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Problem
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Possible Causes
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What To Do
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Candle is smoking
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High oil content, your wick is too large, your candle may have air pockets
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Decrease your amount of fragrance oil, try a smaller wick size, pour your candles at a hotter temp
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Candle is dripping excessively
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Wick is too small and cannot absorb the amount of wax melted, therefore melted wax overflows; Candle in draft and melted wax is “blown” over edge;
Wax is soft (or has a low melting point) will melt too rapidly for the wick to absorb it and will overflow
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Enlarge size of wick; Keep away from drafts; Add stearic acid to wax
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Candle is splattering
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Air in cavities left in candle expands due to heat of flame. It is causing the flame to burst forth bring bits of molten wax with it.
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Pierce all around the wick. Fill cavity more than once if necessary.
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Candle is burning rapidly
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Excess air in the fuel. Candle is cooled too rapidly will cause the wick flame to burn higher and faster.
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Slow down cooling process; use higher melting point wax; add stearic acid; pour more slowly
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Candle is not Throwing enough scent
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You have not used enough fragrance, you have added too much vybar, you left your wax on your heat source for too long allowing the fragrance to evaporate, you are using a wax that is not porous enough
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Use 1 oz. of fragrance per lb. of wax, only add 1/2 tsp. of vybar per lb. of wax, pour your candles right away after you add your fragrance, use a more porous wax
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Fragrance oil is settling to the bottom of the candle
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You used too much fragrance, you are using a wax that is not porous enough
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Use 1oz. of fragrance per lb. of wax, use a more porous wax.
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Second pour is not blending well with your first pour
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You have poured your second pour too cool
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Try to do your second pour when your candle is still a little warm. Be careful though, if you pour your second pour too soon, that re-pour will sink just like your first pour did!
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Candle wax is not burning evenly all of the way down
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Your wax may be too hard (too high of a melt point), your wick may be too small
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You may want to use a softer, lower melt point wax or try using a larger wick diameter. Zinc core wicks tend to burn hotter...try these!
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Candle wick is drowning out
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Your wick size is probably too small for your candle diameter
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Try using a larger wick size
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Candle will not come out of your molds
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You may have poured your candles too hot, you may have poured your second pour over your fill line, your wax is too soft
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Try using a harder wax, use mold release, pour your candles at a lower temp, do not pour above the first pour line, try putting your candle in the refrigerator to help it pop out. Freezer will make them crack!
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Candles getting jump lines (visible lines on the outside of the candle or container candle)
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Added too much stearic acid, your container or mold was too cool when you poured your candle, you poured at too cool of a temperature.
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Try to warm your molds or containers prior to pouring, pour at a hotter temperature, use less additives
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Candles are getting small air bubbles which lead to small holes
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Got water in the wax when you were pouring, on your second pour you poured above the first pour fill line, your candles cooled too fast, you poured your candles at too cool of temp
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Make sure you never get water into your wax when pouring! Water is wax's worst enemy! Pour at a hotter temp, do not pour past the first pour fill line...air will get trapped and will not release before the candle has already set up. Make sure your molds and containers are warm and your working environment is not too cool
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Candle bulges at sides
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Usually when cardboard carton is used as mold
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Support sides of container with stiff cardboard, masonite, or wood and attach with string (rubber bands my buckle carton); scrape away excess and decorate/redip
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Cave-in on sides
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Candle well was not pierced early enough; cavity in center of candle caused walls to contract inward
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Poke a hole in the well before wax begins to harden; use candle as base for thick types of decorations
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Glass molds will not break
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Glass too thick; no mold release used in mold; wax that is too soft tends to stick to the glass
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Refrigerate candle for 8 hours and then immediately submerge it in boiling water, remove with care immediately
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Wax chips at base
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When candle is turned so that well becomes base, the well may have been filled too high and is not hot enough to adhere to the “old” wax on the surface; wax was too hard; mold refrigerated too long results in thermal shock and chipping
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Don’t fill well to overflowing; reduce amount of hardener used such as stearic acid; cut down cooling time
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Candle surface soiled
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Exposed to environment too long; excessively handled
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Rub candle with soft rag saturated with cooking oil or baby oil; let stand about 15 minutes, then gently buff; scrape candle with dull knife and then re-dip at 220 degrees F.
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Fractures and cracks
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Candle contact with cold too soon or for too long caused thermal stresses
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Even when rushed, reduce amount of time candle spends in cold water, refrigerator, or freezer
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Frost marks
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Excessive adhesion to sides of mold
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Try using hotter wax (over 180 degrees F); try warming mold before casting
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Dull surface
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Mold has dull surface; or a wax carton coated with a low melting point wax was used
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Polish candle with a nylon stocking; polish with cooking or baby oil; spray with p.v.a.; coat with mod-podge; re-dip in wax at 220 degrees F
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Blisters and pimples
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Storage in too warm a place causes air in candle to expand and combine into bubbles
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Store candles in cooler location; scrape candle with dull knife and re-dip in wax at 220 degrees F
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Spots under surface
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Wax has been reheated too often and has broken down
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Use fresh wax; re-dip candle at 220 degrees F or decorate to mask imperfections
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Pit marks
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Filling mold too fast causes turbulence that traps air bubbles along mold wall; dust in mold
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Slow down filling; clean mold before filling
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Soft white mottling
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Too much oil on surface of mold (can deliberately create this effect wit 3% mineral oil mixed into molten wax); wax cools too slowly allowing large crystals to form near walls of mold
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Reduce amount of oil used as mod release; speed up cooling of mold; cut down on the amount of scent used
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Lines of tiny bubbles ring the candle
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Hot water bath too turbulent; water for water bath added after candle was placed in mold
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Slow down insertion and withdrawal of candle from water bath; eliminate this technique and use wax dipping method
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