Beeswax tee light vs others

[elainemary]

Visited a friend and took her some beeswax tee lights last night. I took 6 and she had 7 of her own (think paraffin type) lined up. She was delighted to switch 6 to mine and we decided to keep the 7th. I know how gorgeous beeswax is for scent, colour of light and the mood it creates, but I was struck by the comparison, as I’d never actually seen it side by side.

Thought I’d share pics, speak for themselves which is which, beeswax is so wonderful to make candles with!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I use cheapie rubbish tea lights to power my wax melts. They do have a use.
As for making tea lights. I’ve given up. Too many cracks If you don’t get conditions right.

 

[elainemary]

I use cheapie rubbish tea lights to power my wax melts. They do have a use.
As for making tea lights. I’ve given up. Too many cracks If you don’t get conditions right.

That’s a good point. I made presents with beeswax melts following your aromatherapy recipes on here but included beeswax tee lights. Overall this year I made a lot more tee lights as I love them at home as they last just one evening. I only had one crack in the 200 I made - what causes it? Must have done something right I’m not aware of!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

That’s a good point. I made presents with beeswax melts following your aromatherapy recipes on here but included beeswax tee lights. Overall this year I made a lot more tee lights as I love them at home as they last just one evening. I only had one crack in the 200 I made - what causes it? Must have done something right I’m not aware of!!

Cooling too quickly

 

[elainemary]

Cooling too quickly

Oh thanks. I do my candle stuff in a warm room in December, so must be why.

 

[ericbeaumont]

as for making tea lights. I’ve given up. Too many cracks If you don’t get conditions right

Found that out last night, pouring them in the kitchen while daughter was making pizza, so the room was warm.

Only a couple cracked; worse was they cooled too quickly and many stuck partly to the wall while the rest pulled away (as they do) and that led to warped tins.

This morning I put them on kitchen paper on a ring on low heat, and once re-melted the tins regained roundness (more or less).

Tried filling in stages: a little to set around the wick base to prevent it melting and falling over; second fill to bring it up to about 3/4 full, and when that is almost set, to top up and give a neat face.

Heard that a heatgun or hairdryer can be used to slow cooling.
Are tin weights all the same, or there stronger ones out there? I got mine from 4Candles.
Any other suggestions?

 

[ericbeaumont]

 

[JamezF]

I use tea lights for starting my smoker (just kicked off the Christmas smoked salmon five minutes ago, as it happens). The mass-produced ones all seem to have exceptionally thin containers these days. To get them under the smoker (and remove them) the recommendation used to be to put a screw through the side to act as a handle, but the "metal" is now so thin that as soon as the wax melts there's no support at all. I had to make a "spoon" to move it instead:

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve actually managed a few if I pour them right next to the Rayburn in the evening when folk aren’t going in and out of the kitchen door. Half pour then top up.
They are better in polycarbonate cups but some people don’t like the plastic.

 

[E&MBees]

Found that out last night, pouring them in the kitchen while daughter was making pizza, so the room was warm.

Only a couple cracked; worse was they cooled too quickly and many stuck partly to the wall while the rest pulled away (as they do) and that led to warped tins.

This morning I put them on kitchen paper on a ring on low heat, and once re-melted the tins regained roundness (more or less).

Tried filling in stages: a little to set around the wick base to prevent it melting and falling over; second fill to bring it up to about 3/4 full, and when that is almost set, to top up and give a neat face.

Heard that a heatgun or hairdryer can be used to slow cooling.
Are tin weights all the same, or there stronger ones out there? I got mine from 4Candles.
Any other suggestions?

I had the same problem last year. Tins also from 4Candles. Got around it by insulating them with a piece of PIR, proper wick glue dots (not cheap Hobbycraft ones, which I tried first) and wick holders.

 

[ericbeaumont]

insulating them with a piece of PIR

Nice idea.

Did you attempt to match the PIR hole exactly to the outer diameter of the tin? I noticed that even insulated, the bottom one in the photo is turning ovoid.

A snug fit would give the tins no chance warp.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How about some decent foam and a foam cutter

 

[ericbeaumont]

How about some decent foam and a foam cutter

The tins are 38.94mm on calipers and Toolstation (in stock at the top of my road) have a 38mm holesaw for £3.47. Foam cutters look better but start at £38 and rise quickly!

 

[E&MBees]

Nice idea.

Did you attempt to match the PIR hole exactly to the outer diameter of the tin? I noticed that even insulated, the bottom one in the photo is turning ovoid.

A snug fit would give the tins no chance warp.

It’s not perfect but significantly reduced cracking and deformation. When I get time the plan is to build a more robust version.

 

[ericbeaumont]

same problem last year

Half pour then top up

Tried all those tricks but no real improvement, so gave up: too fiddly, too much time, too little return at market.

The 38mm holesaw (for plastic & wood) cut the PIR too cleanly so the extra 0.94 of the tin prevented it going in; had to settle for 44mm. Put a box over the lot and still the tins warped.

https://www.toolstation.com/holesaw-kit/p23014#product-details-accordion-item

 

[Erichalfbee]

Tried all those tricks but no real improvement, so gave up: too fiddly, too much time, too little return at market.

The 38mm holesaw (for plastic & wood) cut the PIR too cleanly so the extra 0.94 of the tin prevented it going in; had to settle for 44mm. Put a box over the lot and still the tins warped.

https://www.toolstation.com/holesaw-kit/p23014#product-details-accordion-item

Then use polycarbonate cups

 

[Pembroke]

Then use polycarbonate cups

If the polycarbonate cups and the tins are the same size could you use mould release spray in the poly cups to make the candles then when set transfer them to the tins?