Troubleshooting Candle Making Problems
Because the art of making candles often comes down to a science, mistakes will be made and problems will come up. This article provides troubleshooting tips for the ten issues you are most likely to encounter.
Mottling
Mottling is characterized by flaky, white marks left on the candle, and is caused by a variety of factors, including too much oil in the wax, cooling too fast, or using too much mold release. While the solutions are easy, they do require some trial and error. For too much oil simply change to a higher melting point or harder wax, or use additives like Vybar and microcrystals. To prevent cooling too fast keep the candles in a slightly warmer environment, and to reduce mold release build up remember to clean your molds between each use.
Air bubbles
Air bubbles are also created by a variety of factors like cooling too fast, pouring wax into the mold too fast or at the incorrect temperature, and allowing air to escape during pouring. The solutions are also just as simple: allow longer cooling period by keeping candles in warmer environments; pour the wax slowly into the mold, ensuring you do so only at the correct temperature; and tap your mold gently to release any excess air. You can also try tilting the mold while pouring the wax, to allow air to vent out the side.
Jump lines
White frost marks, known as jump lines, are often created by adding too much stearin to the wax, chilling the mold too much prior to pouring the wax, and the wax temperature being too cool when poured. To combat these issues you should add less stearin additive, warm the molds prior to pouring, and ensuring you are pouring at the correct temperature, paying close attention to your thermometer.
Candle stuck in mold
The reasons for candles getting stuck in their molds are generally limited to the following: forgetting to use mold release, pouring the wax when it is too hot, especially for rubber or plastic molds, and your second pour, after shrinkage, being over the fill line. As simple as these explanations are, so are the solutions. Spray the inside of your molds lightly with mold release prior to pouring; pay attention to your thermometer, ensuring you check the maximum temperatures recommended for both the waxes and molds; and never pour over the original fill line when re-pouring. If your candle is still stuck, try putting it into the freezer for a few minutes, this will usually cause the wax to shrink enough for a quick release!
Not enough fragrance given off
There are a number of reasons candles don’t provide the aroma you were planning. Some of these reasons include: using cheap fragrances; not using enough fragrance; fragrances burning away before pouring; the fragrance wasn’t right for the wax; and your fragrance wasn’t able to release itself and burn into the air. To combat these issues, try using a better quality or higher concentrated fragrance; use a greater proportion of fragrance to wax; add your fragrance just before pouring your wax; ensure you are using an oil based fragrance not water or alcohol based, and remember to only use essential oils for gel candles; and use a softer or lower melting point wax that produces a larger melt pool, giving the fragrance a chance to release into the air. If these solutions aren’t working, try adding less binding additives, as these can decrease the effectiveness of fragrances.
Sink hole in candle center
Sinkholes, or craters in the center of the candles, are created by the shrinking process as was cools and contracts after being heated. This is a normal and unavoidable consequence of cooling wax, but to decrease the effect you can try warming the molds to reduce the quickness of the cooling period. Another trick is to poke small holes around the wick and then fill the holes with more wax as the candle cools. Do remember, the hotter the pouring temperature, the more shrinkage you will experience.
Cracks/pits in candle
Candle cracks are generally caused by cooling a candle too fast. To avoid this, simply cool your candle at room temperature or in a warm water bath, as cooling in a freezer will generally cause cracking. Candle pitting is characterized by small pock marks created by either using too much mold release or pouring the wax at too high a temperature. Before pouring your wax make sure you wipe out the mold, leaving just a thin film of mold release, and pay close attention to the thermometer, pouring the wax only after it has cooled appropriately.
Smoking candles
When a candle smokes during burning it generally indicates that the wick is too large, air pockets have formed within the candle, the flame is too high, or there is too much oil additive in the candle. To combat these issues try using a smaller wick size, increasing the pouring temperature, tapping the mold to release air after pouring, keep the wick trimmed to a quarter of an inch, and use less oil to reduce smoke and soot.
Flame is too large/small
The flame size is generally related to the wicks size. If the flame is too large the wick is as well, try using a smaller one next time. Conversely, if the flame is too small the wick is most likely not large enough, try going up a size.
Flame flickers and sputters
If your flame flickers and sputters, water is either trapped in the wick, possible from a water bath (if you used one), or there is water in the wax. Make sure that the wick hole in your mold is completely sealed and be careful not to let any water from your double boiler get into the wax.
