You have decided that you want to make your own candles. I think that’s wonderful! This is what you will need to start making candles:
Pouring pot – This is the container you use to pour the molten wax.
There are several reasons why you want to have a pouring container that is separate from your crucible. First, if you are using a double boiler, then the bottom of your crucible will be dripping and you don’t want the drops to get into the candles. The second reason is to make it easier to pour the wax. While you melting pot looks like a “pot”, you want your pouring pot to be a kind of jug.
You want your pot to pour
* Have a lip or pouring spout that helps the liquid pour out smoothly, rather than allowing it to drip down the side of the pot.
* Be heat resistant. A standard glass or plastic container that you use for cold liquids will not work for hot wax.
* Have a handle that will facilitate the manipulation of the jar so that you can pour the wax without problems and allow you to stop at will.
A large clear borosilicate glass measuring cup (Pyrex ™ is a brand) works well. The advantage of using a clear pot for pouring is that you can easily monitor the progress of your blending efforts.
A metal jug would work too, but it would be more difficult to see how well the wax mixed with the colors.
Pot holder or welding gloves -When the wax has reached the proper temperature in the crucible, you will need to transfer it to the crucible.
Once the wax, you will add the color and aroma. Many candle recipes say to add the scent last, however if you add the color last you will be able to see how well it is mixed, which also confirms that the scent has mixed well.
Note that if the coloring agent you are using is supplied as a solid wax, then you will want to melt it separately before adding it to the pouring pot.
Dip bucket
If you are going to make submerged tapers, then you need to have a soaking tub. A soaking tub is a tall, narrow container, usually made of galvanized steel pipe, that is welded to a stable base. Holds the melted wax. The height of the pot will define the length of the tapers.
You need to maintain the temperature of the wax for as long as you are dipping, so a dipping tub is usually placed in the water bath and used in place of the crucible. You don’t need a pot to make submerged candles.
An accessory for a soaking tub is a immersion frame. This keeps the wicks in place and prevents the candles from moving. Without a frame, the wick will just float in the wax for the first few dips. Since you don’t want the candles to touch each other, a frame that prevents the candles from moving allows you to make more candles at a time than you could if they had freedom of movement.