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Candle Making Vocabulary

Scent Load - This term especially applies to candle making. In general it is the percentage of fragrance placed in the wax. Scent load can run anywhere from 1% percent up to and in some instances exceeding 10%. This translates to 1 ounce of scent to 1 pound of wax is a 5% scent load.

Burn Rate - The amount of wax that is consumed in 1 hour of burning with the specific wick. However, without some type of base the burn rate is difficult to evaluate.

Pre-Wick Assembly - Refers to a wick that is cut to a specific length, has a wax coating and metal base. These parts have made candle making in many instances much easier.

Natural Wax At the present time there has not been a clear-cut definition assigned to this product as it relates to the candle industry. In general this is any wax that is a by-product of a plant, insect or other living creature can be considered a natural wax.

Soy While it is a natural wax it is further defined as a wax that is 100% Soy.

Polymers These products are used to increase the melt point of a wax, increase the vibrancy of the colors, improve opacity, or to "strengthen" the wax. Common polymers include AC-400 and C-15. Many blended waxes will contain polymers.

Needle Penetration This is commonly used to measure the hardness of the wax. While this is important when using waxes on high-speed equipment and hand carved applications it is difficult to access a wax on this merit only.

Melt Pool This term is use to describe the diameter of liquid wax that occurs during the burning of the wick. In a 4-inch diameter glass the ideal situation is to get a melt pool as close as possible to the side of the container.

Fully Refined Wax This is a wax that has been through the maximum refined process. A fully refined wax generally has a melt point of 125 degrees F or better and has a lower oil content. The exact oil content will vary depending on the melt point of the wax. Fully refined waxes are generally used to make pillars, votives and most candles other then container candles.

NST 2 TREATMENT - Many of the natural waxes have a high acid level which can impact the burning properties of many of the wicks. The RRD series wicks have this special treatment to allow it to perform properly in natural waxes.

Scenti-Masterbatch - Is a patented solid fragrance system. This product works best when using straight paraffin and eliminates the need for other additives and still get large amount of scent into the candle.

Straight Paraffin - A standard wax that can be used in candles but does not contain any type of additives when sold. Many of the common waxes sold in craft stores and canning waxes are generally considered straight paraffins.

POLAR/NON-POLAR These phrases generally apply when making gel candles and clear candle technology products. In order to be safe when using the referenced products a fragrance must be non-polar. In general, non-polar fragrance means it will be compatible to the gel that it is going into. A polar fragrance can bleed out of the gel causing a safety concern when the candle is burned. If making paraffin candles this terminology is not necessary.

MOTTLING This is a fracturing of the wax which will create a look on the exterior of the candle that is “whited out,” snowflake looking or “washed out.” This look has been made famous by several “big name” candle companies. Not all waxes are designed to mottle so be sure to chose a wax designed for that application. If you are making mottled candles be sure to check out our brand new product being offered below.

BACK FILL/TOPPING OFF With the exception of those blended waxes that have been designed as one-pour, all waxes have some level of shrinkage. As the candle sets up it will shrink around the middle of the candle requiring additional wax to be added. The back fill/top off will be necessary to create a smooth top in containers or in the case of pillars a fairly uniform bottom to the candle.

MELT POINT This is the temperature at which the wax will become fully liquid. There is an important distinction between melt point and pouring temperature. Be sure to check the product data sheet to determine which one is applicable to you.

VYBAR This is an additive used in straight paraffins to help hold the fragrance in the wax. This a is patented and trademarked product.

MUSHROOMING This is what can appear on top of your wick during the burning cycle. Specifically, these are carbon deposits. The following factors are some of reasons why this can occur: the core of the wick, lack of oxygen (in containers), scent load and incorrect sizing of the wick. Other factors can cause mushrooming, but these are the most common. Mushrooming can cause excessive smoking in the candle and should be reduce as much as possible.

CORED WICK This is any wick that has zinc, paper or cotton in the middle to provide additional rigidity to the wick. Wicks such as flat braided, square braided and round wicks do not have any type of core.

