WAX

When attempting to remove candle wax from a jar or holder, you place it in the freezer overnight and with a little prodding it will usually fall right out. It contracts at a much greater rate than metal or glass.

OK, Thanks. But the container in question was a metal C ration can. It was noted that when the molten wax was left alone to solidify at room temperature, the sides stuck to the wall of the can, at the very top anyway, and the center of the cake sort of collapsed around the wick. Thus, it was rationalized that since water expands when frozen, the liquid wax might do the same, and therefore, exceed the boundary of the marker made in the can right at the top level of the wax while in a molten state. I do note that you mention, even when frozen you still had to do some prodding to have the wax fall right out. Can one assume that the top of the candle did not contract? That the freezing process dehydrated the rest of the candle? Is there any water or other liquid trapped in a solidified candle wax? How about air bubbles that the freezing process might remove. Candle stubs were melted to a liquid state and poured into the can around a homemade wick to began with, so there may have been some degree of contamination in there - like water. This sort of argument went on for three days in that tent. I am not sure if its the argument, or, the typhoon that was ripping us apart that I remember most - I never forgot either. Comments appreciated

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We used to make candles with our kids using large pieces of chipped ice placed in a can around a regular candle. We then poured hot wax into the can and let it harden. Once the carton was torn from the cooled wax, all the water shed from the hardened wax and was wiped off with a towel. Left for a couple days all the water was gone from the spaces left by the ice. Since the configuration was so abstract, you needed to put the candle in a large glass container. ( to keep the wax from falling onto a table) Conversely whenever we wanted to use an old candle to make a new one, we would place it in the freezer to remove the old one by thumping it with our palms to the bottom of the container.

The molten wax in your candle may have been soft enough to stay stuck to the top of the form and appear not to have shrunk. But the middle and bottom was probably shrinking in all directions and was able to break the bond with the can.

OK! I'm outta here! Suffice it to say that the question is not satisfactorily answered. There probably is no scientific study on any of this. This is my 5th year of psychiatric consultation for PTSD - I miss that little can of wax. When the typhoon was over we used it for target practice. Worst case of combat fatigue ever witnessed. It was just a little can of wax. I now know all about the container of wax, but little about the substance of the wax itself. Is the contraction due to the solidification and hardening, or, to the freezing process itself? Freezing is not necessary to solidify and harden wax - it just takes longer I guess. Maybe I don't want to know. if I had that little can of wax here now, I would build a memorial to it for it kept our minds off of the typhoon and helped keep our sanity! This has to rate between 10 points and 60 on your scale previously submitted in another forum and oh, so true!

Sorry about the lack of answering specifically your questions about when it contracts but I'll Try now.

1. Yes the wax will contract upon hardening even without freezing. This was seen in your center of the candle shrinking away from the wick since it is the last place to harden, this is where it is most obvious since it has already bonded to the can. Most people or manufacturers will wait until the liquid is partially cooled enough so that the final cooling will not leave such a large depression.

2. Freezing will also shrink and harden the wax even more. This is what makes removing it from containers so easy.

3. water in the molten wax usually does not contaminate it so much since it is comparable to mixing oil and vinegar. When scents are added they are usually scented waxes or sometimes oils since these will mix better with the liquid wax. We would normally use crayola crayons to color our candles, but more heat was necessary to melt the crayons into the paraffin. By that time any water that may have been present would usually be at the top. Once poured it would again float to the top rather than be emulsified into the paraffin.

Sorry to hear about the PTSD. If this was any help, I'm glad. If I was not specific enough, it was only because I have not done any scientific studies on the subject, just through observations when actually doing the work involved. Hobbies do not always produce Nobel literature.

Dude! seems like your takin it out on a guy tryin ta help. But at least your NOT SHOUTING LIKE YOU DID IN YOUR FIRST POST!

Sorry about the shouting. I really wasn't. Just too early in the day and when I looked at my monitor I realized that I inadvertently left the caps on and I was too tired to retype. I appreciate the comments however, I am mad at myself for posting that particular question. I think that different types of wax will act differently and if the mixture is of various waxes in combination, still another reaction will occur. The candle in question was of local origin and was probably a bees wax. It was honeycombed(pun) with air pockets. It doesn't matter because no experiment was ever carried out. Its just one of those moments a person carries with himself in a tote bag of nonsense. Thanks anyway, I still have a few other goodies in that bag to ponder on - but, I will try not to resort to CR4 with them.

I also have made a lot of candles, all kinds. I started out with tin cans - food cans washed out. They have a lip on the rim that made the issue of contraction something to figure out. I used a penny tied to the wick to hold it straight to the bottom, hung by a small stick across the top. The candle was pulled out of the can by grabbing the stick. But the lip was a problem even if you oiled the can, so I tried the freezer too.

IMO the freezing does not really cause the wax to contract any more than slow cooling, but altered the pattern of contraction so that there was a bigger hollow around the wick. Also sometimes big bubbles formed around the wick - maybe from a bit of frost getting in. You couldn't count on it shrinking from the sides any more than ordinary cooling. In the end I added another step to the process: immerse can in boiling water for a second, then pull to release.

That was a paraffin type wax, but beeswax is much softer. As somebody noted, any impurities like moisture will cause bubbles or cavities to form, and some interesting candles can be made by playing with this idea. Paraffin gives off some nasty fumes when its melted but beeswax is really nice and has a naturally sweet odor.

I find making stuff is therapeutic for just about everything. It gives you something to focus on that's outside you, and in the end you have a product to use or admire or if not then you still can be satisfied that you learned something in the process. If you decide to make a few candles or do that experiment, and you want some advice, fire away. We'll be happy to tell you all we know. Cheers.

Thank you all for your interesting answers. As I stated in my earlier post, I really don't want to know the answer. This engineer's forum is for solutions not psycho therapy and that is why i am mad at myself for posting that question. Sin Loi! I enjoy conversations with people that seem to have both feet on the ground, so, that is why I use this forum. Maybe there will be candles at my wake.