Another newbie question

[Mei-Mei]

What causes that 'brainy' effect on the candle top that one sometimes sees with container waxes?

I'm sure it's a simple answer. Thanks in advance.:smiley2:

[Scented]

Usually too much vybar, but sometimes I see it when things cool too fast. Did you add something to the wax?

[topofmurrayhill]

A polymer additive. Could be polyethylene, EVA, Vybar.

Seems like anything along those lines can cause ripples and such, especially when a wide shallow layer sets up.

There's another effect you see sometimes that looks more like honeycomb cells. I've seen petrolatum set up that way.

[Mei-Mei]

Usually too much vybar, but sometimes I see it when things cool too fast. Did you add something to the wax?

Thanks for the answers. I didn't add anything to the wax (using JS 50/50 pillar and votive). I guess it's more of the honeycomb effect Top spoke of than the brain effect. It's really odd. I guess I can use a heat gun to get rid of it, but I don't know why it's happening.

[Scented]

Take a pix and post. I've yet to see the honeycomb look.

[Mei-Mei]

It's really, really hard to see in the picture, but if you look to the left of the shadow of the wick you can barely see a dark circle which is the center of one of the honeycomb cells. Unfortunately since the wax is colored so light I can't get a decent picture.

[topofmurrayhill]

A few months ago someone posted perfect photos of that honeycomb look that they were getting in shallow containers, but I don't know what to search for and can't find them.

Here's a retouched version of your photo.

Does look kinda like it but I haven't seen it in a molded candle before. I wonder if they just added higher MP wax to a container preblend.

[topofmurrayhill]

I found what I was remembering. Maybe honeycomb is the same thing as brain (there's an odd sentence for you).

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showpost.php?p=93781&postcount=1

[topofmurrayhill]

Here's what makes me think 2 different things are happening. We know that Vybar and other polymers can make ripples, but here is some petrolatum set up at the bottom of a pour pot showing what I'm calling honeycomb. There's no other ingredient in it.

[Mei-Mei]

Thank you so much Top!:smiley2:

So you think it's the wax itself that is causing the 'brain honeycomb?' I wonder if it has to do with the brand or that particular shipment? I know that at its worse it's extremely ugly and hard to get rid of even with a heat gun.

Thanks for the picture retouch too; makes it so much easier to see! I guess I would call that the honeycomb effect in my pic, but some of the other candles from the same batch came out with a 'brain' (deep, puckered ripples). So maybe they are related in some way?????

[Pam W]

Here's a retouched version of your photo.

Top, you're handy to have around;)

[topofmurrayhill]

Thank you so much Top!:smiley2:

So you think it's the wax itself that is causing the 'brain honeycomb?' I wonder if it has to do with the brand or that particular shipment? I know that at its worse it's extremely ugly and hard to get rid of even with a heat gun.

Thanks for the picture retouch too; makes it so much easier to see! I guess I would call that the honeycomb effect in my pic, but some of the other candles from the same batch came out with a 'brain' (deep, puckered ripples). So maybe they are related in some way?????

Guess I would speculate the honeycomb is some kind of natural effect when certain materials cool and the polymer additives accentuate it. Very pronounced it becomes brain.

I guess the bottom line is, yes, it's characteristic of certain wax formulations. It might vary with conditions and procedures and the batch of wax you get. It even happens with pillar blends, but doesn't matter because it's the bottom of the candle. It doesn't happen with molded surfaces.

You could try varying the pouring temp, but if you have a lot of problems there are plenty of waxes good for votives that don't do that.

[Scented]

I found what I was remembering. Maybe honeycomb is the same thing as brain (there's an odd sentence for you).

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showpost.php?p=93781&postcount=1

That looks like the brainy stuff lol.

[Mei-Mei]

Guess I would speculate the honeycomb is some kind of natural effect when certain materials cool and the polymer additives accentuate it. Very pronounced it becomes brain.

I guess the bottom line is, yes, it's characteristic of certain wax formulations. It might vary with conditions and procedures and the batch of wax you get. It even happens with pillar blends, but doesn't matter because it's the bottom of the candle. It doesn't happen with molded surfaces.

You could try varying the pouring temp, but if you have a lot of problems there are plenty of waxes good for votives that don't do that.

Thanks for all your help! I think you're right. It must be a characteristic of this particular wax because even varying the pouring temperature I sometimes get the brain honeycomb on the votives. Oddly enough, the two pillars I poured with this wax came out smooth as silk on the bottom. Fortunately this was just a test wax to see if I liked it. I guess I don't.

I've got a little wax left, so I'm going to pour some more pillars just to see if I can get the same beautiful finish. It's odd that it does it on the votives and not the pillars. Hmmmm......