"The En-Light-ener" February 2001
Candle Making Newsletter

We are pleased to provide you with the introductory edition of the Candlewic Newsletter. It is our hope that this newsletter provides you with some helpful hints on Candle making, alert you to our monthly specials and keep you informed of relevant information on the Candle industry. Along the way we hope to humor you, provide little "tid bits" of information on candle making and learn more about our customers.

Since we want to keep this new venture within our established candle making family, we are going to look to our creative customers to help name our newsletter. We will be offering a $100.00 credit with our company to the individual providing the most creative name for this newsletter. We will also offer $25.00 credit with our company to the runner up.

We look forward to any comments that you may have on the newsletter and features or information you may want to see in future editions. If you wish to suggest a name for the newsletter you can do so by going to [sorry, contest is over] and fill out the form. This is the only place we are publishing the address of that form. You will not find links to it on the site so click on it now!

If you know somebody who may wish to receive a copy of the newsletter please forward this copy to them so they can use the instructions at the end to join the list.

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WHIPPED WAX
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In the past several years the popularity of "whipped" wax has returned. In the early 1970's whipped waxes were used in many different candles including balls (resembled snow balls), logs, "sugarcoated candles" and pillars to create unique and different looks.

Taking a candle which has a color and applying a white whipped wax to the candle produces a very unique look as the candle burns and the colors becomes apparent.

Today the "whipped wax" has proven to be even more popular with the introduction of cake candles, pie candles and ideal applications with gels. Getting the wax to have the whipped appearance can be relatively easy. 

• It is recommended that you start with a 140/142 melt point wax (our 4144 works very well in this application go to http://www.candlewic.com/waxes.htm for pricing). Melt this wax in a small container where the temperature can be controlled easily, a crock pot or small water jacket melter will work very well. Caution Note: Any container you use should also have a secure lid which can be placed on the melter. 

• Begin melting your wax, when it reaches 160F turn off the heat, watch the wax very closely and as the wax begins to cloud whip the wax with a fork, eggbeater or mixer at a very slow speed. (Make sure you have permission to use the household mixer, using this mixer again for making cookies may be difficult.) The wax will begin to take on a "whipped look." Be careful not to agitate harshly in that it may "dry" the wax and make it brittle.
  

Caution Note: Safety Glasses should be worn when whipping the wax. Gloves should also be worn since your hands may come in direct contact with the wax.

• If the wax begins to harden on the side of the melter you should turn the heat on to melt off the wax on the sides.

• Once you have achieved the look you desire you can apply the wax with a fork, tongue depressor, spatula or gloved hand.

The use of the whipped wax is only limited by your imagination; use it to make cake candles, make your pie candles look real, put on top of beer mugs to give it that frothy look.

Please exercise all necessary precautions when using whipped wax.

For more information or to order products mentioned here, visit our website at http://www.candlewic.com

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WAX ART FUN
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Looking for the perfect birthday party idea, church activity, camping craft or just plain fun in making candles? Then wax art crystals may be the answer for all of these activities. Wax art crystals are small round beads about the size of BB's which can be used in the same fashion as sand art. The crystals allows adults and children to experience the art of candle making without having to melt the wax.

Any heat-resistant container can be used to make these candles. Once you have selected the container you can take the wax crystals and begin layering them in the container. Once you have layers you can begin to make unique designs by sliding a toothpick, pencil or straw down the sides to create streaks and waves. When the container is filled to the desired layer a waxed wick should be inserted in the center, you now have a candle ready to use. Adult supervision should always be present when lighting the candle. All standard burning precautions should be observed when using this candle.

When integrated with candle gels, the possibilities become endless. White can be used to create a snow scene, green when used on the bottom of the container can be used to look like grass and when the crystals are mixed with candle gel they can be melted creating a "streak" or "tail" to the wax. The wax crystals will be consumed in normal burning of the candles.

The final advantage of the wax crystals is that they can be melted and used to make pillars and/or votives. This pre-blended formula will produce very nice candles without having to add any colors to the wax. Important note: When the granulated wax is melted and poured the colors created will be much darker than in the granulated form. To get lighter colors, white granulated wax should be mixed to lighten the colors.

The best news of all is that Candlewic is pleased to announce our new line of "Fruitalicious" granulated wax. Beginning on February 1, 2001 we will be carrying a scented/color granulated wax in Red/Strawberry, Green/Melon, Peach/Fresh Peach, Orange/Tangerine. Throughout the year we will be expanding the fragrance offering, so make sure you check back with us. 

For more information or to order the materials mentioned here go to: http://www.candlewic.com/granulated_waxes.htm

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FAST FACTS
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According to various sources the US candle market is over 2.3 Billion dollars, not including candle accessories.

The idea to start Candlewic was started when Bill and Betty Binder where making candles in a milk carton as Cub Scout Project with one their sons.

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FAQ
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How do I reduce the air bubbles in my jars and pillars?

There are many cause of air bubbles in the candle. Some simple solutions would be to heat the container and/or pillar mold. Generally a dry heat such as a heat gun or heat lamp should be sufficient, the objective is to take the chill and/or moisture out of the container. You may also want to pour your wax at a slightly higher temperature, for safety reason it is imperative not to pour too hot (not above 205 F). You may also want to slightly increase your mico or vybar usage. Finally you may want to slow down when pouring the wax into the container, splashing of the wax should be kept to a minimum.

What is the best wax to use for containers?

A lot of variables go into selecting the proper wax for containers including but not limited to the diameter of the container you will be filling, location of your facility and intentions for using the wax for other applications. Generally the ideal wax for filling containers is one with a melt point between 121-130 F. The use of these waxes is generally divided equally with half of the manufacturers using the low end of the melt point and the other half using the higher end closer to 130F.

The 121 melting point works well because it allows you to fill larger diameter containers without having much difficulty getting a single wick to burn all the way out to the sides. However, the 121 F wax can create problems during the summer months with the wax and/or candles "hot melting" in trucks and warehouses. The 129 melt point eliminates the hot melting but in some instances on large diameter containers, with high fragrance load/dark colors may have difficulty getting a wick to burn all the way to the sides. Our conclusion is that there is nothing wrong with using either wax. You should select one that best suites your needs.

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GEL CANDLE
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The popularity of gel candles continue to increase here in the states. The ability to develop new and innovative uses with the candle gel allows this medium to grow at a staggering rate. It is important to note that candle gel has different burning properties than paraffin wax and therefore it is imperative all safety precautions are followed. These include but not limited to using fragrances with flash points higher then 170 F, proper wick selection becomes critical, selection of container used able to withstand the heat and the even the wick base is critical.

It is recommended that the neck height of the wick base be at a minimum of 6 mm but more appropriately 9 mm when making a gel candle. The neck of the clip is what holds the wick up and the higher neck/collar will assist in not allowing all of the candle gel to be consumed when it reaches the bottom of the container.

Go to http://www.candlewic.com/candle_gel.htm for more information.

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