first candle

[PsychopathicEmus]

hi everybody. so a friend and i have decided to attempt making a candle. looking through candletech.com, i'm thinking that we might try a container candle. i've got a few questions, though. (1) first thing that caught my eye was candletech's suggestion for the use of a hot glue gun... how necessary is that? the most spartan way around that i could think of was to just hold the wick straight while the wax cools and hardens. my more realistic alternative was to use epoxy to hold the base of the wick; would that work? (2) more important is this issue of safety: what could work as a wax melting pot? i only have a small pot for now, and i don't think i'm gonna find cooking pots that are gonna get much smaller than that, so i'm looking for alternatives and suggestions. i know to avoid containers that could crack under extreme heat or act as a wick, but to be honest i don't know which containers these are (i suppose this question applies to what to use for the actual container part of my container candle). my gut reaction is to get something metallic, or some heat resistant, thick glassware. (3) safety part 2! i don't have a fire extinguisher. seeing as i'm not looking to melt all that much wax, i'm thinking of just making sure i get a container that can be capped. other than that, what other fire prevention/fighting things should i keep in mind? (4) last question: would this be a difficult hobby to take up? for example, is it expensive? i looked at wax and i can see that wax is not cheap, but it may just be start up costs. i also figure these projects would be the kind that you have to finish in one go and that you can't just work on one at leisure, am i wrong? anyways, thanks for taking the time to read/answer the questions. i hope i didn't ask any with readily available answers. take care! --edit-- what do i do with excess wax? just in case i miscalculate...

Edited June 24, 2011 by PsychopathicEmus
how the heck do i make separate paragraphs?

[JanetsCandles]

You might be better off to find a starter kit, it's cheaper to start that way for a hobby and usually runs about $20 or so dollars. Most of the ones I've seen have the wax in the kit as well, so no extra cost. Many of your local craft stores should carry a kit, if not there are plenty available online.

Some basic rules of thumb that I can think of for someone brand new: Never use a pan that you plan to use later for food. The scent oils and waxes we use for candles just aren't meant to be eaten. Always remember that a wax fire is much the same as a grease fire, don't use water on it. Always use a double boiler type system when heating wax. And watch it closely. You never want the pan to go dry, the wax can overheat. Never heat it in the microwave!! I've seen old coffee cans used for wax melters, nested in a pan of water. Soup cans work too. But honestly the starter kit would be a better way to go, it has a pouring pan in it and you can use it as a double boiler insert. Never ever ever use one straight on a burner. Also never use straight wax in a pan directly on the burner. It can catch fire.

Holding the wick straight without a wick tab fixed to the bottom of the container is too time consuming and really is unpractical. Wicks will float in wax, and they move when cooling unless you have it fixed to the bottom. You can use glue dots instead of hot glue in a pinch. But make sure it's centered. Pushing it too close to one side of your container could make the glass break.

Honestly, I'd suggest doing a search online for tips for beginners, or better yet, get a book for it. We can tell you a lot here, but you might get quicker answers that way. It is a very time consuming hobby and yes it can get very expensive. I've been doing this for over 4 years and can say I've easily spent over $10K on supplies and waxes and things, but I'm also running a business at this point, so it's gone far beyond a hobby for me.