cybersix Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 for pouring palm wax tealights! I use palm wax for pillars, and now I manage the bottoms almost perfectly, but they are bottoms.. now I'm making some palm tealights to match an everlasting pillar, but they are ugly, I do a repour and the wax is never so beautiful as where it touches the mold.. hope this makes sense.. I need some words of wisdom, anybody willing to help? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 I'm gonna take a guess that the wax is cooling way too fast so you're not getting that beautiful crystal pattern.Maybe try putting the tea light containers on an oven tray (like a cookie sheet) and heating them in a low oven (150 - 175 degrees) for a few minutes just before pouring. Then put them back in the oven to cool and turn the oven off so they will cool down slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katshe Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 I am not familiar with palm wax , but I do use soy wax and have warmed my tart molds in the oven for a few min and poured and let cool and the tops are smooth as silk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 The tops of palm wax will always be different from the molded parts because of the crystallization. Doesn't matter if they are in the oven or not - the crystals form differently on the top than they do where they come in contact with the molds. They will NEVER have smooth tops AND crystals. If you pour cooler, they will tend to lose the crystal patterns and be more uniform, and have smooth tops, but no crystals. The only thing I could suggest is to make the tealights upside down the same way you make pillars. Personally, I have not found the crystallization difference, especially in tiny candles like tealights, to be objectionable. Are you perhaps being hypercritical about them?Katshe, soy and palm wax have very little in common - palm wax has a highly crystalline structure that doesn't respond to the same techniques as does soy. It's very hard and brittle - quite beautiful, but in a class by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share Posted August 24, 2007 Thanks to everyone, and Stella you pointed it out almost perfectly. I used wick pins so I can't turn them upside down. I may do them without wick pins and without wicks then drill a hole for the wick.. but the tealight molds have bumps and circles in the bottom, so the top won't be even too.The problem is that I did the repours because I saw holes and air pockets below the surface. Also, my palm wax does sink a little bit. So I did the same as I do with other candles, poked holes and refilled, but the final pour has no the crystalization the rest of the tealight has. Are you saying you keep them so and no complaints at all? Maybe I'm hypercritical, this is my constant problem. But I just wanted to hear experts opinions on this, since to me this is a new thing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 Ahhh, now I see - If you are gonna repour, try to have the temp a little hotter than the original pour and only fill that little depression - don't let the repour hit the sides 'cause the crystal pattern will never match since the bottom and top crystallized at different times. Palm wax seems to have a lotta surface tension, so you can carefully and with a steady hand fill until the top bulges. If you used a wickpin, then no worries - just insert wick, hit the bottom on a flat hot surface to smooth the poke holes and you are in business.I don't make a lot of tealights or melts, but votives are similar - we use wickpins so we can mess up the surface until the air pockets are all out, then just smooth after wicking. The second pour really isn't necessary, IMHO because the indention is perfect for wick assemblies and running the bottom over the hot surface levels and smooths it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted August 25, 2007 Author Share Posted August 25, 2007 Ahhh, now I see - If you are gonna repour, try to have the temp a little hotter than the original pour and only fill that little depression - don't let the repour hit the sides 'cause the crystal pattern will never match since the bottom and top crystallized at different times. Palm wax seems to have a lotta surface tension, so you can carefully and with a steady hand fill until the top bulges. If you used a wickpin, then no worries - just insert wick, hit the bottom on a flat hot surface to smooth the poke holes and you are in business.I don't make a lot of tealights or melts, but votives are similar - we use wickpins so we can mess up the surface until the air pockets are all out, then just smooth after wicking. The second pour really isn't necessary, IMHO because the indention is perfect for wick assemblies and running the bottom over the hot surface levels and smooths it.thanks Stella, that kind of repour is exactly what I do with the bottoms of my pillar, infact I have no longer the need to level them, but the crystalization is so different! I'll do some other test, and if I don't like what I see I will do paraffin tealights in same color and scent.Thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CathyinME Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 I make the palm tea lights & they come out with crystals on the top. I do my first pour about 3/4 full then I do my repour. They look great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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