|
What supplies will I need?
You don't need to spend an absolute fortune in the beginning as you probably have quite a few bits and pieces around your home already that can be used for candlemaking, but you may have to sacrifice them to the candle gods as they probably won't be fit for cooking afterwards!
You can generally pick up bits and pieces from local craft shops, but I thoroughly recommend ordering from a reputable supplier. Check the links page for candle making suppliers.
MELTING SYSTEM
There are several methods of melting wax. DO NOT use a microwave or direct heat - EVER!! To start with you can use a home made double boiler, which is essentially two saucepans one inside the other. You can also use a coffee can inside a saucepan (see the pictures below) for 'around the home' melters. If you are happy to spend a little money, you can buy a Presto Kitchen Kettle (pictured below right) for around $20 in the US, and you can get a similar version of a deep fat fryer in the UK for around £40 that has a thermostatically controlled dial, and according to reports - works brilliantly!
THERMOMETER
You will need to know what temperature your wax is at, because different pouring temperatures give different effects to the finished candle. A normal thermometer won't measure hot enough - a specialist thermometer covering the scale 38-177C (100-350F) is recommended. A candy thermometer covers the same scale. This is really an essential piece of equipment - although your candles will burn fine without the use of a thermometer it can solve a lot of troubleshooting problems with surface marks on your candles if you check the temperature of your wax before pouring into a mold.
SCALES
You will need to know how much wax and other materials you need for your project. Kitchen scales are ideal and you probably already have these in your kitchen cupboard!
LADLE
Handy to ladle the wax out of your melter. You can purchase Presto Pots with spigots (taps) already in them, or use a ladle. Again you probably have one in your kitchen drawers somewhere, but it is worth buying one JUST for wax to avoid food tasting like your last candle!! I speak from experience *grin*
MEASURING /POURING JUG
Ladle out your wax into a jug and use the jug to pour into the molds. It will be easier to control pouring into molds if you pour from a jug.
WAX!!
Whether you choose to work with paraffin, soy, gel or container wax, you can't make candles without it! You've all heard the saying "you get what you pay for" so use quality suppliers. Your candles will thank you.
WICK
There are a MULTITUDE of different wicks, and the type of candle you are making will determine which wick you will need. The wicks page explains the basic difference between the different types of wicks. If you are unsure, tell the supplier what type / size / diameter candle you intend to make and they can recommend the correct wick for you.
COLOURING / DYE
Without it you have plain white candles! By using dyes you can create a vast range of shades in your candles. DO NOT USE CRAYONS! It clogs the wick! Block dyes are the cheapest, but you can achieve a much deeper shade and measure better with liquid dyes that come in dropper bottles. To start with I would recommend blocks or chips in the basic primary colours - red, blue and yellow. You can make all the colours you need from these three and you can always invest in extra once you've got the hang of basic colour mixing. Candle dyes are available from all good suppliers.
ADDITIVES
You can buy pre-blended waxes for votives, pillars, containers etc that are literally melt and pour waxes, but to truly understand what you are using, it is worth experimenting with straight waxes and different additives, as they all affect the finish of the candle. The main two that you will need to start with are stearic acid (also known as stearin) and vybar. Stearin is a useful additive that increases the depth of the colours, reduces dripping and improves burning. It also increases the tendency of the paraffin wax to shrink, making removing candles from rigid moulds much easier. Use around 10% of stearin to your wax to start with. Vybar is a increases the opacity (creaminess) of wax, hardens it to a certain extent and helps it to burn longer. Find out more about additives.
MOLD SEAL
If you plan on making pillar candles you will need something to hold the wick in place so that the wax doesn't escape through the hole. Mould seal is similar to putty, it is re-useable, and plumbers putty or blue-tack works great!
CANDLE MOLDS
Pillar, votive and novelty shaped candles are made from moulds, and these come in all shapes and sizes. Materials used include plastic, metal, rubber, latex and glass. Metal molds are the most expensive but they are tough and sturdy and have the advantage of being suitable to heat before pouring the wax in to give a shiny finish to your candles. Novelty style candles with a lot of detail are generally made from 2 piece plastic or rubber. The shape of these enable you to make candles from odd shape that could not be removed from a rigid straight mould. The main drawback to using a rubber or latex mould is that they have a limited lifespan.
There are LOTS of things from around the house to use to make your first candles from to save a bit of money! Details on what you can use from your kitchen can be found here, and we have a wealth of links to suppliers.
Non Essential Supplies
HEAT GUN / BLOW TORCH
I've listed this under non essential, although how I existed without mine in the beginning I'll never know! They can be used to cover up a multitude of sins as far as surface imperfections are concerned, and use them to preheat metal molds before pouring wax in to keep the wax hot for as long as possible (makes the candle shiny), use it after pouring to give a shiny finish, and also use them to get rid of bubbles in gel candles. You can get heat guns from most craft shops, and blow torches from hardware stores.
WICK PINS
These are mainly used in votive molds so the wick hole is pre-centered.
WICKING NEEDLES
Useful but not essential to pierce new rubber molds to insert the wick into rubber/latex molds.
WATER BATH
Literally just a bucket of water. Put the freshly poured candle into a bucket and fill with water to help it cool quicker and to give a shiny finish. Take care that water doesn't splash inside the mold (water and wax really don't mix!!) and make sure the water level comes right up to the top of the mold. This isn't essential as candles cool quite happily at room temperature.
All these supplies are available by ordering online. Check the links page for a wealth of suppliers.
|
If you have questions about candlemaking, please join our message board & forums!!
The link below opens in a new window so that you can continue browsing here too!
CLICK HERE FOR THE CANDLEMAKING SURVIVAL FORUMS!
Everything I do for candlemakers across the internet is in my own time. If you have found the information on this website useful, please do consider making a small donation to help cover admin & running costs.
The link below is set up for a $10 PayPal donation but any kindness, no matter how large or small is appreciated!
© Dee Stapleton All rights Reserved No part of this site may be reproduced without prior consent.
|