How to make a Hurricane candle?
(page 1: without inclusions)
You can make two types of Hurricane shells: with or without inclusions in the sides of the shell.
The two methods differ a little because in the first case, you will need an insert to keep the decorative elements in place while the wax hardens.
So I've logically separated this article in two pages. The first page, which you are currently reading, is focused on the first method, the one without inclusions.
The second page will give you all the information you need to include decorative elements into the sides of your Hurricane shells.
Specifications
Difficulty: relatively easy
Time needed: about 1 hour (+ cooling)
Supplies needed
1 Hurricane mold,
5 Kg of a Hurricane blend,
candle dye, if you want to,
1 Stanley (utility) knife (to level the top of the shell).
and of course the usual supplies: thermometer, double boiler, pouring jugs...
How to make a shell without inclusions
1
As usual, start by preparing all the supplies and tools you'll need during this project so that you don't have to start searching for something in the middle of a critical phase.
Melting such a large volume of paraffin and bringing it to the right temperature will take some time so start right away. Make sure you leave a thermometer in the melting wax at all time.
As you won't add any inclusions, your mold does not need any special preparation. Just make sure the wick hole, if any, is plugged with mold sealer.
2
When the paraffin has reached the right working temperature (190°F), fill the mold (you may fill it up to the top as you won't have to move it into a water bath), gently hit the four sides with a wooden spoon to free up any air bubble and let the paraffin cool off until a skin starts forming at the surface.
Given the large volume of wax a hurricane mold can hold, this could take some time. Check the mold and its contents now and then to survey the cooling process.
3
When a skin starts to form at the surface, use a kitchen knife to puncture and remove it. Any residual wax can be disposed of in the melting jug. This should give you a good idea of the thickness of the shell walls.
Once these walls are at least 5 mm thick (beware, what you see in the mold is not always what you'll get when the shell is unmolded), puncture the surface skin one last time and remove it (cut the skin as close to the edge of the walls as you can). Now, slowly but steadily, pour the contents of the mold back into the melting jug.
When all the wax has been poured out, hold the mold vertically above the melting pot: this will avoid big fat wax build-ups against the shell walls. Hold the mold in this position for about thirty seconds or until the dripping stops. At this stage, the wax has become tacky and needs some time to run off.
Now that the shell is empty, put the mold back on the countertop and let the shell cool off completely. Now and then, look inside to check that there aren't any large blob of wax against a wall or on the bottom. If that's the case, use an old spoon to remove it (take care not to damage the bottom or one of the walls while doing that).
4
When the wax has hardened completely (the mold must be cool to the touch and the insides of the shell must be hard and not tacky anymore), unmold the shell and use a Stanley knife to remove any irregularities from the top side of the shell.
If you wish to and if you feel it's necessary, you can use a piece of very thin sandpaper to polish the inside of the walls.
5
As always, the last step will be to flatten the shell (or, in this case, the top of it).
To do that, I usually use a hot oven plate or an old pan. I then hold the shell on top of it and melt some of the wax until the top of the shell is perfectlt plane (don't exagerate or there will be nothing left of your shell!).
If you see spots on the surface of the shell that looks like frozen, don't worry, it's normal: wipe the surface of the wax with an old nylon stocking to remove these spots and make your shell shine.
6
Your Hurricane shell is completed!
If you feel like it, you may now paint it, engrave it, glue all kinds of decorative elements onto it (like dried flowers, scrapbooking items) or just leave it as is.
Don't forget that, when you're ready to use it, you need to place a small heat-resistant plate inside it, just under the votive or tealight candle, to avoid damage to the bottom of your shell.
Now jump to the next page where you will learn how, using an insert, you can add inclusions inside the walls of a Hurricane shell.
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| A Hurricane shell without inclusions can be painted or left as is
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1As usual, be sure you have all the supplies you will need handy
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2Fill the mold to the top and eliminate as many air bubbles as you can
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3When a skin starts forming at the surface of the wax, puncture and remove it using a sharp kitchen knife
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4Once the shell has hardened completely, unmold it and use the Stanley knife to remove any irregularities from the sides of the walls
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5In the last step, flatten the top of the shell using a hot oven plate or an old pan
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6A nice, plain Hurricane shell
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