challenging question (or is it?)

[Mtngrl]

Recently I bought some 2-pc molds & I used them for the 1st time 2day. The pour hole is small & in the shape of a 1/2 moon. I'm using wick rods in all but one which requires a wick pin 'cuz the mold is 7.5" long (an ear of corn .. the other 2 are a pumpkin & a pinecone), & the wick pin makes it impossible for me to easily repour.

Is there something I can add to paraffin to eliminate or reduce shrinkage? I'm using 1343. I'm thinking more along the lines of a wax blend, but if there's an additive ....

[Mozzie]

Hi, I don't have any answers for you (how helpful is that) but am wondering if there is another solution to the pouring problem. Could you post a photo of the mould the way you have it set up with the wick pin and maybe inspiration will strike. Also, I'm not sure why you need a wick pin for any mould - could you please explain. Thanks, Maureen

[Mtngrl]

...I'm not sure why you need a wick pin for any mould - could you please explain. Thanks, Maureen

Is that to say you're not familiar with the use of wick pins? Wick pins are used in lieu of an actual wick so that one may be inserted at a later time. The purpose is to make it easier to test different wicks in the same candle until you get the one that's right. It took me about 3 months to fully understand the usefulness of this approach, but now that I've got it, essentially, all my candles are made wickless. It makes it easier to pull out the wrong wick & replace it w/ another size. Which way you go depends on the burn .... if you have wax left over, wick up; if the wax spills over or blows out, wick down.

And here's something I've finally come to realize, relief holes are better made with something thick, 1/8", than something thin like a wick rod. No wonder why I'd always make messes when I did my repours. Don't know why I thought small holes were better.

[Mozzie]

Is that to say you're not familiar with the use of wick pins?

No, it's not that. I just wasn't sure why the size of the candle made any difference, but if you're using it for testing wicks I can see your point.

[Mtngrl]

Miss Mozz from Oz, I uderstand you get wick pins. I"m just going to leave this info here in case someday, some body new does a search for wick pins ...

The pumkins & pinecone are short, so I can use a wick rod, which does not interfer w/ my ability to pour additional wax. However, with the tall one, I have to use a wick pin 'cuz it's long enough to fit the length of the corn, & the base acts like an umbrella covering the pour hole. Granted, I could eliminate the problem by removing the wick pin, but in the end, that won't help me.

Besides, wouldn't it be cool to do something to parraffin to make it a one pour wax?

[Mozzie]

Besides, wouldn't it be cool to do something to parraffin to make it a one pour wax?

You bet and I shall keep coming back to this thread to see if anyone has the secret formulae (and then I'm after the recipe for turning lead into gold - hee hee!)

[Mtngrl]

You bet and I shall keep coming back to this thread to see if anyone has the secret formulae (and then I'm after the recipe for turning lead into gold - hee hee!)

So it seems too much to ask for?

[Mozzie]

So it seems too much to ask for?

No, not at all, at least I hope not. Sorry if I appeared to be pouring cold water on your question as that was not my intention. I guess that I just meant that it would as exciting a find.

[SatinDucky]

So far as I know, you can't reduce shrinkage. Harder pillar wax is meant to shrink to help it release from the mold, once piece anyway. Container wax shrinks much less, but then it's much softer. I'm guessing whatever they do to lower the melt point is what helps the shrinking... Ok, this hasn't helped in the least either :tiptoe:

[ChristyNE]

Is that to say you're not familiar with the use of wick pins? Wick pins are used in lieu of an actual wick so that one may be inserted at a later time. The purpose is to make it easier to test different wicks in the same candle until you get the one that's right. It took me about 3 months to fully understand the usefulness of this approach, but now that I've got it, essentially, all my candles are made wickless. It makes it easier to pull out the wrong wick & replace it w/ another size. Which way you go depends on the burn .... if you have wax left over, wick up; if the wax spills over or blows out, wick down.

And here's something I've finally come to realize, relief holes are better made with something thick, 1/8", than something thin like a wick rod. No wonder why I'd always make messes when I did my repours. Don't know why I thought small holes were better.

I don't get it....why do you have putty on the wick pin? ..Not being a smart ass just trying to figure out how your using the pin with the putty on it. I have just never seen it done this way.

[topofmurrayhill]

I don't get it....why do you have putty on the wick pin? ..Not being a smart ass just trying to figure out how your using the pin with the putty on it. I have just never seen it done this way.

That's the way to do it. Makes it nice and stable.

