Bubbles are awesome little creatures, always showing up and leaving when you least expect them. You can go to bed with a perfectly clear gel candle and wake up to discover hundreds of bubbles where there were none. In simple candles with nothing embedded in it, bubbles can transform a plain candle into a stunning one, plus they capture the light and glow when the candle is lit. Bubbles are also nice to have around when they tie in with a candles design theme, such as an aquarium candle or a beer stein candle.
Tips to Conquer Bubbles
Virtually all bubbles are caused by one of three things, which are the heating temperature of the gel, reactions between the gel and items in your candle, and produced while pouring the gel.
If you really want bubble-free gel candles, you will need to use an arsenal of bubble-ridding techniques. Use one, or all, of these techniques, depending on your patience level and your willingness to experiment.
Three Techniques to Reduce Bubbles
1. Heat your containers.
Preheat the containers in a 175^ F. oven (79^C.) for about 10 minutes. You can put the container(s) into the oven right after you place your gel on the stove-top. Then when you pour the gel, you're pouring hot gel into a hot container. This should aid in keeping bubbles from forming.
2. Heat the gel to it's highest (safe) temperature.
Remember to follow the gels manufacturer recommendation. Generally, the higher the pour temperature, the fewer the bubbles. When heating gel to high temperatures, always keep a close watch on the gel because with just a few minutes of distraction, the gel can easily cause a grease fire. This can be avoided by monitoring the gels temperature while melting. When you go to pour the gel, continue to monitor the temperature, especially if you are pouring multiple candles. You may have poured the first candle at a high temperature, but the gel temperature for subsequent candles can easily be 50^F. (10^C.) less, if the pan has been removed from the heat.
3. Pretreat all ceramic, glass and metallic items.
If you are planning to embed items in the gel candle, whether ceramic, glass or metallic, you should preheat them by placing them in a pan with a small amount of melted gel. Watch the items for bubbles. If no bubbles appear, use tweezers to carefully remove the items, holding them over the pan until the gel solidifies. If the items do bubble, leave them in the gel until they stop, stirring occasionally. If an item continues to bubble for more than a few minutes, look for a replacement item unless you're willing to have bubbles in your finished candle.
Additional Tips To Conquer Bubbles
Avoid using items made with glue, glue often reacts with the gel and creates excessive bubbling.
If possible, pour the gel at an angle, as you would a beer, to minimize bubbling.
Presoak your wicks in some melted gel and watch for bubbling. When the bubbling stops, lift the wick out, wait 30 seconds, then run your fingers down the wick to remove excess gel.
Stir your newly poured gel with a bubble stick. You can find plastic bubble sticks in almost any craft store. Just place the stick in the gel and gently stir it through the gel in a swirling motion.
Place newly poured candles in the refrigerator as soon as possible and leave them undisturbed for several hours.
The above are techniques I was taught to use when making gel candles. Actually, since I only make scented candles to use in my home, I couldn't care less about bubbles. So, if you are diligent and are making candles to sell at Craft Shows you might want to try one or all of the techniques listed. I hope you found this article helpful.
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