Beginner candlemakers often face a number of problems when making shaped candles. In this blog, we want to highlight the main ones and offer their solutions.
1. Why is my candle fragile?
Many factors can affect this defect, so we want to consider this issue in more detail. We recommend paying attention to wax storage.
As you know, wax should be stored in a dry place and follow the terms of use. If the room is excessively damp, the wax may accumulate moisture, or the period of use will expire - this will undoubtedly affect the finished product. The candle will be very fragile and crumble when removed from the mold.
The second and main reason for the brittleness of the wax is the incorrect pouring temperature. You must strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions, because the melting and pouring temperature of the candles is different, depending on which wax you choose.
The third and most unlikely factor is a damaged form. Before pouring, you should inspect the mold in detail for cracks or damage. If the mold contains defects, the product may not come out and may be brittle and break when pulled out.
2. Why does the product come out of the mold badly?
TIP: Wash and dry the mold well after each use.
In order for the product to come out of the mold well, we recommend using auxiliary means, for example, silicone grease, which prevents the wax from sticking during frequent pouring.
One of the reasons for such a fairly common problem is an overcrowded form. This point applies more to novice candlemakers who do not have enough experience and may accidentally exceed the recommended level of filling the mold. To avoid this problem, you should always calculate the amount of poured wax.
The product may be difficult to remove from the mold if the wax does not have time to harden completely. It is worth leaving the mold until it hardens completely for 6-8 hours. For strength, after four hours of solidification, you can put the mold in the refrigerator.
Make sure your wax is specifically for mold candles. Sometimes we can mistakenly choose a soy wax that is only suitable for container fillings. It is very difficult to remove and leaves frosting (white spots) on the finished product. We recommend using natural beeswax, KeraSoy Pillar 4120 soy wax or EcoOlive PillarBlend for mold candles to avoid this problem.
3. Why do bubbles appear on the finished product?
It is necessary to observe the rules of cleanliness of the forms, namely wash after use and dry. Bubbles on the finished product can occur due to the ingress of dust or water in the middle of the mold, and the pace and temperature of wax pouring also play an important role. We recommend pouring the wax slowly and at the temperature specified in the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Why does the wick sink into the wax or smoke too much?
There are several reasons why the wick is flooded. The first and most common - the wick you have chosen is too small in relation to the diameter of the mold, it does not have time to heat up well, so it sinks in the melted wax.
The second reason may be dyes and aromatic oils. Some substances contained in these materials can clog the wick. To avoid this problem, it is necessary not to exaggerate the amount of addition specified in the instructions.
Strong wick smoking can occur due to too large a wick. You should always test the selected wicks in relation to your product. We also recommend cutting the wick to 0.5 mm and not placing candles in places where there is a draft to avoid this problem.
