What did I do?

[SliverOfWax]

You're much braver than I, Stella. I wouldn't dream of selling a votive without having poked relief holes.

For me, making candles is not a "hurry up and get it done" thing. If it takes a second pour, well, that's what's called quality assurance. Simply reducing the possibility isn't good enough for me. I strive for elimination.

Truthfully, votives are the least profitable candle on earth, imho. By the time you've tested a tester, then poured and wicked a bunch of the real thing, you could have made and sold something else for many times the money. I don't even know why I make the silly things. On second thought, yes, I do know why. To get rid of old, half filled bottles of fo that I'm tired of looking at.

www.StuffSunshineLikes.com

[ubure]

I've been using CB-135 and Advanced quite a while and experienced the same thing when I poured too hot. Let it cool down until it gets really slushy and pour then - no such thing will happen again. Oh,, and yes: don't use any additives.

[NattyCat]

Wow, that's quite a statement. I would be interested in how you did your research.

I've used various kinds of soy in my time and would sometimes get holes as shown in the photo. It didn't seem to matter which soy I used or how I poured. Those holes could pop up in a few days or a few weeks. The lack of predictability with soy is one reason I no longer pour soy.

I have no problem with poking holes and doing repours. I have a bigger problem with not knowing what's lurking beneath the top.

So I guess you can put me down as being in the minority.

:rolleyes2

www.StuffSunshineLikes.com

EXACTLY the point I was trying to make. If you have ever had just ONE sinkhole with any particular wax - whether it is so-called "one pour" or not, then it is simply unprofessional if you don't check every candle you make to ensure there are no more. It's called quality assurance.

You may NEVER find another sinkhole - the one you got may have been due to the bloody lunar cycle for all we know - but the fact is, if you DID get one then you should check your candles to make sure you don't have another - It's not hard to do and just means you are being cautious and putting your customer first and not their dollar.

Of course, there just is NO telling some candle gods.

[ubure]

Is this really a topic to be offended about or rude?

Maybe some people don't get sinkholes and others do, so what?

[Stella1952]

Is this really a topic to be offended about or rude?

Maybe some people don't get sinkholes and others do, so what?

Well, if one gets sinkholes, I guess it's pretty frustrating and disconcerting, but I agree that the discussion shouldn't ruffle one's feathers so... we're all trying to share knowledge and learn, right? Same team?

If you have ever had just ONE sinkhole with any particular wax - whether it is so-called "one pour" or not, then it is simply unprofessional if you don't check every candle you make to ensure there are no more. It's called quality assurance.

Sorry, Natty & Sliver, but I disagree with you. I believe your principles are well-founded and your hearts are true, but it is simply impractical and much too labor intensive to deal with sinkholes on a regular basis. Simply because one has had ONE (or even THREE) problems with sinkholes does not mean that it will always occur, especially if we learn why this happens and how to avoid the situation.

The poster asked what she did wrong with her CONTAINER candle... somehow we got off on votives, so I'm gonna try to jump back on track here. I know the times I have had problems, it was because I messed something up - poured too hot, cooled too quickly, messed with the wax formula unsuccessfully, etc. There was nothing wrong with the wax - the poor result was from my own inexperience or brain fade.

I wouldn't dream of selling a votive without having poked relief holes.

Making relief holes, particularly after the candle has cooled is not the best way to resolve this issue, IMHO. I don't make relief holes on container soy candles (which is what we're discussing here). I found quickly that unless the relief holes are quite large in diameter, the second pour may not even reach the bottom of the relief hole - it simply dresses up the surface so a sinkhole doesn't show. Avoiding and releasing air bubbles prevents sinkholes from forming. Going over it with a heat gun is begging for frosting issues, especially with certain colors and FOs. People who are pouring loads of containers could not make much money layering and poking and repouring and heatgunning... they must learn how to avoid the air pockets! THAT is where the craftsmanship lies, not with smoothing over the problem once it has occurred.

It didn't seem to matter which soy I used or how I poured. Those holes could pop up in a few days or a few weeks. The lack of predictability with soy is one reason I no longer pour soy.

I'm sorry you got frustrated with soy and gave up pouring it, Sliver. I enjoy the challenge and have many more good results than bad, although I suspect that nearly everyone has produced candles with cave-ins, if the truth be told. I'm willing to take the time to try to understand what I am doing wrong and correct the situation by mending my evil ways.

I think three things happened to your candle, Akaine. First, you used vybar - why? Second, you used stearic acid - again, why? The container blend you are using doesn't require any additives. You may have poured too hot and allowed the candle to cool too quickly - both will cause rapid contraction of the wax and quick formation of a cooled layer on top that will prevent air bubbles from rising to the surface and escaping. Caverns are formed when air bubbles cannot rise and burst. These caverns often cave in as the wax contracts and literally pulls the roof down on itself. Most are found just beneath the surface near the wick, just as your photo shows.

Although I do not use the brand of wax you used, I think it is a fine product (one of the more stable soy formulas on the market) and there is a LOT of information on it available both from their site and from discussion here.

generally the information on their site is good advice that reflects what most people do. Including this:

EcoSoya™ Container waxes are all one-pour soywaxes requiring no additives that result in a smooth surface.

If you run into some kind of problem that requires a special technique or additive, you can deal with that later. For now just study all the tips from the manufacturer and keep it simple. So far the only problem you've had is that you hardened up the wax too much with unnecessary stearic and Vybar.

All the Ecosoya waxes have been discussed in our vegetable wax forum, so at some point you'll want to use the search feature to locate those threads and read up more on people's experiences with the products.

Top gave you fine information and advice here and I hope you will try it.