How do you keep your candle from sinking?

[crazy4root]

Hello,

I am very new to candle making. Actually I just made my first one last night.

I just took some different colored cheapy taper candles and broke them up. Then I melted each one and poured them in different layers in a glass cylinder vase. It looked really pretty.

I left it to sit overnight so that it could cool and today when I came home I was really dissapointed in how it came out.

There was a deep hole in the center of the candle almost 2 inches deep. How did that happen? And how do I prevent it from happening again?

I think I fixed it by simply filling the hole with more wax but I don't want to have to do that every time I pour a candle.

Here is the candle I made. It is 8 inches tall. It's big

David

My blog: http://david34.blogspot.com

Cool Guy's Knit: http://coolguysknit.100webcustomers.com/

[Scented]

Well you can control more variables but working with a wax that you know what it is. I personally wouldn't have melted down tapers and stuck them in a container. Read through the archives and you'll learn a lot about the waxes.

As for the sinking, that's why we poke relief holes and usually do at least one repour

Also by using a wax that you know what it is, you can control what it's most likely to do by using additives. Or if you have a one pour blend or a preblend, then there's not much use for some of the additives.

Chances are you mixed a lot of different cheap waxes, poured probably too hot and got the sinking.

[crazy4root]

Well as you can see I don't know anything about wax lol.... I just thought wax was wax lol. I used the tapered candles just to practice making a few. I think I'm gonna do another one like this one, but I'll give the wax some time to cool down a bit before pouring it in the vase. I'll try poking the holes in it as well and doing a repour.

Thanks for your help and advice. Hopefully I'll be able to show a much better candle very soon. I can already see I have so much to learn.

Can you suggest a good wax I can use for container candles and can be dyed easily and takes scents well?

[Brat]

Are you using a thermometer? That's essential. I'd suggest buying a candle making kit from one of the suppliers close to you. They have everything you need to start making awesome candles, and it gives you a good idea of what you need to order when you've used up everything. It looks like your interest will lie in containers, so I'd buy a container making kit to start with. Good luck!

[Sharon in KY]

Your candle looks great, the first of many I'm sure. I did those kind of things for years before I started to research candlemaking. I thought wax was wax and a wick, what could be so different between them. OMG, wait till you start reading about wicks, talk about confusing. Since tapers are a hard wax I'm sure that is why it sunk so much. And it is my understanding with the harder waxes that you will get the sinking all the time. Read all you can and check out the soapmaking sites cause you might like that too.

[Scented]

'Tis always a learning experience

Yeah I can help you out some. What I would suggest you do is go to a supplier's site, like maybe www.peakcandle.com and take a look at the kits. There's one for container candles. This is a preblend and as I understand it, colors well. Plus you get some candlemaking tools with it! Always a plus! When I started there were Candle Magic kits and well stay away from the CM lol. But it was something that vaulted into learning more about making candles.

I don't know where you're at (state you live in), but you might check the threads at the top of all the forums. I know there's a supplier by state link up there and virtually all of the candle companies have some kits I'm fond of Peak products, so I would suggest them

OK this should take you to the supplier links:

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5492

Basically these kits come with dang near everything you'll need -- wax, FO, wick, color, jars (if you get the container kits), directions etc.

[sharyl55]

You might want to check out the info on the left of this screen. Start with Basic Instructions and work your way down the list. They will explain the basics on making a container candle and list what tools you need to safely make a candle.