New guy here with a couple of questions

[Michael H.]

Hi, I've done some candle making in the past but got frustrated because of not being able to get the results I wanted. I'm going to try again but could really use some help with two questions:

 

First, I finally figured out that a huge part of how a candle is going to behave depends on the melting point of the wax used, especially if one is reusing mixed scraps. Given that wax usually doesn't have a sharp transition point, I'm wondering how to gauge the effective melting point of a sample of wax.

 

Second, garage sales and thrift stores are a great place to get used pillar candles cheap but they usually requiring completely replacing the wicks. Not just "tunneling" but that so many pillar candles were made with wicks just too small for the size of the candle. I haven't come up with an effective way to bore out the center of a pillar candle so I can run a replacement wick through. Any suggestions?

[Crafty1_AJ]

My suggestion is to not start with recycled scrap wax.  You would be hard pressed to repeat results since you don't know the raw materials you started out with.  My suggestion is to buy fresh, new wax so you can more easily research variables (wick types, colorants, fragrances, additives) and produce more consistent results.

Edited April 1, 2021 by Crafty1_AJ
clarification

[TallTayl]

I have to agree with AJ above. Waxes used by different suppliers vary by more than just melt point. Fragrances and colors used also change the wicking required. You are always aiming at a moving target.

 

as a hobby or survival candle it could be a fun experiment to learn to use them, but for sale, it would be really risky. They make great fire starters, though! If you do a quick search on the forum you’ll see some really neat ideas that are also profitable.