Candle Making
This recipe is continually being updated as I try new ideas, using old candle wax, bought soy wax and any recycled containers. As I progress so too will this recipe, all leading to the creation of a beautifully fragranced candle one would be proud to light.
Supply list:
Candle wax
Candle wicks
Fragrance oil
Spatula
Double boiler
Thermometer
Wick centring tools
Containers
Centring rod (2.5mm)
Basics
Measure the wax
Before I begin the candle-making process, I have to ensure my area is clean and free from hazards otherwise Mrs WH will be taking me to one side.
Now onto the fun, how to measure how much wax I need. Filling the end receptacle with water, I measure the amount of water and round it up to the nearest 10ml. Deduct 20% from that figure and that is the number of grams you need, so they say. The reason for this is 1ml of water weighs exactly 1 gram, so they are equal, but wax is slightly less dense than water, so we deduct 20% to get the amount of wax – For example:
495ml of water in the container/mould – round up to 500ml. Deduct 20% from that figure (100) giving you 400 – so you need 400g of wax.
Melt the wax
Filling my recently acquired double boiler pot with hot water, making sure there’s enough room for the smaller pan holding the wax otherwise ill be cleaning the hob. Placing the required amount of wax into container which is then carefully placed into boiler pot. The water is then brought to the boil and the wax begins to melt.
Prepare the wick
The wick needs to be attached to the bottom of your container before you pour in the wax. I attached the wick to the bottom of the container, either by using a glue gun or adhesive wick pads, once attached place the wick centring tool over the wick and slotting wick into the designated wick centring gap to hold in place.
Add fragrance oils
When the candle wax has melted, it’s time to add fragrance oil. I have used pure essential oil and fragrance oil, starting at a low ratio as a newbie to all this “fragrance”. Various people recommend using between 6-10%, anything more and your candle may not set, I can always up ratio on my next attempt. Once wax has reached its appropriate fragrance/die temperature I added the oil and stirred the wax thoroughly for a minimum of 2 mins.
Pour the wax
Before you pour the wax into your container, let it cool for a few minutes. When the temperature on the thermometer reads appropriate poring temperature, it’s time to slowly pour the wax into selected container/mould to desired height.
Secure the wick
To prevent your wick from swaying in the melted wax, leave a centring tool in place. This is where I could do with a number of centring tools so I could continue, note add to shopping list.
Add more wax
As candle wax hardened I had an unsightly sunken top, to overcome this I simply reheat remaining wax. Once topped, it’s best to leave the candle for 24 hours. Soy wax candles generally take the least amount of time – around 5 hours to cool and solidify.
Cut the wick.
Candle wick should be less than half an inch long. If, when lit, the candle flickers or has a tall flame, trim the wick.
Pillar Candle specifics
Wax: HPM wax.
Usage: Pillar candles, Tea lights, Wax melts
Working ambient temperature: 20 - 25°C
Melting temperature: 70°C
Fragrance addition temperature: 70 - 80°C
Dye addition temperature: 70 - 80°C
Pouring temperature: 65 - 75°C
Cooling temperature: 20-25°C
Minimum curing time: 48 hours
Recommended fragrance content: 8 - 10 %
Recommended dye content: 0.1% - 0.4%
Suggested wicks: LX Series, TG Series, V Series
First I created a centring tool by using a lolly stick and drilling a 2.5mm hole in the centre. Then insert the wick rod into the wick hole in chosen mould and seal it at the base of the pillar mould with Blu Tack. Once the wax is fully melted, slowly pour it into mould, to your desired amount, this being based on mould and wick being used, I filled to about 90mm up mould, then place the wick rod through the wick rod centring tool to keep the rod centred.
Leave your wax to solidify and when it has fully set, usually after around 2.5 hours, remove the wick rod centring tool and top up your candle to fill any dip that may have formed. When the candle has fully set, around 5 hours after the initial pour, I removed the wicking rod and popped the candle out of the mould.
Thread the pre-waxed wick through the hole and push the sustainer into the base of the candle. Melting the bottom of the candle on a hot tray to give a flat and level base. Let the candle cure for 48 hours and trim the wick to 5mm before lighting it.
Container candle specifics
Wax: NATURE WAX C-3
Usage: Container candles, Tealights
Working ambient temperature: 18-22ºC
Melting temperature: 51-55ºC
Congealing temperature: 46-49ºC
Pouring temperature: 55ºC
Suggested wicks for 9cl candles: Stabilo 10-12, LA1, LB1, LC1
Suggested wicks for 20cl candles: Stabilo 14, LA2, LB2
Suggested wicks for 30cl candles: Stabilo 14-16, LA2, LB3
Recommended content for fragrance oils: 8%
Recommended content for essential oils: 7%
Recommended content for concentrated fragrance oils: 3-5
For small tins “6.35x4.2cm 25g, Capacity 2.5oz” I used 80g of wax per container. Using above formula (100ml - 20%).
Wax: ECOSYSTEM RCX MELT BLEND WAX00415
Usage: Container candles, Tealights
Working and cooling temperature: 20 - 25°C
Melting temperature: 47 - 53°C
Fragrance and dye addition temperature: 65 - 70°C
Pouring temperature: 45 - 60°C
Fragrance content: 8 - 10%