GETTING STARTED
This section describes all the basic techniques you will need for candle making, and also lets you in on the tricks of the trade. Each project in the section that follows not only has a creative idea for you to learn, but also teaches you a basic candle making or decoration technique. If you complete all the projects, you will become an extremely proficient candle maker.
Simply start by reading through this section thoroughly as it describes all the materials and equipment you will need and explains the basic techniques.
Equipment
You will need the following basic equipment. You may already have some of it in your kitchen cupboards.
A double saucepan or metal bowl placed over a saucepan of water. If you heat wax directly over the gas or electric ring on your stove, there is a chance it may overheat. This can happen surprising quickly and the wax will then cathc fire
A wax thermometer (you can also use a sugar thermometer)
A lipped pouring jug
A metal ladle
Kitchen scales - if you are using powdered wax and stearin you can judge the proportion by volume. However, if you are using slab wax you will need to calculate the proportion of wax to stearin by weight
A wicking needle - a huge darning needle that enables you to thread fairly thick wick through small holes in the ends of moulds
Wick supports - cocktail or kebab sticks make excellent wick supports
Mould seal - used to seal the base of moulds so the wax does not seep through. You can also use Plasticine
Moulds or containers
The following equipment is not required for all the projects that follow, but will probably come in useful.
Baking trays - several of the projects use baking trays. Using a deep baking tray to place your prepared mould on ensures that if it leaks the wax wil not go everywhere
Oven gloves - although was at 82 degrees c (180 degress F) is not hot enough to hurt you, it can be more comfortable to use gloves when pouring wax
Craft knife or scalpel - used in several of the projects which follow
MATERIALS
PARAFFIN WAX
Most candles are made from paraffin wax with and additional 10 percent stearin. Paraffin wax is a by-product of petrol-not as horrid as it sounds when you consider that petrol comes from very old trees!
The wax you buy from suppliers of candle making equipment will already be blended for candle making, and you can buy the stearin either already mixed with the wax or separate.
This type of wax usually melts at about 71 degrees c (160 degrees F). It comes in a variety of forms, either in large 5 kg (11 1b) slabs, or in pellets or powder. The pellets or powder are simpler to use as they are easier to weigh accurately. Buying slabs of wax is generally cheaper, but they have to be broken up first. The easiest way to break a slab of wax is to put it into a large plastic rubbish bag and drop it onto a hard floor.
It is possible to make candles just from paraffin wax. Hand-dipped candles, moulded candles or candles made in rubber moulds do not require stearin. However, do not use paraffin wax on its own with any type of rigid mould (i.e. moulds made of plastic, metal or glass) as they will be very difficult to get out of the mould. Candles made with paraffin wax without stearin burn slightly quicker,
but they also have a translucent appearance and glow very brightly.
ADDITIVES FOR PARAFFIN WAX
STEARIN
Now made from palm nuts, stearin or stearic acid was once obtained from whales, but thankfully animals are no longer used in its production. It has four basic uses and qualities:
- It makes candles easier to get out of the mould - candles contract more when they cool when stearin has been added to the wax.
- Most dyes dissolve more thoroughly in stearin.
- It makes the candle burn longer.
- It makes the candle more opaque, and white candles much whiter.
MICRO SOFT
This is a very soft wax that makes the wax stay soft long enough to mould it. You usually add 10-20 percent to a quantity of paraffin wax. It is used when you need to keep the wax pliable whilst you mould it (see the floating flower project)
MICRO HARD
Micro hard wax has a highest melting point than paraffin wax. It can be used in chip candles, so ensure that the coloured chips you put into the mould do not melt when the wax is poured over them. It can also be used when embedding wax shapes into the sides of a mould (see the landscape candle in the layered candle project )
CRYSTAL WAX
This is an over-dipping wax which crystallizes as it cools. See the text on achieving different results on shortly.
OTHER CANDLE MAKING WAXES
BEES WAX
A wonderful wax which is expensive - but well worth the money. It is available either in blocks or sheets. Blocks are used for melting down. The natural colour of block beeswax is a rich honey brown, but it is also available in bleached form which is better for dyeing.
The beeswax sheets can be rolled up to form candles. Beeswax, although long burning, has a very soft consistency and this makes it ideal for rolling. Beeswax sheets are available in a wonderful range of colours.
BAYBERRY WAX
Made from bayberries as its name suggests, this wax is almost impossible to obtain in Europe, but it is available in America where it is traditionally used for Christmas candles.
DIP AND CARVE WAX
This is a specially prepared blend of wax for making dip and carve candles. It is much more malleable than paraffin wax and will not crack or splinter when carved.
APPLIQUE WAXES
This soft wax is formed into flat sheets which can be pressed onto a candle's surface, adhering firmly without glue. It is also available in different colours, shapes and numbers.
WICKS
Wicks are the most important part of any candle because it is the size of the wick which determines how the candle will burn. Wicks are made from plaited cotton which has been treated with boric acid.
