sunnie Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I am thinking of making some wickless candles as gifts and I noticed that some people use tin containers instead of glass. I am very interested in this because a friend had a glass container "explode" on her. The question is would the tin container heat the wax too hot? If I use glass containers, what would you recommend as a safe 4-6oz glass container for using on electric plate style warmers. BTW I am using a soy blend.Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 The question is would the tin container heat the wax too hot? The tin container will not heat the wax any hotter than the temperature the specific warmer produces. The warmer is what controls the amount of heat. There are many kinds of warmers which heat to many different temperatures...Personally, unless I could KNOW the exact temperature to which the warmer heats, I would not consider a glass container at all. I use tins. HTH:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 I use only tins for selling purposes, but I do put a caution that the tin itself gets very hot and not to touch it (yes they will try to pick it up!) while the warmer is on and the wax is melted. I use anything at home...haven't had an explosion yet...I guess it could happen though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleHippie Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 That's a good point, and one I had not considered. I have always used glass for wickless and have not had any problems. I used tins breifly but they tended to rust with certain FO's. However, how do we know what various warmers will heat our container temperature to? I think that would also apply to candles that someone decides to use on a warmer. Maybe the company that made the candle never intended or tested it for use with a candle warmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzanneg Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 I use glass containers and have never tried a tin! (interesting!)I sell the combo warmers and I haven't had a container break yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 There has been a LOT of discussion about warmers and glass containers, etc. - searching will turn up a lot. Because I have worked with glass in other pursuits for many years, plus I have done my own canning (using canning jars rated for ASTM standards for canning - both water bath and pressure canning), I know how frequently a jar will "pop" on the bottom for no apparent reason. When one is using glassware that is NOT rated for high heat use, either for canning or candles, you are taking a big chance on a big mess. I would rather try to search out and resolve the problem of using FOs that cause the tins to rust than I would mess with glass jars of unknown standard on a warmer with unknown temperature. Some of these get VERY hot; others don't even get hot enough to keep palm wax melted! Best defense is to use tins IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleHippie Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 When one is using glassware that is NOT rated for high heat use,...If we are using glass that is sold for candle use then shouldn't the glass be ok for a warmer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 If we are using glass that is sold for candle use then shouldn't the glass be ok for a warmer?Candles warm glass from within the center of the melt pool (unless the flame becomes off center); warmers concentrate the heat directly on the bottom. Glass manufactured for candle use is designed to be heated like a candle, not like a pot. Whether or not the glass cracks depends on the glass and the temperature of the warmer. A LOT of glass is purchased for use with candles, but is not actually up to ASTM ratings for candle use - mostly imported stuff. Plenty of folks use glass containers and say they have never had a problem. I prefer to hedge my bet by using tins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleHippie Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 Good information to know! So when we purchase glass from candle making suppliers should we look for glass that is ASTM approved? Meaning, I have never seen a notation on any supplier site stating their glass is ASTM approved for candle use. Seems like that should be a very important issue. I am sure most of us just assumed what we are purchasing is safe. The store that sells my wickless doesn't want tin so I'll have to look into the glass ratings further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyBean Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 I have tested/used both glass and tins for my wickless and my own personal preference is tin. After going back and forth about which I will carry I have finally gone with tin for wickless and glass for (wicked) candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coconut Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 I use 4 oz. canning jars and thick glass bowls. Wide short Platinum jars might work too. I would not use the thin glass that I see sold for votives. Even canning jars and thick glass CAN break. Glass breaks when the temperature changes too quickly. Tell your customers not to place a cold jar on a hot warmer as this could cause breakage. Personally I like the canning jars because they are designed to be immersed into 212 degree boiling water. But I have broken one or two when they cooled too much before putting them in the water when canning. If a jar exploded, that is different and could have been causes by too tall of a candle or bubbles in the wax that overheated. For this reason I favor short wide containers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnie Posted September 5, 2007 Author Share Posted September 5, 2007 Does anyone have problems with FO's reacting with the tins (or tins rusting)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoopie Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I have never had a tin rust. I use tin for wickless..... seems to me, why chance it. Plus the opening is nice and wide so you don't get the "volcano" effect from the pressure of the wax melting from the bottom up....I think a lot of the customer base for wickless is the flame and "safety" issue. So, I feel the fact that a tin won't break is a great "safety" selling point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Does anyone have problems with FO's reacting with the tins (or tins rusting)?I've only been using tins for about a year now, but I haven't had any problem with them rusting or with fo changing in them. I have even reused tins for my own personal use without any problems. I don't wash my tins, since you don't see wet spots anyway, I simply wipe them out with a damp cloth to remove any loose debris and then let them dry right before I pour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebrownbug Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I have never had a tin rust. I use tin for wickless..... seems to me, why chance it. Plus the opening is nice and wide so you don't get the "volcano" effect from the pressure of the wax melting from the bottom up....I think a lot of the customer base for wickless is the flame and "safety" issue. So, I feel the fact that a tin won't break is a great "safety" selling point.Hi schmoopie,I so totally agree with this post of yours....if you read my recent thread on wickless candle safety....tins are more than likely the best way to make a safe wickless candle. Do you make wickless palm candles....I made one and it blew up on a friend of mine....no more glass wickless for palm wax especially. Soy I don't think I would have a problem with that near as much as I do with palm wax....anyways all my wickless ones from now on are in tins and not in glass.....thanks for the post.Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 One should, however, use caution when melting palm wax in tins also. Unlike paraffin or soy, palm wax doesn't really soften when it is heated - it's either hard or liquid. The liquid wax underneath the hard top can develop pressure and spew - in a glass container, it can shatter the glass. Even soy or paraffin can spew if there is too much wax in the container, creating a thick, sealed top. It would not harm the tin, of course, but it could make quite a mess!I use a 6 oz. tin at home on my warmer but I only use one or two small tarts at a time so it is never more than 1/4 full. HTH:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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