One of the most common problems faced by candle makers is to stop wax sinking when making candles. This can occur when you have solidified wax as part of your design pierced through with a hole from a wick. This is typically encountered when using spiral or segmented designs involving pure beeswax.
The causes are usually over-pouring or not cooling the candles quickly enough. The good news is that there are several methods one can take in order to prevent wax sinking in the future.
First and foremost, it is important to ensure the temperature of the wax does not get too high, as this can cause excessive shrinking and sinking down when poured into your molds.
When ready to pour, warm the mold up first with your hands or with warm water from a sink or bowl before adding your melted wax, and set it aside for a few minutes until it cools down enough so that it doesn’t move or ripple on its own before putting in the wick.
Once you’ve added your wick into your molten wax, few taps should be sufficient in helping distribute the heat more evenly throughout your individual sections of candle moulds if needed.
Using low-melt wax such as soy or beeswax can also discourage wax sinking during candle making, since these Waxes will burn for longer periods of time without producing any noticeable dips along its length. Additionally lowering the percentage ratio between solid paraffin and stearic acid used would help decrease melting point temperatures, resulting in less shrinkage post-cooling.
Furthermore, adding stearic acid will increase firmness which reduces pooling or signs of sinking which happens due to rapid cooling too quickly by intense changes in environment temperature near production areas such as air conditioning nearby workstations etc.
Scenting
Adding scent can contribute significantly to the overall impression of your homemade candles; however, it is important to ensure that you do not overburden the wax. Too much scent has the effect of weakening the structure and stability of the wax, causing it to be more prone to sinking.
Considerations For Choosing Your Scent
When deciding on a scent for your candle, you’ll want to consider both its strength and quantity. Naturally occurring essential oils are generally richer in odor than synthetically derived fragrances, and as such should be used in smaller doses – between 0.5% and 0.8% for most applications.
Blending up to three essential oils is possible without drastically increasing this percentage, but anything above this could result in an overly cloying fragrance. If using synthetic fragrances, stick within a 1-2% range depending on desired intensity.
Effects Of Temperature
The melting point of the wax also plays an important role in calculating how much fragrance can be added without risking sinkage or pooling/tearing around the wick while burning. Soy wax – being one of the softest types commonly used for candle making – tends to have lower melt points than paraffin or beeswax, so be sure not to overload with fragrance oils when working with soy varieties.
Other considerations include adjusting ratios according to whether your candles will burn indoors or outdoors (scented outdoor candles can withstand greater concentrations due to dissipating faster).
Maximizing Fragrance Release
If your aim is to maximize release of fragrance upon burning without risking sinkage, try introducing special additives like vybar into your wax mixture (20-30g per lb). These additives help bind aromas into suspension within molten wax itself, promoting even distribution and preventing caking or separation due tremendous heat encountered during burning process.
Make sure that any ingredients/additives are fully mixed before pouring into container moulds – either by hand or with slow speed electric mixer – then allow sufficient curing time post pouring/cooling before lighting up; sometimes up to a full day.
Molds
When it comes to making candles, choosing the right mold for optimum results is essential. There are several types of molds available to choose from and each type offers different pros and cons.
The most popular type of mold used when making candles is the pillar candle mold. Pillar candle molds come in various sizes, shapes, and colors and are typically made out of either metal or plastic. They are often open on both ends so that the bottom of the wax will be exposed when poured into them.
The advantage of this type of mold is that it offers good air circulation which will help ensure that the wax does not sink as much as it might with other types of molds. However, these molds tend to have a high failure rate due to having more air circulating around them which could allow excess fumes or debris to penetrate inside and ruin your finished product.
Container Candles: How To Do Them Appropriately
Container candles are another popular option when making candles and they tend to be easier to work with than pillar molds since they can provide better air circulation throughout the melted wax. Container candles can be made with a glass or ceramic container or even a metal tin in some situations.
It is best to use a wick sustainer disk when pouring container candles so that the wick remains upright during burning and allows for an even melt pool along its entire length instead of letting wax sink towards one side or pool at the base of the container in undesirable ways.
Additionally, you may opt for choosing pre-tabbed wicks as they provide reliable support for upright placement without needing additional components like washer disk tabs or glue dots ensuring your finished product looks professional every time.
Votive And Tealight Candles: An Alternative Option
Votive and tealight candles also make great alternatives for those wanting to avoid wax sinking altogether since both require minimal amounts of melting wax, usually just enough to fill up half of the votive or tealight cup about halfway or two thirds full depending on how much scent and essential oil has been used in producing your candle mix blend before pouring into them respectively.
Votives tend to have glass holders but you can also opt for purchasing reusable tealight cups if you would prefer not saving money while also reducing waste since neither requires any additional material like metal tins for example which would need replacing each time once extinguished after multiple burn cycles have completed their use cycle.
