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Making
candles is similar to
cooking in many ways, and,
as with cooking, there is
the potential element of
messiness, and the
possibility of unforseen
accidents. To cut down on
these, and to be ready for
any eventuality, please read
the following carefully.
Always wear old clothes,
cover work surfaces with
newspaper and move or cover
rugs and carpets.
-
Keep a pile of old
newspapers close by in
case of spillage.
-
Always give yourself
plenty of room to work
in and keep your work
space clean and tidy.
-
Have all the materials
and equipment to hand
for whatever project you
are working on.
-
Keep all equipment clean
and keep unused
materials in containers
away from dust and dirt.
-
ALWAYS keep fire
extinguisher within
reach.
USING WAX
When using
wax, treat it as you would
cooking oil. Below 200F it
is fairly safe. Higher than
this it is likely to catch
fire as the wax is turning
to vapor. Remember wax will
not boil just continue to
get hotter and hotter.
Always place your
thermometer in the saucepan
at the beginning of the
melting process. This will
not only ensure your reading
is accurate, but will
prevent you inadvertently
overheating the wax.
Only fill melting pot 2/3
full with wax - you will
have to move the hot wax at
some point to fill
containers or molds. Make
sure that the wax level is
low enough that it does not
splash out of the pot.
Keep
handles turned away from the
edge of the stove so they do
not catch on clothing or the
pot doesn't get accidentally
knocked off the stove.
Never
leave melting wax
unattended.
If you
notice your melting wax is
beginning to "smoke", cover
the pot with a tight fitting
lid as the wax may begin to
flame at any time, turn off
the element and let the wax
cool down on it’s own. NEVER
ATTEMPT TO MOVE A SMOKING OR
FLAMING POT OF LIQUID WAX.
After use,
do not be tempted to pour
excess molten wax down the
sink as it will set and
block your pipes. Instead,
if it's hard wax pour it
into an old baking tray and
cut into cubes before it
hardens. This can be used to
make chunk candles at a
later date. Or, if it's soft
wax pour excess into tea
light cup and use as a
sample.
it is not
recommended to make candles
when children are present.
IN CASE OF SPILLAGE
For wax on
carpets and items of
clothing: Scrape off the
excess wax and remove the
rest by placing a paper
towel over the stained area
and pressing with a hot
iron. This will transfer the
wax to the towel.
For wax on metal or plastic
objects: Place in the
freezer for an hour to make
the wax brittle. It then
becomes easy to simply
crumble the hardened wax
away. Alternatively, dip the
object into boiling water
and allow the wax to melt
and float to the surface.
SHOULD THE WORST
HAPPEN...
-
Switch
off the heat
-
Do not
move the pan
-
Extinguish a fire that
may occur by smothering
the flames with a
saucepan lid or damp
cloth/towel or using an
ABC rated, Dry Chemical
Fire Extinguisher
-
On no
account attempt to douse
with water. This will
only spread the fire.
If you
have further questions on
how to deal with the
possibility of a paraffin
wax fire, be sure to contact
your local fire department
for more information.
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