[topofmurrayhill]

So far as I know, you can't reduce shrinkage. Harder pillar wax is meant to shrink to help it release from the mold, once piece anyway. Container wax shrinks much less, but then it's much softer. I'm guessing whatever they do to lower the melt point is what helps the shrinking... Ok, this hasn't helped in the least either :tiptoe:

Paraffin of all melting points shrinks and hardness doesn't necessarily decrease with MP. The preblended container fills are a different story. They're soft and don't shrink becasue they have so much vaseline in them. Guess you could say wax shrinks but goop doesn't. But you can't put goop in a mold.

[ChristyNE]

That's the way to do it. Makes it nice and stable.

Got it...thanks

[lindsaycb]

Now I usually put a big glop of putty just around the pin itself...does doing that like four corners help keep it centered? I find my pins tilting this way and that...i figured the wick pin was just messd up.

[topofmurrayhill]

Now I usually put a big glop of putty just around the pin itself...does doing that like four corners help keep it centered? I find my pins tilting this way and that...i figured the wick pin was just messd up.

Yeah that's why you use the extra blobs. Keeps it from tilting or rotating. Makes it easier to get it in the right position, then it stays there. I started off using just one blob (similar to your glop) in the middle but finally became enlightened. Now it's your turn.

[Jcandleattic]

the base acts like an umbrella covering the pour hole.

Couldn't you just snip off the base? I mean granted that would mean you couldn't use that wick pin with another mold the way you would with a reg. wick pin, but I had my hub snip off almost all my bases of my wick pins, because most of my molds are flat tops (or bottoms or whatever!! lol) and then I just put them in the mold in the wick slot and tape off the wick hole... Soo much easier than messing with putty and making sure it's not gonna wobble and a whole lot of other problems..

If your corn cob mold is one of the plastic molds, all you would have to do is tape the now rod to the mold and it would still be centered, if not, then you could use a WCT.. (which I have a ton of and that's another reason I have my hub snip the pins!)

HOpe this makes sense, but that's how I do it.

[ChristyNE]

Couldn't you just snip off the base? I mean granted that would mean you couldn't use that wick pin with another mold the way you would with a reg. wick pin, but I had my hub snip off almost all my bases of my wick pins, because most of my molds are flat tops (or bottoms or whatever!! lol) and then I just put them in the mold in the wick slot and tape off the wick hole... Soo much easier than messing with putty and making sure it's not gonna wobble and a whole lot of other problems..

If your corn cob mold is one of the plastic molds, all you would have to do is tape the now rod to the mold and it would still be centered, if not, then you could use a WCT.. (which I have a ton of and that's another reason I have my hub snip the pins!)

HOpe this makes sense, but that's how I do it.

Yeah I don't even use the wick pins just snip a wire hanger on the straight..that works too...and cheap...lol.. Course wire hangers are hard to come by now a days...lol

[Mtngrl]

I don't get it....why do you have putty on the wick pin? ..Not being a smart ass just trying to figure out how your using the pin with the putty on it. I have just never seen it done this way.

I didn't interpret your question as being a smartass.

The reason is that the bases are ever so slightly conical in shape; they are not flat. So, the putty is used to level the mold on the base. I suspect it would help to know that I use most of my wick pins outside of the mold rather than inside since a lot of my molds are shaped & don't accept the circular bases. HTH.

Jcandle, snipping off the base is an idea. However, I paid good money for that wick pin, including shipping, that I'm not willing to sacrifice it in this way. I do appreciate the suggestion, though. I think I'd rather go to the local hardware store to get something I can use that would probably cost 20 cents per foot.

However, using wick pins or wick rods is not the issue. The issue is that straight paraffin shrinks sooooooo much in these 2 piece plastic molds that large air pockets are formed, & the area that I have to work w/ to create relief holes is so small that I can only poke 2 holes in 1/2 the candle. My concern is that wax poured into only 2 relief holes won't fill all the cavities that exist in the candle, especially in the other 1/2 that I don't have direct access. So, it occurred to me that the best (?) solution would be to come up with some combination of ingrediants that would greatly decrease shrinkage.

Hey Mozzie, it's ok if you rain on my parade. Lol. Based on the responses thus far, it looks like it may be too much to ask for, but maybe a paraffin/soy mix might help. (Wish they made 'cry-me-a-river' emoticon).

[SatinDucky]

Paraffin of all melting points shrinks and hardness doesn't necessarily decrease with MP. The preblended container fills are a different story. They're soft and don't shrink becasue they have so much vaseline in them. Guess you could say wax shrinks but goop doesn't. But you can't put goop in a mold.

I guess I should have said "whatever they do to make it softer" instead of referring to the MP. That being the goop. But somewhere in the black hole of my mind I equated the addition of the goop to lowering the MP. What you say does make sense though.