Pillar-Makers Please Help with Unscented Undyed Pillars

[Michdj]

One would think the complications would come with scented, dyed pillars but for me it's reversed. I've gleaned from the site that you can use 1343 with mineral oil to make plain pillars, with braided or flat wick. I have orders for 200 3x6" per month starting the end of September and want to get your advice.

The orders are for an events center, so if they're burning in a dim light I'd like for them to glow a bit. Additives are what's tripping me up. What would you add (if anything) for the glow? Would Vybar 103 inhibit mottling (very important) but make them more opaque? I have Vybar but no stearic or any other additives - but I can get them upon recommendation. Please help! Thank you!!

[rjdaines]

Pillars can be easily made with 4625, no need to add anything but color and FO if wanted.

If you want mottled candles, there is IGI 1274 which works well.

Edited August 14, 2013 by rjdaines

[Michdj]

Well, I'm working in large quantity (for me) and they need unscented uncolored pillars. I'm worried about which additives to use, and each time I've used 4625 I get a very opaque candle, which I'm assuming will have no glow at all in dim rooms. Any additional thoughts?

[rjdaines]

I think by the time you used additives your candles will resemble 4625. Straight paraffin may be less opaque but it doesn't make good pillars as is but if you have the time to experiment with vybar and stearic, you may achieve what you want.

[Chefmom]

1343 will glow just fine on its own. If you add mineral oil to 1343 it will mottle.

Vybar is an additive that will inhibit mottling and up the fragrance holding capacity of the paraffin. I personally wouldn't add it if you are not making a fragrance candle.

Stearic will make the translucent quality of the paraffin more opaque and more white vs the usual "raw" paraffin ghosty color. You will glow, but in a different way.

4625 is a great all purpose wax that glows and is easy to work with. If you want more white glow, then add stearic.

My daughter loves my 3-inch diameter candles because they glow. She grabs my samples from my sample box for her bedroom because they have burned down and have a semi-shell and so they glow and flicker.

I have made a LOT of different combo recipes of pillars before settling on my favorite recipe. I prefer pillars that are unscented and I do like the white and ivory ones because of the ambiance glow once they have burned for awhile.

You will want to test them though, I found with some of the plain paraffin pillars I had weird bulges at the top instead of them burning the edges down cleanly. It did take awhile to come up with a happy medium.

I love the square braid wicks. I prime them myself in high melt wax mixed with white beeswax.

[ksranch]

I agree with both of them - you can go with 4625 and be fine. I recently did 40 candles for a wedding and they glowed just fine.

[Scented]

Translucent crystals ... with a straight paraffin.

Edited August 16, 2013 by Scented

[Chefmom]

Translucent crystals ... with a straight paraffin.

Well, you learn something new everyday!!! That looks very interesting! I'll have to give it a try, I'm trying to get a 3-inch diameter paraffin that has more glow with a deep blood color. I have the color down, but I was going to go with a hurricane shell. When the wax shell is less than 1/3-inch thick ish the candle looks like glowing, solid blood. Totally creepy!

Thanks! Another reason to love this board......