Why did I get bubbles?

[DelphicScorpion]

Or pock-like marks most likely from bubbles. I used a little over a pound of the pillar blend from Peak (IGI 4265?), 1 oz of Orange Blossom from Peak, and heated it to 200*, took it down to around 175* and poured... Then had to repour twice because I was impatient because it was my FIRST candle EVER and I'm still really excited!!!

[grama]

I pour my 4625 around 185 and still will occasionally get the little bubbles, it happens like on the last if I am pouring several, seems the wax cooled down to much.

[Scented]

Several things could have caused it ...

1) Pouring too fast and cooling too quickly.

2) Dirty mold

3) Not tapping the mold to release the bubbles (occasionally doing so will dislodge the buggers, but here's a tip. You can see the air bubbles in a mold. They look like shiny water bubbles.)

4) If you wicked the mold, it's possible that some air got in there either through the seal not being tight enough, the wick not being tight enough or ...

5) The wick wasn't primed (which sometimes can cause some air bubbles. If you bump it enough, it will release them. It isn't 100% guaranteed that an unprimed wick won't cause air or will cause air.)

Those are just observations that I've dealt with before.

[Candybee]

Scented makes some good suggestions. I've never heated pillar wax to 200. I heat mine to 185 - 190 and am careful about stirring in FO and dyes, etc, so that I don't incorporate air into my wax. After I pour I lightly tap the side of my pillar mold to help release air bubbles.

[DelphicScorpion]

Thanks all. I didn't really mean to heat it to 200... I just looked and it was there, haha. Maybe the heat was too high.

Cooling too fast; would it help if I warmed my mold before hand in the oven?

And I may have poured too quickly. I don't even know if I could have gotten jump lines at all but I knew I didn't want them so I ended up pouring pretty quickly.

I also forgot to tap it until I poked the first relief holes so I'm going to assume that was a big part of it too.

[Scented]

I also forgot to tap it until I poked the first relief holes so I'm going to assume that was a big part of it too.

Do what? When wax solidifies you aren't going to tap anything out of place.

You can try warming your mold if you want. Maybe it is too cool in your place, but my main suggestion to you is to pay more attention to what you're doing or you're going to find yourself faced with a wax fire.

[DelphicScorpion]

I know that once it solidifies the bubbles aren't going anywhere. I knew the middle was still liquid though, so I figured I'd at least try to get some out.

It's about 70* here all the time inside, so I don't think it's too cool.

I don't think I could pay more attention if I tried. I literally didn't take my eyes off it for more than a second. The temperature just rose really quickly, which is why I think I had the heat up too high. Trust me, I'm not irrisponsible enough to leave something that flammable by itself. This may have been my first candle but I'm not ignorant about candle making.

[soy327]

I've had the temp get away from me too, it can happen very fast. You will get the hang of it. Are you using the presto?

[DelphicScorpion]

I've had the temp get away from me too, it can happen very fast. You will get the hang of it. Are you using the presto?

No, I'm using a pour pot and large sauce pan, double boiler style. Eventually if I keep liking it this much, I might have to get one. :smiley2:

[Scented]

Then think about that when posting, because it came across to me as you were incredibly negligent. Just saying.

Curious now as to what your heat source is to make it rise so quickly.

Extremes, hot or cold, can cause a lot of bubbles as well. The colder relates more to the rustic and the hotter doesn't.

Are you using a straight wax with additives?

Just a straight wax?

Or a formulated wax?

Adding anything to whatever you use? If so, what and how much?

I also consider 70 to be cool, at least here it is. You could probably get away with zapping your mold with a heat gun, but that is solely dependent on what type of mold you use.

[mparadise]

I can't offer any advice on the bubbles that hasn't already been said but I can tell you that my best purchase ever was one of those digital thermometers with a temp probe. I set it 5 degrees cooler than my goal temp and it helps audibly remind me when it hits it's temp. Usually if I stir as soon as the alarm goes off I find that I am good to go because it blends the cooler & warmer areas of the wax. Just a thought. They have them at most candle supplers as well as locally at a kitchen supply place BUT I got mine every inexpensively at Ikea ($7) if you have one near by. I have one for each of my melters as well as an extra that I use for reheating wax for repours.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80100406

[DelphicScorpion]

My heat source is my stove, a water-filled pot with my pour pot inside.

