kenmac Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Hi I'm new to candle making, but what I'd like to know is if I make a Storm lantern can I use a hot glue gun to glue the 4 sides together or can I only use wax glue.ThanksKen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Not sure what a "storm lantern" is... If you are talking about a hurricane, it is molded in one piece and the wax is poured out of the middle. No glue involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenmac Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Hi Stella thanks for the reply.Yes it's a Hurricane lantern & I know normally they are made in a mould but I'm making them from a poured out slab as we want to embed all manner of things like stained glass, marbles, shells etc & I would have a greater freedom of what, where & how I make them this way & have an old mitre box so I can cut the corners to 45 degrees but they will need gluing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 (edited) What kind of heat will you apply inside? Thing is you might be better off using some micro wax as a glue. Not sure that heat gun wax inside will even stick to wax. It may, but it will eventually yellow. Edited July 18, 2011 by Scented Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenmac Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 No real heat just tea lights & the sides are 6 inch's each one so a reasonable gap away from the flame, is that the same as Microcrystalline hard, if so how would you recommend I use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Do you have one of those little mini-torches like this: http://hand-tools.hardwarestore.com/69-407-torch-kits/bernzomatic-micro-torch-101034.aspxYou could use it to melt & "weld" the joints together. Some giant rubber bands would be cool to hold it until the joint cooled and hardened... HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 No real heat just tea lights & the sides are 6 inch's each one so a reasonable gap away from the flame, is that the same as Microcrystalline hard, if so how would you recommend I use it.Yes, it is the same, but there are differences in the different kinds of micro. I would melt it and you may have to paint it onto one slab and mash together. Keep a heat gun handy should you need to heat the sides (lightly) before meshing together. I would say get a paintbrush or popsicle stick and apply it. You may have to vice grip (so to speak) these together (find something that works) and wait for the wax to cool down and glue together so to speak. Try taking two pieces of wax and glue them together with the other type of glue you were thinking about and see if that even works. If you go either way, I'm thinking you may want to overdip both methods to help form a better seal for your finish. It won't solve all, but it may just be an extra bondage option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Another thought: What about cutting your slabs with the embeds in them, like you would with the base candle anyway, but then fitting them inside a mold of the same size, then pour into the center, let it skin off, heat gun it for a few seconds on each side to make it smooth on the edges and then skin off again and pour out? It would make the sides a touch thicker, but wouldn't that make it pretty well seamless, while still giving the embed effect? A lot more work in steps, but I've dealt with trying to glue pieces like that together. A very very messy project, and more stressful to me than it's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenmac Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 This is why I like forums what a fantastic idea & I would never have thought of that :yay: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 If you're using paraffin for your 'canes, that makes things easier. I make them with a veggie wax blend and I have to be very careful with embeds because, when the wax is heated from the inside, any structural problems show up because of the expansion of the wax.Embedding objects is an art. Simple embeds like petals, etc.are one thing, but thicker objecs present a challenge, not only n placement, but in the changes they cause in the wall of the 'cane itself. It might be helpful to you to make a couple of plain or very simple 'canes using the mold to learn a little about the process, then play with it. When I was making these, I got pretty good about being able to position the objects, but that's a practice thing. I learned how to use an ice cube wrapped in a dishcloth to apply to the outside of an area to make objects "stick" quickly in that area. Have fun and play with it. Nothing great happens quickly, so get your feet wet and try out some of your ideas. The worst thing that'll happen is something will not work out right and you'll have to melt the wax down and try again. You'll experience some frustration, but the time you invest riding the learning curve will only make things better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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