Seriously, I need help

[cybersix]

Hi, I'm in trouble with waxes.

I'll try to explain the best I can.

My goal is to do a rustic that's not glossy or shiny as I usually do.

I read a lot about it here, now I have aluminium molds.

The problem is the wax.

I bought plain paraffin. On the site they claim MP is about 125-129° F.

I think it's ok.

When the box arrived on the label I found: "melt at 158°F"

Trying rustics I wanted to pour at about 138-140°F.

When I poured I got so many bubbles that it seemd to me wax was having a shower and was having a shampoo, I saw so many bubbles only in beers.

So I had to take the heat gun and kill them.

Goooooodbye rustic!!!

I just spoken with the supplier. He continues claiming MP is about 125-129° F.

He said I poured too cold. But if so I tend to think that MP is NOT 125-129° F.

The day before I poured a little bit warmer and the pillar coming from aluminium mold was always shiny. And with bubbles.

What do I have to do????

Adding stearic helps? How much should I add?

I'm desperate. I cannot trust a label or a supplier. Things like this make me want to give up. I have no choice, I have to get what they sell.

They sell a blend of paraffin and stearic. They don't even tell what's the supposed MP when talking of pre-blend, and on the label of this I read clearly "MP is 158°F".

Should I only do hurricanes?????

I need help!

edited to add: they sell another type of paraffine, they call it "hard paraffin", they say MP is 136-138F...........

[Scented]

Well haven't tried with that particular kind of wax, but what happens if you pour slightly warmer than you did? Meaning like by 5 degrees on the high end, between 145-150 actually. Look to see if you get as much bubbling as you did previously. Steric basically gives the whitish appearance and it usually takes about 3T to get it. Because it's a cold pour, you're going to get some bubbling which is why you tap and occassionally slam a mold. A quick zap with a heat gun doesn't necessarily always kill a rustic.

[cybersix]

Scented yesterday I poured at about 145, I had so many bubbles (I did not have so many bubbles til I bought this damned wax) that tapping the mold isn't enough.

And I have to warm wax a lot with the heat gun to let them release and disappear.

I already cold poured in my pc molds, never had so many problem, I know I have to tap and I always did it.

I don't understand what's going on.

I think that the MP is higher than what they tell, i's the only reasonable thing that comes into my mind.

But I want a *real* rustic look, for one time in my life, then I could happily die!!

Well haven't tried with that particular kind of wax, but what happens if you pour slightly warmer than you did? Meaning like by 5 degrees on the high end, between 145-150 actually. Look to see if you get as much bubbling as you did previously. Steric basically gives the whitish appearance and it usually takes about 3T to get it. Because it's a cold pour, you're going to get some bubbling which is why you tap and occassionally slam a mold. A quick zap with a heat gun doesn't necessarily always kill a rustic.

[Scented]

Have you added anything to the wax? Other than color or FO. If you haven't, try a little with 3 T of steric and see what it does.

[cybersix]

Thanks, I did not add anything, I used color and 1/2 oz pp of FO.

I'll try with stearic and see how it goes.

Tank you very much

[PamR]

There is a little test you can do to find out the mp of any wax. A wax rep told me this is how they test it in labs. Melt some of the wax to at least 190 degrees, take the thermometer & withdraw from the wax trying to keep a drop of wax of the very end of therm, this can be a little tricky, lol. You might have to slowly twirl the therm, but not too fast or the drop will fall off. As soon as the wax drop congeals, read the temp, this is the melt point, give or take a couple of degrees. This little test has helped me when I had no idea what the melt point was. Also, if your wax is truly in the rage of 125 129mp, that's a little too soft for pillars.Hope this helps.

Pam R

[cybersix]

thanks Pam.

I'll try this test, because I'm almost sure MP is higher than that.

I read past posts, so many bubbles and "foam" seem to be the tipical symptom of wax too cold, and the only explanation is that it was under it's MP...