snow Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I've made plenty of these and been making 2 over and over all day. They keep getting a bunch of white marks inside, looks like little cracks or something kinda like spider veins. I tried water bath from 70 to 80 degrees, still there. Heated wax 5055 with micro to 200 poured into mold applied pic using ice cubes in a rag to embed and put into the water bath. Thats how I always did it and got a lot of advice from Donita....now today I can't figure out what is happening. They look awful on the inside, I wouldn't give them away. Anyone have any idea whats going on? I've been at this since this morning. Please help!! I'm ready to throw in the towel. TIA Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 OK Dee...you are getting little bubbles that look like cracks???? Waxes do change and you have to make adjustments for that. Be sure that you cool the wax to 190 before inserting the picture.....then put it in a slightly warmer water bath. If you put in into cold water it shocks the wax and it fractures causing those white marks. If that doesn't work then start increasing the micro by just a little. That should do the trick. Let me know if it doesn't. xoxo Donitaps....just a little note.....when I use bleached beeswax (or regular) I don't have any of those problems. I like the bleached for canes and orbs because it is more transparent. The last batch of canes I made were 50/50 paraffin and bleached beeswax. No problems whatsoever. I even used beeswax to adhere the flowers and the 50/50 for over dipping just once. So if you aren't getting good luck with micro it doesn't hurt to add some white beeswax to the pot. Beeswax doesn't shrink like paraffin therefore you don't get the fractures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 I tried the beeswax and the 80 degree water temp. and adding the pic at 190, but those little lines, cracks whatever you want to call them were still there. I'm thinking its that mico 180 OR I'm leaving it in the water bath too long, can that be the reason? I thought of that on the last try, because the top layer seemed a little thick to me. They are sitting the molds and tomorrow I'll toss them back in the pot again....for the fourth time. Thanks for your help Donita. Any other suggestions? I'm at my wits end with this project.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 I took them out of the molds this morning and they are just awful! Those tiny cracke lines are still there, a lot of them. I think I'll melt another batch of wax without the mico and see if that helps. Will the shell be ok w/o it? I have a little bit of beeswax left, maybe I can add it to the new batch. I don't know what else to do, I've always been able to fix problems with canes either by adjusting water temp. but not this time. This is a real puzzle to me. I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 well I did another one, used a 68 temp water bath and the mottled look is still inside the cane. Next I'm going to try a bit of vybar (read that in an old post) and then I'm pitching out the wax! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 From what you told me about the micro that might have messed up the wax. Call Candlewic and tell them about the soft micro you got. I wish I were there to look at your wax. It really doesn't make sense to me at all. Or.....a bad batch of 5055.....Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 I think I'm going to start over, can I make one without the micro? I have a little bit of beeswax left, maybe I can add that. The mico package says A0042 Mico-180 from candlewic. The cooler water seemed to make less spots inside, but still too many. There was an old post on here that said to add a few pellets of vybar, I might try that b4 I dump the batch of wax. This is driving me crazy.... Back to the drawing board! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 ok, I dumped 1tsp. of vybar for pillars in that batch of wax and so far, as it is drying...NO MOTTLE! I don't know what other affect that will have on the cane itself, probably won't come out of the mold or something. I never used vybar b4. Let you know what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantern Light Mama Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Wow, Snow! Bummer! I don't know much about the properties of paraffin as I mostly do soy. But we do a lot of the photo canes, and I don't get these cracks you are talking about. I use the hurricane 160 wax from genwax, and I add 1-2tsp/lb of mold releasant. I pour the hurricane into the mold a bit over 190 degrees. Then I stir inside the mold to release anything that sticks to the sides of the cold metal. I then put in my photo and use the side of a long iced tea spoon to run up and down the photo to press out all the teeny tiny bubbles (these tend to be my problem). When the picture adheres all on it's own, then I run an ice cube straight on the side, then plunk it in the water bath. I have never ever measured the water bath temp, but I use the large pan that came with my turkey fryer and do four canes at a time, so the water gets pretty warm. I hope you can fix the problem...I know how it feels to go bald over photo canes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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