Smell Obsessed Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Does anyone have experience using Jelly Jars (Like grape Jelly for sandwiches) for candles? I truly hate to throw out glass jars like this. But not sure if they are capable of handling the heat? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 From my experience, you can use many different types of jam & jelly jars, or salsa jars; some relish jars are nice, especially the smaller ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lora Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I've used all kinds of jars too. Never had an issue with any of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I wouldn't use them to sell or for gifts, but for testing & personal use, yep. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I've purchased jars before, made candles with them, and sold them or gave them as gifts. What am I missing? For instance, the fruit preserve type of gel candle has been popular for years, they are made in jelly jars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I'm guessing what bfroberts is referring to are jars not specifically made for canning. The fruit/jelly jars are made for canning. Goldie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 1 hour ago, GoldieMN said: I'm guessing what bfroberts is referring to are jars not specifically made for canning. The fruit/jelly jars are made for canning. Goldie I took it as not selling or giving away candles made in recycled jars and I tend to agree. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 48 minutes ago, TallTayl said: I took it as not selling or giving away candles made in recycled jars and I tend to agree. Yes, that's what I meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Recycling the jars for yourself to use for candlemaking would be nice. I tend to save jelly jars and find all kinds of useful ways to reuse them. Lately I have been using them for my soap colorants, herbs, spices, clays, etc. They sure come in handy! Like others have said, if you are intending to make them to sell I would also advise not to. You should use new jars for candlemaking to sell or give to friends, family, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Okay, so what ya'll are saying is that those cute vintage jars from my grandmother's French jam should not one day become a gift candle that someone may enjoy. They are the ones as shown in this article: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/jars/ If people don't have any issue with reusing a French jam jar as a drinking glass as discussed in the article, why would it be considered such a no-no for a candle? If the jar is in good condition and you have others like it that you have tested, is the reason here for safety or because it's considered in bad taste to repour into a repurposed container? I haven't given any of my French jam jars away as candles, but some folks would probably like them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisS Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) 50 minutes ago, birdcharm said: Okay, so what ya'll are saying is that those cute vintage jars from my grandmother's French jam should not one day become a gift candle that someone may enjoy. They are the ones as shown in this article: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/jars/ If people don't have any issue with reusing a French jam jar as a drinking glass as discussed in the article, why would it be considered such a no-no for a candle? If the jar is in good condition and you have others like it that you have tested, is the reason here for safety or because it's considered in bad taste to repour into a repurposed container? I haven't given any of my French jam jars away as candles, but some folks would probably like them. It's a safety concern. There are only so many heat/cool cycles that glass can handle before it fails, and the concern is that it could fail with hot wax and fire in the mix. Even Pyrex is prone to failure after time, by the way. I had a dish shatter for no apparent reason ages ago--casserole on the counter cooling...and *pop*. Edited October 24, 2016 by KrisS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 It is true that any container could fail, usually due to extreme temperature fluctuations. This is one reason why warming glassware if your house is cold isn't only for adhesion, but is a safe practice. I have read that vintage Pyrex was much better, btw ... seems as though the newer product can have issues, as this isn't the first time I've read this ... I guess it must be from taking the glass out of a hot oven and introducing it into a cooler environment, or perhaps the newer Pyrex weakens with use. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that jars that are made for canning purposes are made to withstand heat, and I have a hard time thinking that they would fail with a second use such as being made into a candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 How were the jelly jars treated after being made? As the jelly was scraped out with metal utensils? We're the jars dropped, ever, during use? I get that nostalgia is fun, but when introducing something into a friend or family member's home with an open flame that could potentially burn their home, call me crazy, but I like to have at least a little insurance with new glass intended for the use. Nothing "might" happen. But if it does how would I feel? I already pay a pretty penny for insurance, why would I not buy the best raw materials for my products too? the old Pyrex was made of boroscillate. The new glass (with the green hue) is made with tempered soda-lime. The latter does not handle heat shock nearly as well as the former. Totally different glass formulas. I learned to make glazes from scratch for pottery? Glaze is glass. The biggest thing I had to learn that all glass formulas are different. The difference in a formula of a fraction of a fraction of a percent in an ingredient makes a big difference. Not all are forgiving with heat and cooling cycles. Some shatter very easily. Some are more durable. Without knowing that jelly jar glass nobody can tell when it will fail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I understand your point, but there are always going to be crafters that use various forms of glassware. For instance, I see vintage tea cups made into candles, such as on etsy. We can do our best to secure sturdy glassware, but any glass could have an issue, esp. if a candle is not made correctly, so it's not just the glassware that is important. There are some containers that I've seen candles in that I would never use for candleware ... in such a case, the new raw material may not be as sturdy as the used raw material if the used material was made better. I guess, the thing is that nobody can tell when any container may fail. This article kind of tells it like it is when it says: Actually, the flame surge resulting from the freshly exposed wick can occur with any kind of candle. A nice aromatic votive that has thoroughly liquefied could crack its container, exposing the wick. On a pillar that has been burning for hours and has a nice melt pool going, a sidewall could suddenly melt loose, again draining the melt pool away from the wick. When you think about it, a container candle that is