A few pillar questions

[jipow]

I'm almost done with the pre blended wax that I had, so now I'm getting ready to use IGI 1343A wax. My question is what do I need to add to it to get the creamy look that I had with the preblended.

Also someone had posted about a cammo candle, so I tried it with black and dark green chunks with a light green overpour and I'm not happy with the results(will post a pic later today) so I was thinking about a rustic layered pillar, My question is how do you do the breathing holes and the overpour/repour?

[Dustpuuppy]

No clue about the wax.

If I were going to do a camo candle, I'd prolly do a swirl. Make a light green for both the chunks and over pour. ( Maybe a few dark green and/or black chunks if you have some left over. )

Put in the chunks, pour the overpour. Drop in 2 or 3 drops of either black or dark green dye about halfway between the wick and candle side. The go around the outside with a heat gun, til you see the darker dye coming up from the side of the mold.

The heat from the heat gun causes a current in the wax that sucks the dye down the center and makes it rise at the outside.

If you heat it closer to the mold base on one side and a little higher on the other, it causes the patterns to be less uniform. The way the chunks fit together will do most of that automatically, though.

Seems like larger chunks work better 1 1/2 to 2 inches square and 1/2 inch thick. A few smaller ones, here and there, especially at the top of the mold ( bottom of the candle ). Get the chunks too small and you won't ahve room for the wax currents to flow freely.

[jipow]

Thanks, I had,nt thought of a swril, I'll have to try that.

[Scented]

UA or vybar 103 will get you pretty creamy candles with the 1343.

As for that other stuff, explain it to me again what you're asking. I couldn't quite get it.

[Tallbabydoll]

My question is how do you do the breathing holes and the overpour/repour?

What do you mean? Holes in candles are a BAD thing, so I am confused.

[Dustpuuppy]

What do you mean? Holes in candles are a BAD thing, so I am confused.

I think she's talking about relief holes. If so, just poke some with a skewer. The chunks will soften enough that the skewer will go right through them. I just pretend they aren't there.

[jipow]

I think she's talking about relief holes. If so, just poke some with a skewer. The chunks will soften enough that the skewer will go right through them. I just pretend they aren't there.

Yes, Dustpuppy i am talking about the relief holes. (BTW this she is actually a he:) ) When you poke the relief holes, dont you poke the skewer almost to the bottom? If so, will the colors of the layers get mixed if your doing a layered candle?

Thanks for the info so far.

[Dustpuuppy]

Yes, Dustpuppy i am talking about the relief holes. (BTW this she is actually a he:) ) When you poke the relief holes, dont you poke the skewer almost to the bottom? If so, will the colors of the layers get mixed if your doing a layered candle?

Thanks for the info so far.

Sorry about the gender thing. 90% of the board is female.

The relief holes only get poked about an inch or two. You'll get the feel for it, as you do more candles. The idea is to control the direction that the wax shrinks, so you don't get voids in the middle of the candle. Thus all you really have to do is keep the wax at the top of the mold ( bottom of the candle ) from forming a solid layer, before the candle cools.

As for layers, I'll poke the reliefe holes into each layer and just let the next layer fill it in. Ideally, each layer will be solid but soft, or maybe jsut semi liquid in the middle, before you pour the next, so they won't actually mix. This is more of that "get the feel of it" type stuff. Some folks like to let one layer cool almost completely, some like it a little more liquid. You have to find the balance that works for you. When I've let one layer get too hard, I've had the sides suck in, when I poured the next layer.