It took hundreds of years to perfect wick making and ironically the final improvements came at about the same time as the introduction of electricity. Modern wicks are designed so that they curl over slightly at their tip at the candle burns. This means that the carbon burns off and cannot build up. Before this improvement, carbon would build up, creating smoke, or would fall off, which could be dangerous and a fire risk. Never use string or any other kind of twine for your candles - it really is essential only to use candle wick.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE OF CANDLE WICK
Candle wick is made from three braided strands. Each strand contains several smaller strands of cotton. Wick sold to amateur candle makers is generally classified by the diameter of the wax the flame will melt as it burns. Therefore, a 5 cm (2 in) candle requires a 5 cm (2 in) diameter wick which will burn with a pool of wax reaching just to the outside of the candle. Similarly, a candle with a diameter of 2.5 cm (1 in) will need a 2.5 cm (1 in) wick.
Professional candle makers classify a wick by the number of strands it contains, for instance a 3/24 wick contains three strands, each made up of 24 smaller strands. It is useful to know this so that you can also count the number of strands if you should lose the wick labels.
This is a very soft wax that makes the wax stay soft long enough to mould it. You usually add 10-20 percent to a quantity of paraffin wax. It is used when you need to keep the wax pliable whilst you mould it (see the floating flower project)
MICRO HARD
Micro hard wax has a highest melting point than paraffin wax. It can be used in chip candles, so ensure that the coloured chips you put into the mould do not melt when the wax is poured over them. It can also be used when embedding wax shapes into the sides of a mould (see the landscape candle in the layered candle project )
CRYSTAL WAX
This is an over-dipping wax which crystallizes as it cools. See the text on achieving different results on shortly.
OTHER CANDLE MAKING WAXES
BEES WAX
A wonderful wax which is expensive - but well worth the money. It is available either in blocks or sheets. Blocks are used for melting down. The natural colour of block beeswax is a rich honey brown, but it is also available in bleached form which is better for dyeing.
The beeswax sheets can be rolled up to form candles. Beeswax, although long burning, has a very soft consistency and this makes it ideal for rolling. Beeswax sheets are available in a wonderful range of colours.
BAYBERRY WAX
Made from bayberries as its name suggests, this wax is almost impossible to obtain in Europe, but it is available in America where it is traditionally used for Christmas candles.
DIP AND CARVE WAX
This is a specially prepared blend of wax for making dip and carve candles. It is much more malleable than paraffin wax and will not crack or splinter when carved.
APPLIQUE WAXES
This soft wax is formed into flat sheets which can be pressed onto a candle's surface, adhering firmly without glue. It is also available in different colours, shapes and numbers.
WICKS
Wicks are the most important part of any candle because it is the size of the wick which determines how the candle will burn. Wicks are made from plaited cotton which has been treated with boric acid.
It took hundreds of years to perfect wick making and ironically the final improvements came at about the same time as the introduction of electricity. Modern wicks are designed so that they curl over slightly at their tip at the candle burns. This means that the carbon burns off and cannot build up. Before this improvement, carbon would build up, creating smoke, or would fall off, which could be dangerous and a fire risk. Never use string or any other kind of twine for your candles - it really is essential only to use candle wick.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE OF CANDLE WICK
Candle wick is made from three braided strands. Each strand contains several smaller strands of cotton. Wick sold to amateur candle makers is generally classified by the diameter of the wax the flame will melt as it burns. Therefore, a 5 cm (2 in) candle requires a 5 cm (2 in) diameter wick which will burn with a pool of wax reaching just to the outside of the candle. Similarly, a candle with a diameter of 2.5 cm (1 in) will need a 2.5 cm (1 in) wick.
Professional candle makers classify a wick by the number of strands it contains, for instance a 3/24 wick contains three strands, each made up of 24 smaller strands. It is useful to know this so that you can also count the number of strands if you should lose the wick labels.
- For dinner candles, use a wick that approximate as closely as possible the diameter of the candle you are making - usually 1.25 cm (1/2 in) or 2.5 cm (1 in).
- For church and block candles, the wick should be suitable for the diameter of the candle.
- For cone or pyramid shaped candles, it is best to opt for a wick size which is suitable for a diameter of about half the width of the candle base. These shaped candles cannot burn perfectly all the way down, but using a wick of this size ensures the candle will burn correctly at first and then leave a shell as it reaches the bottom.
- For floating candles, use the correct wick for the diameter of the candle, or use a wick attached to a wick sustainer. Make sure the wick is primed so that it will not draw up water from the base while floating.
- For refillable candles, choose a wick much smaller than the diameter of the candle so that it burns down in the middle. You can then refill the candle with a nightlight or powdered wax. A 2.5 cm (1 in) wick is usually adequate for a refillable candle.
- For container candles, use a smaller wick than you would use for a free-standing candle. You can buy wax-covered wicks already attached to small metal sustainers which are easy to use.
No comments:
Post a Comment