Candle Making Basics

As individuals begin making candles there is a series of basic questions and decisions that are made. They include (but are not limited to) what types of candles to make, which wax to use, fragrance selection and where to make the candles. One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of candle making is the actual "process" of making candles. While all of these decisions are made with the intent of producing consistent and quality candles, the process of making candles is often as important as any other aspect.

When people talk about real estate, the phrase "location, location and location" certainly is a reoccurring theme. In candle making the key phrase has to be "temperature, temperature and temperature." This refers to the temperature at which you pour the wax, the room temperature and the temperature of the mold and or container you are pouring the wax into.

The pouring temperatures for each of the waxes you may use are best determined by following the manufacturer's recommendations. No matter what type of candles you are making, paraffin, gel and/or natural waxes, the pouring temperature is very important. When using quality waxes, pouring hotter can produce better results, but this should only be done when first trying the manufacturer's recommended pouring temperatures. In some instances such as with the J-50, J-223 and the natural waxes, it is advisable to pour at lower temperatures to produce the best results.

While candles can be poured in most rooms year round, it is best to try to control the room temperature as much as possible. Rooms that are warm and humid require different pouring temperatures than rooms that are cold and damp. The only way to determine which is acceptable for your room is to pour several candles and analyze the results. It is not unusual to experience different results in your candles as the temperatures in the room change throughout the year. In many instances when the temperature begins to get cool it may be necessary to pour a little hotter than you would during the summer months. The more you can control the year-round temperature in the room, the easier it will be to get consistent results.

The preheating of the container or mold is directly related to both your pouring temperature and the room temperature. For best results consistently it is advisable to preheat the container or mold to take away any moisture or "chill" that may exist. If you are pouring hotter, you may be able to reduce the amount of preheating required. Some companies have developed procedures where they merely pour hotter and reduce the preheating required. The preheating of these molds or containers should be done with a dry heat (heat lamp or heat gun) and not by hot water. The hot water will actually introduce moisture and have a reverse effect, which can cause air pockets to develop.

In addition to temperatures, it is also important to develop consistent procedures for measuring the various items being placed into your formulation. Wherever possible it is advisable to measure all of your additives, scents and color by weight and not necessarily by teaspoons or tablespoons. Certain additives such as vybar are very effective, but being off of the formulation just a little can change the results of the finished candles.

If you are looking for consistent "looks" in your pillars, it is important to try to use the same type of mold in as many instances as possible. The type of mold, aluminum, tin and or polycarbonate can produce different finishes on your candles.

One nice thing about candle making is that there really is no wrong or right way to make candles if the end result is a safe burning and desirable looking candle. However, the key to make consistent candles is to try to develop consistent procedures taking into account many of the points identified in this article. Many candle companies have developed their most popular candles by mistake or experimenting.

How to Make Cold Process Soap

Making soap base is a cumbersome task, however, it is so rewarding to change the nature of natural things. What once was fat, water and lye turns into a beautiful, rich and creamy soap! This method is going to appeal only to the alchemist, or the pseudo chemist type of person. If you can't make brownies from a box mix turn out right, you'd better go to the Shredded Soap page and order some soap shreds instead of attempting to make it yourself.

Equipment you need:
An accurate scale , it needs to weight down to 1/10th of an ounce
A stainless steel pot or enamel painted pot
A plastic or stainless steel spoon
2 Rubber Maid Plastic Pitchers, at least one needs the lid.
(make sure you write "LYE & Dangerous" all over the pitchers)
Rubber gloves
Goggles to protect your eyes
A heavy Apron
A thermometer which reads as low as 90 degrees and higher than 200.
A stick Blender (used for making milk shakes in a glass)
A corrugated box, approximately 8"x8"x9"
A small size plastic trash can liner.
OR instead of a the box method, enough SoapCrafters.com Molds to hold Seven Pounds of soap

Supplies you will need :
(All ingredients are weighed, even the water)
11.2 ounces of lye. (I use Red Devil brand, you can get this in the drain opener section of your supermarket)
32 ounces of water
1 Pound of Olive Oil (any type will do, the cheaper the better)
3 Pounds of Lard
1 Pound of Coconut Oil (76 degree)
1.4 ounces of Soap Crafters Fragrance

Directions:
Put on your gloves and goggles. Read the warning label on the lye. It is a caustic and dangerous substance. It makes wonderful soap, but it is not your friend as it will burn a hole in you.

