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  Making Gel Candles

  Making gel candles for resale it is important that you review all of the safety precautions in manufacturing these candles. These safety precautions include, but are not limited to, some of the following:

  • Must use fragrances which are non-polar. (If you are not sure check with your fragrance supplier)
  • Fragrances must have a flash point higher then 170° F
  • Proper wick selection is critical. In some instances you may want to undersize your wick. This can create a unique "glowing" effect as the candle burns. It is important to test burn wicks in all your containers.
  • A wick assembly should have a wick base that has a 9 mm neck.
  • Depending upon density, do not go over the recommended percent usage for fragrance.
  • Always have burning instructions.
  • Make sure gel embeds are not flammable. (It can be surprising at times what objects are flammable.)

  Candle gel is made of 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin. The resin is a powder that transforms into a gelatin type state when mixed with mineral oil. Penreco is the company that holds the patent and makes the gel. Versagel is the trademark name and comes in 3 types: CLP (low density), CMP (medium density) and CHP (high density). The denser or thicker the gel, the more fragrance oil it will hold.
You will be using your standard candle making tools.
 
  1. Attach your wick to the bottom of your container with a touch of hot glue and let set. At this time you may pull up the wick and roll it around a wooden dowel to secure it to the center or just wait until you've poured the gel and pull it up with your metal knitting needles.

2. Cut your gel into small cubes to let it melt faster and evenly. Melt the gel in a double boiler over medium heat. Heat the gel to 200 deg F and no more. Overheating gel will alter it's clarity. Keep your temperature at 200 deg F, your gel should have a smooth syrup like consistency.

3. Slowly add your color dye until you get the desired shade you desire, use a light color if you intend on adding embeds.

4. Add your fragrance at a rate of 1/4 teaspoon at a time until desired scent.

5. Heating your container in an over at 150 deg F will help reduce the development of bubbles in your finished gel candle. Place them on a cookie sheet and carefully remove with oven mitts.

6. If using embeds, dip them into the hot gel and arrange them in the container keeping them closer to the sides in order for them to be easier to see.

7. Now it's pouring time. Transfer your melted, colored and scented gel into your pouring pot. Set your container on a flat surface and slowly pour down the sides of your container to avoid trapping air. This may take some practice but for now just have fun. Be careful since the gel will still be very hot.

8. Pull your wick straight before the gel cools.
 

The Gel Wax:

  There are 3 basic types of candle gel wax. Low Density gel wax is used for gently scented candles. It will hold up to ½ oz of fragrance per pound. Medium Density gel wax is for medium scented candles. It will hold up to ¾ oz of fragrance per pound. It will hold non-suspended embeds for a decorative touch. High Density gel wax is used for heavily scented candles. It will hold up to ¾ oz of fragrance per pound and can also be used for suspending decorative embeds.

Embeds:

  Embeds are usually made of glass, wax or natural material. Glass embeds are glass objects used to add a decorative flare to your candle. Common embeds of this type include: glass fish for making a "fish bowl" candle, glass olives for making a "martini" candle, or other sea creatures for making "ocean" candles. Wax embeds are made of wax and melt as the candle burns. Popular wax embeds include the following: fruit for making "fruit preserve" candles, gumball embeds, or flower embeds for making "floating flower" candles. Natural embeds are everyday objects that look great inside a candle such as a seashell. It is best to wash these items with warm mineral oil prior to embedding them in the candle to clean off any dusty residue. This will prevent the clouding of your gel candle and reduce excess air bubbles. Never use flammable items as embeds in your candle!

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