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Candle Making List of Categories

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How can I get the color bands in layered candles to blend slightly rather than having a hard line between colors?
How do I make candles with colored flames?
I used beeswax to make standard votive candle, the wick is square braid #3. When it burn to 1/3, the flame is very small, almost stop burn. Would you please kindly let me know the reason?
I'm looking for some black light reactive dyes, but am confused as to which ones are... neon, pigment, flakes?
In using gel wax do you have to add vybar or anything else to make it burn better?
I recently purchased your votive candle kit. The instructions tell me to let wax cool to 185 degrees, but it doesn't tell me what temperature to bring the wax too before cooling. Could you please advise.
When should a metal core wick be used?
How do you make candles melt only in the middle or be dripless?
Do the different type of wicks burn at different rates?
I get air bubbles in my votive candles, how can they be avoided or removed?

How can I get the color bands in layered candles to blend slightly rather than having a hard line between colors?

This is a bit tricky to do and difficult to describe as well. It will take some practice to develop a sense of the correct timing. Allow the previous layer to cool until fairly firm, but not fully hardened. Pour the next layer hot (about 200 degrees F.). Repeat for each layer.

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How do I make candles with colored flames?

There used to be some folks promoting soaking the wick in various salts such as cupric sulfate, epsom salts, etc... to cause colored flames. We find these don't really work, and have some doubts as to how safe it is to burn some of these compounds. We know of no way to effectively get colored candle flames.

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I used beeswax to make standard votive candle, the wick is square braid #3. When it burn to 1/3, the flame is very small, almost stop burn. Would you please kindly let me know the reason?

This wick is extremely oversized for a beeswax votive candle which indicates one of two problems:
1. First and easiest to check is to try this with a wick more in line with the size of your candle such as a #1/0 or #2/0. An oversized wick will consume the entire melt pool, and eventually starve the flame of fuel. Ideally, the wick should consume wax at the same rate it melts it.
2. The second possibility is that you are using poorly filtered beeswax which still contains a lot of honey. This is most commonly seen with beeswax from local beekeepers since they often do not have the equipment to fully separate the honey from the wax. The honey will clog the wick and there is little that can be done to eliminate this other than switching to another supplier of beeswax. Note: This is not a problem with our beeswax since we get it from a large company with the proper filtering equipment.
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I'm looking for some black light reactive dyes, but am confused as to which ones are... neon, pigment, flakes?

There are no black light reactive dyes so it is necessary to use Neon Color Pigments. Since pigments can clog the wick, use the absolute minimum amount needed to obtain the desired result. Note also that the UV brightener in our whitener dye flake is also black light reactive, and provides the purplish color commonly seen on white objects under a black light.

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In using gel wax do you have to add vybar or anything else to make it burn better?

No additives are needed in gel wax and adding any will usually cloud the gel so they are not recommended.

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I recently purchased your votive candle kit. The instructions tell me to let wax cool to 185 degrees, but it doesn't tell me what temperature to bring the wax too before cooling. Could you please advise.

Basically there is no set temperature that it has to be melted to (as long as it remains under 200 degrees F. for safety reasons)and all that really matters is that the wax is fully melted. Generally the wax is heated until melted, then allowed to heat some more if it below 185 degrees F. or cool if it is over 185 degrees F. I would also like to point out that the wax does not have to be precisely 185 degrees - anything in the range of 180 to 190 degrees F. will produce good results under normal conditions.

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When should a metal core wick be used?

Generally metal core wicks are used in container candles and any mold that the wick is inserted from the top such as metal votive and floating candle molds (i.e. - molds with no wick hole).

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How do you make candles melt only in the middle or be dripless?

An extremely hard wax formula will generally only burn in the middle although that is not usually desirable. Usually a candle that burns nearly all the way across and is droipless is more desirable. Making dripless candles is somewhat complex, and not easily answered in a small space like this. To work this way, a candle should be round since odd shapes tend to burn unevenly. First it requires a sufficiently hard wax - such as 140 mp paraffin with a hardener such as Vybar 103 or stearic acid. Next, you will need to experiment to find the best size wick. Ideally, the wick will consume wax at the same speed it melts the wax. When all the components of the candle are in balance, it will burn dripless.

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Do the different type of wicks burn at different rates?

Yes, each size and style has a different burn rate. The heat generated is not that much different, however the larger the wick the more fuel it can carry to the flame.

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I get air bubbles in my votive candles, how can they be avoided or removed?

If the bubbles are on the top of the candle, then you need to make the second pour sooner. This should be done after the first pour is firm to the touch, yet before the mold cools off. If the bubbles are on the sides, then most likely your pouring temperature is too low.

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