fo it can hold

2. What is the best way to avoid bubbles? sorry, haven't mastered that yet. However I did have one that lost its bubbles at an outdoor craft show and nobody liked it :undecided

3. I assume liquid color is the best? yes and no...i use flakes and liquid...gel is not like wax where you have to let it dry before the real color shows

4. How "early" can you make gel candles (I've read they cloud over time?)..clouding comes from using non-gel safe items (ie FO, sand, etc)

Then I have glitter questions (that is going to be my limit at the moment as far as for "embeds" go until I get more comfortable with it).

1. Does it matter which density you use? no

2. Doesn't that interfere with the burning - clogging the wick? (all my glitters are either the cosmetic ones from WSP or from Aroma Haven). Use glitter sparingly - a little goes a very long way!!

Last but not least...have fun with gel...It allows you to be creative.

[sharyl55]

Hi Henry! I noticed no one mentioned wicks in regards to cloudy gels. Unless you purchase wicks primed for gel candles you need to put your primed wicks in the oven on low to remove the wax. I forgot 1 time and it wasn't a pretty sight. I know you read Vicky's posts but please be sure to print out the info on testing for non-polar FOs. Even if a FO says it is gel safe you still need to test every bottle before using.

I seem to have problems controling drops of liquid dyes. Now I put some gel in a Dixie cup and add my drop of dye to that. Then I can put little pieces of dyed gel into my pot until I get the right color.

Have fun. I'll be watching the gallery for pictures of your tumblers.

[Luci]

Thanks for that tip on the dyes, Sharyl.

[Twoscentsworth]

Glitter glitter......While I love RE's glitter and have a lot of it, you can also use the fine glitter you can get at Wally. Actually, you can use the larger glitter with no problems. The glitter will be pushed to the edge of the melt pool.

Here is a way to do glitter.......get a baking sheet with sides, pour in melted gel that is not too hot but still liquid then sprinkle glitter and sprinkle glitter and sprinkle more glitter you want a lot of glitter. Then when it is cool you can cut the glitter into chunks or tear it. Then place some at the bottom of your container, add some hot gel and keep doing this up to the top.

The glitter pieces will melt with the hot gel overpour and your container should have glitter nicely placed.

[Henryk]

You guys are like net.gel.gods! Thanks so much for all of your help.

I can't wait to try this stuff out! (I also found I have some leftover candy corn and mini-pumpkin embeds from last year - I know I said I'd wait about the embeds, but don't think that will happen now).

I was reading through all the posts and did read about the wick priming - plus about maybe using dedicated stuff for gel - only one presto so I think I will first try this pyrex-in-the-oven melt method - unless you guys don't think its safe to do that?

The other thing I noticed is how hardly any of my FOs are gel safe via flash point and/or polarity - never paid attention to that when I was buying - live and learn I guess.

cheryl, thanks for mentioning I should wick to purposely leave a shell - I had NO idea I would need to do that. http://www.gelcandlemaking.com/section5.html goes into it a bit but never says actually wick TO leave a shell deliberately.

[Luci]

Henry, I have a presto dedicated to gel. However, if I am making a sundae candle or something like that where I only need a tad, I heat my gel on the stove top in a glass pot. I like keeping an eye on my thermometer at all times. I found glass pots for next to nothing at the salvation army. Clean up is really easy.

[Twoscentsworth]

Personally I would not do the oven..... IF you use glass on top of the stove please make sure you are using the old Pyrex coffee pots....anything else will explode. You can find these at thrift stores but again BE SURE it is the old Pyrex and not just a glass coffee carafe from the newer coffee brewers. I can't stress that enough

Jazzbo and I used to moderate a gel forum waaaaaaaaaay back and started making them when gel first hit the streets. Jazz is VERY creative and has made some absotively posolutely gorgeous gels....if it can be done she's probably done it.

Oh, also with the glitter gels the shell has the added benefit of leaving glitter on the side of the container and the flame makes it sparkle in the dark.....

edited to add the "Oh, also...."

[mizbizzyb]

I have different FO's for most gel and waxes...when I was strictly gel it was not a big deal. But when I switched to wax the fo's didn't do as good as I would have like them to do in wax.

I used to melt the gel in a roaster (slow cooker type one) then woke up one day and got a presto pot and was good to go...melts alot faster. so now I have a presto pot for my gel, my gl 70/30, my old wax formulation until i can get everything converted to gl 70/30 and one for a tart mix...I need another one for testing my own soy blend next.

[Carol M]

unlike soy, you want your gel candle to leave about a 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch rim around the side of the container to cushion it from the heat of the candle.

I was thinking I might like to try some of the gel chunk candles with wax overpour that I've seen. So I was looking up all these old threads trying to get some basic information. I'm a little confused by this, as I've never worked with gel at all before. Is the 1/8" to 1/4" buffer only for all-gel candles, or would I need to have that with combination candles, too? Doesn't seem like it would be a very pretty candle if it had all that hang-up. Thanks in advance for any information on this.

[Vicky_CO]

No you would not if the major part of your candle is wax.

Have you made and burned a gel candle before? If you have not you need to do that first so you have an idea of what gel wax really burns like.

[Carol M]

Thank you, Vicky. I will look around for a gel candle to buy; I did try some years ago when they first came out (Glade, I think). But I wasn't making candles myself at that time, so didn't pay much attention to how they burned.