Jaye Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Would somebody please, please, PLEASE tell me how they make mottled pillars?! I've been putting off asking here because it seems all I ever do is ask questions, but I've searched the entire web looking for the answer. :embarasse I thought I finally had it but the end result was far from mottled. The recipe called for parol oil (and of course I had no idea what this is) but I found another recipe that used mineral oil. I tried this (2 tblsps) with paraffin wax (about 1/2 a lb), dye chips, stearine flakes (approx 1 tsp) and poured at roughly 175 as Sharyl suggested in the gallery (not sure whether it's better to pour on the cooler or warmer side?) Ha! Nothing! Not even the tiniest hint of mottling! :rolleyes2 I absolutely love the look of mottled pillars and fell madly in love with Sharyl's. I would be incredibly grateful if somebody could give me some tips. Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Well what kind of wax are you using? Anything with vybar or UA isn't going to mottle (meaning preblends). If you're looking to scent it, up your FO to about 1.25-1.5 oz, add a little steric (1-2 T works for me and my wax) and color and pour on the hot side. If you're wanting no scent, add the same amount of mineral or mottling oil etc. that you would FO. Make sure your mineral oil is 100% mineral. Oh and cool the mold slowly lol! Don't pour and then stick into a fridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaye Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 As far as I know Scented, it was 100% paraffin. I also tried it with a store-bought candle that I melted down so I'm not sure what type of wax that one was. I'm not the best at taking temperatures (usually just time it) so maybe I poured it too cool. :embarasse Thanks for your advice! I'm going to start all over again, this time making sure I use the correct wax and pouring temp. Oh and yep... I'll keep it out of the fridge this time too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Parol oil is mineral oil. It's just a brand name.Not all paraffin wax will mottle. You don't have to buy something that is specifically sold as a mottling wax, but there's less chance of wasting time if you buy one that is known to mottle. You are lucky to live in PA because you can get some 4045H from Candlwic.com and this is one of the best waxes for the purpose.Add about 3 or 4% mineral oil and some dye and that's that.Later you can experiment with various amount of mineral oil (or FO) and stearic acid to get the best results. 1 teaspoon of stearic won't do much. In the range of 2 to 4% is what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaye Posted February 11, 2006 Author Share Posted February 11, 2006 Top, you are a genious. I didn't realize that there was a wax made specifically for mottling - I thought you had to start with paraffin and add the oil and the stearic flakes and they dye and the scent etc, etc, etc. I've ordered from Candlewic a few times now and have found their products to be wonderful. I've never ordered wax because I thought you had to buy it in bulk. Because I'm only just starting out and am trying to do things on the "inexpensive" side, I usually just buy emergency candles or tea-lights from the dollar store when it comes to wax! :embarasse You're right... it will be much easier and a lot less frustrating to use their mottling wax... and you can get it in a 10lb slab for a very reasonable price! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuuppy Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Don't worry so much about asking questions, either. As long as you're trying to figure things out, nobody is gonna mind lending a hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 You're right... it will be much easier and a lot less frustrating to use their mottling wax... and you can get it in a 10lb slab for a very reasonable price! Thank you! Glad you're on track. I'll give you a few more tips while I have you.Besides the fact that it's guaranteed to mottle, the 4045H wax is good because it wicks and burns well with the minimal additives you can use in mottled candles.Making an unscented mottle with mineral oil is good practice and you don't even really need the stearic if you add just enough mineral oil to get your mottle. The amount you get depends on the amount of oil. I'd start with 3% and see how you like it. You'll probably need to wipe the candle off when it comes out of the mold, because mottling and oil bleed go hand in hand.The stearic comes in mostly when you make scented mottles. People like to use 5% up to maybe even 7% FO, which would normally overload the wax and make it mottle (and bleed) like crazy. Adding stearic helps get that under control.That's about it. Try a 36 ply wick and enjoy your mottles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Thank you for the compliment Jaye. That was my 1st attempt at mottle candles. Made with the 4045 from Candlewic. I just got one slab to play with. I'm burning the full size pillar now. After a few wicking attempts I ended up with a 24 FB. Probably should be 1 size bigger but the next size I had was a 30 FB. None of the SB wicking I had would work. Good luck and be sure to post a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Thank you for the compliment Jaye. That was my 1st attempt at mottle candles. Made with the 4045 from Candlewic. I just got one slab to play with. I'm burning the full size pillar now. After a few wicking attempts I ended up with a 24 FB. Probably should be 1 size bigger but the next size I had was a 30 FB. None of the SB wicking I had would work. Good luck and be sure to post a picture.I'm surprised by your choice of wick. How does it burn with 24 ply? It seems small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 It is leaving a 1/4" wall. Figured the 30 FB would be too big and I don't have anything in between. Tried a #2, #1 and #1/0 SB, they all had too big a flame. Same with a LX 26. Can you tell I'm a pillar wicking newbie? :embarasse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Heck get you some 27 fp from Candlewic lol! I don't use 36 fp for anything in the 3" range unless it's patchouli. As a clarification ... the T is for tablespoon and not teaspoon, which is abbreviated as tsp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Thought I had Scented but can't find it anyplace. I had ordered those 100 foot samples from Peaks on several sizes for testing. Guess the candle gremlins ate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I probably was wrong when I said 36 ply but I would think 30 ply would be right. That wax is going to curl in and get auto-consumed without any silly hugging and you need a wick that can recover from short burns without drowning too bad or causing a bulge. Start with a 3 hour burn then test with random burns between 1 and 5 hours and see how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Sharyl, the 30ply flat is my standard for 3" pillars.e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 OK, I know I where the 30 ply FB is. I'll prime some up and give it a shot. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Sharyl.....the 27 is too small for me too. Tried it because the owner of a candle company told me to....wrong...30 is better. I like other wicks too. "TT" Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaye Posted February 13, 2006 Author Share Posted February 13, 2006 You guys, as usual, have been a wealth of information. You have no idea how much I value and appreciate your input. Thank you! You've certainly prevented many screaming fits, tears and temper tantrums! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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