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Question about Hurricanes


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Hi

I am about to embark in the wonderful world of Hurricanes. LOL

I do have a question. I know that every hurricane I have seen are "WHITE".

I was wondering if it would be a waste of my time to make a hurricane in the very lightest of Pinks?

Thanks in advance

Edited to type:

Like I said I did this last night and I was not at all happy with the results. I did everything I was supposed to do with the pic and look below what happened. The pic is inside the wax. I followed the directions step by step from the old board , pouring the wax into the mold, taking the embedded picture and swirling it around the wax and then using the wooden spoon to take out the bubbles and holding it close or whatever it is that you call it where you make sure its in place and on the mold and then let the wax cool off, cutting it around the edges, pour the remainder of the wax back into the pot and then letting it cool off completely.

This is my first hurricane and it was a disaster!!

From the pic you will see something and its a butterfly pic inside the wax.

Can I remelt this wax and try it again of course using a different pic?

Thanks.

DSC00002.jpg

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No, it wouldn't be a waste at all. I like doing a light tint. In fact an assortment of tinted hurricanes without any embeds looks pretty neat all lit up. I think the reason you see a lot of white is that you end up having to recycle about 80 percent of the wax you use to fill the mold. It's easier to find a use for uncolored wax. But as long as you are happy with a bunch of pink hurricanes...

If you know that you are going to be doing several colors, with a little planning you can work in a progression to cover as many colors with the same recycled wax as you can. For instance, from a light pink, you could go to a red, a light purple (add a touch of blue), a pastel orange or peach (little bit of yellow), or an orange (some red and some yellow).

Cheers,

Alan :)

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Thank you Alan

According to the calculator on the other board I am to use 4.33 pounds for a round hurricane, the ones that you sell.

I think Im gonna hold off till tomorrow after I get back from PA to start this venture and I will post a pic of my success or disaster. LOL

Thanks again

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Ashlie, I think a light tint looks great - any pastel color. And if you don't want to make any more you can always add the leftover wax to your chunk wax.

PS I can see a light pink hurricane with a turquoise butterfly embedded in the side.

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Ashlie, I think a light tint looks great - any pastel color. And if you don't want to make any more you can always add the leftover wax to your chunk wax.

PS I can see a light pink hurricane with a turquoise butterfly embedded in the side.

The chunk wax is another story LOLIve got the butterfly pic all cut out for it too. LOL

how did you guess? LOL

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ok so I couldnt wait until tomorrow to start, so I went ahead and left it uncoloured "white" and its in the process of colloing off now completely.

I have to say that weighing that mold down was an adventure. I went to Lowes this afternoon and picked up 2 feet of linked chains and that didnt hold it down. The hubby had to bring out the Lead Ingot (thats a lead bar)

from his desk and with that and the chains it held down. I think my mistake was also I used a bucket that was TOO DEEP.

Anyway, we shall see tomorrow if this is a successful hurricane or not.

Thank God we can remelt and try again.

Thanks for all the help

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I found (after someone finally suggested it to me) that a small wastebasket, like a bathroom trash can, works very well as a waterbath. Of course, if you are making a really large hurricane it might not be large enough but just an idea. ;)

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Here I go again.....I have made thousands of hurricanes.....I use plastic buckets from Lowes (bought pretty pastels) and had DH cut them down a little. I used to use old 5 gallon buckets cut down so I could reach into them. I also buy lead weights that are like ropes about a foot long and they bend around the bottom to hold it down...if you are using a mold without a bottom (foot) then I just fold them in half and put them across the top....also have stolen a set of wrenches from DH to use just in case....for little candles that need a water bath I just wrap them into circles and put them on top of 3" molds. Now for the color question......I have had customers order burgandy, hunter and black.....so you just never know....of course they don't "glow" much...but they do have a flame and give off a little light. I do all colors in my usual line.....if you want, check out my website and you can see some colors that I do that I have been selling for years.....don't know why.....but they throw money at me and I say "thank you".....(smile) Donita

http://donitahoyer.com/

post-248-139458376212_thumb.jpg

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I haven't done these too much....but at first, I went to Wal-Mart and bought a large bucket. lol....I don't know what I was thinking - it took way too much darn water to fill that thing up. I now use those hard plastic lunch boxes, like a Coleman.....it's a perfect size for a hurricane, IMO.

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I use 1 to 2 drops of liquid color for 4 lbs. of wax when I'm making tinted hurricanes. Never has a problem with it affecting the picture. Got a plastic utility tub for $1.50 at Big Lots for the water bath. Fits in my sink, sides not too high. I'm usually making several canes so I just leave the tub in the sink. When I'm done just carry it outside and water the flowers - or what's left of them after this heat wave.

