markewallace Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Yup, that's all you need to do. Keep it clean and dust free and you're good to go Then I think we'll be fine. Thanks! There may be a smidge of dust in there (forgot to cover the pot back up for a while afterwards), but I think it'll be okay. Curious... what are you going to use inside it/them? You haven't mentioned...Not sure, really. I was kinda thinking to go with regular tealights in order to avoid the melt issue from votives. Personally, I can't stomach the idea of putting all this work into the `cane and then going with an electric light source.And I'm definitely putting something (probably either a cork or glass disc) in the bottom of it. Ironically, after all of this, the truth of the matter is that my wife isn't much of a candle person, so the `cane is really more of a keepsake than something to actually be used. If anyone is going to use it, it'll probably be me. - Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arlene Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Beautiful family...beautiful cane. You did a great job Mark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thank you very much, on both counts.- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Mark....I like the plastic tea light cups because they allow the flame to glow through better than the aluminum cups. I am using fuel cells now too. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Mark, with a 5" dia. 'cane, I use votives in my 'canes but I use heavy glass votives holders and put a 3" dia. cork pad under the holder. I've done power burns with no melting. Key is 5" dia 'cane and a heavy glass holder with something under it. I've used cork pads and ceramic tiles. Since I am challenged trying to embed the ceramic tile in the center of the bottom I've gone back to cork pads. When you do the next one with 2 pictures be sure to straddle the back seam with the pictures. You want the pictures on the sides not front and back of a round 'cane. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 When you do the next one with 2 pictures be sure to straddle the back seam with the pictures. You want the pictures on the sides not front and back of a round 'cane. Does that make sense?Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the tip. We just did this last one with complete disregard for the seam.Thanks yet again!- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 No problem. We want to keep the in laws happy. Be sure and post a picture when you get theirs done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted January 31, 2008 Author Share Posted January 31, 2008 We want to keep the in laws happy.uh.....maybe one of them, and even then, only sometimes. Be sure and post a picture when you get theirs done.Will do. Still can't get my daughters to agree on which picture(s) to embed, but I think we're gonna try to do it tomorrow while the wife is away.- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 Well, second `cane is in the can (the mold, not the toilet) right now. We'll see tomorrow night how well/badly it turns out. I added a very slight blue tint to it (grandpa likes blue), hopefully not so much as to affect its translucency. I think it should be okay. (crosses fingers)- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 1, 2008 Author Share Posted February 1, 2008 Well, second `cane is in the can (the mold, not the toilet) right now. We'll see tomorrow night how well/badly it turns out. I added a very slight blue tint to it (grandpa likes blue), hopefully not so much as to affect its translucency. I think it should be okay. (crosses fingers)- MarkAlright...well...good news & bad news.The goodThe candle came out very easilyMost of the cosmetic issues from last time are goneThe slight blue tint worked okay. Perhaps a tad too much blue, but that's okay. This is another that probably won't get much time with a flame in it.The badI guess I somehow didn't get the picture up against the mold well enough or quickly enough, because there's a definite layer of wax between air and the picture.I didn't pour the wax high enough, so the top edge of the picture comes right up to the top edge of the `cane.Oh well...rookie errors. Thankfully, both `canes that I've made still look pretty decent for a first and second try. I'll see about getting a pic of the second one up here soon.Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Mark, I've done picture 'canes with a tint using 1 drop of liquid dye for 4 lbs of wax. Usually that is enough. Regarding the picture peeking out the top, most high melting point 'canes waxes shrink as they cool. I try to pour the wax at least 3/8" over the top of the picture. Bet Grandpa will love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Mark, I've done picture 'canes with a tint using 1 drop of liquid dye for 4 lbs of wax. Usually that is enough. I used maybe 1/8th of one of the little Peak dye chips, in ~ 4lbs of wax; probably not even that much. I'm pretty satisfied with the tint.Regarding the picture peeking out the top, most high melting point 'canes waxes shrink as they cool. I try to pour the wax at least 3/8" over the top of the picture.That's where I hosed it. I didn't pour high enough. The pic isn't above the wax level, though, so it's fine. I'd just like it to be a little lower.Bet Grandpa will love it.He will, until he sees how my wife's candle came out. Then he'll be pizzed that his isn't as good as his daughter's. - Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 He will, until he sees how my wife's candle came out. Then he'll be pizzed that his isn't as good as his daughter's. - Mark:laugh2:Naw, really. I'm sure he'll love it. Besides he gets one "in color" and hers is plain! Well, sounds good anyway...lol.I'd love to see it when ya get a chance. Sounds like it turned out good Hmm.. either you have a natural knack for this or you're just mighty darn lucky. Not ONLY the first one turning out nice, but first AND second.... geeeez Congrats! even if you makes the rest of us look bad who took a dozen tries just to get a halfway decent one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Here's a pic. The blurriness is due to the wax between air and the pic. Still, not too horribly bad.How does one go about keeping the inner wall the same height as the outer wall? If you look closely, you can see that the wall angles inward. Do you have to pour it really high and then melt it back down to being level?"