Candle Making ?'s

[e1ith.livejournal.com]

I have a question for you lovely crafty  ladies..

I made my first candles today and I have several questions.

First, I was unable to get the temperature past 150 degrees rather than the suggested pouring temp of 180. What is the problem? Could I possibly have put too much water into the pot the pourer was sitting in? I only put a couple inches in. I was using a range and I let it boil for quite some time and yet it never peaked past 150. After a long period of time I finally decided to add the color and scent and pour it at that temp. The first pour went fairly well into the mold. After they cooled some I reheated the wax and topped it off to fill in the wells that had formed. I didn't end up doing a third pour because I didn't have enough wax. After they had completely cooled I stuck them in the freezer so they would remove easily.

I then removed them from the molds to find that they had turned out nicely. Except you can see that inside the candles they are cracked in several spots. Is that because I didn't pour it at the right temperature? Or maybe because I put them in the freezer too soon?

Help would be appreciated!

Thank you!