Stella1952

...going out on a limb... an ornament?

We use CDN wicks for our C-3 and palm candles. We like them very much.

I like the design - would like a little color detail of some sort (perhaps the text?). Does the label go all the way around the tin? Interesting concept...

Munch, the air bubbles all collect along the wick because they stick to it and it is in the center of the candle. As the votives are setting up, thump the table underneath or around the candle to help ease those bubbles to the surface. If you can get them all popped before the top sets up, you may have a one-pour deal on your hands. The heat guns work well - the surface wax melts and the bubbles start escaping. I don't like the surfaces of heat-gunned candles as much as I do when they cool naturally, but sometimes ya gotta do what you gotta do! Main thing is to wait until the candle is absolutely cooled before heat gunning, or you may cause problems you didn't have before!

Try 1 tablespoonful of beeswax per pound and see how that works for ya.

Adding oils to condition the wax for one thing or another (frosting, slower burning, etc.) is a fine art, from what I have gathered. I have never added olive oil to candles. I wonder if the type of olive oil - virgin, extra virgin, etc. - matters? I wonder if there will be an odor from the olive oil... and I wonder if the candle will burn with more smoke? Intriguing idea... might make for an interesting weekend experiment... If it works out for ya, it sounds like a kool deal. Wish I hadda friend who is an olive farmer...

Since you are using this cannister for a mold, I will assume you don't really care too much about it... could you do a can opener around the top and cut off the skinnier part? If it's real close to the top, you might get away with using the can opener. If not, is there a drill or hand grinder with a cut-off wheel layin' around the garage anywhere? That might work even better and not leave as ragged an edge (although I would assume scalpel-sharpness)... You have a great attitude, W&W!! I am so stubborn I just can't STAND to lose a casting, especially when the mold is a throwaway... :rolleyes2 When your slick hurricane mold comes in, you will LOVE how much easier it is with which to work. I used a big can with the top & bottom cut out for an insert for a long time, but I finally broke down and bought a REAL insert and it sure did make things easier! :rolleyes2 Sometimes I just don't realize how hard I'm knocking my head against the wall until I stop...:rolleyes2

Too cool, Maggie! Thanks for sharing that technique!

Toni, I heat the wax to 170°-180°, then allow it to cool down to 145°-150°. I transfer it to the pour pot and add fragrance and dye. I keep a thermometer in the pour pot because I am stirring gently, but constantly, to get the temp down evenly and still mix the dye and FO well. I try to pour between 130° and 120°, the lower, the better. My partner hasn't the patience to wait for the wax to cool down while stirring, so I usually have to repair tops on hers! The wax will be cloudy, but smooth and silky looking, not slushy like a Frosty. It helps to give the pouring pot a few thumps to consolidate and release air bubbles. I thump the containers a few times as they are setting up. If the wax is too liquid to move the container, I thump the table all around the container.

I have had only one candle hang in the mold thus far and that was because the mold had gotten slightly deformed - all it takes is a teensy little dent or nearly imperceptible deformation and the casting can't fall out. If it moves in the mold, mold vacuum ain't the problem. Chilling and waiting for shrinkage to occur usually helps; if using a plastic mold, heating the mold slightly after chilling will soften the mold enough sometimes to drop a stubborn one out. Metal will sometimes expand enough, but if during repeated warmings one gets new wax melted between the candle and the mold, it'll be as tough as getting a wet girdle off a hippo after a big meal. :rolleyes2 At least, with candles, one CAN call it a day and remelt. I have had to cut molds off concrete castings after wrestling with them in the front yard for a few days! One learns to worship flexible molds and watch out for undercuts! Metal molds are great, but they dent and deform. Once they are like that, they are junk. ANY minor imperfection above the bottom will hang a casting. I am insane about how delicately I handle metal molds! I can't afford the extreme frustration of a hung casting, not to mention the raving and frothing and cursing that comes out of my mouth during such an event! I hope you can salvage your embeds!

