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drilling wick holes


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I like Geekrunners idea too. Here's what I came up with in a pinch. Sorry about my messy molds, but I do make a lot of candles. Top is the one who told me about using metal tape. I love it. I used one of my wick rods and centered it in the hole. Then supported it with a lampshade ring. (I used to make lampshades so I still have a bunch of sizes around the house).....but it works. Donita

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What kinda mold is that?

The only mold I was selling from was a 2.75 inch octagon:

http://www.peakcandle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PCMS&Product_Code=MLD-OCTSPR27565&Category_Code=MLD-SPR

I just went to the EZWick website and they have a much larger selection, now, than they did last time I checked.

Also, Robert saw that post and sent me a PM, saying that he does custom tools, as well.

I thought it was nice of him to contact me. Also shows a bit of class that he lurks around here, but doesn't get into threads like this one, where he could easily hawk his wares.

In short, it seems he'll make just about any size you want, so my earlier post was somewhat incorrect.

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  • 1 year later...
okay, I was having trouble finding any tutorials on how to do this.

What are tips and tricks for drilling wick holes in a candle if you want to use a candle mold that does not have a wick hole drilled in it.

how do you ensure that the hole is straight? do you use a drill?

do you pour a few drops of wax?

Can you stick a metal rod (is this a wick pin?) into the wax and pull out when it has hardened and then insert a wick?

More questions I know. I always have a million.

Thanks a lot!

I am so glad I came across this post. My boyfriend, just last night, suggested using his drill press to drill the wick holes. He's seen how frustrated I get when I take such care to get the pre-tabbed wicks or wick screws centered and actually look like they are. Just to find out later that they are not centered from top to bottom...AAAHHH! LOL

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Kat...I'm so glad you brought this post up. I just ordered my first pillar mold last night. Since I wasn't sure about wicking, I ordered both the wick pin and Pillar wick centering tool. I understood the wick pin 'cause I've used those in votives but wasn't sure about the one with the bent handle and cross bars. It was the indent on the bottom of the mold that I wasn't sure of. I loved geekrunner's idea of using the hanger. I could have saved myself some money. lol I remember reading that someone was using a knitting needle in their drill press. If I don't have luck with the pins, I guess I'll be dusting off the drill press.

Lots of good ideas in this old thread.

Donita...if you're reading this, I had to take off my glasses and clean them when I read your post. I just wasn't seeing the picture you referred to. LOL I thought only I did things like that. Loved your idea of the lamp fitting.

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I don't know if this was mentioned because I didn't read all through the pages but... use care when using a drill of any kind. The wax it thick and sticky compares to wood or metal shavings. Wax wont come back up the threads as you drill like other materials so you have to back out every so often and clean the wax off the bit.

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I don't know if this was mentioned because I didn't read all through the pages but... use care when using a drill of any kind. The wax it thick and sticky compares to wood or metal shavings. Wax wont come back up the threads as you drill like other materials so you have to back out every so often and clean the wax off the bit.

Thank you! I was trying to think of everything to consider when drilling candles as I don't want to destroy my hard work!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been drilling holes in my candles since ordering some molds off ebay. They were nice, heavy aluminum molds from a commercial candle operation. I have had very good luck with drilling holes using a Dewalt cordless drill. I have found out it works the best if you can get the candle out of the mold before it is completely cool. That way the wax is still soft enough that you can almost "push" the drill through the candle. You have to eyeball the angle of the drill bit, but I find the results are much better than threading a wick through a hole and then trying to keep it straight. I know lots of folks use the centering tools, but I think I get good results drilling the holes and inserting the wick.

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