Questions for rustic pillar makers...

[Alohagirl]

There's no vybar in my rustic pillars so after I burn them the first time, the fragrance oil causes big mottles/snowflakes to form in the melt pool as it cools. This makes the top of the candle look ugly in between burns.

Does this bother anyone else? Anybody know how to prevent this? (I tried adding vybar but it screws up the rustic finish.)

[Julie Renee]

What wax did you use? I use 1343 and have never seen that.

[topofmurrayhill]

I assume you don't want to use less fragrance, so if the vybar isn't suitable there are other additives that will work. Stearic will suppress mottling if you add enough of it (maybe try 5% and see if that's enough) or a little micro wax will do the trick (maybe give a try with 1 or 2 percent).

[Tanya]

INteresting I have never noticed that in my rustics. I'm sure it's possible but has never bothered me, just as long as the burn and scent rocks.

[Alohagirl]

Sorry about that. I should have provided details:

I use either 1343 or 1274 for my rustics, and only 1/2 ounce per pound FO. Sometimes I use 3 TBSP stearic and sometimes no additives. The cooled melt pool will mottle every time. Most of the time the white spots are not that noticeable, but sometimes they really spoil the look of a partially-burned candle.

I also have that same problem with scented chunk candles. (See photo below.) After the melt pool cools, mottling appears on top. In this case I wouldn't want to add a bunch of stearic and vybar because it would reduce the translucency.

TopofMurrayHill: I didn't realize that microwax will eliminate mottling. I've heard UA will do it, but I'm afraid it will reduce translucency on the chunkies and interfere with the finish on a rustic. Does anyone know?

[topofmurrayhill]

Devra, UA will make your wax opaque. Practically every additive that solves the problem will do that. Your best bet is the microcrystalline. In the quantities necessary for this purpose you shouldn't lose the translucency. I don't have the magic number for you -- you know how it is in real life -- but it should be less than 2%. Actually I would try just 1%. In some test conditions they set up at IGI, 1% micro eliminated mottling completely. Good luck and don't forget to post the picture of your pristine unmottled melt pool.

Looked back over your post again and had one more thought. I think you'll want avoid the 1274 wax. It mottles like mad and doesn't strike me as the most suitable choice for rustics. I experimented with it recently and the first FO I tried (3%) made it mottle out of control and bleed like fresh roadkill.

[Trish]

I've noticed that my rustics with 1343 do this also. It's not bad, but small mottling where the melt pool cooled. It's never bothered me, I think it's because the melt pool gets so hot that it's bound to mottle...lol

[Alohagirl]

Topofmurrayhill: I've got some microwax cubes leftover from when I used to order from Genwax. I went to their website and it does say they "reduce or eliminate mottling" so I'll give it a try. Thanks.

Trish: I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. I was beginning to think it was my climate or something.

[Pam W]

I've had this happen several times and it's always been w/candles that I went heavy with the FO.

[Scented]

Same as PamW here.

[Alohagirl]

Okay, that's something else to think about. It's possible that the ones with the worst mottling had a particularly heavy FO.

Thanks!