How can I make my white wax, WHITE?

[Wick'n'Wax]

The last couple of hurricanes I've made, haven't come out white and because my text or piccie is printed on white paper, the outline shows.

The wax comes out a slightly cream colour, but starts out brilliant white, even though no FO added. Strange...

[starlessjade]

:laugh2:Well, I guess you'll just have to start using cream colored paper.

[Soapymomma]

Some higher melt point waxes will yellow a bit because of the high heat. Could that be it? Also, you can add white colorant if you think that might help.

Soapymomma

[katinka]

Here we have an additive called Paraflint C80 that makes paraffin a beautiful opaque white. I believe it is similar to your luster crystals, but not 100% sure. A good person to ask would be topofmurryhill - he know alot, about additives too.

HTH

[Wick'n'Wax]

thanks katinka

yoo hoo, topofmurrayhill, where are you

yooooooooooooo hooooooooooo

[Donita]

Hopefully he is busy making candles (smile).....but....is this wax a different one or a different batch? What additives are you adding. When doing a photocane you want the least amount of additives or you will get an opaque candle and it will cover the picture. I only use 1/2 micro 180 pp and get very white candles. Donita Louise

[Wick'n'Wax]

Hi Donita

(feels like bowing in the presence of such a professional ) I'm in awe of your candles!

I'm using straight forward plain paraffin, no additives. It comes out a sort of dirty looking creamy/yellow, like aged paper lol. It's the same wax I've used before.

I have a block dye, called Pearly but that doesn't make it white, in fact, I don't think that one does anything that I've noticed

[cybersix]

straight paraffin is not white, you have to use additives for canes, additives that helps wax get harder without increasing opacity, or the purpose would be lost. Listen to what Donita says, she's always right! You could take a look in the gallery looking for canes, and maybe printing on transparent paper, as the one used for presentation.. i don't even know.

I believe that all canes with photos embedded show the border of the paper sheets.

[katinka]

If you are willing to carry shipping cost, which i think would be around $8 but I would have to check, I can send you about 2lbs of it, no charge for you to play with. You only use about 1-2% max. PM me with your zip code if you want me to confirm shipping.

Katinka

[Donita]

Thanks for the support Sabrina.....I have made thousands of hurricane candles and have tried all kinds of ways......The micro 180 helps to make it a little more white without being too opaque for the photo. It does other amazing things too that I find necessary. Could be the wax....different batches vary....they just do. My edges show too but to help camouflage that I print mine with a black 1/4" border then cut a 1/4" around that....you can see it but it looks more intentional. And I can set it on the bottom and know that my picture is level. Donita Louise

[topofmurrayhill]

I read this question yesterday but didn't know what to make of it.

What wax is it and is the slab white before you melt it?

Wax can get oxidized and turn off-color from heat, but it doesn't seem likely that would happen in the course of making a 'cane. You'd have to leave it in a hot Presto pot or something for a long time. If it's really overheated it would take less time. Don't leave it overnight and don't crank the heat to get the wax melted.

Another longshot thought is that certain metals catalyze the oxidation of the wax and can age it many times the normal rate. You want to avoid having paraffin in contact with copper and and copper alloys like brass.

Besides getting oxidized it's really hard to explain unless something was added to the wax or it picked up color from some contaminant.

[Breanna]

Here is what I use for all my white candles,,,,White Powder Dye Item number : DPwhite, www.candlesupply.com I have been using this now going on 2 years and my candles look great in white. HTH:D

[Aspencreek]

Peak carries a white pigment block that you can add to the wax. It is really not a very good thing for wicked candles (can clog the wick) but works well in a cane. Worth a try!!!

[MeAndMyPuppyDog]

Can I make a suggestion.

No micro.

No "White" (Tit. White)

Hint:

Clear Crystals

[Wick'n'Wax]

hiya,

its white paraffin wax pellets, with no additives at all.

You made me think about the pan I'm heating it up in, its an enamelled porringer (double boiler) but the one previous did the same and that was a saucepan.

I heated it till it melted, then poured, didn't overheat or reheat.

Strangely enough, it just seems to be the canes (or maybe I've only noticed with them because of the paper lines showing thru so obviously), when I try white for other things it seems white enough.

[topofmurrayhill]

I think the best explanation is that the wax isn't totally white to begin with. The specs for most fully refined waxes say that the wax is typically white but can sometimes be a little off white. There are variations between lots. You notice it more in the canes because of the translucency of the wax and comparing with the opaque white paper.

