chunk pillar question

[jane23]

hey everyone, ok i'm making chunk pillars and when i pull em out of the mold i notice they have these tiny lines all the way around the outer surface... it kinda looks like little tiny woodgrain. what is this?

i'm using 4625, pouring around 180, aluminum mold

so does anyone know what could be causing this? i'm wanting a smooth, shiny surface, thanks for any help

[candlesprite7]

maybe try pouring a bit hotter, but not too much or your chunks will bleed.

[Candle Man]

You won't get a smooth shiny surface in a chunk candle, unless you pour at a very high temp. 250*F. That will melt the outer part of the chunks and leave you with no chunk look on the finished candle.

You are pouring hot wax over approx. 75% of the finished, which is cold chunks. So when the hot wax hits the chunks the hot wax will cool off quite rapidly, causing some rustic effect or jump lines. So if you can't settle on that look then maybe chunks are not for you.

[fredron]

Sounds to me like you are pouring into a cold mold. I always warm the mold with a heat gun before pouring any pillar/votive. The lines you see sound like jump lines. They should go away when you warm up the mold.

Fredron

[jane23]

thanks guys, i didn't even think about the chunks being cold. they do look kinda rustic though, it looks pretty neat i just thought i could get it a little smoother. i'll try heating my mold a little without melting the chunks and just keep experimenting :smiley2:

[kalamazoo]

I blasted one of my red and white chunk candles once with a heatgun when it was still in the mould and it came out extremely smooth. The red chunks had bled of course, due to the heat, and the white chunks were not so well defined. It was different and quite cool looking, but I think the whole purpose of a chunk candle is that you get the texture and see the chunks clearly, so I don´t heat my moulds or blast away with the heat gun anymore.

[Donita]

I have used the heat gun just for a couple of seconds....don't over do it and it helped. When using white...of course that is harder....I make my "school " candles with white and colored letters and chunks and I don't worry about the finish. I have to pour cool in acrylic molds for them. My regular chunks I pour at about 190. Also...if your chunks are similar in color you can really heat the mold and get a very shiny surface without worrying about them bleeding. I do that once in awhile....but 99% of my chunk candles are then "crackled" and that gives them a mirror finish. Donita Louise

[debscent]

I like the look that chunk pillars get, it's part of the "rustic" charm.

[fredron]

More on warming the mold for your chunk pillar. The key word is WARM. Don't get it hot enough to melt the chunks.

Also what wax are you using? Mine is 6228, and my chunkers come out really smooth-except for the areas around the chunks. I pour at around 175 unto a warm mold, and son't see any signs of jump lines.

Fredron