Silicon (and urethane) molds are wonderful things! All you need is a good master from which to make the mold! I do other artwork that requires the use of molds and have made wonderful impressions using actual leaves for impressions or tracing lettering (printed on a tranparency) with silicon rubber or liquid leading. When the casting is demolded, the raised lettering becomes recessed into the casting. The crispness of the lines in the candles (from what I could see) made me think of a die at first, but usually when one uses a die, there is always a trace line surrounding it somewhere because of pressing the cold or hot die into the surface (especially a curved surface); so, in the absence of obvious casting lines, my money is on a silicon glove mold that was made from a carefully hand-crafted original. Once you have the master made, you can make many molds from it. Silicon molds last a long time, especially when one treats them well.

I think you GOTTA burn it - to me it looks like the glow is gonna be fantastic! LOVELY!!

Are you talking about the circular shrinkage crack? We have that sometimes, but the cooler we pour, the less we see that sudden sinkhole shrinkage. A heat gun does diminish it, but if the top is otherwise perfect except for that slight, circular crack, I think I'd leave the top alone. After it has cured and hardened a few days, you can frequently rub it out with your finger.

I heat up a pan in the oven and slide it across. Palm wax has a very short length of time between liquid and solid - it doesn't get soft like soy or paraffin - either hard or liquid. Might wanna slide it a couple of times.

We use C-3 and liquid dye from JBN. Although I started with the prime colors (red, blue, yellow) and mixed my own shades, they now have a nice line of shades. The advantage is that for a deeper shade, you will not need as much as if you mix yer own. We get pretty deep tones, but are still searching for a BLACK black .

We've been using CDN wicks in our palm pillars for several years sucessfully. Try a 14 or 12 for a 3" pillar.

Here's a link to a volume calculator - it doesn't offer ounces, but it does do liters. Just convert the liters to ounces and you'll have your answer! http://www.handymath.com/cgi-bin/cylinder.cgi

Those are lovely - lucky customers! Could you explain this? I'm always up for a new tip or idea... I hate levelling candles!

I would go up one size on the jar on the right.

Graphic images do not have to be formally copyrighted to be legally considered intellectual property of the webmaster, photographer or artist. The best rule to follow is that if you did not take the photo or create the image, you may not know to whom it is copyrighted, but you DO know it ain't yours! ASKING is the right thing to do. Many times, an artist will be pleased to allow you to use his/her design or photograph, but ASK first. If you see an image on the web, write the webmaster and go from there. There are certain exceptions, such as using a copyrighted image for educational purposes or private use (not for resale or distribution) where no profit is intended or derived from its use - these are called the "fair use" provisions, but that doesn't sound like what you have in mind. Example: If you wanna make you an Elvis (before he got fat) hurricane and use his image (which is copyrighted), so long as it is solely for your enjoyment and home decor, that's "fair use." BUT, if you decide to become the Hurricane King of the World and use that image for your "The King" line of 'canes, you would have to seek permission to use the photo from his heirs/estate (or in the case of certain works of the Beatles, the person to whom the intellectual rights have been sold, namely Michael Jackson). There is nothing wrong with looking at another person's artwork and allowing it to inspire you to do your own version... artists have been inspiring and sharing each others works since the cave days. If it's a direct steal from a living artist, it is polite to give them credit for the idea which you rerendered. If you wanna make plaid dogs your thing (with apologies to Blue Dog's George Rodrigue), at least make them substantially different and give George a nod... Leesters, I suggest you email that artist and tell him you would like to use one (or more) of his images for your 'canes. Hey, who knows? They might be so happy that they not only give you permission, but allow you to sell the 'canes from the artist's website as well!! Sometimes great partnerships are created this way! Good luck!

Did you try a wedding supply store?

LOVELY candles and great presentation!

A CDN 12 works for us in the 8 oz wide mouth (3") jars, using NatureWax C3. We wicked a 16 oz. with a 14, but got too much 'shrooming so we'll back down to a 12 and see if it works out. HTH

The wide mouth canning jars we pour (using NatureWax C3, advertised as a 100% soy wax) are 3" jars. We have not had much problem wicking them. We use CDN wicks. A 14 works okay, but some 'shrooming, so we backed down to a 12, which is working very well for us. HTH