Trouble
Shooting & Tips
Candle Trouble Shooting
When making candles the most important factor to a successful candle is...temperature!
A pouring temperature of 190 degrees F is ideal. Warming the mold first (by steam or hair dryer)
will also help. If using a water bath try warming the container that will hold the mold before
placing the full mold inside. Also very important is to keep the mold away from air flows while
cooling. Do not place where air conditioners, fans or heat sources can blow air around mold as
candle cools!
The most common problems are pits or cracks on the surface of the candle
when it is removed from the mold. Both are caused by temperature changes either during the pouring
process or the cooling process.
If during the pouring process it is usually because the mold is too cold (but too hot is not
good either). Trying holding a hair dryer on the mold to get it pretty hot before pouring your wax.
You may also be able to set/lay the assembled/ready mold alongside your melting pot, on the
steamer pot edge, to warm it up with steam...but do not allow mold to fall in water or lay in such
a way so that steam will collect on the rim of the mold and form water inside mold.
If problems occur due to the cooling process it is usually due to drafts or unwanted air flow(s).
Candle should cool in a still area (no air moving around) where the room temperature will stay
even or consistent. You may need to experiment by placing a candle to cool
in different locations to see which area causes the least problems to the finished candle.
Also, if you are not using a water bath, try that, as this can sometimes regulate the cooling process
better and eliminate problems with air flow. Caution! Do not use a hair dryer near water!!
Any of the tips above should eliminate 90% of problems but if you are having a problem not solved
by these things then please email us and we will be happy to assist further.
Equipment Tips
2) Cut an old rubberized mouse pad into 1" squares and use these to plug the wick
holes during pouring. To do this, tie wick around a small nail, then put a small washer
on the wick, then pull wick through mouse pad square (using large sewing needle if needed)
and wrap around or secure to wicking bar. Mouse pad square can be used several times by
placing it into the boiling water to soften, then rewick as mentioned.
3) Additional tools that come in handy: A scale for weighing exact amounts of wax.
Wooden skewers for poking and stirring wax. Tongs for handling hot molds. An old cake pan and
cooling rack to pour wax over. Ice cube trays to catch dripping wax or divide dye cubes
into equal parts. A hair dryer to heat molds with. A large sewing needle to run wick through
wick hole plugging material. Small metal nails and washers for pulling the wick and hole plugging
material tight against mold. An old pitcher (not the baseball kind) for creating a water bath.
Wax paper to stand candles on. Sheet of plastic for your work area. Etc...all these things and
more as well as how to use them are mentioned within the candle making pages of the web site.
