blakesmom Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Despite posting a few times in recent months, I realized I never actually introduced myself so if y'all will please forgive me....I have been making candles and tarts for several years now but only recently started selling. Nothing big or fancy, just large and small mason jar candles and wax tarts, but my customers seem to love them. That makes me happy! I am a single mom and full-time college student (psychology) who loves making candles and producing a great product for friends and family. I absolutely love this board and would like to thank all of you for providing me with much of the information I have needed during my candle making experience. I do have one quick question....no matter what I do, I always have sink holes after my candles cool (after trying different things, to no avail, I have learned to accept my sink holes as part of my candle making process). So...in order to get rid of them, I have always saved a little wax from the original pour and once the candle completely cools, I remelt the leftover wax and top off the candle for a nice smooth finish. However, if I am pouring several different fragrances, it is sometimes a pain in my behind. I thought about trying a heat gun. My question is....when you use the heat gun to melt the top layer to fill in the sink hole, the wax on the wick melts too. Is that normal and is it okay? And should I use the heat gun on a low setting and melt the wax slowly or use the high setting and melt it a little quicker??Any help would be greatly appreciated.....and I look forward to being a part of this forum!!! Y'all have a wonderful day :wave: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Melting the wax on the wick is pretty common in my experience. As for a quick, hot heat vs. a slower, cooler heat, you're likely better off with the slower heat. It does take a little longer but when you melt the wax the FO comes into play, if you heat the wax too hot, you can burn off your FO so I would use the 'slow and steady' approach to help preserve your FO for your customers to enjoy. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricofAZ Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I use raw wicks off a spool and wax them with the melted wax that I make for the candle. It still melts with a gun, but I suspect it keeps the saturation.I bought a cheap heatgun and regret it. I was going to buy an aviation style heat gun that I used to use years ago in fabric aircraft refinishing and I'm going to get one forthwith.The heat gun I bought for cheap had two settings and high blower speeds. The high blower speeds just spew liquid wax. Cupping my hands on the intake just makes it harder to use and it still spews.Too light on temp and it takes forever to get the job done. Too hot and the wick smokes and the glass superheats on the top and remains cool where the solid wax is resulting in a crack and separation of the glass at the wax line. Yup, gonna buy a gun that lets me very temp and fan speed manually. Sometimes there is no way to make a good top without a good heat gun. If there is a way to pour where you don't need to heat the top, great, but when you do, don't skimp on equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakesmom Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 I am really glad you told me this because I have been looking at buying one of the really cheap heat guns, just haven't had a chance yet. Sure glad I didn't! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricofAZ Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 If it is light duty, you can use a hair dryer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 You can learn to heat gun the candle top to smooth it out without melting the wax treatment on your wick. It just takes some practice. I aim my heat towards the side of the jar away from the wick. When I start to see the wax melting on the side of the candle top I start to slowly turn the jar around and melt the whole top that way.I would advise against using a hair dryer as they blow air much harder than a heat gun. Once the wax starts to melt it can be blown right out of the candle. Unless you like melted wax being blown around on you or making a mess don't use the hair dryer. Invest in a good heat gun at your local craft store or hardware store.I bought myself a $25 Wagner brand heat gun at Ace Hardware with 2 heat settings. Its over 5 yrs old and still working great. I use it for much more than heating candle tops. They are so versatile they are worth investing in a good one that will last you for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakesmom Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 Thanks Candybee, I will give that a try. And you're right, I have tried the hair dryer when I needed to just lightly smooth out some ripples, but it did not work in my attempt to fix a sinkhole. What a mess!! I ended up with little splatters of wax on my glasses, not to mention everywhere else. Yikes! I just might head on over to Ace Hardware this weekend and get myself a decent heat gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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