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Ash, don't give up. These really do take practice. You have to make sure there is no wax under your picture, I use 2 skewers, and rub each way, from the middle to the outside of the picture. You will see the bubbles release. Then get a cold cloth on the picture right away to hold it in place. I use a paint bucket from Walmart for my water bath, it's nice and small. I put a black mark on the inside of the bucket so I know exactly how far to fill it. Stick your mold into the water bath, but not for to long. I use 2 pieces of lead that hubby cut for me that lay right across my mold and it holds it down. My hurricane never forms a film on top. I usually don't even let it sit in there for 10 minutes, I like 1/4" to 3/8" shell. Dump your wax out fairly fast, or it leaves a mess inside. Then just cool it on the counter. When you get it all figured out it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish to do one of these, they can be very easy. Nice thing is there is no waste, just peel off the picture and remelt the wax to start it again, I even reuse the picture.

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Sorry it went so bad :( I've not gotten a pic one to work smoothly yet so I'm not much help. It sure looks like the wax made a shell before you got the picture stuck. If it starts to harden before you're ready, you can zap it a bit. As for remelting, sure you can. You can also re use the pic. It's already saturated so no worry about air bubbles ;)

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Ash, don't give up. These really do take practice. You have to make sure there is no wax under your picture, I use 2 skewers, and rub each way, from the middle to the outside of the picture. You will see the bubbles release. Then get a cold cloth on the picture right away to hold it in place. I use a paint bucket from Walmart for my water bath, it's nice and small. I put a black mark on the inside of the bucket so I know exactly how far to fill it. Stick your mold into the water bath, but not for to long. I use 2 pieces of lead that hubby cut for me that lay right across my mold and it holds it down. My hurricane never forms a film on top. I usually don't even let it sit in there for 10 minutes, I like 1/4" to 3/8" shell. Dump your wax out fairly fast, or it leaves a mess inside. Then just cool it on the counter. When you get it all figured out it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish to do one of these, they can be very easy. Nice thing is there is no waste, just peel off the picture and remelt the wax to start it again, I even reuse the picture.
Well I found a bucket that we got at Petsmart that is for litter and its small enough so I dont have to go through hell again. LOL

I did use a wooden spoon and did just what you described from middle to end and yet the picture ended up inside the pic.....

I will give it another try before I pull whatever hair I have left LOL.

Thanks for the extra suggestions.

Im going to try another attempt in a little while.

I was thinking why go through all of that when I can easily use the stick glue and put glue on the picture and smooth it out and that way I know its not in the wax. LOL

Have you tried that? Is that recommended?

Satinducky, I didnt wait at all to add the pic. As soon as I poured the wax into the mold I had the pic in there less than 10 seconds.

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Well Ive got the stick glue ready in the kitchen so that I can attempt this way later LOL

Funny how my husband was watching me go through this ordeal and he tried helping me with the weights and he asked if you guys took a class to learn this. I laughed LOL

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At least you got the hurricane out of the mold. Sorry your 1st effort didn't turn out better for you. Please don't give up after just one.

Don't know if these tips will help or not.

1. fill your pail with water, checking to make sure the level is correct for the mold you are using. Set aside with whatever you are going to use for weights nearby.

2. Arrange your work area so you have your picture, wooden spoon, chop sticks etc. are handy

3. Heat you mold just before pouring the wax

4. Pour at 200. I add 1/2 tsp of mold release, 1 tsp of UA and 1% micro 180 pp of wax.

5. drop in picture and just leave it

6. tap around the mold 3 times to get rid of air bubbles. I tap until no more air bubbles rise to the surface

7. I use ivory chop sticks to move across the surface of the picture submerged in the wax to remove lingering air bubbles

8. I use the chop sticks to place the picture against the surface of the mold. Work from the center out to remove any air trapped between picture and the mold. You are squeezing out the air to the sides

9. After I no longer see any tiny air bubbles, I use an ice cube starting in a bottom corner and work up and across the picture

10. When there is a film of set up wax on the back side of the picture place mold in water bath. I wear gardening gloves to hand the mold since it is still hot.

11. I leave mine in for 12 to 15 minutes. I like a 1/2 wall

12. there should be just a thin layer of set wax on top. Cut a circle and pour back into your pot from the side of your mold.

13. I use a butter knife to smooth the inside of the wax shell. There is a slight ridge on the inside and now is a good time to remove that. And I give the inside bottom a shot from the heat gun to smooth the bottom.

In the beginning I must have had 3 do overs for every good one I made. Please try again and let us know how you did.

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