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Request: Question about gel candles.
Archived on 03/19/2008
I want to make gel candles at home. Would appreciate it if anyone could let me know the ingredients that are required. Thanks, Sonu
Answers:
RE: Question about gel candles.
You can buy the gel anywhere that you get candle making supplies, such as Michaels, Ben Franklin's, etc. Just about any craft store has it in small buckets. I like to put stuff in the candles, like for Christmas, I put the bottom full of peppermint candies before pouring in the melted gel. You could do like hot wheels for kids, candies, nuts and bolts, sand and shells, just about anything to make a unique candle. They are really cool. (02/22/2001)
Be sure to never place any type of wax directly on the heat source. If it overheats, it will catch fire. This goes for Paraffin, Gel, Soy, beeswax etc.
Also, with Gel, it's important to make sure the fragrance you choose is Gel Safe. Using one that isn't, is dangerous. Gel Candles, when Made properly, are no more dangerous than any other candle, however, using the wrong type of scent -can- cause a fire. The Fragrance oil will separate from the Gel and create little "pockets" which can and often do catch fire. A good portion of the scare cases about gel candles were caused by small things like that.
Also, use common sense. If something is flammable, don't put it into the candle. Candies, and things of that nature, while adorable, are made of sugar, and sugar will catch fire. Also be sure to stay away from Starfish if you decide to use shells and make under water scenes. They absorb the mineral oil from the Gel, and to be very honest, smell like dead fish in addition to being a bit of a fire hazard.
Other than that, There are plenty of websites that offer safe gel candle techniques and supplies.
http://thecandlemakersstore.com has Fragrance, Waxes, dyes etc and will answer any questions you have
http://thecandlekitchen.com Has Project Pages with step by step instructions for quite a few things, as well as selling wax pieces, or "Embeds" for putting into your Gel Candles. Martha (The owner of the company, and site master) Will also answer any questions you may have regarding her projects, products, or general safety tips.
Kiki (03/23/2005)
Gel wax is very expensive. For the 1 qt container it is more than $8. For the 1 gal about $25. Fine if you want to make custom candles, not so good if you want to save money.
(01/24/2006)
Reply from :e_chaudhary @ yahoo.com (remove spaces)
Gel candles are easy to make. They are gaining popularity as they burn longer than wax candles and give more real effect. The hobby brings enjoyment and a chance to be proud of your creativity. With some effort and creativity, you can make beautiful 3D effect candles adding embeddings aesthetically in glass containers or any other translucent container. Decorate your home with these beautiful candles made on your own.
Materials:
Gel Wax
Candle Scents (strictly only one or two drops, otherwise it may ignite the whole surface of the gel when you light them)
Candle dyes
Wicks
Wick Base
Glass container
Embeds (as per your choice)
Method of preparation
Select the right glass or non-flammable container for your gel candle.
Stick one end of the wick by a wick base or glue in the container. Suspend the wick vertically in the container by tying it to a split cane or a toothpick.
Melt the wax in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. The gel wax may take more time for melting than paraffin wax.
Add the required color. Only liquid color is recommended for optimum effects. Water-base and paste dyes won't mix, and color blocks used for regular wax candles may make the gel cloudy. You will want to add your color and scent fairly quick because the gel will start to set rather fast.
Pour the wax into the container as if you're pouring beer - down the side to prevent bubbles. The higher the pouring temperature, the fewer bubbles. Sometimes you want bubbles for effect, in which case you should let the gel cool before pouring. Gel does not shrink so it will not require a re-pour.
Pull the wick up straight and center it.
Once candle is fully cooled down it will be ready to burn.
Layers
You can create all kinds of interesting looks by pouring different colours of gel on top of each other. Allow each layer to completely solidify before pouring next. You can make angled layers by keeping the container at an angle when it is placed for cooling.
Embeds:
One can find a craftsman's creativity in making a gel candle from the way of embedding. Take care while choosing items to embed. It is important to take care that only non-flammable items be used as decorative embeds in gel candles. Items such as seashells, glass figures or marbles, sea glass, stones, ceramic figures and wax embeds are fine in gel candles. Sand is often used in the bottom of the popular seascape gel candles. Silk flowers and foliage is also make great choices for gel embeds. If you are tempted to use a flammable items in gel candle, use a short wick which will never burn near these items.
Tweezers and cooking skewers can be used as embedding tools to place the items and to reposition the embeds. If you want your embeds to be in an exact position in the gel candle, suspend them in the container with the help of a sewing thread. Usually readymade embeds contain holes to pass the sewing thread. After the gel has finished solidifying, you can remove the strings by gently pulling on them.
Opaqueness:
If you prefer your gel candle to be more dense, add crayons instead of gel candle dye. Another method is to fold the gel repeatedly over as it cools with a butter knife. Transfer the gel to the container when it starts to become stiff to handle.
Bubbles a candle's design theme.
Bubbles are nice to look at, but not for all candles. In some pieces with embeddings where the clarity is important, bubbles become unwanted.
Bubbles are caused by three things:- The heating temperature of the gel, reactions between the gel and items in your candle and the way of pouring the gel.
To reduce bubbles:
Preheating the container for at least 10 minutes, before pouring the gel is an easy way to reduce the bubbles. Just put the container in the oven or let it boil for sometime.
Heat the gel to the highest temperature permitting at least some of the bubbles to rise to the surface and break. (when heating the gel to the highest temperature, always be careful and be attentive as just a few minutes of distraction can easily cause a grease fire)
Pre-treat the embedding items - Place the embedding items in a pan with a small amount of gel. Using a tweezer carefully remove the items, holding them over the pan until the gel solidifies.
Try to pour the gel at an angle or down the sides of the container, to minimize the bubbles
Dip the wicks in some melted gel
Stir the gel with a bubble stick
Wick
Wax coated wicks will be stiff and burn well. If you are using the candle for lighting, it is advisable to use short wick so that the embeds in the candle don't get burned. Take care to trim one forth inch of the wick each time after burning or the residue from the burning wick may ruin your candle by making a pool inside and discoloring it.
(03/02/2006)
By Ekta
RE: Question about gel candles.
For a great video on gel fake food candles go to www.candlecravings.com teaches you where also to buy supplies wholesale.never have to pay retail after watching this video....Jo (05/23/2007)
