these votives are making me mad!!!

[cybersix]

GRRRRRRRRR I dont' know what else should I do! This time I heated the molds, they were clean, sprayed a bit of silicone release and wiped off very well (the spray release I use is kind of dry, so there's no visible oil around).

I poured at 185 F, moved the wick pins to release the bubbles, tapped well until I saw no bubbles. They took all the day for getting ready, here the temp is 86F... and nwo look at what they made!! Not only pinholes... there are a lot of craters on the surface!! I mean I'm used in making candles. Votives are fairly new to me but come on the principle is the same! I'm getting mad. I hope you can see what I'm talking about in the pic. it seems that some bubbles are large but flat!! but where do they come from??

Please experts, repeat me everything from the start because I'm feeling a total newbie (and dumb).

Is the wick pin's fault? In some way does it cause the presence of all those bubble? And why on earth the base of the wick pins is not the exact size of the base of the mold?? It dances in there! Oh sorry for this rant but I'm really frustrated. TIA

[ChrisR]

Here's how I do mine........start to finish. Put the wick pin in the mold, spray well with silicone mold release (I don't wipe it down, just spray and leave it!!) I make sure all my wick pins look centered in the mold, occasionally I will have to bend one a touch to get it back on center. Pour my wax and don't touch them, moving the wick pin will cause wax to flow under the pin and could make it hard to release from the mold, or getting the pin off the candle. I always top off my votives with a 2nd pour, but that's not something you HAVE to do, that's my way!! Remove from mold the next day.

The marks on the side of your votive could be where the wax stuck to the mold when you pulled them out of the mold. That's the only time mine do it.......especially if I've failed to spray the mold release if I'm in a hurry. I also clean my molds and wick pins (upside down on cookie sheet in a warm oven) after every 3rd batch, or if I see any wax sticking on the mold or pin. The only time I get any pin holes is from 'dirty' molds.

I know how frustrating it can be, but you're doing good!!

[sudsnwicks]

I used to have this problem in the summer. In the winter they just came out of the mold easily. So I figured my house is too warm in the summer, and I solved it by putting them downstairs in the basement where it's cooler. Before I tried that, I tried putting them in the fridge for a little while but that only made them worse.

[cybersix]

Hi Chris, thanks.

The second pour is not a proble, I usually do three. I'm very very picky so if the top is not flat I get sick. I do the second repour even with tarts.

Anyway ) thought I had to tap like a mad to release the bubbles, next batch I'll try not touching them. As for silicone mold release I always wipe it off.

I'll change the variables one at a time so I can see what causes the problem.

And maybe you're right the votives are not cool enough to be removed.. even if they come out quite well.

Thanks!

Here's how I do mine........start to finish. Put the wick pin in the mold, spray well with silicone mold release (I don't wipe it down, just spray and leave it!!) I make sure all my wick pins look centered in the mold, occasionally I will have to bend one a touch to get it back on center. Pour my wax and don't touch them, moving the wick pin will cause wax to flow under the pin and could make it hard to release from the mold, or getting the pin off the candle. I always top off my votives with a 2nd pour, but that's not something you HAVE to do, that's my way!! Remove from mold the next day.

The marks on the side of your votive could be where the wax stuck to the mold when you pulled them out of the mold. That's the only time mine do it.......especially if I've failed to spray the mold release if I'm in a hurry. I also clean my molds and wick pins (upside down on cookie sheet in a warm oven) after every 3rd batch, or if I see any wax sticking on the mold or pin. The only time I get any pin holes is from 'dirty' molds.

I know how frustrating it can be, but you're doing good!!

[cybersix]

I used to have this problem in the summer. In the winter they just came out of the mold easily. So I figured my house is too warm in the summer, and I solved it by putting them downstairs in the basement where it's cooler. Before I tried that, I tried putting them in the fridge for a little while but that only made them worse.

Thanks sudsnwicks, never did a votives in winter since I've just started out, and here it's still very hot. I do have a cooler basement but there are no shelf in there, and I have to watch at how I'm dressed because I could meet neigbours on the stairs, so usually I keep everything in the house. Will let this batch cool overnight, hoping tomorro to see something better!

[sudsnwicks]

My basement has no shelf either. I just put them in some sort of box and take it downstairs. I don't need to go outside to get to the basement, but then I have gone outside in my pajamas before! I find that in the summer, even leaving them overnight to cool might not work, so it's lucky I do have a basement. At first I thought it was something wrong with the wax.

[birdieluvr76]

I only touch my molds if there are tiny bubbles on the top of what I just poured. Then I just tap lightly until the bubble is gone.

Recently, I had a hard time with votives. I started warming the molds in my oven on the lowest setting. I take them out just before I pour. I then put them back in for the second pour for a few minutes to rewarm them, and then take them out just before I do the second pour. I have been making some beautiful votives this way.

[HeavenScentU]

I don't know what type of wax you are using, but I had a similar experience and that was with old wax that I purchased real cheap. I put the correct amount of additives and it still didn't matter I still had the pinholes. Another problem could be too much color added. After I stopped using that particular wax I never had a problem. I hope you get it resolved.