The first thing you need to do is put your scale in your sink, place the empty container on it, THEN turn on the scale, THEN start pouring your water in.

Weigh 32 ounces of COLD water in a plastic container. Never use hot water to mix with lye, it will volcano!
	Very slowly, pour the lye into the cold water. Make sure you leave everything in the sink. It is safer that way. Lye has a lot of static cling, so spills are easy to do.
You'll notice the lye reacts with the cold water and it gets very hot. It'll also give off a gas, that's why you should be outside. Don't breathe the fumes. When it is stirred, put the cap on the lye solution and bring it back inside.
Let your lye sit in a safe place (out of the reach of everyone including pets) until it cools off to room temperature. This will take two to three hours.	You can make this lye solution the day before. Lye solution is a very dangerous substance, it can cause death if ingested. Make sure everyone in the house knows what it is and it is not to be touched.
	When the lye gets back down to room temperature you're ready to start making your soap, start weighing out your fats.
Put your weighed fats into a stainless steel container or porcelain (enamel) painted pot.
Put the pot full of fats on the stove. Heat on the stove, stirring often. Keep a close eye on it because it reaches temperature somewhat quickly. Stir well before taking its temperature. You're looking for a temperature between 120 and 130 degree Fahrenheit.	Always wear your gloves and goggles when working with the lye! Always clean your thermometer before using it.
	When your fats reach between 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, put your pot in your sink. If you made the lye solution the day before, it is now at room temperature. Put on your gloves and goggles. Very carefully and slowly pour the lye solution into the fats.
Use a large spoon (slotted spoon works best) to stir it in. Hold your head back while pouring to avoid any splash back getting you. In this photo we are adding the lye solution to the fats.
	Once the lye solution is mixed in, (a couple of minutes), use the stick blender, use it off and on (continuous use will blow it up, I know). Blend for a minute, stir with a spoon for a minute, that kind of thing. You should come to a very thick soap with this equipment, probably in about 5 minutes
You will see changes in your creation. It will immediately start to become more opaque. It will become thicker and more opaque as time goes on. This is the mixture changing into soap.	The lye, water and fats are turning into something completely different. SOAP! If you weighed accurately and had your temperatures accurate, then the bowl the mixture is in will stay warm to the touch.
If you don't have a stick blender, you can stir with that spoon for about 1-1/2 hours. A stick blender costs about $20 or less, I highly recommend it. Your wrist will thank you!
	Stick blenders do have their disadvantages, they tend to give a soap that's done being stirred, but it is still so raw, the soap may burn your skin. When I used to hand stir, I didn't have this problem. But it really isn't much of problem. You should be using gloves!
Stick blenders also tend to cause overheating of the soap from time to time. But this really isn't much of a problem unless you really overdo the mixing.
	After one hour of stirring, (If you're using a stick blender, this point will happen about five minutes into stirring), you'll notice that if you drop some of the mixture from your spoon onto the surface, that it kind of dents the surface. It looks very thick and this particular recipe that you're making has a light tan color.
Now is the time to use your stick blender to stir in the SoapCrafters Colorant if you are using one.	Stir in your weighed SoapCrafters Fragrance that is cold process certified.Do this with a spoon, do not use a stick blender to stir in fragrance.
Immediately pour your soap into your molds. The molds we sell at SoapCrafters.com do not need any oil or grease on them. :)

Let it sit undisturbed in a warm room for 24 hours. As the chemical reaction is taking place it generates heat. If you put your hand on the side of the box in about 1 hour, you will feel its warmth.