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Hmm.. either you have a natural knack for this or you're just mighty darn lucky. Not ONLY the first one turning out nice, but first AND second.... geeeez Congrats!Well, I must admit that I was kinda wondering about that. Certainly the two that we have done are quite a long way from being perfect, but I'm still pretty pleased that we didn't totally mess them up at some point. even if you makes the rest of us look bad who took a dozen tries just to get a halfway decent one Somehow, I'm guessing that that's not exactly true.... :rolleyes2 And, trust me when I say that these `canes aren't going to make anyone look bad. Cameras hide flaws if used properly.... :smiley2:- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Not bad, Mark. And yes you level the top on a hot surface just like you would level a pillar bottom. Some put a cookie sheet on top of their double boiler. I use an electric griddle to level my candles. Just turn the 'cane top side down and twirl until you have the top like you want. I have a small level that I use to make sure I get it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Not bad, Mark. And yes you level the top on a hot surface just like you would level a pillar bottom. Some put a cookie sheet on top of their double boiler. I use an electric griddle to level my candles. Just turn the 'cane top side down and twirl until you have the top like you want. I have a small level that I use to make sure I get it right.Too late for this one. The pic is so high up there that leveling the top would result in exposing the picture itself, and I'd rather not then deal with having to trim the pic back.I'm familiar with the process though. The top of both canes have been smoothed using the cookie sheet / double boiler process. They're just not inwardly level, but that's okay.Cheers,Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 When I run into that situation, I heat gun the inside. It's still not level going inward, but it's all neatly smooth on the angle in. Everything thinks it's supposed to be that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 When I run into that situation, I heat gun the inside. It's still not level going inward, but it's all neatly smooth on the angle in. Everything thinks it's supposed to be that way Yeah, well, I think I'll just leave this one as-is. I'm no surgeon with the heat gun, and I'd prefer to not make it worse than it is.- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Mark....I think one of the most used word on this forum board is "practice"....that is the only way you learn what to do and most importantly....what not to do.... . I always pour my canes a lot higher tha picture or just more than I want. When the cane is cooling and starting to shrink in the middle, I just pour in a little more hot wax. It keep it from getting that angeld side. I always do that. Sometimes it still shrinks, a little. I have a professional leveler that I use for pillars.....but I often use an electric frying pan, one from a thrift store, and it catches the left over wax and I can reuse it. Anyway....you are doing great for a beginner. I quit in the beginning until Sharyl helped me.....then I went for the gusto and made so many I can't even estimate. If you make some more, you will get the feel of it. There is so much in the timing. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 ... "practice"....that is the only way you learn what to do and most importantly....what not to do....Well, sure. Same as just about anything. These two candles were for specific occasions, so I'm not really sure just how many more of them I will be making. They were fun and all, but I have the feeling that I will more often be making wicked candles.Thanks for the rest of the tips. My mistake was just in not pouring high enough. Just about every other aspect of the `canes, aside from the blurriness on the second one, is okay.Anyway....you are doing great for a beginner. Thanks. I appreciate that. I'm reasonably happy with my first two shots at this. Now if I can just figure out how to get a wicked candle to do something other than burn a deep hole in the middle. If you make some more, you will get the feel of it.I'm sure I'll make some more eventually. At the very least, I still have enough wax left for at least one more cane.Thanks for all of the support and advice!- Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Mark, I am so wicked challenged when it comes to pillars that it isn't even funny. I think I have tried every wick mentioned on CT and mine never burns like their pictures. The reason I started with 'canes is they **don't** need wicks. LOLBut I keep plugging away playing with pillars. One of these days I'll hit on the right combo. My problem is it's so much easier to make an everlasting pillar and I have only been playing with wicked pillars. One of my many new years resolutions is to get serious about wicked pillars. What is important right now is that you and your girls have fun. Looks like you are doing that with these 'canes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markewallace Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Well, the big day (wife's birthday) came & went yesterday. My girls and I presented the two `canes to her and her dad and stepmom yesterday, and they were all very pleasantly surprised. The best part might have been the looks of pride on my daughters' faces when they got huge hugs for the nice gifts. It was a sweet moment.Thanks for all of the advice in getting these things done. I would have made lots of mistakes had it not been for y'all.Cheers,Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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