Alohagirl

Beautiful--what a nice gift that would make!

How thick are your chunks?

Have you burned any of the new waxes? How are you liking them? Which ones have you tried?

The chunks are only 1/4 inch thick. I've tried Peak's pillar paraffin, which seems to burn the same as 1343. The pre-blend granules are nice too, but I have to wick up one size. (Harder wax, I guess.)

Are you getting such a slick finish from the wax or mold or combo or ...?

It's this wax. Pour hot into a warm mold and I get this finish every time.

I think solids are kind of boring now after seeing all the creativity in the gallery. But I still like them in groups.

I wish I could see the finish better because it looks like it might be pretty cool looking. I think I can see that the pillar is upside down though. (The bottom of the mold forms the top of the candle.)

Not only do we have to worry about the Earth tipping, but do any of you ever look up into the sky when you are driving around or walking and realize that we "are in outer space".....only gravity keeps us on the ground and that at any minute, if gravity disappeared, we wouldn't be here.

Another post like that, Donita, and we're gonna start calling you "Chicken Little." :grin2:

You can't be making those beautiful candles in your kitchen. That counter is just too clean.

Yeah, thanks to my handy-dandy heatgun!

What is the burn results for this wax?

I found I need to wick up one size above my usual, then it burns great and the pillars self-consume.

A quarter-inch on the edges is good. Hug it inward while it's soft and you'll have a self-consuming pillar.

We spend energy figuring out how to put the maximum amount of chemical soup in the candle and judge the end product by how high a concentration of fumes it can generate in an enclosed space.

That would be funny if it wasn't so true. :undecided

<<<<Now sometimes a study like EPA will find more exotic and complicated things emanating from a candle.>>>

Funny you should mention that, I spent the afternoon researching more info on this subject, and every time I read a comment like that, the writer failed to differentiate whether or not it was a fragranced candle being studied. In cases where the emanating toxins were listed, they were the same chemicals known to be in fragrance oils, not wax itself.

<<<Take a flake of soy wax and drop it to the bottom of your oven to make formaldehyde in your very own home using 100% renewable resources.>>>

Top, have I told you how much I love your brand of sarcasm? :grin2:

Paraffin releases only water vapor and carbon dioxide when burned? Where did you read that? Wasn't what the EPA said. Just curious ....

Here's a quote from http://www.getsmarter.org/mstv/R1_b.cfm

When a candle burns, where does the wax go?

Except what drips all over your tablecloth, it goes to the same place that gasoline and oil go when they burn: into the air. But in a chemically altered form.

Candles are usually made of paraffin, which is a mixture of hydrocarbons, substances that we find in petroleum. As the name implies, hydrocarbon molecules contain nothing but hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms. When they burn, they react with oxygen in the air. The carbon and the oxygen become carbon dioxide, while the hydrogen and oxygen become water. (But not necessarily completely). Both of these products are gases at the temperature of the flame, and they just go off into the air.

We burn many other hydrocarbons: methane in natural gas, propane in gas grills and torches, butane in cigarette lighters, kerosene in lamps, and gasoline in cars. They all burn to form carbon dioxide and water vapor, and seem to disappear in the process. Paper, wood, and coal contain additional mineral and plant materials that don't burn, so besides producing carbon dioxide and water they leave ash.

more technical info at: http://www.akrobiz.com/polymer_clay/polymer.html

also:

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00288.htm

Thanks. Not everybody likes this kind of chunk pillar, but I think they look really nice in real-life, not so great in photos. And they glow like stained glass when they're lit.

Dee, to eliminate the washboard texture, just use a heatgun on each side right after pouring. Stop when you see tiny bubbles coming up. (I forgot to do it on this one, so I used the heatgun after unmolding but that doesn't work as well.)

Thanks! The rectangular tray is sold at Crate & Barrel if anyone is interested.

These were made with Peak's granulated pre-blend.

Made with Peak's new straight paraffin (unscented)

Dee, thanks for posting the photo. Those pillars are gorgeous. That's the kind of rustic I've been trying to do: semi-translucent with intermittent frost. Unfortunately, every time I try to make one without any oil, I get a rough washboard texture and all the frost stays in the mold. Do you by any chance remember what was the pouring temp and if you chilled the mold first or used a water bath?

HenryK, I really enjoyed that article--that kind of stuff is right up my alley. I try to avoid chemicals as much as possible in my family's environment and food. After finding out about the DPG, I did a search and discovered it's considered to be non-toxic, but it's made from a highly toxic substance!! I definitely won't be trying it.

