larrycat Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 I'm using clear glass containers with my soy wax. One problem is, on some of my containers there appears to be a wet spot on one side of the jar! I thought if I let them cure for several days, to a week or so, this would go away. What is causing this, and how can I remedy this situation? I haven't tried using Vybar...is that what it's for; you think that would help? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patience Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 It seems to me that no matter what wax you are using, wet spots will appear. Since I have started reading this board, the general consensus seems to be " embrace your wet spots"! Even the big name manufacturers have them. If they really bother you, another option is to use frosted glass containers. I don't use vybar in soy or vegetable container wax, the wax will frost and create an ugly finish. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 You don't want to use Vybar with soy wax. That's to harden paraffin waxes and decrease oil migration.To minimize wet spots with soy you can try different pouring temps or different waxes. Soy waxes can be poured cool or hot and that can make a difference. There are also major differences between products. Some are guarateed to have wet spots or are even be formulated to pull away from the glass. Others stick very tight and hardly have any wet spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniedb Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 I just wanted to add one more variable to try - I gently heat my jars (when I have extra time and I care that day about wet spots), until they're approximately the same temp as my wax when I pour. That helps, but usually I just don't worry about it and what happens, happens. Wet spots...embrace them, love them, live with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaybee23 Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Embrace your wet spots, even the big boys have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmaskitchen Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 I've seen wet spots on jar candles in stores. The only things I care most about, are the fragrance and how well they burn. Even my friends and family members don't care about them; they only care about how good they smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlebean Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 There are also some waxes that you can use that may reduce wetspots, even if they don't completely eliminate them. The best advice I can give you is to research, research, research and read everything you can about the different waxes. I have also noticed that if the temperature in the room where your candles are in changes even 5-10 degrees in a short amount of time, it could cause wet spots. Just another thing to throw into the pot of advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenniejr Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 I have been there and done that! The best thing that anyone has ever taught me on here is "Learn to embrace your wet spots. Love them and don't let them get you down. Everybody has them!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrycat Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 Thanks for all of your replies! I will just learn to live with them. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, but it doesn't sound like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaVA Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 It's not you, don't worry. But you really can't control them, no matter what you do. Temp changes, humidity, etc can all cause the wetspots. So, trying to eliminate them completely is a rather difficult task. Not one of my customers has ever noticed them either. I remember back to before I made candles and I had never noticed them either. So, I just don't worry about eliminating them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Thanks for all of your replies! I will just learn to live with them. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, but it doesn't sound like it!Well you have to understand, "embrace your wetspots" has become a mantra here, so anytime you bring it up the angels will sound the trumpets and the chorus will swell.The reality is, if an entire side of your jar is coming loose I think that's a performance problem to be fixed, not something to be embraced. You might want to take it over to the veggie forum and mention your specific wax. Some soys are known for releasing and some are known for adhering well and you might get some specific feedback. Whether it's important enough to test a different wax is your decision.As to whether you might be doing something wrong, well I wouldn't say wrong but soy wax does very different things depending on if you pour closer to 160 or closer to 100, so whichever you did you might want to try the other and see how it works. Again, people will likely have experience with your particular soy and may be able to advise you.I just disagree with the suggestion of not doing any further testing on the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangerine Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Wet spots never really bothered me until I started a new batch of soy wax. This time, even with other conditions being the same (temperature and humidity in the room, etc), I would get really UGLY wet spots. I've been embracing wet spots for over a year but these, I could NOT embrace. So right before pouring, I'd heat my glass with a heat gun. I would still get wet spots at times but they were the embraceable kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrycat Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 Your advice is well taken, Angela. I guess I'll have to pay more attention to detail of candles in the store. Can't say I ever noticed wet spots on them before!