Notes for a Newbie?

[MacMorrighan]

Hey guys, lately, because I am sick and tired of always having to buy candles in bulk should I rarely happen upon a descent color that I like; or, when I do find a descent supplier of taper, they very often cheapen their merchandise by merely selling white cores dipped in colored wax that doesn't match the colors they used to offer! So, I thought that I could make my own high-quality, unscented, colored 10" taper candles using polyurethane colonial-style candle molds using bleached beeswax.

However, I have some questions that books don't seem to address:

1.) With paraffin and soy wax, i often see not only a melting point, but a pouring point. What is the pouring point of beeswax? Also, what's the temp. at which beeswax becomes volatile...as in flammable or combustible? or, does it? I frequently hear this caution about working with paraffin.

2.) I know that square-braid wicks were developed for beeswax candles. But, what size should I purchase for a caper candle?

3.) What are your favorite resources for liquid candle dyes? I would like to use liquid dye due to greater control over the colors. However, I find it so annoying when a candle dye supply co. doesn't bother to produce a candle using that dye but, instead, merely lists a somewhat vague HTML-based color swatch on their site. What assurance is there that that color swatch accurately matches this dye in question? After all, I've seen countless colors all calling themselves "hot pink", for example.

4.) I am also looking for a wooden polyurethane taper mold holder. Does anyone else know of a source for these other than bee-keeping supply catalogs? often I have found them selling merch. from CandleWic at vastly inflated prices!!!

5.) Because i am a herbalist, i have a digital scale, and I would love to measure out some bayberry wax and blend it with some beeswax this Christmas for a special candle. And, I know that there are 16 ounces in a lb. So....I have heard that a great mix of bayberry/ beeswax is 51% : 49%. What would this look like in ounces?! ;oP

6.) Also, I am planning on turning my adventures in candle making into a book. But, my publisher is British, with a European audience. Does anyone, here, no of any candle-making supply resources from the UK/ Ireland (including Wales and Scotland), Europe, South Africa, South America, and Mexico? I have been having an almost impossible time with this, for some reason... Even using the Internet!

7.) Does anyone know the EVO candle dye company's website? Would like to contact them for research purposes, as well as other candle dye manufacturers!

8.) Also, no book seems to discuss what to do with any left over wax, especially when you only have a thin later left in the pot and need to ensure it's handled responsibly, from an environmental perspective.

Take care,

Wade@MacMorrighan.Net

PS: It's so unfortunate that there seem to be so few nice taper-mold resources for the home candle-maker!

[Scented]

To tackle some of these --

1) Beeswax and all wax is flammable. From what I can tell, 400 is the flash point of it, BUT even in encaustic painting, which uses beeswax, one needs to be cautious even in the 200 range while trying to make the actual paint and medium. While beeswax melts in the 140 range, about 144 I think, for encaustic it requires 225 for a certain crystal to even melt which is then combined with the wax.

You've probably seen some pdfs using this wax, but posting the links just the same.

http://maarec.psu.edu/pdfs/beeswax.pdf

http://www.prochemical.com/MaterialSafety/Waxes/Beeswax.pdf

2) Maybe try anywhere between a 5/0 and 2/0 square braid. I believe the 2/0 is most popular to use with beeswax.

3) Someone else who deals extensively with beeswax should probably answer this. I use a variety of colors and don't really have a preference. Others do. Sometimes I want an intense color and other times I want it to be flat or matte.

4) No, but maybe a beekeeper will help you locate something.

5) So to figure out % in a 1 lb of wax take your amount times the %. In this case, 8.16 would be 51 % of the lb.

6) Run a search on here for suppliers or international suppliers and see if that gives you anything. There are suppliers mentioned as we do have members from across the pond on here (this side of the pond being the US) ... maybe even read through this forum. Just a couple of posts below yours was this:

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90626

7) Nope.

8) You can do plenty with leftover wax. Ideas ... tarts, pellets, embellishments, pour excess into other molds until full etc.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Scented

[Scented]

Let me correct that about beeswax and when it's flammable. 468 degrees, but still say be cautious in the 200 range. I'm somewhat suspecting that the 468 range might be when it is an encaustic medium. I might offer to help you find out, but don't count on it lol. I've had two wax fires and that's two too many.

[Scented]

OK I have run into two different places that say beeswax will catch between 440 and 470 ... there should be no need in candlemaking for it to get that hot.

[MacMorrighan]

Thank you so much, Scented! Where, may I ask, did you find those references?

Take Care,

Wade

[Scented]

In regards to the beeswax, I found two references. One in a book on encaustic and another on the web ... I happened to be researching how to make the encaustic medium.

[MacMorrighan]

Fascinating!

[Scented]

And happy to report that first batch of encaustic medium is made and no fire. Whoo hoo! The dammar used in this won't melt unless at 225 degrees so I can tell you that beeswax didn't go up in flames at that heat either. Still wasn't going to push the 400-degree mark for you. Beeswax is just too expensive to do that.

Other thing is that one has to be careful not to burn the wax either, which would give off a distinctive smell. Can't say that I reached that either, but I can say damar stinks.

Edited July 5, 2010 by Scented