Candle Making Troubleshooting

Suggestions for Consistant Candle Making Results

All candle makers run into problems when making candles. It is very difficult to have consistent results every time because there are so many variables in making candles. Candle making is a science.

One could write a very long book on troubleshooting and still not cover everything. Many of my mistakes were corrected by carefully taking notes on what I did to see what worked. Below is a basic list of common issues and how to resolve them:

COMMON CANDLE MAKING/BURNING ISSUES

Problem: Frost marks on the side of your candle.
Solution: Raise your pouring temperature, as well as make sure you warm up your mold.'

Problem: Candle has fractures and cracks.
Solution: Pour candle in a warmer environment and allow candle to set in a warmer environment when cooling.

Problem: Pit marks and air bubbles.
Solution: Slow down your pour so you don't add in air. Make sure you clean your mold before you pour into it. Again, you might need to raise your pouring temperature.

Problem: Spots under the surface that looks like large air bubbles or clouding.
Solution: Wax might have been damaged when being prepped (over heating) or you have reheated your wax too many times. Also reusing wax could be the problem. Use fresh wax.

Problem: Unwanted mottling is occurring.
Solution: You may be adding too much fragrance oil. You can add in Vybar to eliminate mottling

Problem: Oil/dye is bleeding out of the finished candle.
Solution: Reduce the amount of fragrance oil and add Vybar.

Problem: Flame is smoking.
Solution: A few things can be contributing to this problem. Make sure candle is not near a draft. You may also have material, such as fragrance that is not burning off very well. Reduce or eliminate this material. You will also have to check on the wick that you have selected. It may be too large and down-sizing can help reduce or eliminate the smoking. Fixing this problem won't always be easy and experimenting will help.
Don't forget to take good notes when experimenting. When you solve your problem you want to be sure you remember exactly what you did.

Problem: The candle is dripping.
Solution: Again, the problem may have multiple issues. Wax additive adjustments may help and wick adjustments may be necessary. Fixing this problem won't always be easy and experimenting will help.

Problem: The candle flame is getting smaller over time or going out.
Solution: Again, the problem may have multiple issues. Wax additive adjustments may help and wick adjustments may be necessary. Most likely, you have an additive that is too hard to burn off. Dye and fragrance will be the most likely material causing this problem. Reduce or eliminate these materials. Fixing this problem won't always be easy and experimenting will help

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