CandleGrl408 Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Hi, Quick question about mass production (when I say mass production, for me, it’s 10 jars at a time...don't laugh). I melt my wax in a double boiler and pour it out of a melt pot. I wait until the wax is 175 degrees to pour; but by my 4th or 5th jar the wax is now approximately 160 or 165 degrees and it effects the appearance of the wax. So, do any of you professional candle makers have any suggestions or tips on pouring when you do your mass production? Thanks and I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 I'm not a professional by far, but I've gotta ask what natural wax you're pouring at 175? Unless it's palm, which needs an even higher temp, that temp is a bit high for pouring. I pour even less at a time!! lol...my arthritic hands can't take the weight if it's over 2# (plus the weight of the pour pot.) I make several "batches" of the same candle when I need more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleGrl408 Posted November 21, 2007 Author Share Posted November 21, 2007 Hi KandleKrazy, I'm using GL 70/30 and the directions said to pour around 175. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Ok, that makes sense now...paraffin in it. Sorry, can't help you, I use all soy and can pour between 105-130 and get almost the exact same results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffancy Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 I keep a hot plate on my work counter and use that if the wax cools down too much, if it's just a minimal cool down I'll just heat it back up with my heat gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 I make 3 1/2# batches. This is 13 tins or 6 11 oz tureens. It takes me less than a minute to pour them. How can your wax drop that much in a minute? Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Your temperature is falling quickly, do you use a pour pot or a pyrex? I use a 50/50 wax and I pour around 150-160 and have consistent results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Keep a thermometer in the pour pot. You may be trying to pour too many candles at one time from the same pot. It takes only moments to pour 10 candles, so I am not sure why your temp is dropping so quickly. Are you pouring one after the other or stopping to futz with wicks or something in between? This reminds me a little of making jelly. Some folks get all their ducks in a row and are so smooth in filling their jars; others mess around in between and things start going south for them as a result. Rethink and track exactly what you are doing from the time your wax hits the pour pot and you will find your answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Stella, new word for me "FUTZ." I love it! Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 HeeHee - I've spent a lot of my life futzin' around with dis or dat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValhallaGal Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I get all my jars ready to go first. That way there's no "futzin' " around later. Meanwhile, I melt my wax (soy GW444 container) in a large presto pot with a temp. control on it. As the wax level get low, I keep filling it back up and putting the lid back on, so the pot pretty much stays full. From that, I will laddle out what I need into my pouring pots. It's not unusual for me to have 2-3 pouring pots that I'm waiting on to drop to a cooler pouring temp going at the same time. I just stagger filling the pots by a few minutes. So by the time I've finished filling one batch of jars. Another pot is ready for the FO and soon ready to pour. I generally pour at around 110-100 degrees. If my wax in my pour pot start to cool down a bit too much, I just zap it with my heat gun just a smidge. But it's usually not a problem because everything is set up assembly line fashion and goes really quick.I have a very large wholesale acct. (I call her my crazy candle lady), in which the client will order several different sizes of the same scent. With order totals of 9-10 dozen once sometimes twice a month. I could never keep up or stay sane if I didn't do her orders as I mentioned above.Anyway, that's how I handle mass production. Oh, and at the end of one of those days, I make myself a nice cold Kaluha You just need to get a rhythm going and stay focused. Pouring at that high of temps you should have plenty of time to pour 10 candles. Are you working in a really cold room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleGrl408 Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 Hi everyone, Thanks for all your help! I live in California and my kitchen doesn't get very cold but the temperature does drop fast...I'm not sure if there's a problem with my digital therometer?? I will keep on trying and see. Wow, valhallagal, 9-10 dozen candles twice a month! I can't even imagine...that's alot! I can't believe it. I really admire all of you who do candlemaking as a business. Maybe one day (far, far away from now) I will be able to pour more than 15 candles at a time hehehehe:smiley2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValhallaGal Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Wow, valhallagal, 9-10 dozen candles twice a month! I can't even imagine...that's alot! I can't believe it. I really admire all of you who do candlemaking as a business. Maybe one day (far, far away from now) I will be able to pour more than 15 candles at a time hehehehe:smiley2:That is exactly why I call this client my "crazy candle lady" If I didn't put my foot down, she would even have me sending un-tested ones with new FO's. She has a gift shop in a high traffic tourist town. So she sells allot of this type of merchandise.Just hang in there, keep at it and you never know where this will lead you. I never, NEVER intended to sell candles. I only made a few for myself and family. Maybe a half dozen a year. Now it makes up about 50% of our sales. So just keep pouring and you may find yourself setting up for 15 one day, 30 the next week, and 100 the week after Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebrownbug Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 We use palm wax and what I do after getting my jars ready etc. is I leave my pouring pot on a burner set on just the warm setting. It keeps my wax at just about the right pouring temp. and if it gets to hot I remove it for just a minute or two and put it back on the burner until I am ready to pour it. I keep a very close watch on the temp. so it doesn't get away from me and start a fire. So far I have not had any problems with that other than putting the poured candle containers into the oven.... it's not pretty when they fall over in a warm oven.... it does smell good though for several days afterwards Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 I use ez soy and pour at a about 100. But if iam pouring alot, i use a very thick ceramic poring pot i found at a church sale. If i need to keep my warm i usually put the pot in water i have kept warm in a pot on the stove, this does keep my wax warm and dosent let it cool to much. HTH. Amy Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.