Wax Coloring...

[Todd Miller]

I want to goo kit a few 32oz lamps in the 70's

Blood Red / Cranberry wax with the yellow water.

I'm not color blind, but I'm color stupid ;-)

I know that, just red dye, isn't gonna cut it.

Do I need to add some blue or xxxx color ?

I tried to Google color stuff and way beyond me.

We were poor when we grew up, so only the eight

color Crayola set did we have.

I also know by experience kitting lamps, the wax color

changes the more it has run....

Where should I start ?

[Carol]

Todd, if you want blood red, you will have to add a lot of red dye to get it dark.  If you want more of a cranberry (like the wine colored picture I posted), I would add some red to your blue.  The way I like to do it when I do a color blend is this:

 

I take about a tablespoon or maybe a bit more of goo and melt it down in a ceramic cup.  Then I get a toothpick and add a touch of blue....then I start adding red.  Red and blue make purple, so you're gonna have to add more red to the blue if you want it more of a cranberry.  I stir it up with the toothpick to see if I like the color saturation.  If you want it darker you can add more red or blue accordingly.  Then when I get that wax with the dye the color I like, I freeze it.  When the lamp is in full flow, I take a chunk of the frozen stuff and add it to the flowing lamp and wait until it is fully melted and mixed with the goo.  Some like to wait until their goo gets out of the transparent stage to dye it, but I do it right away.  If you want, and the wax doesn't look red enough, you can always add a speck of red and wait a few hours. 

 

Good luck!!!

 

P.S.  I really didn't want a cranberry goo, but it was dark and I accidently added red to my blue lamp.  I though I had the blue tin, but I had the red....oh well, oops!!  lol!!

[Todd Miller]

When I color my wax, I do it right away. 

I warm up the wax in the microwave, then transfer the 'measured amount

of wax'  to a small double boiler I have set up. 

Then I add dye in very small amounts and stir in with a glass rod.

It can take 20 mins or so for the dye to melt and mix with the wax.

The colored wax at this point is very translucent, but has color.

After a few runs the wax is less translucent. 

I have been very shy as to the amount of dye I use.

I just wonder if I use more dye, how solid would the

wax look ?

[Carol]

you can look at my pics.  I don't use very much dye, but they are all pretty dark and solid.

I color my wax right away too.  I do it when the lamp is flowing though.  I have colored one while I was melting down my goo also.