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystical_angel1219 Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Wet spots make me nuts. The culprits are usually pouring/room temps and dirty glass.I will never embrace wet spots, I think they look absolutely cheesy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsyjen Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Wet spots make me nuts. The culprits are usually pouring/room temps and dirty glass.I will never embrace wet spots, I think they look absolutely cheesy.Same here! I noticed the biggest contributor to wet spots, for me, is having the room temp. too cold. DH likes it cold in the house, but now I won't let the thermostat get below 72*. It's helped a lot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaVA Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 The problem is that you cannot entirely prevent wetspots from occuring. I usually pour in preheated jars and cool very slowly so I don't get sink holes or air pockets. This also helps prevent wetspots. The problem is that even if you pour a perfect candle, the minute that the temp changes or the humidity changes or you take it outside to deliver/ship to a customer, wetspots can occur. You really can't control the finished product that the customer will see. I've had perfect looking candles that develop wetspots after sitting on my counter for a few days. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to make the best candle possible, but I think this is something that we cannot control 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 The problem is that you cannot entirely prevent wetspots from occuring. I usually pour in preheated jars and cool very slowly so I don't get sink holes or air pockets. This also helps prevent wetspots. The problem is that even if you pour a perfect candle, the minute that the temp changes or the humidity changes or you take it outside to deliver/ship to a customer, wetspots can occur. You really can't control the finished product that the customer will see. I've had perfect looking candles that develop wetspots after sitting on my counter for a few days. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to make the best candle possible, but I think this is something that we cannot control 100%.I was noting that general comments about the inevitability of wet spots only clouded the issue. The question was about a whole side of the candle coming loose from the glass when the wax set up. That's a problem that should be solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaVA Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I was noting that general comments about the inevitability of wet spots only clouded the issue. The question was about a whole side of the candle coming loose from the glass when the wax set up. That's a problem that should be solved.Oh, I completely agree. I was really addressing the posters who say they will never embrace the wetspots. I just believe that since you cannot completely control it, it's not worth worrying about too much. I try to alleviate them whenever possible, but I would never try to eliminate them. I think that new candle-makers get into a mind-set where they think that if they do a certain set of things while pouring that the spots will never appear (I know that I did for a while), but that just isn't realistic. I don't want someone thinking that if they pour slow, cool in a box and stand on one foot while singing the national anthem, etc that they will never get the spots. It's not reality and having them doesn't mean that they are terrible chandlers. Now, if the entire candle has separated from the jar and is rattling around in there, that's an issue. I've had this happen to four of my testers week before last. It was freezing cold one day and then 65 degrees the next and I did little to prevent them from experiencing the temp changes and so they completely separated from the jar. That is definitely a problem. Simply having a small wetspot on one side of the jar is not, imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrycat Posted March 14, 2006 Author Share Posted March 14, 2006 Now, if the entire candle has separated from the jar and is rattling around in there, that's an issue. I've had this happen to four of my testers week before last. It was freezing cold one day and then 65 degrees the next and I did little to prevent them from experiencing the temp changes and so they completely separated from the jar. That is definitely a problem. Simply having a small wetspot on one side of the jar is not, imho. Talk about changes in temp...yesterday it was 68, today 34!!! Anyway... I have never experienced separation from the jar; just the wet spots. Even though I make candles to give away, or keep for my own use, I was curious as to why they sometimes have wet spots. Since I don't sell them, I shouldn't be so concerned, but if I'm going to make them I want them to look as good as possible! I've never tried heating the jar prior to pouring. Will give that a try and see if it takes care of it!I do appreciate reading all of your tips and tricks on this subject, and all of the other posts! I read this board ALL the time in the evenings!I have really learned a lot from you guys! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaVA Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Talk about changes in temp...yesterday it was 68, today 34!!! Anyway... I have never experienced separation from the jar; just the wet spots. Even though I make candles to give away, or keep for my own use, I was curious as to why they sometimes have wet spots. Since I don't sell them, I shouldn't be so concerned, but if I'm going to make them I want them to look as good as possible! I've never tried heating the jar prior to pouring. Will give that a try and see if it takes care of it!I do appreciate reading all of your tips and tricks on this subject, and all of the other posts! I read this board ALL the time in the evenings!I have really learned a lot from you guys! Thanks!I pour my J50 rather cool (~160) into a preheated jar and then put the jar back into the oven (turned off at this point) to cool. They cool very slowly this way and I get very few wetspots - well, until they get out of the oven, onto the counter and the temp changes drastically, lol. But this method reduces wetspots for me and makes a very smooth top and a pretty candle. It is not a quick method, so it you are making tons of candles, it's not really the easiest way to go about things. But it works well for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterBaker2 Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I did my Sapphire Martini on Friday or Saturday. Looked beautiful until today. Low & Behold the wet spots. They are bad too. Gonna have to re-do the whole thing. Dang it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaVA Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I did my Sapphire Martini on Friday or Saturday. Looked beautiful until today. Low & Behold the wet spots. They are bad too. Gonna have to re-do the whole thing. Dang it.Are you really re-doing it because of the wetspots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.