Candle Making Recipes & Instructions
Make Me! - Melting Wax - Step 1
Melting Wax
To obtain the optimum result in your candles it is necessary to follow a few simple procedures while preparing your wax.
For safety reasons we recommend using the double boiler method for melting wax. Since wax is a fuel, and can catch on fire at around 390º F any direct heat method may pose certain risks. Water boils at 212º F which is well below the flash point of wax. Using boiling water to melt your wax greatly reduces the risk of fire.
Another benefit to double boiling over direct heat is that the molecular structure of the wax can be broken if it is brought to too high of a temperature. This could result in a discolored, crumbling, or improperly burning candle. The boiling water will not allow the wax to exceed 212º F which is too low a temperature for the molecular structure of the wax to deteriorate
Also, it is fairly easy to adjust and regulate the temperature of the water, to arrive at and maintain any given temperature you may need to have your wax at for particular styles of candles.