We regularly use candles in our everyday lives. Most of us use them when the lights go off. Some of us use them for special occasions such as an all-night vigil or during a romantic dinner. Churches and other religious institutions also find them useful when it comes to religious ceremonies and rituals. These instruments of illumination have been with us for centuries. The process of manufacturing them has remained consistent throughout the centuries though numerous improvements are evident. The materials required include wax, dyes, wicks and fragrances. A boiler is also necessary for heating the wax. Here is a quick overview of candle wax manufacturing.
Melting the Wax:
Wax manufacturing is a very delicate process. You need to choose the right kind of wax for the project at hand. You also need to heat the wax to an appropriate temperature. You can use crayons or cheap wax for a project based on children such as crayons for drawing but you can only use high quality wax for purposes other than this. This is especially true when it comes to scented candles. The wax will come in huge chunks. Dump these chunks into a double boiler and then begin the heating process. Heat the chunks to about seventy-six degrees Celsius. This will gently melt the wax. Anything above eighty-five degree Celsius will cause the wax to burn. Turn off the boiler if the wax starts to smoke.
Adding Dye and Fragrance to the Wax:
This stage marks the difference between a bad candle wax and a good one. This is why you should be careful when adding dye and fragrance to the melted wax. Keep the temperature of the wax at more than seventy-six degrees Celsius but less than eighty-five degrees Celsius. Only use fragrance oils meant for candles. Wax manufacturing with impure fragrance oils can be disastrous. Do not add more than one ounce of fragrance oil for every pound of wax. Doing so would cause the candles not to burn. Finally, slowly add dyes to the wax so that the wax achieves an even colour.
Moulding the Wax:
Create the shape of the candle you desire by carefully designing the mould. Apply silicon spray to the interior surface of the mould. The spray ensures that the wax does not stick to the mould. Place a wick in the mould and secure the wick at the bottom with glue. You should also secure the same wick at the top with a stick. Pour the melted, dyed and scented wax into the mould. You will notice a space forming at the top as the wax settles down. Fill this space with more melted wax.
The Final Stage:
You should leave the candle wax in the mould. Remove it from the mould when it is cool and hard. Another pouring of wax is necessary if you want to add another colour to the wax. The second pour of wax should be ten percent hotter than the initial pour of wax. This will allow the candle to be seamless as well as burn evenly when in use. You can use a knife to remove any extra margins on the finished candle. This will mark the final step of your candle wax manufacturing process.
Melting the Wax:
Wax manufacturing is a very delicate process. You need to choose the right kind of wax for the project at hand. You also need to heat the wax to an appropriate temperature. You can use crayons or cheap wax for a project based on children such as crayons for drawing but you can only use high quality wax for purposes other than this. This is especially true when it comes to scented candles. The wax will come in huge chunks. Dump these chunks into a double boiler and then begin the heating process. Heat the chunks to about seventy-six degrees Celsius. This will gently melt the wax. Anything above eighty-five degree Celsius will cause the wax to burn. Turn off the boiler if the wax starts to smoke.
Adding Dye and Fragrance to the Wax:
This stage marks the difference between a bad candle wax and a good one. This is why you should be careful when adding dye and fragrance to the melted wax. Keep the temperature of the wax at more than seventy-six degrees Celsius but less than eighty-five degrees Celsius. Only use fragrance oils meant for candles. Wax manufacturing with impure fragrance oils can be disastrous. Do not add more than one ounce of fragrance oil for every pound of wax. Doing so would cause the candles not to burn. Finally, slowly add dyes to the wax so that the wax achieves an even colour.
Moulding the Wax:
Create the shape of the candle you desire by carefully designing the mould. Apply silicon spray to the interior surface of the mould. The spray ensures that the wax does not stick to the mould. Place a wick in the mould and secure the wick at the bottom with glue. You should also secure the same wick at the top with a stick. Pour the melted, dyed and scented wax into the mould. You will notice a space forming at the top as the wax settles down. Fill this space with more melted wax.
The Final Stage:
You should leave the candle wax in the mould. Remove it from the mould when it is cool and hard. Another pouring of wax is necessary if you want to add another colour to the wax. The second pour of wax should be ten percent hotter than the initial pour of wax. This will allow the candle to be seamless as well as burn evenly when in use. You can use a knife to remove any extra margins on the finished candle. This will mark the final step of your candle wax manufacturing process.