Question Re: Taking the heat gun to the tops

[Holly]

Do you think by taking the heat gun to the tops after poking relief holes affects the cold throw -- burns off the FO from the heat? I have to go over the tops several times to get them smooth. I may be noticing a decline in cold throw. I am not totally sure and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or if it was just my imagination. Thanks.

[Kaybee23]

I don't think it does too much. At least I haven't noticed it. I have noticed however that too many intense passes over the candle with a heat gun will make jars crack. :undecided

[Holly]

I don't think it does too much. At least I haven't noticed it. I have noticed however that too many intense passes over the candle with a heat gun will make jars crack. :undecided

Wow, has that happened to you? Do you have thin glass or thick? Mine are thick. I hope I don't run into that problem. :undecided Thanks for letting me know.

[Kaybee23]

I was using keepsake jars when it happened, a couple of times. I am testing and getting ready to switch over to wide mouth masons very soon, which are a little heavier, and cheaper. I am also testing some wax combinations and considering switching soon. If I do, it will elimate the need for so much heat gunning.

[Meridith]

Kaybee,

I use the widemouth jars and just love them. I would like at some time a fancier look but for now they do. And since they are canning jars, they can withstand more heat than some other jars.

[Kaybee23]

I am switching over, so I can bring the cost of my candles down. The keepsakes are pretty, and may still offer them for people who want a fancier jar. But for the people that complain about the cost, I want a lower cost alternative. Besides I have a couple of boxes of them to use up. I like them for the wide opening. For some of the blends I have been testing, I seem to get soot around the openings of the square masons that I tested. So I like these jars because they don't have that neck on them and so far in the few I have tested, no soot buildup. I also found a local supplier for them, so that helps.

[Quixote Gal]

I think it definately does if overdone. Not to mention that if you really overdo it if will cause that swirly frosting on the tops of your jars. Those heat guns can get over 500 degrees and if you are melting a cold candle down to a 1/4 in melt pool to fill in craters, I think you are just getting them too hot and causeing the wax there on the top to breakdown and thus lose scent and "frost".

If you have to heat gun the tops, I reccomend filling in the holes when the candle is still warm. It seems that it is not only faster but doesn't have the side effects.

HTH

[Fern-Marie]

Quixote Girl is absolutely right.

That is exactly what I am doing. Catch the holes while the candle is still warm in the center, before fully set up, that is the time to hit it with the heat gun. Just a quick pass to melt into the hole, don't overdo it. Also, since the center is still warm and slushy, I move the wick gently from side to side very gently to help fill in any holes that may be there that I can't see...these are the ones I fear. Moving the wick also helps to keep the heat gun from hitting the wick and causing the wick wax to melt, and messing it up with the nasty white swirlies. I wouldn't have known what would happen in doing this, but I had nothing to lose. It works for me.