Color
The color of a candle can be an integral part of its overall design, and this is especially true when creating homemade candles. If the wrong type of dye or color choice is used, the wax may begin to sink – turning a beautiful craft project into a runny mess. Fortunately, there are some simple techniques that can be used to help prevent the issue from developing.
Selecting The Dye: Tips For Avoiding Issues With Sinking
When starting any candle making project, it is wise to select a quality wax specifically designed for this task. Additionally, carefully choosing the right type of dye is essential in order to avoid issues with wax sinking.
The majority of commercially available dyes are often made up of either stearic acid or spos fire retardants; all of which act as dyes and hardening agents. Using an appropriate dye will maintain the structure of the candle and keep it intact – ensuring that colour does not drift downwards.
It also helps to opt for non-polar pigments as opposed to polarity based ones; these contain no waxy substances and do not add bulk so they tend not to contribute towards sinking – rather they remain loungered on top instead.
Ways To Stop Wax From Sinking?
- Melt your wax until it reaches its melting point.
- Add the correct type of dye and stir evenly.
- Let it cool down slightly before pouring into moulds.
- Do not pour too hot nor too cold – it needs to be warm enough for the colour pigment and denser materials (stearic acid, natural resin) dissolve functionally.
- Consider adding brighteners or give more excited colours some extra protection by adding preserving active ingredients such as strong lipids into your candles.
Safety
- Always ensure that you have the correct protective gear when making candles, this would include an apron, goggle and gloves if necessary.
- Always work in a well ventilated area to ensure there is no build up of fumes that can be potentially hazardous.
- Keep any items of clothing away from the work area including hair ties and bracelets.
- Do not light the candle or leave burning near wax whilst melting it as it can ignite.
Solution One: Melt Wax Faster to Reduce Sinking
When making homemade candles there are several factors to consider, one of which is stopping wax from sinking. To reduce wax sinking when making homemade candles, one solution is to melt the wax using a higher heat setting than normal. This will reduce the time it takes for the wax to melt as it contacts with flames or other heating sources.
It is important not to overheat the wax as doing so can cause cosmetic issues to appear on the surface of your finished candle such as marks and discolouration. When monitoring temperature always use a thermometer calibrated to measure up to 240C/464F.
Solution Two: Add Paraffin Wax To Soothe Softening Points
Another technique used for preventing wax from sinking when making homemade candles is adding paraffin wax into your mixture. Paraffin wax helps bring down softening points across various types of melts used in candlemaking such as soy, palm and coconut oil based melts; thus providing more stability when the lit candle reaches room temperatures which reduces dripping and prevents premature sinking of your melted pool created around each wick.
The higher rate (usually between 5-10% ) depends on how much support you wish your pourable liquidised wax concoction has with high temperatures against unusual heats produced by fire or heaters, meaning you do not need too be heated above permitted limit settings curing the process. [^1]
[^1]: Candle Making For Fun & Profit, John Hritz (2019).
Tips & Tricks
When making candles, a common problem is that wax can sink down into the wick of the candle and cause an uneven burn. To prevent this from happening, there are several things you can do. The first step is to use a stiff wax to fill up the mold when it’s melted. Stiffer waxes will have more body and substance in them which will help maintain the shape of the candle while hardening.
When pouring, always pour slowly. Pouring too quickly can cause air bubbles to build up in the mixture and as it sets, these air bubbles will cause spaces in which the wax can sink down into. After you have poured your hot candle wax into your molds, give them a gentle shake or tap around the sides and bottom before allowing them to cool fully so that any air pockets that are present can be released.
If despite all your efforts you still find that some of your candles contain sunken areas there are two tactics you could employ to fix this issue – either remelting the candle, top-ups or adding bubble bars. The remelting process involves reheating your entire candle so that its pooling wax covers over any sunken sections.
However, this method requires careful attention and monitoring as overdoing it may cause problems whereby molten paraffin completely breaks down leaving behind no structure at all.
The second option is to melt small amounts of wax meticulously until it’s perfectly melted and then add small amounts at a time until you reach the desired size for topping up cup candles. This approach works best if dealt with one or two individual candles at once as opposed to multiple batches all at once due to differences in size or shape within those batches.
Bubble bars can also be added by pushing them into softened but not yet cooled candle Wax held firmly in place while cooling for pillar shaped or containerless Candles providing interesting texture variations depending on color choice used and also extended burning time due to improved heat transfer throughout combustion process introduced by their corrugated designs when submerged elsewhere than only center axis – clever stuff.
Welcome to my candle making blog! In this blog, I will be sharing my tips and tricks for making candles. I will also be sharing some of my favorite recipes.
