Blistering, Pin Holes, Im loosing my mind...

[VictoriaK]

Im ready to throw up my hands and walk away from candles all together, and pout in a corner like a child. There is problem after problem, and my head is ready to pop with frusteration.

So, my votives never come out correctly no matter how slow or perfect my temp is. They would burn great and efficently, but I would continue to get little 'pin holes' on the sides of the candles, that would be against the mold, causing them to not look presentable(using the 139deg melt point wax).

Now, I decided to try and use container wax(the 130deg melt point) which I hear is also good with votives, but only ended up with a completely different problem. I was extra careful, watching the temp until reaching a close 180degrees, then pulled my molds from the oven while still warm and slowly poured the wax in. Now that they are cooling, they are becoming blistered on the top... But, I did notice that the wax it self had almost a urine discoloration in the center(not as noticable in picture). Maybe it wasn't blended well, to much of something in the middle causing it to just be a bad batch of wax?

Any tips? Maybe I should try buying preblended wax as I have just been buying blocks from glorybee and using them straight with just FO and dye? Is there anybody that has had the similiar problems and found the answer??? Maybe I should just stick to using the pillar wax as before, since the little pin holes where an every other candle thing.

I think I just need to pay somebody to come to my home and actually demonstrate for me

Wax link: http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_List.cfm?PC=4&PSC=76&ProductCat_Name=Paraffin%20Wax&Token=24.22.12.90:{ts_2006-02-10_22:24:55}-966135

An earlier picture with 'pin holes'

Wax

Picture of the recent 'blisters'

[topofmurrayhill]

Don't put your molds in the oven. It's not necessary and very hard to control the temperature. Pouring your wax into a hot mold can boil out the FO and cause bubbles and nastiness. A bit of Vybar could also help. Use the 260 with the low MP wax and 130 with the high MP wax. I hope your head doesn't pop. That would be gruesome. If things are still haywire, spend a little time in the fetal position until you feel better, then come back here.

[jillgunter]

I use preblended, much easier. If you are using straight, you probally need to add some addatives. I had a pillar get pinholes once. I was told to try pouring slower, make sure you tap your mold well. I dont preheat votive molds, never have probs with them. Also good to cover candles while cooling so they dont cool to fast, sometimes that causes probs too. Good luck:)

[eugenia]

You can get pinholes from the mold being too hot. I don't heat my molds at all. Try pouring slowly as well. The tarts look like they have air bubbles.

e

[Smokin'Hot]

Hi Victoria!

I know that this can be frustrating, but once you get it right-you become ADDICTED to candle making. I suggest using IGI 4794 for your votive candles. I pour at 175 into slightly warmed molds (I just use a blow dryer until they feel warm). Now this wax does require a repour but the end result is SO worth the effort! I hope this helps you and I hope you might give this idea a try before quitting. Lori

[Scented]

Yep and tilting layers tend to cause a few pin holes sometimes too. If you have a heat gun, just use it briefly enough to get the air to come up. And make sure your molds are clean, clean, clean.

[Candle Kitty]

If things are still haywire, spend a little time in the fetal position until you feel better, then come back here.

I can vouch for that one, works wonders.

As for the blistering, that looks like a Stearic characteristic to me. I think Top's right, try the Vybar.

[VictoriaK]

Sounds great. I figured I needed something more with the plain block of parrafin than I have been using, especially considering I felt like I was doing things more or less as instructed but kept getting bubbled and ugly candles. Looks like I can pick up some Vybar at a candle company just a mile away, and can hopefully be ready to start back up with candles soon. Any other additives I should need? The company I will be going by is GloryBeefoods.com so if you see anything on that site that looks like I should get for candles let me know

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria

[topofmurrayhill]

Sounds great. I figured I needed something more with the plain block of parrafin than I have been using, especially considering I felt like I was doing things more or less as instructed but kept getting bubbled and ugly candles. Looks like I can pick up some Vybar at a candle company just a mile away, and can hopefully be ready to start back up with candles soon. Any other additives I should need? The company I will be going by is GloryBeefoods.com so if you see anything on that site that looks like I should get for candles let me know

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria

I think you'll have it squared away soon. Add a little Vybar. Don't bake the molds. The one additional thought I have for you is that if you have been spraying the molds with anything to aid in release, try not using it. That can cause problems too.

