Beth, Had to chuckle at your whole story. You must have had the wax pretty cool to be able to hold your finger over the wick hole without burning it. Still can't imagine how you managed to thread the wick back through but good on you! Now to answer your questions. 1) I add stearine to my pour pot after all the wax has melted, then add colour and fo. 2) I pour at about 150 F but only after making sure that the wax is stirred and not starting to congeal on the bottom of the pot (or getting lumpy ). 3) Poke relief holes after about 45 minutes to an hour. The wax will be quite firm but soft and there will still be liquid where you poke the holes. Just keep them open by repoking every 30 minutes or so. I'm looking forward to seeing your rustic in the gallery, I bet it turns out sensational as these "disasters" often do. Mozz Whoops, forgot to answer the microwave question but that's possibly because I have no idea. I've heard that it's a dangerous thing to do but as someone who has set my wax on fire at least twice I'm in no position to cast aspersions. LOL