Twenty-four hours are up. HURRAY! It should still be a little warm to the touch. You can now remove your bars from the mold! They should just pop right out. If you have to struggle, then put the mold in the freezer for 3 hours. Take it out and use a blow dryer on the back of the mold. When condensation forms, it will slip right out.

If you used the box for a mold, just pull the plastic liner out of the box, remove it from the soap and cut into bars.

The soap should have a nice, solid consistency. It may be a little oily to the touch. But it should be the same texture throughout. It will resemble a cheese, like monterey jack, and have a similar texture.

If you are going to melt the soap, now it is ready for shredding. If you're not going to melt it, just cut into bars and let the bars cure for 4 weeks or more for the best soap. You can use it in a day or two, but a well cured soap lasts so much longer and has better lather. So go ahead and use a bar, but let all the other bars dry in the open air for over a month.

To be sure that your soap making project went well, purchase some ph testing papers from SoapCrafters.com. A good soap will fall in the 7-9 category. A successful batch does not burn the skin in use. It is rich, bubbly, creamy soap that is extremely gentle to the skin. The reason I give this recipe is that it is the only soap that I can use on my overly sensitive skin. It keeps me from scratching all winter long. :) If you're seeking out soap making, I'm guess you're having problems with the detergent bars/harsh soaps in the store too! So enjoy!

Notes
When your soap is almost thick enough and you're hand stirring, now is the time to weigh out your essential oil in a very small bowl (not a plastic one because the essential oils will mar it) or shot glass. You want to weigh this now, because if you had weighed it before all that stirring, you're missing some of it. Pure essential oils are not stable. They evaporate away rather quickly. So weigh your essential oil or fragrance and pour it into your mixture. Stir well with a spoon. A stick blender used to stir in scenting material may seize your batch of soap! (If you will be using this soap for soap crafting, do not add any essential oil nor fragrance.)

If you'd like to avoid that white powder that forms on top of soap, you can put a layer of plastic wrap right on top of the soap. It needs to be touching the soap. That way the air won't react with the soap making what we call 'soda ash'. But that step isn't necessary, you can just scrape that white powder off when the soap is done. This step can also cause soap to overheat in the molds.

Overheated soap has a bit of a rind appearance around the edges. You probably wouldn't notice it unless you cut into the soap. Overheating is also the main cause of a soap's scent disappearing. The soap can sour up to 200 degrees in the mold due to insulating it and this will cook your fragrance or essential oils. Many people who have instructions on the internet mistakenly think this 'gel stage' is a disirable event, it is not. Originally it was talked about in Liquid Soapmaking by Catherine Failor. She was discussing a HOT process of soap making. Cold process soap making should not go through this stage. If your soap overheats, then remove whatever insulation you have on it and move it to a cooler spot. The soap is still great to use, it just has lost it's scent typically and has a rind appearance in the soap.

The most common problems
There are no "air bubbles" in soap usually, but a stick blender can actually cause little tiny empty holes in the soap. If you have bubbles in your soap, and there is liquid in them then they are really lye pockets and this is not safe to use. You might be able to save it by crafting it.

If there are tiny pin holes with no liquid in them through the texture of the soap, these are caused by overstirring with a stick blender. They are nothing to be concerned about. :)

Gone Cold.: If your soap goes cold during the first 24 hours or turns to mush, you probably lost the saponification process. There can be a lot of reasons for this. Your weights of oils, or lye may have been off causing a bad batch and Mother Nature shut down your operation. Or your temperature was not high enough with the fats and it just lost temperature. Or it just caught a chill. :) After thinking long and hard about what you did during weighing, and if you're sure your weighing was correct, then pour it into your soap pot, put it on the stove. Heat it while stirring constantly. When it reaches 130, remove from heat, pour back into a fresh mold. This is what I call 'kick starting' it.