[VictoriaK]

Thanks. I haven't been spraying the molds, but when I take them from the oven they are usually pretty damn warm to the touch, so not having to put them in the oven in the first place sounds great to me(One less step to do something wrong haha)

Have you tried Candle Sheen? I noticed alot of candles tend to have a nice glossy look to them. Will the Vybar help the appearence or should I pick up a bottle of this Sheen stuff? And if I were to, how would I use it? Should I buy a spray bottle from a local department stores(Like the water misters/hair sprayers) or just glob it on?

http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_ProductDetail.cfm?PC=4&PSC=0&P=13555&Product_Name=sheen,%20candle&Token=24.22.12.90:{ts_2006-02-13_09:26:49}-607958

Thanks,

Victoria

[Pam W]

Victoria,

Was this wax the paraffin from Peaks that they pulled cause of it's

inconsistancy? I had pitting problems with that wax along with some other problems. Didn't matter what I added to the wax, warm or cold molds, types of FO, cooling/pouring temps, I still had problems. One slab did nothing but produce blisters!! I have 'bout 1/2 slab left & will just use it for chunks.

[topofmurrayhill]

Have you tried Candle Sheen? I noticed alot of candles tend to have a nice glossy look to them. Will the Vybar help the appearence or should I pick up a bottle of this Sheen stuff? And if I were to, how would I use it? Should I buy a spray bottle from a local department stores(Like the water misters/hair sprayers) or just glob it on?

I wouldn't bother with that stuff personally, but to each their own. Most of the shiny candles you see are probably shiny for other reasons. See how you like the finish with the Vybar. If that's not good enough, I find UA tends to put a nice gloss on them. It also depends on what kind of mold you use. Tin can come out a little shinier than aluminum. Polycarbonate plastic molds produce the shiniest candles of all.

[VictoriaK]

That sounds like a good idea. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Vybar I just picked up will do me good, and hopefully help the problems I had with my other batches.

The wax block I got is from Glorybee's, and I am actually thinking about taking it back because every single candle I did with the container wax not only fingernailed, but blistered, so I think that the wax was indeed bad.

Thanks everyone!

[topofmurrayhill]

Let us know how it works out. Sometimes you never hear if a problem actually got solved.

[DatCandleMaker]

Hi Victoria.

I am one of the few that uses straight Paraffin for votives. I do not like preblends because you need a different wax for each application. So I do my own "blends". You will find that with straight paraffin you can add your own additives and come up with your own blends - thus custom waxes that are unique to you. Kinda neat when it is all said and done. Personally, with all the problems with inconsistencies with preblends .... anyway I digress.

Since you are using straight Paraffin, you need to poke relief holes and do a 2nd pour. This will help the pitting as well. I am not as well versed in all the technical mumbo jumbo - but the wax cooling and pulling away from the sides of the molds causes some of the pitting. Relief holes will help prevent this.

Since you are adding vybar, you can use the 130 melt point Paraffin and you will end up with nice creamy votives.

Good luck!

Dat

[VictoriaK]

So I tested out the Vybar, and I got the 'honey comb' effect. I looked around on the site and it seems like it was caused by using too much Vybar(I did a little less than 1teaspoon for the half pound, so im not suprized).

The pits are pretty dang deep, but thankfully these are just going to a family friend so she won't mind the discount. But, the sides and bottom of the tarts don't seem to have any pin holes(Hopefully it goes the same with votives, god do I hope!) and there was no blistering or fingernailing.

So, just figure out the Vybar situation and I hope that things work out.

So there are ALOT of choices in wax. I need some suggestions on where to get votive/tart wax. Unlike a mold, these you actually see the uneven and sunken part where you pour. Is there a good wax out there that levels out well???

[topofmurrayhill]

Yup, that was too much Vybar. You adjust it according to how much scent you're using, but I would think you could easily use half that amount or maybe less. You have to be especially careful about fine tuning it when the top of the mold is the top of the candle.

Seems to me that 130MP stuff from Glorybee and a little Vybar 260 should be workable for you, considering you can get it so easily and economically. If you're careful not to overheat the molds, you can pour cooler and the tops will be flatter. You could also add a bit of petrolatum to it.

You know, those tarts look kinda pretty with the honeycomb.