BrySC Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 "Well I would repeat the same advice as last time, which is to make sure your mold is properly conditioned from the previous pour."Topofmurrayhill replied to a thread with that. What is conditioning a mold from the previous pour? I usually just heat it and wipe out the excess wax. Is there something else I should be doing after every candle? (my results have not been so great, and I'm REALLY getting frustrated) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Mmm some people condition their molds with a wiping of mottling oil I believe. A very thin wiping, but I don't speak for him and he may do something else. What kinds of frustrations are you having? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Maybe it was a thread about surface pits or something? When you're making certain kinds of candles it seems to work better if the mold has some residue from the previous pour, so heating and wiping it out would be the idea as long as you don't overdo it.The problem with this is if the colors are incompatible or all you've got is a new mold. Lately what I've been liking is to clean the mold completely with mineral spirits and give it a coating of PAM.Scented's mineral oil suggestion is interesting. Gotta give that a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Well hell I think I meant the mineral spirits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Well hell I think I meant the mineral spirits No I think you probably meant what you said. Mineral spirits is just a solvent for cleaning them out and it evaporates. Mineral oil and mottling oil are the same thing and that would make a coating. You'd think it just dissolves in the wax but maybe it works anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrySC Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 Scented...as for what frustrations I'm having...I gave a candle as a gift at work last week...and now all of a sudden, I have about 10 candles that have been ordered. I don't offically have a candle making business yet...just making them for family, friends, and co workers. So I have these people waiting on candles, and EVERY candle I make, I feel like it's not good enough to accept money for. As a matter of fact, I gave one away today, because I didn't think it was "money worthy". Everyone loved the rustic/layered candles. Now of course I have HUGE air bubble problems. Also, with it being a cold pour, the place where you pour ends up looking different than the rest of it. So then I decided to just to a "smooth" one and poured about 185...the first layer was fine, then the second layer had tiny air bubbles right where the two layers meet. I made candles all weekend, and NOT ONE was acceptable! I'm actually starting to get nervous because one lady needs 3 candles by next friday for teacher gifts for her child...but at this rate, I'm not going to get them done. When I get home tonight, I can post some pics of the problems I'm having...but I've asked for so much help, that I actually feel like I'm posting too many questions/pictures. And for my dumb question of the day...what is mineral spirits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 If you can imagine something like turpentine, but not as strong and without the stink, that's mineral spirits. Actually what you want is called odorless mineral spirits. It's what the art students use and you can get it from art supply.As you've discovered, every candle type can require a lot of trial and error. I think the smooth layers actually are easier. With Vybar I just use a clean mold and don't have any probs with the surface finish. That's probably the easiest additive to use for those. You just have to get your timing down and not be afraid to pour hot.The bubbles where the layers meet happen when you wait too long and/or don't pour the next layer hot enough. Your pour congeals instantly along the seam because the heat is getting sucked out of it by the metal mold and the previous layer. Unless it stays liquid all the way to the edge, you're not going to get a clean finish. People will tell you heat gun tricks and this and that but the easiest thing is just to get the wax temp right. If you pour too hot you're liable to like the results better than if you pour too cold - so be bold!It's hard to get these things down under pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I know what you mean about the bubbles. I heat the previous layer with a heatgun....just a speck. Then pour not too slow and not too fast. That took care of my bubbles. It depends on the wax too. I find that if I have vybar in my wax and pour at 180 it works best for me. Maybe even tap the mold slightly when you pour in the next layer. I sympathize with you feeling pressured with the orders. If you had plenty of time to do this....there wouldn't be any problems....that is Murphy's Law.....darn that Murphy. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaye Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I know exactly what you're going through Bry, the same thing happened to me. My roomate like one of the little "experiments" I had sitting in the kitchen, and took it to work to put on her desk. A couple of people noticed it and wanted to know where it came from... the next thing you know, I have a dozen people wanting candles!!! I've only been at this a short while, and I've come to the conclusion that I suffer from performance anxiety... when I'm just playing around throwing this wax in, and that color in, the results are spectacular. The minute I know that the candle I'm making is for an actual person, and therefore HAS to be good... it's a disaster! Cheer up, you're certainly not alone! And I'm sure your candles are wonderful. We're often our own worst critic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Well I was thinking that mottling oil and mineral spirits were alike and then I thought differently. Heck I'll just screw my head on right. I don't use either. Just wipe and dry, but I need to try it on a couple of my molds and see if it will help a little bit as they're starting to be picky about releasing wax. Bry, post your pictures. It's easier to help seeing the photos and reading what you're doing ... for me that is. Rustics are a finicky bunch, but going to suggest maybe a different way to pour your wax in ... like slowly and in a circle around the wick or wicking device. Heck I just made some Amber Romance that were so-so, but I should have taken pictures to show you how you know if there's an suspicious air bubble around. All I can tell you is if you look just right into your mold after you pour, you'll see the sucker gleaming in there and you can usually poke to release it. And no, you aren't asking a lot of questions. Besides, even if you were, you're making and trying and that makes it easier to help you out than asking a lot of questions and never attempting ... KWIM? And as for selling candles ... go at your own pace. Sometimes we can put so much pressure on ourselves to get something done that we overlook the most basic of things that throws things off kilter ... those are times to breathe ... and then there are times where you could swear you did everything right and the candle fairies just were plain mischievous. One thing you can try where your layers are going to connect, pour your wax and then take a skewer or wooden dowel, rod, whatever, and just run it along your edges and see if that releases any bubbles (skewers work great as long as you don't poke into the previous layer and release color you didn't want to release). It might help to pour a little bit hotter in these cases ... sometimes. It might also help to run your heat gun along the seam and get the bubbles to release, but if you do it too much you'll have more pin holes and other things can happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceCarvesWax Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 When I pour my taper star candles that we dip and carve I always pour hot, 200F to 220F (metal molds) and always spray the inside of the mold with "pam" or other vegetable coating. It helps tons getting them out of the mold if you rush them.... like I do. The high temp burns out any of the wax left from the last time you poured and also the higher you pour the more shrink and release you get. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 It's absurd to believe in candle fairies.They are aliens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredron Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I'm confused about the mineral spirits. I use mineral spirits to thin enamel paint, and it leaves an oily residue that stinks to high heaven. I can't imagine using that stuff anywhere near my candles. All I've ever done to clean/contition my molds is warm them & wipe them. I don't use mold release of any kind and I've never (knock on wood) had any kind of a release problem.As for the bubbles, the heat gun should put a stop to them, just heat the end of the first layer & pour the second.Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I'm confused about the mineral spirits. I use mineral spirits to thin enamel paint, and it leaves an oily residue that stinks to high heaven. I can't imagine using that stuff anywhere near my candles. All I've ever done to clean/contition my molds is warm them & wipe them. I don't use mold release of any kind and I've never (knock on wood) had any kind of a release problem.As for the bubbles, the heat gun should put a stop to them, just heat the end of the first layer & pour the second.Good luck.I agree in most cases you don't really need mold release. However for mottled candles and certain others, some type of coating in the mold can help prevent pitting.The mineral spirits you're using is different. What I'm talking about is called OMS or odorless mineral spirits. The good ones have no smell at all and evaporate without leaving a residue. I don't know if you can get the good stuff in a hardware store but the art supply places have it because the schools don't allow the more dangerous solvents. The brand I like is called Gamsol.There's also a similar art supply called odorless turpenoids. It seems to work the same and might be essentially the same thing but it has a touch more of a smell to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Top told me about the OMS and it does clean the molds very well. I only do it once in awhile. Pam works great for me. Everyone here has their own way of pouring layer candles....and they are all right. You will have to find what works for you. Sometimes the mistakes I make are the ones that sell first. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We see the mistakes....customers see the art. At night I can see the fairies sneaking around my flowers and wild mushrooms. Van see the aliens....guess it is a guy thing. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 Guys see aliens and Donita you and I see candle fairies LMAO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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