I'm using IGI pillar blend, 4625, 1lb. Just that, scent, and color. (1oz Orange Blossom, 1 dye chip)

I know that I don't really think before posting. I just get a question in my head and ask, then later I think to myself, could I sound more ignorant? :rolleyes2

[CellarDweller]

I heat my pillar wax to 195, so I wouldn't think 200 would be a problem. The biggest culprit I've determined for the little pin holes is a dirty mold. Keep in mind that 'dirty' can simply mean dust that you cannot even see. Storing molds upside down after cleaning will help with that. Congrats on your first candle BTW...I think it looks great!

[CellarDweller]

Oh, and I second the digital thermometer with alarm...works like a charm!

[Scented]

I'm going to guess at this ... aluminum mold and my suggestion

what I'd suggest would be to tilt the mold and slowly pour down the sides, gradually returning the mold to upright.

IF you see a film form, look for that shiny bubble thing (you can't miss it really, even in clear wax, though it shows up better in colored. Either poke them with a skewer or chopstick etc. or hit the bottom of your mold when you're done pouring with a heat gun (you don't need to do it very much, just till you see that film melting.) Make sure when you wick your candle that it is firmly sealed. See if that helps any. You don't want to pour too fast and you don't want to pour too slow. Just make it a steady pour, almost like pouring a glass of milk from a new gallon jug.

[grama]

What I do to keep from pouring to fast is this - I use wick pins and I pour down the wick pin and that keeps the little splatter like from happening. Does that make sense? I then tap the bottom of mold with handle part of butter knife, not to hard, don't want to take a chance on denting mold. If there are any little bubbles you can see them float up to surface.

I also use 4625 but I add 3 TBS stearic and 1 tsp vybar 103 per lb of wax. When I was getting snowflaking, not fingernailing, but little bumpy snow like flakes Cierra said to add this. Ever since no problem and that was maybe 2 yrs ago.

Edited June 11, 2010 by grama

[topofmurrayhill]

It isn't any big deal to heat paraffin to 200. To incorporate certain additives I get it up to 250.

I always pour fast and I never tap molds. None of that has anything to do with it. Certain wax blends can be prone to that sort of pitting. I've never been able to understand why.

One thing I would try is to add the fragrance at 190 maximum and pour at 180 into a mold that's just slightly warm (not hot). Can't guarantee that approach will work with your particular wax, but try some variations on pouring technique and you should hit on the solution.

[CareBear]

My heat source is my stove, a water-filled pot with my pour pot inside.

I'm using IGI pillar blend, 4625, 1lb. Just that, scent, and color. (1oz Orange Blossom, 1 dye chip)

I know that I don't really think before posting. I just get a question in my head and ask, then later I think to myself, could I sound more ignorant? :rolleyes2

if your pour pot is sitting flat on the bottom of the outer pot it is essentially direct heat. not such a good idea.

[DelphicScorpion]

Okay, thanks for all the suggestions, my second candle turned out way better. Still had a couple of bubbles, but nowhere near the amount the first one had! I poured at 180-ish and remembered to tap it... Also poured way smoother, not so fast.

On my third candle I did find out that chunk candles DO NOT like to come out of the mold. Might need to get some spray Pam? Any suggestions? I ended up having to put in in the fridge for an hour.

In the gallery section, is it just for pretty and unique candles or can I put a post with my first bunch of candles? I don't want to annoy people with my noob candles, but I think they're pretty! (I do want to at least put my chunky candle there.)

[DelphicScorpion]

if your pour pot is sitting flat on the bottom of the outer pot it is essentially direct heat. not such a good idea.

Because it heats unevenly, or why? I know it's really annoying. It starts boiling under the pot and moves it around... :\

[soy327]

Please do post it in the gallery I would love to see it.