Monday, October 12, 2009

The Basics Involved In Candle Making

By Kala Swart

Candle making is very varied and you can make many different kinds of candles. The different candle making techniques you use will depend on the type of candle you are making. The most important part of making candle is getting the temperature of each step correctly. The temperature of the candle mold, the room temperature and the temperature of the wax are all crucial.

The pouring temperature is critical depending on the material you are using for the candles. You can use natural waxes, paraffin, gel or other materials. They all will come with a recommended pouring temperature and this should be followed when making candles. Some waxes such as natural waxes pour better at lower temperatures while others will need higher temperatures.

The temperature of the room you are making candles is also important. If the room is very cold then you may need to heat the wax to a higher temperature and if the room is very warm then the temperature does not need to be so high. You may find that you make the exact same candles at different times of the year and they will come out differently. This can be due to the different room temperature. The humidity of the room will also play a part in this.

Mold may need to be pre-heated or chilled. Most time the mold should be preheated to remove any moisture. If you are using very hot wax then you will not need to preheat the mold as much. Preheating should be done using a heat gun or heat lamp as they produce dry heat and will not add moisture.

You can chose colors to dye your candles. You will use three different colors to create many. Red, blue and yellow are the three primary colors and different combination's of these will produce different colors. A main problem with using color is that sometimes the color is not consistent throughout the wax. The greater the amount of wax you are using the better chance for color uniformity because it is much easier to measure out the dye.

There are color blocks that can be used as dye as well as liquid dye. Liquid dyes tend to be favored as they provide more consistent color and are very easy to use. EVO makes dyes that are eco-friendly and perfect for vegetable waxes.

Pigment dyes produce a very rich and deep color for your candles but are only used when dipping candles. Powdered dyes are perfect for large batches as and are economical as you can achieve fantastic color with a small amount of powdered dye.

About the Author:

0 comments:

Post a Comment