awesome blossom candles

[michiganrocks]

Has anyone ever seen these candles before? And does anyone know what kind of wax they use or how to make them? Thanks

http://www.abcandle.com/gallery.htm

[MommaD]

I don't know anything about them, but they are very pretty!!

[Pam W]

I've seen this before and even made a couple. Don't know exactly what wax was used for these but it is a foliating wax. I used Yaley's Premium (148 mp) from the craft store. No additives were used. You have to burn the candle carefully at first and when it looks like its about to run over, you blow it out. Then next time you lite it, it will start to form kind of a lip. The wax usually doesn't run over, the lip just keep curling downward. You'll only be able to get this effect if you burn the candle for a long time. Short burns just won't do it.

I love watching a candle foliate. I've achieved this but only with 2" candles. From the pic I'd say they too are 2".

[Donita]

I just use regular wax....some micro makes it more pliable......after burning it for about 4 hours, gently bend the wax over the edge. It will form "petals". Everytime you burn it, gently coax it to continue to foliate. I do that with my star candles and they look awesome....wicked. Donita

[michiganrocks]

I just use regular wax....some micro makes it more pliable......after burning it for about 4 hours, gently bend the wax over the edge. It will form "petals". Everytime you burn it, gently coax it to continue to foliate. I do that with my star candles and they look awesome....wicked. Donita

I'd love to see a picture of your star if you have one? I have straight 141, will that work? Thanks

[SatinDucky]

When I was growing up, I thought all pillars were supposed to curl out. My mother did that with every pillar candle she got, no matter the size. I still have one of mine from about 8 yrs ago. It curled on just one side. It was so pretty to me, that I kept it even after it burned down, just put votives in it

[Pam W]

Can anyone speculate on what type of wax and/or additives would make these candles soooo transparent? This transparent wax is gorgeous. Looks like glass.

[Candle Man]

Yes I have seen these years ago. I don't know what wax they use either.

MY customers don't like them because of the waste of wax. They want candles that will consume the wax completely with no hang-up or waste. My 3X6 pillars will burn 20 hours an inch for a total of 120 hours with no wasted wax except the small sliver at the bottom.

My customers like that all of my candles (votives, containers & pillars) burn completly with no wasted wax. When burned proprely of course.

[SatinDucky]

There has been discussions on the translucent wax, but it seems like it was on the old board. It would be in the archives now. Something about flint stone or some such thing. That's probably not even close, but I can't remember for the life of me :rolleyes2

[topofmurrayhill]

It's called a foliating candle or an angel wing candle.

Among the candles we make these days that seldom were made intentionally 30 or 40 years ago are mottles and rustics. However, the foliating candle is something they made back then that's all but forgotten. It was the artsy effect of it's time and actually I've lately gotten interested in replicating it.

There's nothing special about the wax. Straight paraffins are generally pretty translucent. However, matching the wax and the wick with the diameter of the candle can be tricky. There are different formulas that will work, but here is one:

WAX

MP 133.4F

Oil Content 0.4%

Hardness 13 @ 77F, 73 @ 100F, 122 @ 110F

Normal/non-normal paraffins 92/8

Carbon # Distribution C19-C50 (34 peak)

DIAMETER 2.75

WICK 15-Ply Flat Braid

Here's a photo of some old-time foliation testing.

[Lolas Lights]

I just use regular wax....some micro makes it more pliable......after burning it for about 4 hours, gently bend the wax over the edge. It will form "petals". Everytime you burn it, gently coax it to continue to foliate. I do that with my star candles and they look awesome....wicked. Donita

I thought maybe that's how it was done, but these candles, according to their site you don't have to do anything to them to get them to "blossom" out but let them burn for a long time.

Sculpting effect is automatic and requires no additional interaction with the candle. Taller candles produce richer sculpting effect.

sure would like to see one of these burn and do that without coaxing or anything.

[topofmurrayhill]

Ideally it happens by itself. The weight of the soft shell makes it split and peel back on its own.

[Candle Kitty]

Yep, I agree with TopofMH here. My best friend does it constantly with all of her candles, cracks me up because if she doesn't watch them, she ends up with a waxfall. Normally, that would be dangerous, and I DO remind her that wax is flammable...

But it doesn't help that she has a cat that likes to tiptoe through the wax, I've nicknamed him the Flaming Furball, not only because of that, but the goof also likes to flop down on lit candles. I swear, this cat is a loon...doesn't help his human is close to it herself!!

[topofmurrayhill]

There has been discussions on the translucent wax, but it seems like it was on the old board. It would be in the archives now. Something about flint stone or some such thing. That's probably not even close, but I can't remember for the life of me :rolleyes2

You're thinking of Paraflint, which is a synthetic polymer wax (Fischer-Tropsch). It's used in place of stearic to harden the candle without making it opaque. However, there's no additive that will make paraffin more translucent than it already is.

[Donita]

We used to do it in the 70's.....everyone had Frangapaini scented candles and foliated them...it was the hippie thing to do.......Here is a picture of a star that did this on it's own. After several more hours this thing looks even cooler. My daughter and I like to play with the points and make them curl. The trick is to wait until the was is soft enough to bend without breaking. Don't rush it. Plain parrafin is translucent and shows up in the picture because it is lit and dark. Don't add anything to your wax that will make it opague. My stars are made from 143 mp wax. Unscented. If you scent the wax, of course the oils will make the wax softer. I also use a #2 wick in the stars and pillars. If you want a lower mp, then be careful of how much FO you use. Especially if you aren't adding additives to hold the oil. Just have fun experimenting! Donita

[SatinDucky]

You're thinking of Paraflint, which is a synthetic polymer wax (Fischer-Tropsch). It's used in place of stearic to harden the candle without making it opaque. However, there's no additive that will make paraffin more translucent than it already is.

Hmm.. maybe it was a high concentration mix or something. I'll have to go hunt the post on the old board, it's bugging me now :rolleyes2

Ahh, found it. Yes, paraflint. And it didn't say it made the wax more translucent, just that it made it glow more. I just thought they were the same thing.

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