sassyQ Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Wonder what makes the 4045H mottle so much better??? Anyone have an idea? Wonder if it is the oil content?? Just curious if anyone has tried adding more oil to the 1274????? IMO the difference is like night and day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 When you say it mottles better, I take that to mean it mottles more. Personally I haven't had that experience. Maybe the opposite. 1274 tends to mottle a lot in my experience.However, it's not unusual for experiences to vary with mottling waxes. Various waxes respond differently to the way you cool them, or the fragrance oil or the amount of additive you use. You might find that if you change the additive or the pouring temperature or something, or maybe just pour in the summer versus the winter, the two waxes behave differently. Mottling waxes can also vary from lot to lot sometimes, so it could even just be the particular samples you have.One thing it is not is the oil content. Both of these are fully refined paraffin blends with very little oil. Not enough to matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassyQ Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 Thank you so much!!!! Yes, I meant mottles more. I layer and pour starting at 180, then 190, and then around 195 to 200 on the 4045. I used the same temps with the 1274. In your experience what temp do you pour at? Would you suggest going up or down on the temp? I am not using any additives in the 1274, just the FO and liquid color. I also read somewhere the slower they cool the better so maybe I need to try putting a box or something over the mold. Thanks again so much. I love the 4045 but the shipping is absolutely killing me. I can get the 1274 with a much more reasonable shipping charge so that is why I am trying it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Before I touch on layering, let me just mention that mottled pillars are poured like any other candle. You don't need to pour them super-hot or cover them or anything. That could sometimes even make them mottle less rather than more, depending on the wax and additives and stuff.You might want to try a non-layered pillar with the 1274 just to see how it typically mottles. Generally you pour around 180 and cool normally. Pouring a little warmer or hotter, or warming the mold versus leaving it room temp, can produce some variations on the aesthetic. In any case, I think you'll find that it mottles plenty.The problem you're having is purely due to the layering. Paraffin only mottles when it goes through a specific temperature range towards the later part of the cooling cycle. The effect depends a lot on how quickly it goes through that range. When you pour hot wax over cooling wax, it changes the way the previous layer cools. That can make it mottle much less or much more, depending on the temperature and the timing of everything. It's really unpredictable and will vary with different waxes. Getting what you want unfortunately depends entirely on experimentation.The only advice I can offer is to pour the layers differently and see what you get. You appear the be following the "10 degrees more" rule for your layers, which is actually a bogus rule. The timing and temp for pouring layers is a matter of practice and experience, but I can offer a slightly more meaningful guideline than the 10 degree thing.The objective is to get a smooth finish and a seamless transition from one layer to another. When you pour the first layer, you are only partially filling a cold mold, so the pouring temperature should be higher than normal. Better yet, get the mold warm (not burning hot) with your heat gun and then you can pour the first layer at normal temperature or even cooler. For subsequent pours, adjust the temperature according to the thickness of the layer. Thin layers have to be poured extra hot (190-195) to avoid a rough finish or an ugly seam. Thicker layers can be poured cooler, like 185 or whatever works for you in practice.Like I said, I really have no way to guess what will produce the best results for you and there are like a zillion variations on timing and temperature for pouring three layers. But try to do it according to the guidelines above and lean towards pouring a little cooler than you have been. The results are bound to be different and maybe they will be better.Good luck and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassyQ Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 THANK YOU!!! I do warm the mold and it seems with the 1274 the first layer gets the most mottling for sure. The subsequent layers are much less mottled! I pour using the 10 degree mark because it seems anything cooler will leave rough layer lines. I wait until each layer is set up enough to support the next layer but still liquid underneath. Your suggestion is definitely something I am gong to try. Thanks so much for taking time to tell me. I really want this wax to work for shipping charge purposes so I will try anything. Thank you again very very much!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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