Melting Wax...what should I use?

[LittleBee]

Hello! I am brand new here, and brand new to candle making. Please excuse my very elementary question, but I am very confused. I have read lots of different things regarding the best way to melt wax. I'm not sure if I need a double boiler, roasting oven, or a Presto Pot. I read about the Presto Pot, but I am not handy enough to make a spout.

Also, how would you use a double boiler or roasting pot? I assume that with a double boiler, you would just place your pouring pitcher inside, and place the wax inside the pitcher to melt it. As for the roasting pot, I guess you would melt the wax right in the pot? How do you safely get the wax into the pouring pitcher then?

Sorry for the stupid question...I'm just confused as to what equipment I need for melting wax and would appreciate some direction and suggestions.

Thanks!

[safetysue]

Welcome to spending 101 class. Go to Walmart and buy a presto pot. It's way better than the double boiler method if you're going to make any quantity of candles. Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the temp. Melt you wax slowly - usually put mine on the high side of WARM. You wax instructions will tell you what the recommended temp is for melting and pouring.

Once my wax is melted I place the pouring pitcher on the scale, tare the scale and dip my wax from the pot and pour it into the pitcher.

I would suggest you go to a couple of candle supplier sites and read the tutorials or watch the videos if they have one.

HTH

[Jewls819]

Hello! I am brand new here, and brand new to candle making. Please excuse my very elementary question, but I am very confused. I have read lots of different things regarding the best way to melt wax. I'm not sure if I need a double boiler, roasting oven, or a Presto Pot. I read about the Presto Pot, but I am not handy enough to make a spout.

Also, how would you use a double boiler or roasting pot? I assume that with a double boiler, you would just place your pouring pitcher inside, and place the wax inside the pitcher to melt it. As for the roasting pot, I guess you would melt the wax right in the pot? How do you safely get the wax into the pouring pitcher then?

Sorry for the stupid question...I'm just confused as to what equipment I need for melting wax and would appreciate some direction and suggestions.

Thanks!

I have a presto pot without the spout and it worked good for me as long as I never put in over 3lb at a time..anything more and it was a mess to pour into the pour pots.

I now have one with a spout and it was well worth it saves me alot more time too. Here is where I got mine. http://www.candlemaking.com/store/Presto-Pot-Wax-Melter-P2358C12.aspx

HTH.

[nursenancy]

When I 1st started I used a roaster oven for melting, because I already had one. I quickly moved on from there, though. Very innefficient. I def recommend the presto pot out of those choices. You can use it without the spout, just ladle it into your pour pot. The spout just makes it that much easier.

I have Masterbuilt turkey fryers, those hold alot of wax and heat up quickly. I don't know about the newer model, though.

Edited November 6, 2010 by nursenancy

[Lorelei]

If you don't want to spend the money on the presto with the spout right now, I would suggest a flat top electric warmer (Walmart) to put your pour pot on and melt right in your pour pot if you are making smaller batches in the beginning. Don't get the coil exposed kind.

I don't know how much you are wanting to do but this I would suggest if you are just starting and want to see if you like making candles.

Once you graduate to needing more wax you will for sure invest in a presto or something larger.

Now or later...that is the question

[PAgirl89]

I have a quick question about a double boiler. Since I don't have a melting pot with a spout to use with this method, the pot I will be using for the wax should not have a teflon coating? or should it?

TIA

[crazzie]

I use my stove, with a cheap pot from Walmart for the water and my candle pouring pan. I didnt want to stick too much money in it until I see if I enjoy doing it.

[Sharon in KY]

I didnt want to stick too much money in it until I see if I enjoy doing it.

Smart, very smart. Wish I had started that way.

You don't need a spout, I have one but use one without. Even with my turkey fryer I use a type of ladle. If you can find something with out Teflon then get it. My Presto keeps flaking, wish I could remove it completely.

[LittleBee]

Thank you all for your replies!

I think I am going to purchase a Presto Pot that already has a spout, as I fully intend to make candles, no matter how long it takes me to get it right. I love burning candles in my home, and don't mind being patient while I learn how to make and perfect the art of candle making.

I do have one more question - I am not sure which kind of wax I will be using yet. Still researching and deciding. I would like to try a couple different kinds of wax, but will I be able to use only one Presto Pot to do this? Or do I need to melt different kinds of wax in separate Presto Pots? Purchasing one Presto Pot right now is not a big deal, but I can't afford several. Is there a way to properly clean the Presto Pot in between each use, so that I can use different kinds of wax each time?

Thanks again for your help! I appreciate it!

[soy327]

I have 2 presto's (my husband installed the spigot) 1 for palm wax and 1 for soy wax. For cleaning I use hot water and dish soap turn it on stir it around and drain. I usually just wipe it out with a paper towel and use a pipe cleaner for the spigot. I don't wash it out after every use just wipe it with a paper towel.

[LittleBee]

Thanks for your reply! So you do think it is necessary to have separate Presto Pots to melt different kinds of wax? You really can't use the same one?

[soy327]

Yes, I have 1 for palm and 1 for soy. If I make container palm (GG) and want to make pillar palm (starburst) I clean it out. Same with soy in my other pot. I don't put palm in the soy pot or soy in the palm one. If you are only using soy you only need 1 pot.

