JABE Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Curious how many hours you all are getting out of a wax melt cube from a standard clamshell or from a tart for those you who use the fluted tart molds? I'm only using a soy pillar blend at the moment, but have a shipment on the way so that I can experiment with different blends hoping to achieve a stronger, lasting melt. * So - what is your lifeline on your scents before they die? =) Please & Thanks in Advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I do not make clams nor shapes (I used to). I pour into cups. A melt has to last a minimum of 14 hours before I would add that scent to my line. Some last much longer than that, of course. Much is dependent on this. Type of warmer (bulb versus plate style for instance), size of room, climate, fans or AC going, windows open, activity and air movement in a space, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JABE Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 how many ounces are the cups that you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I pour into 2 ounce cups but my melts weigh about 1.4 ounces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JABE Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) Thanks for your replies! I am getting about 3hrs on my 0.5oz cube. So that's not too bad for starting out. That would equal close to 8-9hr if mine was 1.5oz. Hoping I create a longer lasting melt when I get my new waxes. Edited March 17, 2014 by JABE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JABE Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Actually I just realized what I tested was my 0.9oz tart. So, that means I have some work to do. I'd only be getting about 4.5hr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlett Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I just started making clamshell wax and had been wondering this myself. If the scent is not lasting 14 hours would we need to just not use that scent or adjust the wax blend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JABE Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 If the scent is not lasting 14 hours would we need to just not use that scent or adjust the wax blend?My guess is to try another scent first. Also, she is getting 14hr from a 1.4oz piece of wax. So you need to make sure if you're testing to achieve that it needs to be the same. I do think a wax blend is going to be stronger than using anything straight from the box ALONE. I think the pillar blend waxes need some container wax mixed. That's my next experiment. I am waiting on my order to get here this week. I am testing 0.5oz and approx 1oz pieces of wax when I burn. There are too many variables you could actually factor in: what kind of burner you are using, how many watts it is, etc. (and MUCH more). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlett Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 My guess is to try another scent first. Also, she is getting 14hr from a 1.4oz piece of wax. So you need to make sure if you're testing to achieve that it needs to be the same. I do think a wax blend is going to be stronger than using anything straight from the box ALONE. I think the pillar blend waxes need some container wax mixed. That's my next experiment. I am waiting on my order to get here this week. I am testing 0.5oz and approx 1oz pieces of wax when I burn. There are too many variables you could actually factor in: what kind of burner you are using, how many watts it is, etc. (and MUCH more).Darn! I had some scents that I really wanted to use but they definitely don't last the 14 hours. I guess I will have to check other vendors for the same scent. Hopefully they will last. Right now I am using JoyWax and Pillar of Bliss. Hadn't planned on using them together but the JoyWax is way to soft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) Scarlett - Your melts do not have to last 14 hours... You can decide when testing what is acceptable for you and then have testers test them and see if they are acceptable to themThis is very subjective as everyone doesn't smell the same and not everyone wants the same scent for 14 or more hoursTake yank for example- I believe on their melts it says 8 hours of scent- maybe it's more but I can't smell them after 6I have a couple that I made that I was not going to put in my lineup- I could barely smell them and got nothing after 5 hours- my sister took them home and she claims it's super strong and gets 3 days out of themYou just need to experiment with a blend that you like and not sweat the longevity of it to a tee on 14 hoursMy soy melts depending on scent can go anywhere from 10 hours to 3 days and I am fine with that and so are my customersI personally tire of a scent after a day and want a new one the next- and everyone's "days" varies as well- as far as how long they are home burning their meltsExperiment and have with it- if you like the scent and you feel it's lasting long enough go with it - you could drive yourself Batty trying to find a blend to match every scent for a specific number of hours- just set a guide of what is okay for you- mine is 10 hours - others are more and others are less Edited March 18, 2014 by moonshine 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JABE Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Moonshine, Thanks for your reply. I'm glad to hear all of your feedback and experience. I like that you can get 10hr from your soy melts. I am currently attempting an all soy melt. The newbie in me (4mths) did not even consider mixing waxes until recently. So that's probably a BIG reason I only got 3 hrs from 1 of my wax cubes. I can't wait to do some blends. I did order some different paraffin blends that have not arrived yet. I would love to have ALL soy products, but if it doesn't work out then I 'may' jump to some paraffin blend (that's why I ordered it). I hate wanting something and it not being here so I order a lot of many things. Anything can happen for me at this point. I was wanting to hear an average of what everyone gets for there melts so that I would know if mine were: poor, decent, good, or excellent etc when it comes to longevity. I'm having lots of fun & frustrations at the same times. It's a fun challenge I guess you could say I'm very serious about everything that I've done, and plan to do. I'm super glad I have a supportive husband who is just as excited as I am. I'm trying to give it 100% of all I have. It's hard while working a full-time job because I really want to be home EVERY day doing this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Your welcome JabeWhat soy are you using? In making melts adding a pillar/votive blend helps in releasing the wax from the mold- many people do and have success with just using plain container soy in Clamshells- not metal molds they won't release Finding a good ratio for your system is the challenge if you blend.... I find too much PB inhibits the throw but others use only PB and have excellent results Heat temps- pour temps- FO brands and quantity are huge factors for all waxesFor soy I use 9-10% FO which