Jump to content

How to make gel materials


pinkcandle88

Recommended Posts

I actually recall last year sometime, thumbing through a craft book or candle and soap book at books and borders I think it was. I found a recipe for making gel wax but I had no interest in it so I cant recall the book name or the recipe but I am sure if you call them they may be able to figure it out.

However, if you would have googled it you would have also found the recipe and found that the 2 ingredients you need to make the gel are not readily available because as the others have said PATENTS.

Edited by Lisasoaps
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I did this YEARS ago. If I remember correctly mineral oil was one thing and I don't remember the other item. I bought the supplies from some company in Tennessee which was later known for its less than stellar customer service. I can't think of the name, and I believe they changed names a few times since then. I'm sure someone else can think of it though. It was easy, but I couldn't move gel candles to save my life...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...
I actually recall last year sometime, thumbing through a craft book or candle and soap book at books and borders I think it was. I found a recipe for making gel wax but I had no interest in it so I cant recall the book name or the recipe but I am sure if you call them they may be able to figure it out.

However, if you would have googled it you would have also found the recipe and found that the 2 ingredients you need to make the gel are not readily available because as the others have said PATENTS.

For my two cents worth, I can say that earlier this week I did find a recipe for gel making in a book at a craft store. The two ingredients listed were 16 oz of mineral oil (readily available) and 25 g of CP-9000 thermoplastic resin powder (not readily available). As I understand it, patent law does not apply to someone who wants to make their own gel for personal use in a non-commercial, not-for-profit manner; rather, it would apply only if someone made their own gel and sold it in bulk or made candles from it and sold them.

Unless I'm mistaken, it would not be illegal to make your own gel to use in your own personal candles or candles given as gifts to friends & familiy. I would have a hard time imagining a company would enforce a patent in a situation like that, because they would put themselves in a bad light in the public.

I'd love to hear any feedback, though, because this is just a side hobby for me and not something on which I spend a lot of time and therefore I might lack some information. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, after doing a fairly extensive search for this resin, I did find a place that seems to sell it. http://www.craftlobby.com They go by the name Big River Wholesale. Do a search on their site for resin, and it comes up. It looks like 1lb - $8.00, 5lbs - $39.50. It looks like they try to get around the patent stuff, by using a disclaimer that states:

Big River Wholesale does not sell CP9000 for the purpose of making gel candles. We sell Penreco finished gel for candle making projects due to the Penreco gel candle patents (U.S. Patent Numbers: 5,578,089; 6,066,329; 5,879,694).

They then go on to tell you how to mix it. 2 cups of Mineral oil to 25 grams of resin. So if my math is correct, a 1lb bag of resin will produce approximately 15 3/4 lbs or so of Gel.

This is how I achieved this number:

Assuming a 5 gallon bucket of gel weighs ~35 lbs.

454 grams/ pound

454/25 = 18.16 (round off to 18)

18 x 16 fluid ounces (2 cups) = 288 ounces

288 / 128 (ounces in a gallon) = 2.25 gallons

2.25 x 7 lb/gallon = 15.75 lbs.

A further search found clear Mineral oil to be about $25/gallon so I'm not sure making your own makes financial sense. Especially if you can get it with a 40% off coupon from Michaels, Hobby Lobby or such for about $25 or so.

Hope that both answers the question, and makes a financial calculation a little easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...