Heat Gun Safe Surface

[trittgrl]

Hello,

I have recently begun using a heat gun to smooth out areas of my candles that have a very obvious line between any layers. I use it on both votives and gel candles.

What do you use to set your glass containers on while you use the heat gun? I have been putting my glass containers on concrete and very carefully used a heat safe glove to keep them "rotating" as I apply the heat.

I have a cake stand that rotates so I can evenly use a pastry bag with decorative icing tips. It's plastic, so unusable for candle making purposes, but it sure would be lovely if I could find something similar for my candle making.

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated!

[coconut]

I put my jars on a piece of floor tile on the counter. Have not melted the Formica yet. HTH

[Pam W]

cutting board

[crazzie]

My heat gun just went out! What is the best kind to get and where?

[Stella1952]

Crazzie, there was just a recent thread about this with MANY replies - you can find itwith a quick search.

trittgrl, I don't find using a heat gun to be that exacting. First, I use it VERY seldom because I do not like the results except for correcting VERY minor flaws and it's a big time waster, often causing as many problems as it resolves. My goal is to pour well so I don't HAVE to touch up. An Ov-Glove is not necessary 'cause nothing is gonna get that hot. The only exception to this is making container palm candles where the top is heated to smooth it. Even with those, only the rim of the container gets very warm, so it's no biggie. If you are heating up the containers to the point they cannot be handled carefully with bare hands, you are heating them too much. I do NOT heat container glass to remedy "wet spots, etc. I use a heat gun to remedy surface flaws. I keep the heat gun moving so there is no damage to surfaces under the candles and the container does not heat up.

When I apply shrink wrap to candes and soaps, I am operating on a piece of cardboard from a pizza box in my lap, unless I have a great many candles to do, then I'll work on my worktable which is covered with kraft paper. If the paper starts smelling "toasty," I let it cool off. I sure wouldn't use a heat gun on a varnished or polyurethaned furniture surface that wasn't protected... that's just common sense.

I think your method is overkill and that you may be overroasting your candles & containers. HTH : )

[burnt_fingers]

I use one of those pizza bricks. I attached some of those cork surface protectors on the underside to prevent it from sliding around and place the gun on it until it cools. To this day my wife has yet to figure out I have confiscated it. She thinks it was lost in the move.

[Stella1952]

to this day my wife has yet to figure out i have confiscated it. She thinks it was lost in the move.

gotta love it!!!!

[JanetsCandles]

We use a combination of things, but mostly use a hand made lazy susan and sometimes use a wire cooking rack for it. If I use the lazy susan, the heat gun isn't on long enough to damage the wood, also I prop the molds up off the surface of the wood with either a rack or an old jelly jar, so the wick closure stays free.

[jeanie353]

My heat gun just went out! What is the best kind to get and where?

Don't get a contractor type one. They get extremely hot. A cheapie from Home Depot or Menards would be plenty good. Walmart may carry them. They get very hot also but are manageable if care is taken. This contractor one getting me through until I get to the store is barely manageable.

I set the jars on a heat safe glass cutting board since I sometimes see flaws near the bottom I want to quickly blast.

Edited October 31, 2011 by jeanie353

[deb426]

Heck, I heat gun on a table covered with newspaper. Its only a quick shot so it doesn't really matter.

[Stella1952]

I WILL say that I am very careful about the tip and how I set it down after using - the tip gets to a zillion degrees or so... I have noticed it takes a long time for it to cool down completely, so I DO set that on a non-flammable surface... usually the floor or a piece of wood or a metal pan... depends on what's handy. I don't depend on setting it up on end because my life is infested with cats...

[coconut]

I have a Milwaukee heat gun that you can adjust the temp. Also I hang it from a hook when not using it so the tip is in contact with nothing.

[JanetsCandles]

I WILL say that I am very careful about the tip and how I set it down after using - the tip gets to a zillion degrees or so... I have noticed it takes a long time for it to cool down completely, so I DO set that on a non-flammable surface...

Yes!!!! I actually have mine that balances on a pouring pot in the back of the work bench, so it's exposed to nothing but the air and is on a stable surface.

[Jillsthings]

I use my blow dryer...hehe. :-)

[jeanie353]

Heck, I heat gun on a table covered with newspaper. Its only a quick shot so it doesn't really matter.

There must be varying levels of how hot the non-temp controlled ones get. There isn't any way I'd use either I've had near newspaper after even a quick shot. They take a few seconds to get heated up and once they do/did, even a quick shot would matter.

[Stella1952]

There must be varying levels of how hot the non-temp controlled ones get. There isn't any way I'd use either I've had near newspaper after even a quick shot. They take a few seconds to get heated up and once they do/did, even a quick shot would matter.

Must be because I bought the el cheapo one... :laugh2:

I'm with deb426 on this one - I never have any problem with newspaper. I don't allow the heat to remain in one location long enough to get roasted newsprint, which is the key to using a heat gun anyway - keep it moving.

