# Whats the point?



## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

Whats the point of:

1) topping up a candle?

2) poking relief holes into the candle? And when do you poke these holes? After a skin has formed? Then top off? 

I have sooo many questions. I tried to google my question for an answer but no no no luck. 

Some of my candles still get air bubbles. WHY??? I tap them and tap them and still holes appear. WHY??????


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## natural sense (Oct 13, 2007)

*me too*

I'm glad you brought this up. I know exactly what you mean. My candles seem to burn beautifully in the beginning and then the flame seems to jump(flicker) after the candle has been burning for awhile. When I blow it out, there is a fracture(crack across near the wick) I poke and repour as well. I poke holes when the wax is pretty firm and then repour. It is really frustrating.


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

Welcome to the art of learning to make candles.....................

Good thing is they melt, so you can do them over and over and over.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

...the "point" of the above is that beeswax shrinks as it cools. this causes voids that need to be filled. the smaller the candle, the less of an issue this is. with a small candle, like a tealight, the shrinkage usually just causes the candle to pull away from the cup as it cools. in a very big candle, there will be significant voids that form, making it necessary to cool the candle slowly, and to add wax to fill the voids.

deknow


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

As deknow says,it's easier to start out with something small like votives and get some practice. It's hard to go wrong with them, then try something else. I started by taking a one day class at Betterbee and learned a lot from that, then just started making candles. AS Bizzybee said, good thing they melt. Also, keep at it and don't get discouraged.
Chef, maybe your temp is too high when you pour. I did a few pillars at about 150 deg and they came out perfect. I would suspect the the lower the pouring temperature, the less shrinkage you'll get.

Another reason for topping off is looks. If you do one of the metal votive molds, you top off so that the wax is actually above the top of the mold. If I remember right from science class it's surface tension. This gives you a nice rounded top rather than a sunken one.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

Do you let it get to the right temp in the water bath? Or do you pull it out?


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Pour it as cool as possable and dont cool it to fast.

Last year for the Fair we were required to enter 3-2pound bocks of wax, I got some glad cheap containers and as berkshire says good thing they melt again I also found out that if I put the "snap on" lids on I had less shrinkage.

just another .02 cents you cant buy anything with


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

honeyman46408 said:


> just another .02 cents you cant buy anything with


Heck HM I saved every 2 cents you gave us. Getting ready to order a new motorized extractor with the proceeds. I might have to try the candle making thing sounds like fun


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