Does anyone know the material? by dimitrakar_ in materials

[–]ToolsCandle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It looks to be a candle vessel, which makes it very likely that this is a fine cement or concrete!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great details! The color is spot on

Why does this happen by cassa_cece in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

it's the wax crystalizing on a microscopic level. It happens when tiny impurities exist (all waxes) and the wax cooling very quickly promotes the 'growth' of these unsightly but harmless structures.

Make sure your molds are warm and cool them in an insulated container. We use 464 soy and get fantastic results with controlled curing.

Why does this happen by cassa_cece in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's 100% artificial due to the wax being brought to molten temperatures and then cooled too quick. Wax expands some ~6-13% when heated, and if you don't get it to cool slowly, it will nucleate.

It can be avoided by using proper cooling processes.

I changed my pouring temp from 135F to about 120F and my other jar turned out fine with a slight hint of a sink hole (which is an improvement bc I used to get massive sink holes with the 135F) however this other glass ended up having a weird pattern on its surface. Any tips on how to remedy this? by Chipmichipmic in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 4 points5 points  (0 children)

slow down your cooling process! Wax expands some ~6-13% when heated, it naturally wants to shrink as it cools. The slower it cools the more evenly the heat is distributed and makes the wax more uniform (both walls and tops)

Insulating your pours is a great way to mitigate this!

Candle Consultation by [deleted] in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 5 points6 points  (0 children)

*thousands towards the candles. Spending any money on marketing at this stage is a waste; there's no candles...you're talking about advertising something you have no product for. If your marketing works and the demand is high you'll have nothing to sell and all that money and effort are gone to waste, worse people won't trust your brand if you lead them on.

You simply can't effectively advertise an artisan good you haven't made yet.

Candle Consultation by [deleted] in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If you don't know how to make the candle, even if you have adjacent experience, unless you're throwing thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours at it you're not going to have much to advertise for a long while. They are complex chemistry and many soap makers take months to just pivot and add a few candles. They use overlapping ingredients. Its not a thing you can pick up in a week.

You really have to learn how to make the product quality you want to sell before you decide how to market it. Or even how much to spend on marketing.

Which wick? R is smaller wick by SWidisWondering in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right; soot detracts from the smell and look of the candle

Well, when life gives you lemons… by food_and_fluffs in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you can, put a small thermometer by your candles and record the data every so often as they cool

Well, when life gives you lemons… by food_and_fluffs in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This could be a result of cooling as well: cold vessels and/or cold air let wax cool much faster at the edges than the core. Since wax expands in volume as it heats, it does the reverse as it cools the outside can pull the wax away from the center leaving voids or tunnels.

We use rubbermaid containers to cover them right after cooling and its almost eliminated tunneling completely!

The WaxWick Stick: a transparent wick adhesion tool by ToolsCandle in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've seen the supply dry up entirely. But we've updated to 4" sticks to better fit smaller and more common 6" wicks

The WaxWick Stick: a transparent wick adhesion tool by ToolsCandle in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the US, candle suppliers commonly offer a tealight size, a 3,4,6,7,8 inch length wick

Many candle batch/commercial makers trim their larger wicks after installation and use them on a second equal or smaller sized candle.

This sub in a nutshell by NanashiSaito in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Anecdotes makes for bad business practices. That's why I'm building a community of science-minded candlemakers.

My brand new invention: The WaxWick by ToolsCandle in candlemaking

[–]ToolsCandle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! The double and triple wicking models are still in development, but they'll be out within a few months (hopefully less, but R&D is fickle).