I want to make the least-toxic candles possible since I like to burn several every night. I used to use soy wax, but then discovered that it's not 100% natural--various chemicals have to be used in order to turn the soybean oil into a burnable wax. Conversely, paraffin wax, when burned, releases only water vapor and carbon dioxide. Ironic.

Thanks, Dee. Now I see what you mean. I love that kind of rustic! Unfortunately, whenever I try it without oil, I just get a washboard texture and no frost.

BTW, great candles AND photo!! :smiley2:

Coincidentally, HenryK posted a link today regarding a scientific study that was done regarding fragrance oils and mottling. I was shocked to find out that fragrance oils are commonly made with Benzyl benzoate, dioctyl phthalate and/or dioctyl adipate. Those are nasty chemicals that are known to cause respiratory illness, birth defects, etc.

(Guess that explains why you guys got sick.)

If you're looking for a liquid dye that's concentrated but doesn't stink terribly, I'd recommend the ones from Peak Candle in Colorado.

I threw out liquid dyes from several other companies because they reeked so bad--you could smell it right through the unopened bottles, and also in finished pillars that weren't heavily fragranced.

Thanks, Top, I spoke with Lyschel, and you were right--she really knows her stuff.

She was definitely surprised when I asked about "unfragranced" fragrance oil! After explaining why I wanted it, she suggested I try natural jojoba oil because it's thin and has almost no fragrance. She also suggested DPG (dipropylene glycol) because it is commonly used to dilute fragrance oils, and therefore might be exactly what I'm looking for.

I already have jojoba oil because I use it on my hair. I'll try it in pillars tonight and post the results tomorrow.

Thanks, Top, that's a good idea. In the past, when I called candle supply companies and tried to ask quasi-technical questions, I've gotten nowhere. It seems these people don't know or care what they're selling. Maybe a specialty house will be able help.

Nice work. I like the uniformity of the one on the left. :smiley2:

I like sniffing the fumes myself, it makes me feel gooder.... promotes the bestest creatillity. ~~~~HAHAHA~~~

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!

Do you use wick pins by any chance? If so there are a couple things that come to mind that can cause this problem.

For example, did you change waxes? Some of them contract more as they're cooling and can pull the wick pin off center, causing the mold to tilt slightly.

Also, are you using the same kind and amount of putty/mold sealer? Some mold sealers soften so much after filling the mold, that they actually compress and make the mold tilt a little.

I too haven't found much difference in oils with regard to mottling. Mineral oil, parol oil and FO all mottle nicely for me in 1274, 1343 and 1218.

When it comes to rustics, though, I've noticed thick mineral oil makes the wax very dull and cloudy. Parol oil does too, but less so. And FO doesn't at all. Therein lies my problem. I'm desperately trying to achieve a semi-transparent rustic with patches of frost like I've seen in stores, but I want them unscented so I can burn several at a time. Unfortunately, I have to add some sort of oil to get the frost, and parol/mineral oil make the pillar dull and cloudy instead of semi transparent.

Hmmm, what to do...

1. What was the first candle you made and how did it turn out?

I wanted unscented pillars other than plain white and ivory, so I bought some palm wax, dye and a mold I saw in a craft catalog. Suprisingly, my first pillars came out perfect.

2. What resources did you use to research candle making?

I just followed the directions that came with the mold. When I was ready to try other waxes and techniques, I searched the net and found Genwax and Candletech.

3. Did you use dyes and FO on your first?

Just dye chips

4. Do you have a special room or space you use exclusively for your candle making (basement, garage, etc...), or do you use your kitchen?

A corner of my kitchen, with an empty cabinet I shove everything into when I'm done for the day.

5. Any suggestions on how I should start (maybe what you think is the "easiest" to make)?

Palm wax and pre-blended pillar wax flakes are really easy. You just have to melt them over indirect heat, add FO and a dye chip, cool to 180 degrees and pour into a greased mold with a wick pin. Not much to it.

6. Have any tips that I have not found on this site that may be helpful?

If you're having wicking problems, go easy on the fragrance oil until you get the hang of things.

7. If you could only make one type kind of candle for the rest of your life, what would that be?

Semi-translucent rustic pillars that glow all the way down when lit.

8. What is your ultimate candle, the greatest candle you dream of making (and have not yet)?

Those same rustics. I can't get them transparent enough to glow well.

I usually do my second pours long after the pillar has cooled. As Top said, if the repour is hot, it's not a problem. Also, if you've poked relief holes, the repour wax will get down inside the pillar and bond everything together.