Candle Making Supplies

Two of the most important candle making supplies that you will need is a double boiler and a thermometer.

The double boiler is necessary for melting your wax in a safe and efficient way. Double boilers may be purchased or even created simply by purchasing a pouring pitcher and placing it into a pot of boiling water.

The thermometer is essential for determining when to add additives, fragrance and dyes, and to make sure that the wax is removed from the heat at the appropriate time. You certainly can use a candy thermometer if you already have one. You do not need a thermometer that has been marketed specifically for candle making.

Candle Making Supplies: Wax

The key component in any of your candle making supplies is the wax. The type of wax you choose to work with is entirely up to you. Some people will work only with paraffin wax, while others will work only with the natural waxes.

Paraffin comes in a couple of varieties. Some are soft and easy to scoop out, while others are harder and must be cut from slabs. Typically, the softer the wax, the lower its specific melting point will be.

The melting point is the term used to describe the temperature at which the wax will begin to melt. Melting points of paraffin wax range from approximately 127 degrees Fahrenheit (53 degrees Celsius) on the low end to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degrees Celsius) on the high end. The higher the melting point, the harder the wax. One of the benefits of lower melting point paraffin waxes is that the softer wax helps to retain the fragrance of the candle until it is burned. This trait makes lower melting point paraffin waxes ideal for container candles. In addition to their wonderful ability to retain scent, these low melting point waxes are extremely malleable and almost never requires the use of additives.

Medium melting point paraffin waxes are most commonly used to make votives and container candles. A medium melting point paraffin will be harder to the touch and will keep its shape better than the lower melting point paraffin waxes.

It still manages to hold a scent fairly well, but this type of wax often requires use of additives, therefore resulting in more experimentation in making your candles. The medium melting point paraffin's typically come in blocks, and can either be chipped off or cut off in chunks for use.

The higher melting point paraffin's are usually reserved for making pillars, hand-dipped tapers, molded, and shaped or carved candles. These waxes are used for making such candles because of their extreme firmness, and because these types of candles do not often require the stronger scent throw of other types of candles.

The firmness of the wax makes them ideal for molded and shaped candles because they will not cave in on themselves while cooling. High melting point paraffin waxes will almost always require the use of additives, and they do not retain fragrance as well as the softer paraffin waxes.

Candle Making Supplies: Natural Waxes

The most common form of natural wax is soy wax. As the name implies, soy wax is made from soybeans, and is an all-natural vegetable wax. Soy wax, because of its composition, burns cleaner and cooler than paraffin wax. It contains fewer toxins and carcinogens than paraffin wax, but also tends to be a little bit more expensive.

Soy wax is most often used for container candles and votives, and very often requires the addition of additives to eliminate some esthetic concerns and to increase fragrance retention and scent throw. Although soy wax offers many environmental and health benefits, it can be tricky to work with.

Another natural wax to consider when getting your candle making supplies is beeswax. While beeswax is the longest burning of any candle wax available, it is also one of the most expensive. Beeswax is most commonly used to make taper candles.

A common way that beeswax is often used is to blend it with other waxes. Because of the burn life of beeswax, many candle makers choose to experiment and develop a unique wax blend that includes beeswax, giving them the results they wish to achieve without significantly driving up costs.

Palm wax and bayberry wax are also natural waxes. Because of how they are derived, both of these waxes are considered to be vegetable waxes. Bayberry wax is derived from the berries of bayberry bushes. It is known as a very hard wax and has a natural bayberry scent. Palm wax is a wax derived from palm trees.

Both of these waxes are slightly more expensive than paraffin wax, and are most often used as additives or in blends with other types of waxes.

Candle Making Supplies: Wick

Choosing the right wick can be the ultimate difference in whether your candle is a raging success, or a not so subtle failure. Proper wicking makes all the difference when it comes to the life of the candle, how well it burns and whether or not it even stays lit.

Wicks come in one of two options, either pre-tabbed or on spools.

Pre-tabbed wicks are most often used in container candles and votives. They are stiff wicks of varying lengths with a metal base attached. The wick is connected to the tab by a longer metal piece referred to as the wick collar or neck, which also come in a variety of lengths.

