# Votive help



## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Keep trying to get a nice looking candle and the tops always look sunken and cracked. I tried pouring cooler, warmer, topping after an hour. 
I am melting my wax at about 12 oz at a time and letting it cool to about 170 F. I pour it and wait until just the edges show gloss. I push in the wick. 
Maybe I am looking for perfection but the top just looks sunken and wavey. If I top them sometimes the wax looks like a top. If I allow it to cool the wax pulls away from the mold and I end up with a second skin around the outside between the mold and the candle. 
If I put them in the oven on cool the wicks move. 
If I use a heat gun for the top the wax develops bubbles.
I do fine with plastic molds and silicone and pans for blocks but these are kicking my butt. I have melted down some of these candles 3 times.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

You are pouring too hot for a votive. Are you pouring these into glass containers? Don't wait so long to top it off. 

Your first pour should be at where you want the candle to end up at. The second pour should not exceed that. That is why you are getting wax between the container and the candle.

Keep candles from cooling too fast to minimize shrinkage also. Cooler wax does not shrink as much. 

Flexible molds where the bottom of the mold ends up being the top of the candle really take the work out of making the candle look good.


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## ApricotApiaries (Sep 21, 2014)

Ditto on the candle flex molds. They are a little more spendthrift up front but work really well. the thick silicone is a really good insulator and slows the cooling. You can also put an empty cardboard box over your whole setup as the cool to slow things down a bit.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I picked up metal molds at the Brushy clearance section -25%. One set of molds is 6 molds on a metal base the others are in sets of 5 that I drilled holes in a wood block and made my own holders. 
I pour to just above the edge so it is actually proud of the mold (like the directions show)
As it shrinks the candle sinks down below the lip of where the metal mold flares out. I have been filling back to that edge. Am I not supposed to pour back to the top? That would make sense as to why they have a 'mushroom head'
I let my wax cool and poured some more yesterday in both molds. I placed parchment paper under the singles to keep the cookie sheet from cooling the molds and placed a paper bag over it. I really messed up as I tried to set 5 wicks at one time. After letting it cool for about 10 I cleaned up the surface with the heat gun. I covered them with a paper bag to hold the heat. 
The mold with the metal base I let the wax cool further yet. By the time I was done pouring the 6 the top was already crusted over for placing the wicks. I placed a box over this set (plastic pollen trap box fit perfect) and pulled the box after about 10 and did a clean up with the heat gun again before it set too long. I will have a better idea of how it went when I get home. 
Thanks for the help, it was pretty frustrating as I was used to the silicone molds or wax blocks. as it got closer to time to deliver my Christmas gifts I started to get anxious.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

OK, here is the final that worked quite well. I melted the wax in a double boiler (stainless wax pot in a Sauce pan). Making certain I did not exceed about 175 (to keep from coloring the wax). 
Stirred the wax as I took it off the heat until it hit under 170 (let any sediments or solids fall out)
As it hit about 160 it started to crust, I poured 5 or 6 molds (depends on the stands). I only took it to the top of the flare of the mold, not above. 
The candles were crusting pretty heavy at this point before I was able to push the wick into it but it seemed to help keep the wick centered.
Placed under a cardboard box (plastic pollen trap box) or a doubled up lunch sacks without bottom) over them and let them set about 8 minutes until the wax had set and was still white.
I pulled out the heat gun on low and melted the wax surface of the wax to make all of the wells, sinks and wick lines go away, using the fan to level low spots and work out any bubbles. 
Put the box / bag back over the top.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

minz,

I use flex molds and never have used the metal ones. I use bobby pins clamped on the wick and slid gently to the mold edge to help keep it centered while the wax cools. Of course, the flex mold holds the wick tight at the bottom while the bobby pin keeps it firm at the top. 

My understanding is that you add wick tabs and wick when the wax is starting to solidify and keeping the wick at the bottom can be tough.

I like that flex molds will rethread when the candle is removed from the mold. Rinse, repeat.

I hope someone that uses the metal molds will add their advice and methods.


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