[Sharon in KY]

No, one will be enough for now. I just wipe my presto while a little warm with paper towels and there isn't enough wax left to matter. Now later on if you decide to use two completely different waxes, then yes Buy another. That way you don't have to keep it empty of any wax when you do make a candle. I never mix color or scent in the presto pot. It's only for melting wax.

[EricofAZ]

I started with a pot on a stove. Then read about how I was so luck I didn't blow myself up so I put the pot inside a larger pot with boiling water. It was better. I didn't burn the wax and it heated up reasonably fast.

Then I bought a thinner / taller pot with a pour lip and boiled that in water. That worked fine for a long time.

Then a presto. Oh, I like the presto. I rarely use the pour spout though. I ladel the wax out and into my containers or molds. Sometimes I use the pour spout when I have a lot of wax in it (like more than a pound). Ultimately, I have to tip it up to get the last bit out of the spout and its so clumsy that I just find it easier to unplug it and tip it to pour out of the top into the containers for that last second (or third) pour.

So if you don't get the pour spout, just a ladel is fine. Plastic so you can let it dry and break up the dried wax for your fire starters.

Next purchase will be an industrial melter, but I can make a lot of candles with a presto so that won't be any time soon.

I heat my wax on the middle of the word WARM and go to the low side of the word just before it all melts. When I finish adding the dye and additives and scent, I turn it down very low and let it cool while I stir (a good minute or more to stir). I pour at about 160 for just about all waxes, sometimes higher. I never found a problem pouring higher.

I bought an infrared thermometer gun on ebay for $14 bucks and that works just fine.

It just occurred to me, there are three ways to spell pour. So be careful. Even if you are poor, and can't afford the fancy stuff, don't get sloppy pour the wax into any skin pore.

Edited November 7, 2010 by EricofAZ

[asheebeans]

One presto pot is plenty. I color my wax in the Presto, but then add scent when the wax goes into the pouring pot. A quick wipe with some paper towels and I am good to go for my next batch. I can go right from Joywax to Palm with no problems. I hit the pouring pot with the heat and then wipe the wax out of that as well. A pouring pot is a good investment. I got mine at Michael's with a 40% off coupon. Worth it's weight in gold!

[simplybeelightful]

I would recommend beeswax, of course, but you are probably going to make container candles so, there goes that.

I started out with a roaster, went to two roasters so I could have yellow beeswax in one and white in the other. Always colored and scented my wax in the pouring pot.

Then I went to a home made wax melter for the yellow wax (it held about 50 lbs of wax). Now I have a wax table and I love it. It is stainless steel, water jacketed, and holds a large vat for white wax, a large vat for yellow wax, and six smaller vats for colors.

Also have a seven vat dipping tank but haven't had time try it yet.

[jaxxcandles]

Wow, Simplybeelightful! Do you have any pictures of the wax table to share?? I would love to see it!

[simplybeelightful]

Wow, Simplybeelightful! Do you have any pictures of the wax table to share?? I would love to see it!

I don't think I do. Sorry. I will try to get one to post.

[WildBluebonnet]

I bought an infrared thermometer gun on ebay for $14 bucks and that works just fine.

I was looking into getting one of those but after reading many reviews there was a concern that the gun only registers surface temperatures and not the internal temp of the wax.

Have you found that to be an issue? If not that would be one nifty device.

[kdorfman]

What type of wax are you using? I found that the Presto pot is the most suitable way melt the wax.

[rekhasein]

I see that you didn’t filter out the raw beeswax -what’s your take on that? That would be a HUGE time saver if I didn’t have to cheese-cloth it, etc.

Honeymoon packages india | south indian food in delhi

[Alajane]

I was looking into getting one of those but after reading many reviews there was a concern that the gun only registers surface temperatures and not the internal temp of the wax.

Have you found that to be an issue? If not that would be one nifty device.

I think it's correct about registering surface temperature--I use mine with every batch because I let my wax cool in the pour pot before pouring. If I "shoot" the surface of the wax I get a lower reading than I do while stirring it; I think taking the temperature while stirring the wax gives a pretty accurate reading. But if I leave the gun pointed at the wax after I stop stirring, the reading starts dropping immediately. Actually pretty interesting!

Jane

[chuck_35550]

I'm sure you're reading lots of posts and feeling kind of overwhelmed by the complexity of chandlering. I started with a votive kit from Cajun Candles. They sent me the fragrance oils I picked out and sent me enough wax and so forth to begin making simple votives. Most people have a glass coffee carafe that sits in a cabinet and those are great pour pots and or just as well to melt wax and mix fragrance and color. Buy a postal scale at Wally World and learn how to tare your pour pot and weigh your wax and your fragrance oil. Buy an oven thermometer with the long silver cord and the probe at the end and you are ready to start testing. I use 70/30 parablend (soy/paraffing) from Tennessee Candle Supply. There is a list of suppliers at the top of the Fragrance section for you to click on and if you have a supplier nearby; go over and talk to the supplier for advice. HTH.

Steve