The purpose of a wick tab is to stop the candle from burning once the flame on the wick reaches the metal neck of the tab. This extinguishes the flame before it can reach the bottom of the container, which can cause the container to overheat and break.

Spooled wicks are most commonly used in pillars and tapers and can either be used without tabs, or tabs can be attached by hand.

Wicks are available in a variety of materials. From cotton, to hemp, to paper, to those with metal cores, each wick offers different benefits and has certain situations in which they are best used.

The diameter of your candle will help determine what size of wick you will need to use. Typically, the larger the diameter of the candle, the larger the wick size you will need.

When making a container candle, you want to make sure that your wick is big enough to melt the wax of the candle completely across the top. You also want to prevent tunneling, which is when the wick burns a hole down the center of the candle leaving a tunnel of wax around the sides of a container. You also want to make sure that the wick is not too large which can cause the candle to burn faster than it should, causing excessive smoking or soot as well.

Candle Making Supplies: Additives

Adding any additives in your candles will almost always affect the way the dye works with your wax.

Additives will most likely have an effect on your wick size. Because additives are often used to increase the wax's melting point, you may need to adjust your wick size accordingly.

One additive you will hear frequently discussed is vybar. Vybar acts as a binding agent and is used to make wax more opaque. Vybar can also be used to reduce air bubbling and mottling effects in your candles.

Stearic acid is another popular additive. Stearic acid helps increase the scent throw of your candles by making it possible to add more fragrance oil to the wax. This additive also helps your candles achieve a smooth, even finish.

Several companies also produce what is referred to as a Universal Additive. This additive has several functions, some of which are to help in mold release, harden wax, bind oil to wax, increase opacity and lengthen candle burn time.

One additive that most candle makers will find extremely beneficial is UV Stabilizer. Candle making supplies of a UV Stabilizer is added to candles to help prevent candle fading and to improve the stability of the color. When exposed to light, some candle dyes will fade severely. In other cases, dye and fragrance oil may not react well together and over time, the color may fade.

Other candle making supplies that you may sometimes see advertised as additives are beeswax and petrolatum. Beeswax is often added to wax blends to increase the overall burn time of a candle. Petrolatum is commonly used to soften the wax and to increase the melt pool.

Candle Making Supplies: Color

The main thing to keep in mind when dying your candles is that one dye never looks the same in different waxes. Each wax binds with and reacts to dye differently, so experimentation is almost always necessary. If you have used additives to make your candles, this will also affect how the dye appears. As you begin to experiment with dye, keep in mind that it is always better to add too little than too much. You can always go back and add more if need be.

One technique you may find particularly helpful as you begin dying your candles is to keep detailed notes of the amounts of dye and color combinations as you try them. That way, if you achieve a result you are happy with, you know exactly how you achieved it. For example, if you use three drops of navy blue and one drop of purple liquid dye to make the perfect blueberry muffin colored candle, then when you go to replicate the exact same color later, you know exactly what dyes to add and in what proportion.

Liquid candle dyes are the most common type of dye used. They are highly concentrated and offer the benefit of being able to adjust the tint one drop at a time. This makes for a controlled process that can be easily duplicated.

Dye flakes are another option to consider when adding to your candle making supplies. Also highly concentrated, it is best to use a digital gram scale for precise measuring, as the size of the flakes will vary. Dye flakes produce a rich color that is resistant to fading and bleeding.

Pigment chips are another option. Chips are also less prone to fading and bleeding. However, pigments do not actually dissolve in the wax and any color particles not suspended in the wax should not be poured. This can make them a bit tricky to work with for beginners.

Powdered dye is the purest form of dye as this is what the other dyes are made from. If you choose to use a powdered dye, keep in mind that they are extremely concentrated, and a little bit goes a very long way.

Because of the highly concentrated nature of candle dyes, they will dye anything they come into contact with. It's a good idea to keep a liquid dye remover handy in case you have an accident.

There is no best dye. It is just a matter of personal preference.

Return From Candle Making Supplies To Making Homemake Candles Page

Return From Candle Making Supplies To The Home Page

© Copyright and Trademark Protected 2009-2012 girlpowercrafts.com
All Rights Reserved.

SBI!