Getting Started With A Heat Gun
Spend enough time listening to veteran candle makers and you’ll hear the word “heat gun” more than once.
Tons of industries use heat guns for a variety of purposes. The candle industry has uniquely adopted this tool for a variety of jobs.
Making candles involves controlling temperatures with accuracy and precision to manipulate the state of wax into a different shape.
Every professional has one or more of these versatile tools around the workshop to help manage container temperatures, remove jar chill, or clean up supplies if the job calls for it.
This article covers how to get started with a heat gun, including techniques and purchasing considerations.
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How Do Heat Guns Work?
A heat gun operates much like a hair dryer.
Electricity heats some pieces up inside the gun while a fan directs it out for you to aim ant whatever you want. Some heat guns use gas instead of electricity, but candle makers really have no business packing heat this serious.
The air temperature for heat guns ranges from 120 °F to over 1,000 °F, so exercise extreme caution and safety when using.
Chandlers don’t need anything much higher than 150 °F and on rare occasions slightly above that for anything. Non-candle uses for these include
- drying wood
- thawing ice and pipes
- deactivating glue
- stripping and drying paint
- automotive work
- removing wallpaper
- creating art
Candle makers have a diverse set of applications for this tool – see below.
Preparing Containers
Candle making can introduce a lot of frustration in your life, especially if you make container candles.
One of the most common problems is shrinkage. Wax expands when it melts, but contracts when it cools. This phenomenon can negatively impact the cure profile of a candle if hot wax cools in a container unevenly.
Whichever “side” of the candle that’s coolest will harden first.
The middle is usually the last to go.
The ambient room temperature impacts the top and the container temperature affects the sides and bottom of the candle.
If the container is much cooler than the room and wax. the bottom and sides will harden much sooner than the middle.
When the middle or top finally catches up, the shrinkage will pull the edges of the wax away from the container or “suck” the top of the candle down to compensate.
In some cases, like soy often does, there may be no obvious issues because sinkholes formed underneath the surface instead.
This is known as a wet spot (sides) or cracking (top).
Heat guns help manage your container temperatures prior to pouring candles to lessen the thermal difference between wax and the jars (or tins, if you’re rustic and practical).
They don’t help with room temperature or humidity, so they can’t easily address the bite from the ambient air temperature.
“Wet spots” are acceptable until they actually allow the candle to “rattle” in the container, otherwise they are only cosmetic and most every candle has them in some way or another.
Blasting the edges and inside for 15 – 30 seconds is usually enough time to take the chill off right before pouring.
Be careful not to apply too much direct heat to the wick or you risk melting the glue under the tab and dislodging it or even melting the wax coating off the wick.
The container doesn’t need much – scorching hot containers are dangerous and completely unnecessary.
Without a heat gun, containers can be placed in an oven on low or even in a hot water bath (without letting water or moisture into the container) to achieve a similar effect.
Fixing Imperfections
Perhaps the best way to explain the complexities of candle making is the pursuit of a smooth, finished top.
Candle makers often judge the quality of their final product from the surface appearance because it means overcoming hundreds of factors that lead to an imperfect candle top.
Soy wax dominates the product lines for many candle shops, but it is scientifically unstable.
The sensitivity to temperature and humidity in vegetable wax frequently creates irregular crystals on the top (bumps) and sides (frosting).
While generally not a problem for performance, these crystals shape an undesirable appearance called frosting.
Fortunately, heat guns can mitigate these cosmetic shortcomings within minutes.
The average melt point of soy wax is 124 °F. Heat guns operate anywhere from 750 °F to 1,000 °F, making wax melting incredibly quick and easy.
A short session to re-melt 1/4″ of the candle top is all it takes to restore a smooth appearance.
Remediating issues still carries a small level of risk. Concentrating too much heat on the wax can scorch it, and remelting vegetable wax (namely soy) will sometimes leave a visible line where it melted.
Soy is particularly sensitive to temperature shifts, so “correct” at your own risk.
Heat guns are also handy any other time candles need re-melting. When cavities form below the surface or you disturbed the top with a wick replacement, melting the top and/or sides to fill in the gaps is quick and easy.
And it doesn’t have to be extreme, either.
A heat gun can settle down a concave in a double pour paraffin with a few minutes of heat – no need to melt down extra wax for a second pour.
Just make sure your candle has enough wax present so it doesn’t look pathetic when you’re finished. Also, be careful not to melt too much of the primer wax off the wick, though this isn’t too big of a problem at the very top of the wick.
Cleaning Supplies
In the days of rubbing alcohol scarcity, alternatives to removing wax are more popular.
Candles tend to ignore a small percentage of wax without fail. In their creation, the pour pot, spatula, and other surfaces all keep wax to themselves.
When candles finish burning, wax remains in the containers too.
Your heat gun is perfect for making quick work of excess wax on all sorts of surfaces.
In pour pots and glass or metal instruments, a few minutes under a heat gun transforms the wax back into a liquid that can be easily cleaned with paper towels.
Add a little rubbing alcohol if you can and say goodbye to the wax.
Scrubbing pour pots or Presto Pots with paper towels and rubbing alcohol is typically enough to prevent “scent contamination” between batches, but if you want additional cleaning tips read our post here for handling dye, wax, and fragrance oil.
Reset candles that have lived their life (or failed safety tests) by blasting the bottom and sides with heat to loosen the wax adhesion.
Use something to dislodge the wax disk after the wax relaxes in the container. An old butter knife, chisel, or even a skewer does the deed pretty well.
Apply direct heat to the wick tabs if other methods fall short to remove it (like soaking in water).
Remember to exercise extreme caution since jars and tools can become very hot when wax isn’t absorbing as much of the heat.
Conclusion
Heat guns are a valuable weapon in a candle makers arsenal.
They are very affordable and serve a variety of mission-critical needs for perfecting the trade.
Considering that candle shops don’t need anything too heavy-duty, you can buy one that fits your budget or desired fanciness.
Prices for a common heat gun hover around $30, but you can spend upwards of $120 on it though this isn’t really necessary.
If you’re on the fence about buying one or plan on making more than four candles in your life, go buy one now.
The investment pays off quickly in time and stress and you’ll never look back.
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