Container candles are any candle in a jar, crock or tin that stay in their container not to be removed. They are generally made with a lower melt point, softer wax in order to achieve a full melt pool to the edges. |
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Materials:
~ Low melt point wax
for containers (around 122-129)
*Can use either your
own recipe of regular paraffin and additives, or you can use a pre-blended
container wax like "Container Fill" or "One Pour" (also known as Single
Pour).
~ Additive of preference
(stearic, vybar, etc.)
~ Candle dye/color
~ Fragrance oil (average
use is 3%-9% or .5 to 1.5oz per pound)
~ Glass, Ceramic or
Tin container
~ Pre-tabbed container
wick in appropriate size (depends on diameter of container)
~ Pouring pot
~ Thermometer
~ Safety gear:
Gloves, safety glasses, apron
Instructions:
First, choose which melting method you will use (double boiler on stove top, or Presto Pot, turkey roaster, etc). Use proper safety guidelines and always work in a well ventilated area.
Container candles are the most popular sellers among candle lovers it seems. The trend today is very highly fragranced candles. There are several ways of making container candles, and each candlemaker seems to have their own "recipe". Here we'll cover several different recipes and methods. The best way to discover what works best for you is to experiment with different waxes and additives until you come up with a formula that looks how you want it to look, smells good and burns good.
One Pour Container Wax:
The following notes
on the use of Astor brand "One Pour" wax (type 6086/2) were submitted by
Lynda R. from her personal experiments and experience in using it.
Thanks Lynda :)
Containers would seem to be the easiest type of candle to pour.
In fact, dealing with problems in pouring transparent containers, like
wet spots (delamination from the glass), and with trying to obtain a full
melt
pool, can make them fairly difficult. The biggest complaint made about containers is wet spots. If it's any consolation, the manufacturers are working on it. They are supposedly getting close to an improved poly wax that doesn't shrink. Some candlemakers prefer to use a mixture that shrinks completely away
from the glass. However, this can create a problem if the candles are shipped.
Any warmth will cause the wax to melt to the glass, causing spots. Also,
having
Two things appear to happen to cause the spots. Shrinkage and
trapped bubbles. If you dissect a true wet spot, you will usually not find
trapped oil. The fact is that wax shrinks while cooling to a much greater
degree than
This is a method for pouring Astor 6086/2 types to reduce or eliminate wet spots. It also works on some other one-pour poly waxes and some container mixes. Heat your containers to about 110 degrees. If you are pouring an Astor type wax, this is critical. With the Astor, hot jars will cause jar hang-up (jar bathtub ring!) as the candle cools. This container temp is a hot enough to prevent jump lines. Slightly hotter containers are OK with waxes other than the Astor types. Containers can be wicked before heating with a high temp glue gun, or
with a silicone adhesive. At these low jar temps, wick stickers are usually
OK also. Or, use a drinking straw to wick just as the bottom begins
to set. I like
Take your wax up to 170*, add UV, additive, and dye. Then lower the thermostat to 140-150 degrees, your pouring temperature. Don't add scent until a short time before pouring. But, if you add scent at the last second, the scent molecules will not bond correctly to the additives. The scent needs to be stirred in well. Pour slowly into the warmed containers. Tap gently several times to release bubbles. You are pouring low, which limits shrinkage. But.. a quickly
cooling top can trap bubbles. So why not just pour hotter? Because it causes
a bigger difference between the ambient temperature where the candle will
'live', and
Here's a trick to release these bubbles. As you pour up the containers,
and the bubbles begin to rise to the top, tap gently, and lightly hit the
tops (in a fanning motion) all the way across the tops with your torch
or heat gun. This will
If you use a straw to wick, just wick as usual. If your wick is glued in, just move it to one side...heat the top, then move it to the other side and repeat. Then center and support the wick. And don't get your fingers!! (don't ask how I know). If you use a heat gun, try to create as few waves as possible. In the hot wax, you can sometimes see that bubbles are stuck to the side of the container. Zap them, too. This extra minute of having an unjelled top releases a surprising number of of bubbles. After the top sets a little I move them to a box or warm area. Cool very slowly. A turned off oven works great. By now you have made too much of a mess to cook tonight anyway. This is only one way to do it. It doesn't work well with all non-Astor one-pours. IGI says their wax will actually tunnel less with a higher pour point. If you don't want to reheat the tops, I would suggest pouring the Astor about 10* higher. Some other container waxes do best with a pour point of around 180*. All of these waxes have about a 10 degree variance from load to load.
And pour point is critical if you don't want delamination. Astor 6086/2
with a 121 MP will need a lower pour temp than 6086/2 with a 129* MP, so
your exact
Astor type one-pours need a fairly large wick. Choosing a wick size
to obtain a clean burn away from the glass with no jar drag or hang-up
is a matter of choice. Most large manufacturers of container candles are
now producing to
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Making Your Own
Blend:
UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHECK BACK FOR MORE NEW INFO & ADDITIONS SOON! |
Good luck and happy pouring!
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