I thought what could be so hard; you melt some wax, stick a wick in it and dump in some dye and fragrance! Making soy candles turned out to be extremely fun and extremely challenging at the same time.
You can't just melt the wax and pour it in. While heating, the wax should be gently stirred so hot spots do not occur. You must stir in the fragrance to fully incorporate it into the wax. While waiting, you can set your wick. Ask 10 candle makers and they will use 10 different things to attach their wicks. I have tried wick stickers, glue dots, beeswax and hot glue. Choosing the right wick is the second biggest challenge I have faced as a candle maker. Every wax is different as are the fragrances and dyes you put in that wax. Each combination has an optimum wick! There are many different wick types: flat braid, braided, cotton, cotton-blend, cored, non-cored, zinc cored, paper filament and hemp. I like CD wicks and CDN wicks which are flat braided cotton, woven with a paper filament. This isn't a plug, I just really like those wicks and they work with most waxes. If the proper wick is not chosen, your candle will not burn correctly. If it is over-wicked, the candle will burn fast, the wick will smoke and/or mushroom, and your fragrance may burn off from too much heat.
Ok! Back to actually making the candle. You have attached your perfect wick and are ready to pour your wax. So what is the right time/temperature to pour? The right pouring temperature/technique will help eliminate common candle problems which include frosting, rough tops, glass adhesion, craters and cracking. I stir the wax during this process. The soy candle making equipment needed to make soy candles is very basic and you won't have to spend a fortune on supplies. First, you need something to melt the soy wax in. If you already have one, you can use it to melt your soy wax. The second piece of soy candle making equipment you need is a thermometer. A candy thermometer works best. Since the soy wax melts quickly, you will need to monitor the temperature of the melting soy wax to ensure it doesn't get too hot. Fragrance can be lost to evaporation if it takes a long time for the soy candle to cool. Third, you need a vessel to pour the melted wax into the molds. Any heat safe pourable cup will work for this.
The fourth and final soy candle making equipment necessary to make soy candles is a scale to measure the wax. Depending on the size of the soy candles you are making, you will need to know how much soy wax to use.
You can't just melt the wax and pour it in. While heating, the wax should be gently stirred so hot spots do not occur. You must stir in the fragrance to fully incorporate it into the wax. While waiting, you can set your wick. Ask 10 candle makers and they will use 10 different things to attach their wicks. I have tried wick stickers, glue dots, beeswax and hot glue. Choosing the right wick is the second biggest challenge I have faced as a candle maker. Every wax is different as are the fragrances and dyes you put in that wax. Each combination has an optimum wick! There are many different wick types: flat braid, braided, cotton, cotton-blend, cored, non-cored, zinc cored, paper filament and hemp. I like CD wicks and CDN wicks which are flat braided cotton, woven with a paper filament. This isn't a plug, I just really like those wicks and they work with most waxes. If the proper wick is not chosen, your candle will not burn correctly. If it is over-wicked, the candle will burn fast, the wick will smoke and/or mushroom, and your fragrance may burn off from too much heat.Ok! Back to actually making the candle. You have attached your perfect wick and are ready to pour your wax. So what is the right time/temperature to pour? The right pouring temperature/technique will help eliminate common candle problems which include frosting, rough tops, glass adhesion, craters and cracking. I stir the wax during this process. The soy candle making equipment needed to make soy candles is very basic and you won't have to spend a fortune on supplies. First, you need something to melt the soy wax in. If you already have one, you can use it to melt your soy wax. The second piece of soy candle making equipment you need is a thermometer. A candy thermometer works best. Since the soy wax melts quickly, you will need to monitor the temperature of the melting soy wax to ensure it doesn't get too hot. Fragrance can be lost to evaporation if it takes a long time for the soy candle to cool. Third, you need a vessel to pour the melted wax into the molds. Any heat safe pourable cup will work for this.
The fourth and final soy candle making equipment necessary to make soy candles is a scale to measure the wax. Depending on the size of the soy candles you are making, you will need to know how much soy wax to use.
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