LRC06301983 Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Has anyone here ever made a candle entirely out of Stearin Wax?Is this the same thing as Stearic Acid? I assume it is. Just curious how it turned out.Thanks all.-Luke- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Make one and you'll know lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRC06301983 Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 was plannin on it here in a day or two...just didn't want to waste the stearin if someone replied with a horror story of they day they "poured a stearin candle."it probably will though. I mean if we can burn vicks....stearin should be a walk in the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuuppy Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Steaic acid and stearin are the same thing.Good luck wicking a candle made out of this stuff. The melt point is around 185, as I recall. Pillar wax melts at around 135- 150. Container wax melts at around 125- 135.You can get a crystalized kind of look by over dipping in stearin.Seems I recall someone saying they'd done one. Don't recall the result they got, so it prolly wasn't anything earth shatering in either direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Personally it's a waste of the steric IMO. You'll pull out a rock lol. The overdipping ... there are some pretty pearlized candles out there somewhere and I think it was Julie K who showed them on the old board. I didn't have a lot of luck with the steric overdip, but it does make a nice surface texture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 here in italy we can find tapers entirely made with stearic. I have three boxes of those candles at home, but I've never burn one. If you want I'll do a test for you!! I use those in my paraffin when I'm making pillars LOLIt's common sense that the more stearic the more the value of the candle, here in italy nobody makes a candle only with paraffin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 I've never done one but you can sure do it.The melt point is around 150. The wicks with a chemical treatment like CDN, RRD, and the bigger LX might have the best shot at burning decently in it.If you use the veggie stearic you'll be making a palm wax candle. Pour at 200 and see if you can get the nice crystallizing effect.Sounds like a great experiment. Please post a photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mozzie Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Seeing as you're not sure if it will be success or just a big waste of money how about testing it out on a votive. That way you only risk about 55g of the stuff. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRC06301983 Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Thanks for the input everyone.Cybersix if you want to burn one for a test as well since its a taper, and report the results it appears that the information is something that people would be interested in knowing.I as well am going to pick up another 5lb bag of stearin on monday and I will pour a couple votives and see what happens. Top: assuming that the project succeeds I will post some pictures. alternatly, if you never hear from me again....please tell my wife I love her and Donita gets my large hurricane molds in payment for all the stupid questions I asked her...the rest of you can fight over my other supplies...Its been a good run... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Top: assuming that the project succeeds I will post some pictures. alternatly, if you never hear from me again....please tell my wife I love her and Donita gets my large hurricane molds in payment for all the stupid questions I asked her...the rest of you can fight over my other supplies...LOL, I'll encourage you again to try it with the palm stearic. It smells better, doesn't involve melted-down animals, and is liable to produce a neat result. Pour it hot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuuppy Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 The melt point is around 150. I was thinking it was a bit higher than that. My mistake.It smells better, doesn't involve melted-down animals, and is liable to produce a neat result.Where's the fun in that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRC06301983 Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 another though, doesn't stearic usually when added to a candle help the candle retain more oil from the FO's or coloring?so essentially a candle made entirely of stearic acid/wax should have a very high capacity for oils...I might try to pour a votive of stearin and a votive of regular paraffin and place a known amount of FO or something that I know is too much for the paraffin and place the same amount in the stearin and see if less bleeds out on the stearin...Does this sound right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Where's the fun in that?For that type of fun I prefer slightly rancid mutton tallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 But remember this..........Top likes explosions! LOL Donita PS....Exactly what kind of molds will I get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 so essentially a candle made entirely of stearic acid/wax should have a very high capacity for oils...Does this sound right?Nothing like trying it to find out, but I doubt it. Stearic changes the wax and helps it hold more FO up to a point, but that doesn't translate into holding huge amounts of oil on its own. I took a quick glance at palm wax specs and the suggested FO loads aren't extraordinary. In fact they're on the low side. Pure soy wax isn't extraordinary either even though a largish part of it is stearic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRC06301983 Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Top likes explosions! Top and I have a lot in common....lol. upon my untimely demise donita, you can have any of my custom hurricane molds that I made myself..the really big ones that I made from what I could find at Lowes...the ones that start leaking 15 pounds of wax at a moments notice unless you sit there with a can of keyboard spray for 3 hours watching them...the ones that come appart at the seams if you don't know exactly where to brace your foot against it while pouring...the ones that take 3 days to cool down even if you put them in a TRASH CAN of water...hahaha...but they make some really cool candles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 here is unlitHTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Just lit (wick is not prefectly centered) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 here it is after a 30 minutes burning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 I had to trim the wick.Hope this pic shows melting pool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Top likes explosions! Top and I have a lot in common....It's a boring day when nothing bursts into flames. Donita is in my will too but she hasn't lucked out yet. Unfortunately, when I go out in a burst of glory, Donita's inheritance is liable to go with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Sabrina, in the early days of paraffin candles they immediately began using stearin to improve the wax. On old boxes of utility candles they were often labeled stearic candles. It's possible this nomenclature is still used. I kind of suspect that candle is made of paraffin with stearic added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi TopThe only book on candlemaking I have says that a stearic candle is made only with stearic.You could be right, only thing I know is these candles are so soft when I try to break them they don't break, they softly change their shape.. who knows!bye:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRC06301983 Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 That is interesting that they break so easily or change shape easily, because since stearin has a very high mp and its used as a hardener, they it would stand to reason that they would be even tougher than a high mp paraffin wax. Is there something about stearin that it is a hardener only when used in conjunction with a regular candle wax and it doesn't bond strongly on a molecular level with itself...I dunno, I'm still going to try it, but like I said I wont have any till tomorrow or the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 That is interesting that they break so easily or change shape easily, because since stearin has a very high mp and its used as a hardener, they it would stand to reason that they would be even tougher than a high mp paraffin wax.Stearic actually lowers the melting point of wax, yet acts as a hardener.A lot of people think of hardness and melting point as being kind of equivalent. As far as fully refined paraffin is concerned, they don't have a lot to do with one another. A higher MP paraffin can be softer than a lower MP paraffin.But you're right, the bending of those candles doesn't sound like stearic. I think if it as hard and fairly brittle. Semi-refined paraffin can be kinda flexible. Maybe it's that plus stearic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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