Step
3) Add Pre-tabbed Wicks.
Wait
for your wax to cool for a short period of time. While it is cooling,
prepare your wicks by straightening them. They do not need to
be perfectly straight at this point; a loose approximation of
"straight" is fine.
Once
the wax just begins to congeal, insert your pre-tabbed wicks.
The tab will "stick" to the bottom when it touches.
Care should be taken to position the tab roughly in the center
of the mold.
FYI:
Why wait for the wax to begin congealing? At the temperature
of the congealing point, the wax is cool enough that it will not
interfere with the firmness of the primed wick. It also is the
temperature that allows the metal tab to "stick" to
the base of the mold. At higher temperatures, the wick can be
a little more difficult to manage (not impossible).
Once
the tab has stuck to the base of the mold, it is very easy to
manipulate the wick to straighten it. Sometimes you may wish to
wait a few moments to allow the metal tab to form a stronger bond
with the base of the mold before attempting to straighten the
wick.
During
the cooling process, the shrinking wax may pull the wick off-center.
If this occurs, simply apply a light tug to straighten the wick
from time to time. Do not use so much force as to free the metal
tab on the base.
Allow
your wax to completely cool before proceeding to the next step.
This may take 3-4 hours.
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