[cybersix]

My basement has no shelf either. I just put them in some sort of box and take it downstairs. I don't need to go outside to get to the basement, but then I have gone outside in my pajamas before! I find that in the summer, even leaving them overnight to cool might not work, so it's lucky I do have a basement. At first I thought it was something wrong with the wax.

ok, I'll put the next batch in the basement.. I'm so lazy sometimes!! Thanks a lot!

[cybersix]

I only touch my molds if there are tiny bubbles on the top of what I just poured. Then I just tap lightly until the bubble is gone.

Recently, I had a hard time with votives. I started warming the molds in my oven on the lowest setting. I take them out just before I pour. I then put them back in for the second pour for a few minutes to rewarm them, and then take them out just before I do the second pour. I have been making some beautiful votives this way.

Don't know what the temp is in your oven, today I heated the molds with a heat gun and let them on the table under the sun, the temp was about 90F, until I poured. The repours I did when the wax was still a bit warm...

I just have to try all these different tricks and see what works for me!

[cybersix]

I don't know what type of wax you are using, but I had a similar experience and that was with old wax that I purchased real cheap. I put the correct amount of additives and it still didn't matter I still had the pinholes. Another problem could be too much color added. After I stopped using that particular wax I never had a problem. I hope you get it resolved.

The was is the same I use for my pillars and the only thing I can think of is that this bag stayed here in a hot room all this month.. but windows were closed and no direct sunlight. But thanks for pointing out this, I'll try to do a pillar and see if the problem could be the wax.

I don't think additives could be the problem, I'm using the same UV I'm using for my palm pillars at the moment, and I only add few grains of vybar. But then again I'm not so expert with vybar, can be these surface and pinholes problems related to vybar?

Thanks

[sudsnwicks]

I'm not sure what the difference is, but I didn't have to go to all this trouble when I used my votive wax. It was only when I switched to a pillar wax when I had to learn these tricks. Oh well, at least it is solved now. Good luck with yours! Oh by the way, I've never bothered with heating my molds.

[cybersix]

I'm not sure what the difference is, but I didn't have to go to all this trouble when I used my votive wax. It was only when I switched to a pillar wax when I had to learn these tricks. Oh well, at least it is solved now. Good luck with yours! Oh by the way, I've never bothered with heating my molds.

uhmmmmmm I'm using a pillar paraffin. it has a MP of 133. all the pillars I did were ok, but now I'm not making anymore (a pause due to other request). I use the same recipe (more or less) of my pillars. I get beautiful tops, well burning votives but with such a hell of problems. And I never had to interfere with the normal cooling process of my candles. It was cold, yeah the candle was fine. it was hot and wo the candle is still fine. I was almost thinking at a mold problem (I got them free from candlewic) but no, I'm not such a newbie, I know the problem is somewhere else!!! It can't be so simple!!

[sudsnwicks]

uhmmmmmm I'm using a pillar paraffin. it has a MP of 133.

I'm using a pillar paraffin too, though mine has a MP of 143. I don't even know if yours is the same problem, although from the looks of it, it could be due to house too warm. I guess hmmmm is right.

[Wick'n'Wax]

I got so fed up of probs with mine, now I literally chuck them together and they come out fine. I think I was putting in far too much effort with them.

I put the wick pin in, don't spray them, don't heat them up. I pour plain paraffin mp 135 at 185. I tilt the wick pin slightly to burp it and put it back down as central as I can.

I leave for an hour, make airholes, do a repour at 195 after a couple of hours. Then a couple of hours or so after that, I gently squeeze the mould and out they pop.

[cybersix]

I got so fed up of probs with mine' date=' now I literally chuck them together and they come out fine. I think I was putting in far too much effort with them.

I put the wick pin in, don't spray them, don't heat them up. I pour plain paraffin mp 135 at 185. I tilt the wick pin slightly to burp it and put it back down as central as I can.

I leave for an hour, make airholes, do a repour at 195 after a couple of hours. Then a couple of hours or so after that, I gently squeeze the mould and out they pop.[/quote']

lol not that the first time I put such an effort,, but when they came out so ugly the effort seemed required!

I hate getting mad at these things and "patience" is my second name LOL!!

[Flame-Maker]

Don't know if this is going to be of any help but I use cbl141 for my pillars and votives. drop my wick pin in the votive molds and pour around 180-190. Nothing in the molds as far as release agent. I usually hit my votive molds with a heat gun and get em really hot then pour...do my repours as needed and in a few hours they usually pop right out with no cosmetic problems. Winter or summer it has always been the same for me.

[Breanna]

Hello,, you may want to try pouring your votives at 175 instead of 185.

It has been in the 100s here except for today it was lovely but to get back to it,,,I always pour my votives at the suggested temp, 170 to 175. do my little tap for the air bubbles and then after they set up, do my re-pour at 10 degrees higher 180 to 185.

http://www.candletech.com/votives/step2.htm