I'm curious if you submerged the mold in cold water when you cooled it? That was what I have done in the past with large candles like these and it speeds up the time to solidify dramatically! Since you used chunks in the center, the candle hardly shrinks at all during the cooling process. As long as you heat up the exterior of the mold with a hair dryer prior to pouring in the hot wax, it still gives the candle a glossy finish. I hope that helps if you decide to make more large candles in the future It looks gorgeous by the way! Lacey Candle Making From Home