heidijo Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I've been using my wick pins for about 2 years now. Lately, the wick pins have started to lose their chrome finish and the wax on the bottom of the votives has been sticking to the wick pins, even with the use of mold release spray. I purchased some new wick pins and the wax didn't stick. Question is whether the wick pins gradually lose their finish or is my relatively new cleaning method of using a steamer to remove any wax residue responsible for the wick pins losing their finish? Anyone have any insight? How do you clean the wax off your wick pins without removing the finish from the wick pins? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I never clean my wick pins...that's my secret. :rolleyes2 I would say if you are steaming them that could be the problem. If you feel the need to clean them put some newspaper on an old cookie sheet and put them in a low oven for a few minutes. Grab your gardening gloves - so you don't burn your hands - and wipe them off with a paper towel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesprite7 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I rarely clean my wick pins too....But If I do....I use my heat gun to warm them up and just wipe them with a paper towel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Yep your water/steam has ruined them. I've had mine for over 9 years and a warm oven is the only way I clean them, if they need it, which isn't often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I have not used water or steam either - I throw them in the oven in an old aluminum pan with some newspaper or a paper towel underneath. I recently ordered some new votive wick pins and they were different from my older ones - they were plated. Maybe the ones that are giving you trouble are like that... the older, unplated ones are doing great and I haven't abused the new ones enough to know how they'll do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredron Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 The steaming may be enlarging surface flaws in your pins. All metals have micro surface blemishes, which are invisible to the naked eye, but show up under microscopic emlargement. A 500 or 1000 times enlargement will make your nice, shiny pin surface look like the surface of the moon. Steaming, over time, probably made the condition worse. Pins are cheap, throw them out & replace them. I wipe mine with a rag or paper towel, and that's all. They're still going after 8 years.Fredron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 My wick pins don't have a chrome plating on them. I've never seen them that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Ducky, I don't think the ones I bought recently are chrome - I think they are nickel plated. I don't like them as much because the bottom part is fatter because of the plating - I like the steel ones better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Ducky, I don't think the ones I bought recently are chrome - I think they are nickel plated. I don't like them as much because the bottom part is fatter because of the plating - I like the steel ones better.Maybe I should have said that better. Mine aren't plated at all. Plain old steel. Even discolored a bit where the pins are welded to the base. And on that note... repeated steaming would damages them anyway because they'd probably be a pile of rust before long....lol.Sometimes I heat them a bit to wipe them, usually not. Mostly I use a paper towel to get the largest amount of the wax to crumble off, then pop them in the mold for the next one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Yep your water/steam has ruined them. I've had mine for over 9 years and a warm oven is the only way I clean them, if they need it, which isn't often. Well I clean mine all the time, but yep, warm oven here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in KY Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Mine stick off and on depending on the wax I use. Never had real good luck with the spray but it does help more that not using it. I have washed mine, heated in the oven, heat gunned, put in my Presto Pot and just plain wiped them. They are years old and haven't been used as much as many of you alls. Can't say they were ever perfect.... Most of mine were bought at Cajun and Candlewic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidijo Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Thanks all for sharing your experiences! I'll be using the oven when a wipe won't work, as that seems to be the consensus. Both sets were from Candlescience which I like because they have flat bottoms. (Their wonderful biannual 99 cent FO sample sale makes up for their steamed-challenged wick pins - :smiley2: ) Their pins are definitely plated with something, as the votive molds themselves appear to be a solid unplated metal and despite repeated steaming, have not discolored at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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