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How To Fix Cracked Beeswax Candles

Posted on |Arts & Crafts|| 0

Fix-Cracked-Beeswax-CandlesBeeswax candles are naturally prepared with an entirely non-toxic ingredient that is secreted by the bees. The key ingredient of beeswax candles is nothing but the honeycombs. During the process of cleaning and filtering, raw beeswax is left over, which can be used to create beautiful candles. They have various benefits compared to other types of candles, including a long burning period, being soot-free, neutralizing air pollutants, negating toxicity, emitting natural light, and creating a soothing ambiance.

Despite all the benefits, some structures of beeswax candles can shrink and cracks as it cools down. Usually, the cracks occur when these wax pools are cooled quicker than normal, leading to cracks in the hardened structure. Although cracks in the structure is a natural process and don’t affect the quality of the beeswax candles, you may want to fix its appearance.

There are a few ways to fix the cracked beeswax candles

Two of the major reasons for cracks in beeswax candles are pouring too hot wax in the mould or cooling down the hot wax hastily. Although shrinking of the beeswax cannot be completely avoided, the cooler the wax is when it is poured in the mould, the less shrinkage will be witnessed.

  • You can re-heat the candle on a double boiler under medium heat; remove the wick and pour it into the mould at 140º – 150º F. As you pour the beeswax in the mould, you’ll notice that a sheet of beeswax is left behind in the double boiler. During this time, the beeswax will be warm, and neither be completely solid or liquid. Ensure that the edges are not curved upwards with a slightly concave surface. This indicates that the beeswax is boiling and the chances of building a crack will be higher during the cooling down process.
  • During the cooling down of the beeswax, ensure that the mould is kept in a warm section of the room. However, despite all the precautions, if you find cracks on your beeswax candle, don’t despair. Melt some extra beeswax on a double boiler and gradually pour it in the gaps. The gaps will be filled, making the candle look as good as new.
  • Another approach to fill cracked gaps is to tilt the beeswax candle in a slant after lighting up. The melted wax will get accumulated in the gaps and fill it up.
  • One of the methods to avoid cracks is to look for beeswax candles that use smaller wicks. The smaller the wick, the lower the temperature will be around the wax. When the candle cools down after burning, the temperature will be moderated and won’t create any cracks on the surface.
  • Avoiding ridges can also help in reducing the occurrence of cracks in the candle. Pouring beeswax in moulds at room temperature sometimes hardens the wax against the surface of the mould. Thus, leaving ridges around the surface leads to cracks at a later stage. You can eliminate the ridges by preheating the containers in an oven at around 200º F.
  • You can also put a coating of coconut oil or any other natural oil inside the surface of the mould to avoid cracks in the candle. With oil on the surface, beeswax won’t stick to the mould and the process of contraction won’t lead to cracking.
  • Last but not the least, you can follow the two-step pouring approach for moulding beeswax candles. Firstly, pour the wax halfway to the container and let it solidify. Secondly, pour the rest of the half on the solidified half. Let the mould cool down. The concept of this process is to keep the bottom half slightly cooler than the top half during the pouring.

Kirat Author

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