Step by step guide to making rubber stamps

Here is a brief summary of the process, complete instructions are supplied with the system and procedures manuals with stamp making tips are accessible online from this web site.

The first step in making rubber stamps with the InstaStamp Stamp Making System is to print your images onto Vellum, an almost transparent paper like film. To produce quality artwork you should use a laser printer, inkjet printers do not produce crisp edges which are so important in producing quality stamps.

Water Based Negative film is part of the InstaStamp Stamp Making System. This film is cut to suit the size of your printed vellum then both are clamped firmly before exposing the negative in the InstaStamp machine. The machine will process up to A4 size negatives.

The unexposed areas of the negative are washed away leaving you with a perfect negative. If you plan to make the same batch of stamps over and over again you only need to make the single negative.

An InstaPlate sachet is placed onto the negative, clamped and processed. The machine can process InstaPlate sachets up to A4 in size. Within minutes you will be washing away the excess polymer from your sheet of stamps ready for the hardening process which is also done in the InstaStamp machine.

The complete process from printing your artwork to cutting up your sheet of rubber stamps takes about 35 minutes using the InstaStamp Rubber Stamp Making System.

What is Fiberglass?

Fiberglass is a composite material widely used in the automotive industry, kit cars are often made from fiberglass as are many sports cars including the Chevrolet Corvette.

Fiberglass is an incredibly versatile material and it comes in several forms. Almost everyone has seen fiberglass insulation and anyone who has touched it will recall the itchy feeling often with a little rash which develops afterwards. This Is because the minute shards of glass cut into the skin and cause irritation.

The fiberglass used in the automotive industry is different from insulation fiberglass. It usually comes in a mat, tissue or cloth, although a chopped strand mixed with resin is often used for large applications such as boat hulls.

MATERIALS
Gelcoats are the shiny face of fiberglass, gelcoats are what you see on most fiberglass vehicles (which haven't been painted) or boat hulls. Gelcoats consist of a thick gel-like resin mixed with a colored pigment, it is the first thing laid into a mold and therefore when the mold is removed it becomes the exterior.

Below is simple diagram showing how many fiberglass bodies are constructed, there are other methods and this is just a common example.

Tissue
Fiberglass tissue as the name suggests is a very thin tissue like layer of fiberglass, it is very smooth and porous and the tissue sits underneath the gelcoat. Tissue helps to smooth out the inherent roughness of fiberglass matting, while also adding strength.

Mat
Fiberglass matting makes up the bulk of any fiberglass bodied car. Several layers are built up one on top of another until the desired thickness and strength is achieved. This is what you might see if you look at the inside of a fiberglass panel.

Cloth
Fiberglass cloth is strong and is often used where it may be visible and therefore aesthetics are important. One of the downsides of fiberglass cloth is that because the strands are neatly woven the layers do not intermesh like they do with the disorganised and loose strands on the fiberglass mat. Therefore the layers of cloth sit on top of one another, rather than meshing together like the fiberglass mat.

Resin and Hardener
Without resin the fiberglass itself would be useless for building anything requiring rigidity. Resin is mixed with a catalyst before application to the fiberglass. The drying process involves a chemical reaction which has several variables including, the amount of catalyst, temperature, humidity, and any water present in the fiberglass resin (water shouldn't be there!).

As a personal example I once added sand to fiberglass resin to achieve a rough texture needed for this particular application. The sand was ever so slightly damp. The resin without sand dried quickly and without event, the resin with sand in took several days to fully harden.

When the chemical reaction between the catalyst and fiberglass resin takes place heat is produced, depending on the thickness of the resin the temperatures can get quite hot. Enough to melt plastic in extreme cases.


End result
The results which can be achieved with fiberglass are quite impressive. Its properties allow anyone to make an exotic bodyshell for a car. Once fully hardened and sealed with resin or a gelcoat fiberglass is waterproof, relatively light weight and when done properly it is extremely strong. It is reasonably inexpensive when compared to the alternatives, in short it is an ideal material for the automotive field.