Henryk Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Maybe I'm making this too hard and there is an easy answer.I've been doing some testing with parol and mineral oils with 1343 and 1274. Its so funny because I can't get either my 1343 or my 1274 to STOP mottling uniformly! The results are perfect uniform mottling 100% of the time. What the heck am I doing wrong! I don't want the snow flakes either - what I'm trying to get is this:http://www.laparfumerie.com/images/products/candle_16.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I used to get some like that when I first started making candles. Back then I wasn't using any kind of additives (didn't know they existed) - just straight paraffin w/148 MP and lots of FO - got a lot of uneven mottling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Are you using stearic? I've seen a post on here a long, long time ago (I think by Alan) who tested different percentages of stearic and showed a candle made by each percentage. I used 3% stearic for even mottling - I think above or below that might give you uneven, if that's what you want. Maybe someone else remembers the thread...Of course, if you want solid, there's always vybar...HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scentedmoon Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Are you using stearic? I've seen a post on here a long, long time ago (I think by Alan) who tested different percentages of stearic and showed a candle made by each percentage. I used 3% stearic for even mottling - I think above or below that might give you uneven, if that's what you want. Maybe someone else remembers the thread...Of course, if you want solid, there's always vybar...HTHOkay I suppose I'm math illiterate tonight, but what does 3% come out to in tbs per pound? Or on a scale? (Did I mention how much I hate math?):rolleyes2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowCow Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 you might want to try just a speck of vybar. i've done that before...usually on accident...and sometimes it works. it cuts down a little on the mottle, but there's not enough of it to get rid of it completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I use 1/2 tsp pp of clear crystals to slow down it down. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I guess my eyes aren't too good anymore with small things but... that looks much more like a color bottom heavy marble rather than a mottle.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaritamama Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I guess my eyes aren't too good anymore with small things but... that looks much more like a color bottom heavy marble rather than a mottle....I have to agree with the Ducky..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Here was Alan's picture of the different levels of stearic in 1343N. And on the second page he mentioned that 1343A was a more even mottle, but a few pinches of vybar or UA got the unevenness backhttp://www.candletech.com/cgi-local/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Discussions;action=display;num=1057327348;start=10#10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolas Lights Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I agree with ducky and margaritamama.... I copied it, and put it in PSP and enlarged it and it doesn't look a mottle, more like a marble. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanaE Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Henry, I'll take a picture and put it up in the morning of two triangle pillars I just made. I used a small amount of Gloss Poly C-15 and I got virtually the same effect as the candle you showed. I didn't measure because I was just playing around with the new molds, but I put a pinch of the Gloss poly into 4 lbs of wax, and instead of the completely even mottle I usually get with 4045H, I got the other effect.DanaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 Thanks everyone for trying to help!Here's another example. If any of you guys have been to a Bed Bath and Beyond store they sell these mottled-looking candles. They are layered candles - dark earth colored hues - and have a piece of rough twine wraped around them as an embellishment. Can't remember the name, but those are exactly what i'm trying to make. I think I'm going to just buy one. (They don't have them on the website.) Maybe thats a bad pic in the link, but I really think that somehow they are getting the wax to just do this - in other words, I don't think its a "pour technique".Thanks again though for all the ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaritamama Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Henry,Is this the one you're talking about? I bought this at Bed Bath & Beyond about 6 months ago...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted October 5, 2005 Author Share Posted October 5, 2005 EXACTLY!They have square pillars also. How are they getting that? In person I think those candles look great. A lot of them even look more "primitive" than that one IYKWIM - less well "defned".Thanks for posting that.See that mid green layer - thats what my mottling looks like BEFORE its finished doing what its doing. If I unmold it before its fully cold. Then by the next day its completely uniform without that splotchy effect. To me, thats very different than most mottling I see - which is usually the very small snowflake-type or an even-pattern effect (both of those effects I can get but not that in the picture). Then that bottom layer. I think that effect is great - it almost looks like two pours bleeding into each other but I though it might be something with how the layer is actually setting up. All of that series of candles have those same two effects in the same candle that look really good, but I don't know how either is done.Oh, Stephanie, I did some with stearic, some without, now some with the different oils. What I also get is one of the two types that I posted here: http://www.candletech.com/cgi-local/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Discussions;action=display;num=1120778726 (I've since gone up in wick size after reading some stuff Fern wrote (LX 26) and I think I get even a better burn with less fussing).Dana - would LOVE to see a pic of your results. I know nothing about that wax. Do you like it better than 1343 or is it just "different".Sassy just posted a series of candles that look something like the same effect - but not layered at http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5799.Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaritamama Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Strangely enough - it was this candle that inspired me to start making my own, and mottling them. I have not been able to duplicate the effect! Let me know if you get it right...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanaE Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Henry, here's the picture. It's not the best picture I could take, but the weather is bad here and the indoor lighting seems faded....DanaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted October 5, 2005 Author Share Posted October 5, 2005 Dana,Thats great! So, the 4045H wax is I think candlewic's mottling wax right? I'll have to try this with IGI 1274. Now, were both the top and bottom layer done with the same wax and % of additives and pour temp - because it looks like there are two types of mottling going on there. Its the one at the top that I'd like to get! (Maybe its just because they cooled differently - did you scent the layers the same?).Thanks again!Forgot to ask: Did you add stearic or anything else? Did they bleed a lot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanaE Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Henry, there ARE two different things going on with the pillar. I had left over wax from two 'fresh' scented batches so I poured them into the molds.The top layer, which has the type of mottling you want, had 3 tablespoons of stearic per lb of wax, 1 ounce of FO pp, and approximately 1/2 teaspoon of Gloss Poly C-15 for a 4 lb batch. The bottom layer was made without the Gloss Poly, all other additives the same (and of course UV - I never say it, but I add it to all candles). It's candlewic's mottling wax. They have two 4045 waxes, I use the 4045H.Edited to add - no bleeding at all. In fact, none of the mottled or rustic pillars I've made lately have bleed and I don't know why....at one point during the summer they all weeped so bad that I couldn't touch them for days. It could be because most of the scents I'm doing lately aren't sweet; the sweet ones seem to weep the most.DanaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted October 5, 2005 Author Share Posted October 5, 2005 Dana - thanks so much - you've been very kind and helpful. I'll try it with my wax and see what happens.Thanks everyone who posted for helping - again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candle Kitty Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I'm gonna agree on the marble, I do them all the time and it DOES look like one to me. Beautiful candle, making me think of something to try with my Green Tea later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 This is so pathetic. DanaE - I tried your formula with IGI 1274. I got a PERFECT layered candle - no mottle at all - no pin holes - no rustic. Perfect little ugly, layered candles with a horrid color combination (using up some unknown dye chips that got loose).So, its either the wax itself or perhaps I put in to much of an additive. I used just a few crystals of C-15, I did use 5% stearic but I don't think its that. I also used 5% parol oil. Its not the parol oil as I've used it before in unscented mottles and get the same uniform mottling. I'm thinking that C-15 is powerful stuff and can kill any mottling over a certain very small threshold. Well, back to the drawing board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaritamama Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Just an observation.... Should you be using parol oil when 1274 is already a mottling wax? I was under the impression that parol oil is used to make non-mottling wax mottle.I usually just add 3 tbsp per pound Stearic, and 1oz per pound FO to my 1274. Nothing more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted October 7, 2005 Author Share Posted October 7, 2005 The 1274 is just a wax blend designed TO mottle. My understanding is you need oil (of some sort) to get it to do that. You use FO - I used parol oil - both oils. I used parol oil because I wanted them unscented. The parol oil should HELP the mottling actually. Its just low viscosity mineral oil which IMO works better than regular mineral oil - it doesn't make the wax as soft so it doesn't bulge as much when burning, plus it mixes MUCH better than regular mineral oil so the candle doesn't bleed nearly as much.In researching I see that polyethelenes will inhibit mottling even at 1/4% and C-15 is a polyethelene. I just think I used too much as my test batch was only 1.5 lbs and DanaE's was 4 pounds - I barely used any C-15 but apparently it was enough to kill the mottling. I also found that stearic completly gets rid of mottling at 10% - I used 5% so still should have had SOME mottling - so that gets rid of the stearic as the problem - the only thing left is the C-15 at too high an amount IMO.Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanaE Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Sorry Henry - are you going to try it again, with less Gloss poly? Like I said, I was just goofing around when I made them, and I used a big pinch of the Gloss poly, which I figured probably equaled around 1/2 teaspoon for the 4 lb batch. Maybe you need to count out like 6 beads *grin*. I'm going to try it again today, just to see if I can duplicate it. I wanted to play with the pyramid molds some more, so this is a good reason to. I'll post the pics if they come out the same way. It could have simply been a fluke.DanaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaritamama Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 The 1274 is just a wax blend designed TO mottle. My understanding is you need oil (of some sort) to get it to do that. You use FO - I used parol oil - both oils. I used parol oil because I wanted them unscented.GENIUS - That makes perfect sense!! I never thought of using the parol oil instead of FO..... I was wondering about that the other day when I thought about making unscented candles, but still wanted a mottle. Thanks..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.