For those that do waxed dipped bears-how the heck do you not burn your hands???

[Michi]

I've done about 6 of these dudes and am wearing two pairs of the heavy double yellow gloves and still my hands are on FIRE!!

Do you use steelworke gloves or what?? I'm constantly squeezin' and then runnin' to the sink to run my hands under cold water, and then I have a huge waxy mess in my sink and dried chunks all over my gloves. ?????

I love making these, and everyone I've given them too, think they are sooo cute (they'd never even heard of them before I made one for them ), but dang if I want to make anymore. :undecided

And, how do you know just how much wax you'll need so as not to waste?? I always end up with extra and then don't know what to do with it cuz I need to clean out the pot for the next scent. ????

TIA

And PLEASE no stupid/ridiculous comments about the mistreatment of stuffed bears.

[Beth-VT]

I use those cotton knit gloves that you find everywhere for kids? Wear those under my rubber dippin' gloves and have no problem. I dip at around 200-210....I can feel the heat, but it's not uncomfortable. HTH.

ETA: If I"m doing singles, I melt 12 oz. per bear, and end up with little waste.

[Suzanne]

I use one pair of the yellow dishwashing gloves, but I don't dip the bear when the wax is extremely hot. Besides burning your hands, if the wax is too hot it can kinda deform the bear.

And for figuring how much wax per bear, I usually plan on 1 lb wax per bear. When dipping just one bear, I always have some left, but when dipping multiple bears of the same scent, it ends up taking up about all the wax.

HTH

[Bunny]

I use metalworking gloves DH brought home from offshore.. Super thick and lined, and unless my wax is 200, I don't even feel it.

[Michi]

I use those cotton knit gloves that you find everywhere for kids? Wear those under my rubber dippin' gloves and have no problem. I dip at around 200-210....I can feel the heat, but it's not uncomfortable. HTH.

ETA: If I"m doing singles, I melt 12 oz. per bear, and end up with little waste.

OMG THAT is an excellent idea Beth, thanks!! I've got tons of those 2pr. for $1 knit gloves that I never wear.

[Candle Man]

With my technique & the tools I use I never have to touch the wax. I started dipping long before I ever saw any directions on how to dip critters.

[Michi]

With my technique & the tools I use I never have to touch the wax. I started dipping long before I ever saw any directions on how to dip critters.

Hey now, that's not very nice, you say that, but don't say WHAT those techniques/tools are.

[Candle Man]

No I can't give away my secrets, but there are more than one way to "Skin a Cat" LOL or in this case dip a critter.

This may not be what I use but here are some tool ideas kitchen tongs, wire cooling racks, large stainless steel canning pots.

[Alajane]

I haven't dipped any critters in the last couple of years, but I've noticed "Ove Gloves" at Walgreen's and thought if I ever go back to dipping, I want to get some of them. They're silicone gloves and suppoed to be heatproof--the description has them used instead of potholders, so they should definitely be heatproof enough for dipping critters!

Jane

[MommaD]

Silicone heatproof gloves. You can get them at Sam's or online.

[Tallbabydoll]

I tried gloves, but they didn't work for me. Not only did I burn myself pretty badly, but when I moved on to another bear, the hardened wax started coming off of my gloves onto the new bear leaving ugly chunks of wax and made them yucky looking. So I started thinking of other ways to do it. What I came up with works beautifully, and I don't mind sharing. The product is whats for sale, not the tools, and your already making the product so if I can help make your life a little easier, why not? I dip the bear using tongs, then place him in a metal mess strainer, using a flat wooden spoon push out the excess wax. Then I position him on a cooling rack with foil underneath. When I'm going on to the next one I just place my tools in the hot wax to melt off any wax build up and start the process over again. Oh and I have a metal bowl that I place the strainer over to collect the excess wax, which I just poor back in with the rest when I'm done with each bear. HTH

[candelecandlecompany]

Hello there. About the dipped bears. Please don't laugh but I am a nurse and the first time I made one of these I felt really really bad because I used a pair of tongs and it smooshed the face in. I almost never did it again. But I learned. I just use a pair of tongs and hold the bear above my melting pot until the wax stops running. I never even touch the bear ubtil I lay it on the rack and pick out the fur. I use the soy wax only and it washes down the sink nicely because it dissolves in hot water. Just an idea. Hope this helps!

[Michelle at WW]

I use "fishermen's gloves" - heavy duty rubber with fleece lining purchased at my local hardware store.

I pour any leftover wax into a Chinese food take out container (brand new, purchased at Sam's Club), pop on the lid and mark the scent. Then I just have to re-melt it when I need more of that scent.

Michelle

[CallawayCandle]

For those of you who dip and place the critter on the rack. I do this but I still end up squeezing out some excess wax. How long do you have to let the critter drip before there isn't to much wax in it. I squeeze them out and they still end up with a waxy butt. I did a ton of these at christmas time. If there is a better way I'm all for it!

[MuskokaMom]

I use really thick rubber gloves and yes it does get hot, but I keep my dipping temp at about 180 so as not to burn off any FO. I agree about the chunks of wax being a pain though. Between bears, I kind of slough off the wax and when it is dry on my gloves, I bang my hands together over the presto and most of it comes off. I only ever have a chunk problem once in a blue moon. I think the tongs idea is great, but i myself still have to get my hands in there to wring the little beggers out!!! Put them on tinfoil and break off the runoff and throw it back inthe presto. Thankfully my bears don't need fluffing. Just dip and clear off the eyes and go.

[Luvcandletarts2]

OMG THAT is an excellent idea Beth, thanks!! I've got tons of those 2pr. for $1 knit gloves that I never wear.

I can see you now Michelle .... color coding your gloves to the scents.

[candelecandlecompany]

I just let them drip until the wax is done dripping from them. Then I lay them out.

[Scented]

Two pair of tongs. One to hold the bear and the other to squeeze the wax out.

[darlascandles]

I haven't dipped any critters in the last couple of years, but I've noticed "Ove Gloves" at Walgreen's and thought if I ever go back to dipping, I want to get some of them. They're silicone gloves and suppoed to be heatproof--the description has them used instead of potholders, so they should definitely be heatproof enough for dipping critters!

Jane

I wondered about the Ove Gloves too, but I read on the package where it says something to the effect that they WILL NOT WORK WHEN WET.......so I decided not to try them since I figured as soon as the wet wax hit them, they wouldn't be worth a doodle until they dried again, so kinda defeated my intent.

[AngelaVA]

I wear a pair of gardening gloves under the yellow kitchen gloves and it gets hot, but not unbearable. The problem is that the double-glove thing seriously limits my mobility. My fingers can barely bend, but I haven't come up with anything better yet.

[chiptooth]

I use a pair of sort of needle nose tweezers (actually they are the tweezers used in a dentist office) to hold a few hair pieces on the tip of the bears ear and then use kitchen tongs to squeeze the heck out of the rest of them. They sometimes get a bit mis-shapened but I just squeeze the opposite side with the tongs and get them back in shape, put on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and fluff with a fork.