[EricofAZ]

Good suggestions above. Just a piece of tile from Home Depot is enough. They make heat resistant counter savers for the kitchen that is nothing more than pyrex with a few glass beads underneath to keep the surface above counter with air flow underneath.

One caution on the heat gun is to make sure you go ahead and warm up the entire glass. Just soaking the top of the candle will cause the top of the glass to heat up, while the glass below the wax line remains cool. You can crack the glass by doing that. I think the key is to keep the temp at 300 and only briefly go to 600, but never above. I have cracked glass at 600 by heating the top too long and not heating the rest of the glass.

[jeanie353]

Must be because I bought the el cheapo one... :laugh2:

I'm with deb426 on this one - I never have any problem with newspaper. I don't allow the heat to remain in one location long enough to get roasted newsprint, which is the key to using a heat gun anyway - keep it moving.

I get what I can from the toolboxes. This last one I can barely hold up with one hand. It has an extra aluminum or some type silver metal shield over the nose, has two big brackets to stand on. Name says MHT. They probably used it to take shellac off wood or something. That's why I said to NOT get a contractor type....lol. Run this quickly along bottom edge of jar and it is going to light up anything flammable.

Edited November 1, 2011 by jeanie353

[Stella1952]

It has an extra aluminum or some type silver metal shield over the nose, has two big brackets to stand on

That is a heavy duty heat gun with accessories. The aluminum thing is a heat concentrator - not used for this purpose. It should be removed before using that heat gun for candles. Heat guns are used for many purposes and come in different temperature ranges. A basic 2 speed heat gun (600°F & 1000°F) is suitable for shipping purposes, candle touch-ups and probably more than you'll ever need because the higher temp is also a higher fan speed, which will blow hot wax right outta the container! You really don't need a 2 speed or something that heats to 600°F - 400°F will do the trick especially with a low-velocity blower - you'll never need the 1000°F high fan setting for candles.

Keep in mind the flash point of your wax when using high heat on a candle... This is why it's VERY IMPORTANT to keep the gun moving and not overheat the wax by concentrating the heat... This is especially important with soy wax, which is very sensitive to temperature changes, growing different crystal phases at different temps. If you melt the entire surface of the candle, you surely want to do this in steps so that the wax in that layer does not overheat, which can impact the appearance of the candle top in terms of color, frosting and consistency. TOO high of heat melting the whole top can result in a spongy top which frosts readily, rather than a shiny, satiny, rigid, level top with little frosting. It can also increase the incidence of sinkholes, bubble vent holes, cauliflowering, frosting and a wavy, grainy surface. Some folks use a heat gun to level and resurface their candles. This is too time consuming. Better pouring/cooling techniques should be employed to avoid having to do this (think about doing that to 100, 200, 500 candles - PUH-LEEZE!!!).

That's why we say to keep the heat gun moving - don't just hold it on one area to melt the wax faster! At the even the lower temp range of heat guns, this is not good for the wax, the container or the underlying surface. Don't hold the heat gun too close to the surface either - back off so you won't blow the melted wax out of the container and make a bigger mess than you were trying to repair... Best to learn how to pour a one-pour wax carefully so it doesn't require anything from a heat gun. ; )

[jeanie353]

Uh huh...Stella.. know what it is. The aluminum thing is a heat shield, is not to be removed during use, is attached with a screw and does not come with accessories. I just double checked with the Pro in the other room.

I said previously in this thread NOT to purchase a contractor heat gun, that a cheapie from Menards or Home Depot will do the trick. I have used both types over the years since 2002 when I was using soy and to the present using parasoy. Using them to zap just the top or wet spots on various parts of the jar as I do now occasionally.

I also said I keep all heat guns from newspaper or other flammable objects whether it was a cheapie or a professional. It was downplayed about the newspaper and kraft paper in general on a couple posts. Each to their own but I wouldn't be found using either a general purpose or a contractor type anywhere near newspaper or kraft paper but that is my choice....in what I feel is safe in my environment.

We have discussed to keep the heat gun moving, a quick blast, etc. which actually was used to down play the newspaper/kraft paper danger in earlier posts. I take all heat guns seriously as they will burn someone badly and could cause damage if the tip should happen to touch anything flammable or something able to melt until the hot tip cools down.

My candles at the present time are parasoy. There is no frosting and not what I use it for. I use it to zap wet spots which appear rarely anywhere on the jar including toward the bottom.

This isn't the first gun I've used. I turn out very aesthetic appealing candles by MY way of zapping them and have not yet came close to breaking a jar or melting the wax inside the container other than the wet spots when they appear because the heat gun is kept moving at all times...which is imperative with all heat guns.

Edited November 2, 2011 by jeanie353

[ksranch]

Goes back to what/how you are using it in your system. I don't do containers, so I use mine the most for for warming pour pots or molds quickly so I can clean out wax. Mine is a Pro grade - a RobertShaw that I stole from my hubby - it's great for me, but I would not recommend it for those that are looking to use it as most posts describe because it is too much.