The wax will look whiter if it's a little opaque but you don't want to overdo that with a 'cane because we want the light to shine through it. Personally I'm not very big on the fischer-tropsch additives like clear crystals and translucent crystals. Sounds like you're using the 136 MP wax that's prevalent in the UK and I don't think they'd be super compatible with that. The mixture will cloud up quickly as it cools, which might make it hard to see what you're doing with photos and such.

Each paraffin has its own personality when it comes to making 'canes so I can only tell you what my first experiment would be with that wax. I'd be radical and try with just a little luster crystals or gloss poly, about 1/4 teaspoon. I think that would add just a little opacity and whiteness but still allow a nice glow to come through.

[Henryk]

WicknWax,

This is what c15 does to a straight paraffin if interested.

http://www.candletech.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1438&d=1126743121

Paraflint works also, for my tests it seems to get rid of the imperfections in the wax without making real opaque like Vybar so that may be worth a try too. I guess IMO I would rate it from not opaque to opaque this way: paraflint (aka clear/translucent crystals), c15 (gloss poly), then vybar (103). I tried the micros but when I was testing these things it was to control fingernailing so I went with the c15 and paraflint.

HTH

[Wick'n'Wax]

thanks guys for your help, I really want to nail this, because I think theres nothing nicer than a glowing piccie of a loved one on your shelf

My paraffin is from craftwise in the UK and is 135-140mp.

Can I ask what the following would be called in the UK?

luster crystals

gloss poly (c15)?

paraflint

I'll do a search now on some uk sites and see if those names come up, thanks xx

[Donita]

Oh....now I see your problem.....your aren't using the high melt point hurricane waxes that are available to us in the US......so I have no idea what kind of wax you are using. You can make the wax work but as I have said before...when using a lower mp wax be sure the cane is large for good air circulation.

In the past when I tried to use clear crystals of any kind....I still got bubbles in the wax and cracks (or fractures). I subject my candles and canes to all kinds of temperature changes. That makes them crack. I am able to use my fairly white hurricane waxes with just the micro 180 and I get very white candles. If I don't use micro 180 in my canes they crack and mottle and look terrible. I used micro 175 last month just to see....and yep.......I got mottles. Because you are using a lower mp wax......you can add some crystals and raise the mp without running the risk of being to brittle. The micro makes my wax less brittle and I have actually dropped an orb on the floor and it didn't crack....but actually bounced. Waxes do vary from batch to batch....you probably just got one that isn't as white as it should be. Large candle companies don't have to worry about that like we do. They can afford to have their wax made to specific formulas. We have to learn how to make the wax do what we want. So play with some additives and see if that helps.....but be sure not to use too much or your picture won't show and will be cloudy. Then take notes. Next case of wax you get do the same things and compare. Pour a little bit of wax from each experiment in a muffin pan or something like that. I unmold them and can scratch the information right on the little disk. That way you will have wax experiments to compare. You can hold them to the light and check the translucency too. Just pour them about the same thickness as you would make a cane. Donita Louise

[Henryk]

Thats a great post Donita. Maybe I should try the micros again - especially since I already use high MP wax when doing electrics. Do you get your micro 180 from candlewic or somewhere else?

TIA!

[Wick'n'Wax]

thanks donita xx

I've got poly what-sits, crystals, lustres, micros coming out my ears... I'm not sure if they are some of the same things by different names or if indeed any of them are available in the UK.

I used some of the same batch of wax last night, I'm only able to get in 5kg at the moment, due to funds... or total lack of them lmao

(can someone explain why kids suddenly get holes in their shoes, or disco lessons just when you are running out of wax?, no, must be one of those god's testing you things )

Last night I tried a chunk embed where you try and get the embeds real close to the side and the white came out VERY white, so I'm wondering if its something in my process of making the hurricane rather than the wax or lack of additives?

What I do is use a metal t-bag cannister, I heat the wax (can't remember the temp, slap me, basically until it melted, I don't let it go any longer than necessary), pour it in, place piccie against side, draw heat out with cold cloth, then when thats stuck-ish, put it in a bowl of cold water with a weight on top holding it down.

When set enough, I slit the top and pour out what I don't need.

btw, although last nights chunk wasn't brill, I'm happy with it, will post piccie later

[Donita]

Henry....I did get my micro 180 from Candlewic....the 175 I got in California from GenWax ...it would be good for "sticky wax"......I haven't run out of 180 and if I don't find a supplier here I will pay the shipping from Candlewic. I have found 190 near me but haven't tried it yet.

And......when you make a solid chunk candle it is going to appear whiter than in a hurricane...

Donita Louise