prone to break is really no different than a pillar. Any container made out of glass or ceramic can crack, even those that are considered heat resistant, such as canning jars or glassware made specifically for candle making. The bottom line is that all candles should be burned on a heat resistant surface, well away from any flammable objects such as drapes or overhanging cabinetry, and most importantly, under supervision. Not all containers will crack. Maybe only one in 1000 canning jars will crack. That’s not really the problem. The problem is that many people see containers as bona fide candle holders and may trust them to the point of negligence. Those are unsafe containers. So, the key to a safe container candle is supervision." https://candletech.com/candle-making/tips-and-tricks/safe-containers/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lora Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I can see both sides of this. Would it be "safer" to use the vintage jars on a warming plate? No wick, no flame and really low heat? Would that even be possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Are you looking for an "OK" from us? Because you found people doing it on the internet? Yes it is true any container can fail. Why start out with a questionable piece when so many candle containers designed for the purpose are available? When making candles for others most beginners start out fearful of making a candle that will fail and cause injury or damage. Then we test, test and test some more with a decent sample size to ensure we are right in our manufacturing choices. on the tea cup, those are often porcelain or stoneware, or something similar. They are not like random glass at all. They have much different tolerances than glass. I have had more than one glass container explode while lit and nearly set my table on fire. Glass shot several feet from the location where it was burning. One was a libbey square. One was a votive. One a canning jar. Another votive holder was just holding a mini taper. Color me gun shy. The bottom line is just because people do it, that does not make it right or safe. If you fully intend to use those containers, by all means it is your choice. Just understand the risk involved. And don't forget to obtain insurance before gifting or selling candles no matter what the materials are that you choose since an open flame is an open flame. Just look at alll the candle recalls from retailers for an idea of what can go very wrong with good intentions. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siren12 Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I tend to agree with many of the other comments advising to proceed with caution on using recycled jars to sell or give away. I will admit that i do have a large basket of vintage glass jars with latching lids i would like to use but instead of putting candles in them i may make tarts and fill the jars with the tarts to sell instead. Now would i love to use them as candles of course I would! They are beautiful vintage old glass, but i am apprehensive knowing there could be a weakness in the class that cant be seen with the naked eye and i dont know their history. The risk is not knowing how the glass has been treated after its original use or the number of times it was used for canning/ for jam etc. Also the glass being exposed to extreme cold changes the structure of the glass since glass is not a true solid ( on a molecular level it is still moving), freezing it can create weakness. If you want to sell candles in the jelly jars they really arent that expensive to buy new and you can be more secure with the fact that the jar has hopefully not been exposed to extreme heat and cold 100xs over causing weaknesses in the glass. Now if you dont have any qualms about using the recycled jars go for it ( as i do see larger companies using recycled wine and beer bottles at least, not so much the canning/jelly jars) its up to you what you feel comfortable doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I am a stickler about liability and safety, and I don't know that I could win a liability lawsuit in the event a candle I sold someone in a pre-used container failed and caused some kind of catastrophe. So I don't use them, and I would not advise anyone else to do so. I've done a lot of canning. In addition to candles, we also make and bottle our own BBQ sauce to sell. I am just as diligent about safe canning practices as I am about safe candle making practices. Regardless, I have had brand new out of the box jars fail (crack). Based on what I have read, a whole lot of people do not follow safe candle burning practices. In addition, I see an alarming amount of new (and some seasoned) candle makers that seriously over-wick their candles. Apparently it's all about the quick HT and deep melt pool nowadays. That is yet another reason I would never advise using recycled containers. In the wrong hands, the risk is amplified. All that said, I reuse my testing jars over and over and over. But I know what I'm doing and what the risks are. I am not willing to pass that risk onto a customer. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) As much as I like to give people the benefit of the doubt that they will burn a candle properly or to candlemakers that they will wick a candle properly, of course, there are always going to be the exceptions. As far as that goes -- any candle in the wrong hands could go wrong, and any candle making equipment in the wrong hands could go wrong. I reuse my testing jars over and over again as well, and I'm certainly not saying that such jars should ever be sold or given away. As far as a jam jar goes, such as a Ball jar that is not old, but once had jam in it, I'm not afraid to use it for one of my candles -- I probably wouldn't give it to anyone else; but I'm sure there are many people who would have no issue with it and it would probably all be fine if cared for properly. Edited October 24, 2016 by birdcharm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blt212 Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Personally I would never sell a candle in a questionable container including antique tea cups or the latest fad hand cut beer booze bottles. They can have stress fractures along the cut edge and fail. There are so many nice safe containers why take the chance. I just came across a candle making class by a candle company using these leaf votive holders. These are designed for tea lights not to be wicked. https://www.divaentertains.com/acorn-themed-candle-favors.html This same company makes and sells candles in Coconut Shells....I hope they have good Product Liability Insurance!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonstar Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 When you guys say you don't advise using jelly jars, are you talking about any brand new jars such as Mason or quilted jelly jars ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 1 hour ago, Moonstar said: When you guys say you don't advise using jelly jars, are you talking about any brand new jars such as Mason or quilted jelly jars ? No, ones that have actually had jelly in them. Brand new, never been used, should be fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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