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Making Gel Candles At Home
Gel candles are made of 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin which is used to thicken the oil. You buy the resin as a powder but when it's mixed with the mineral oil it starts to solidify. When buying your supplies, you'll be offered gel wax in three different grades: high density, medium density, and low density. Low density gel is the most liquid and the easiest to melt and pour. However, it is unable to hold embeds, even very light ones such a glitter which would just amass at the bottom of the container. It can also only support a relatively low fragrance load (3% is usual). High density gel, by contrast, is ideal for more substantial embeds and can support a fragrance load of up to 7%. The main drawback with the high density gel is that due to its much higher melting point, it is much more difficult to work with as it takes longer to melt and it is harder to pour. The general steps of regular candle making, such as melting the wax and pouring it into a container to set, are the same steps you need to do in making gel candles. However, the equipment you need to use and the methods will not be quite the same. The standard equipment used to melt wax for candle making is a double boiler, but for gel wax this method of heating is not sufficient. Gel wax needs a much higher temperature to melt it and because of this some gel candle makers have turned to multi-cookers to get the gel wax melted. A multi-cooker is similar to a deep fat fryer. They are typically metal with a non-stick coating. There is a separate heating element with a temperature dial so you can make sure you get the right temperature to melt the gel wax. Instead of using two separate pots, one with boiling water and one to actually melt the wax in, the gel wax is placed directly in the multi-cooker to melt and the heat is applied directly. Although the multi-cooker comes with a temperature dial, I would highly recommend using a separate thermometer as well to make sure that the gel is melted at the right temperature. You'll also need to use something metal or hard plastic to stir the gel wax. The most important thing to remember is that because gel wax needs a fiercer heat to melt it, gel candle wax is more likely to catch fire than other types of wax. Be prepared and make sure you have a chemical fire extinguisher near by. It's also possible to add color to gel candle wax by using dyes. Liquid candle dyes are great for gel candles because they let you keep the translucency of the gel. You only need a very small amount of the dye to actually change the color of the wax and you'll find that sometimes even a drop of dye is too much. Proceed with care. You should always use dyes made especially for use in candle making. You should never use general household items like crayons, clothing dye, food coloring, or soap dyes in gel candle wax. These will not burn properly and are likely to ruin your candle making efforts. Learning how to make gel candles is fast and easy but you will need to remember that gel wax is not a proper solid and even at room temperature will be in a viscous state. This means that it is only suitable to make container candles. You will not be able to make molded candles or any type of rigid candle with gel wax. However, you will still be able to get plenty of variety in your gel candle making with the type of containers you use. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Julie Sinclair is a candle making enthusiast who enjoys helping others to get started in this amazing hobby. For more great information on how to make gel candles, visit www.candlemakingtoptips.com |
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