is roughly 1.5 ounces per pound- it works for me, less and I find them too weak but again so many can use 1 ounce per pound or 1.2 ounces per pound I remember the wanting to be home every day to pour wax...these days I need a swift kick to get down there! LolHave fun, experiment, post results and there are many people to help here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JABE Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 well the only soy I used in tarts so far was ecosoya pillar blend, but I already know that I need to mix it. My nose & clock tells me that I also used 2oz per pound. Next time when I blend I plan to only use 1.5oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzyK Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I use an all soy blend and get great results so it can be done without adding paraffin. I tried several different percentages before finding one that gets results that I wanted. I also test to get at least 14 hours. Some are definitely stronger than others but as long as I can smell it still, it counts. I used to test an ounce but now that I use portion cups only and not clamshells, I test a whole portion cup. My portion cups have 1.8 oz of wax in them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcuset Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 * So - what is your lifeline on your scents before they die? =)Varies on the type of scent. Some can last for days of being melted non-stop, some only a day. To be fair, a number of scents I don't want blowing my doors off & lasting for days. Maybe that's just me. On the flip side, someone mentioned pretty packaging & not super long throw....unfortunately look at ones like Yankee...they do quite well. I think their scents state they last 8 hrs at the most...those vary by strength, & they rake in multi millions. ;( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlett Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Scarlett -Your melts do not have to last 14 hours... You can decide when testing what is acceptable for you and then have testers test them and see if they are acceptable to themThis is very subjective as everyone doesn't smell the same and not everyone wants the same scent for 14 or more hoursTake yank for example- I believe on their melts it says 8 hours of scent- maybe it's more but I can't smell them after 6I have a couple that I made that I was not going to put in my lineup- I could barely smell them and got nothing after 5 hours- my sister took them home and she claims it's super strong and gets 3 days out of themYou just need to experiment with a blend that you like and not sweat the longevity of it to a tee on 14 hoursMy soy melts depending on scent can go anywhere from 10 hours to 3 days and I am fine with that and so are my customersI personally tire of a scent after a day and want a new one the next- and everyone's "days" varies as well- as far as how long they are home burning their meltsExperiment and have with it- if you like the scent and you feel it's lasting long enough go with it - you could drive yourself Batty trying to find a blend to match every scent for a specific number of hours- just set a guide of what is okay for you- mine is 10 hours - others are more and others are less Thank you for responding Moonshine! The info you gave me helps tons! I just started doing this so bought the different waxes to try. I was going to try just JoyWax and then the Pillar of Bliss. I tried the Joywax first and thank goodness I had the POB to add to it to save it. I'm not sure I like the blend but I don't want the JoyWax to go to waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlett Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I use an all soy blend and get great results so it can be done without adding paraffin. I tried several different percentages before finding one that gets results that I wanted. I also test to get at least 14 hours. Some are definitely stronger than others but as long as I can smell it still, it counts. I used to test an ounce but now that I use portion cups only and not clamshells, I test a whole portion cup. My portion cups have 1.8 oz of wax in them. Thanks SuzyK what is it about the portion cups you like better? I have thought about using them after seeing some websites but still researching. How much do you sell one for? Is the soy blend one you created on your own? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzyK Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I like both the clamshells and the portion cups. I ran out of clamshells and didn't want to spend the money again. When I sold both, I sold more portion cups than clamshells. I have had a couple of customers request that I get the clamshells again. They're cheaper so it's a good way to be able to get more scents. I sell them for $2.25 each or if I'm at a show, I'll sell 10 for $20. I blend ecosoya Piller blend with ecosoya xcel. I get an awesome creamy looking wax melt with that blend and a strong, long lasting scent throw.The board isn't letting me post a picture or else I'd post one of mine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 No matter what wax you use or how long you want a scent to last, I'd recommend that you test in both bulb and plate warmers. MANY of my customers prefer plate warmers as the scent throw is quicker and stronger. That is the good news. The bad news is that melts last about half as long. I do not want to sell anyone a melt that just lasts a couple of hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcuset Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 No matter what wax you use or how long you want a scent to last, I'd recommend that you test in both bulb and plate warmers. MANY of my customers prefer plate warmers as the scent throw is quicker and stronger. That is the good news. The bad news is that melts last about half as long. I do not want to sell anyone a melt that just lasts a couple of hours.I'm glad you brought that up. That has always been a BIG variable...the type of warmer. You can claim your scent lasts 20 hrs & the type of melter the customer uses shortens that time down at least by half...not even throwing in other variables. Claiming your scent lasts X number of hrs is tricky...good you guys qualify that with specifics when you sell. That always bugged me big time! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzyK Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 (edited) Definitely. I make no claims as to how many hours they last in my online shop descriptions. .I just say they are long lasting. And at shows when people ask how long they last, I tell them that I test for a certain amount of hours but it really depends on so many things. It's a difficult question to answer. I've had scents that I didn't add to my shop because they didn't last long enough. I had one that I didn't add but had some leftover so I gave them to a friend. She LOVED it and said that I must add it to my shop, so I did. lol. Curing time is also a factor. There are SO many variables into making a wax melt and that is why I test the 14 hours. I had people tell me that the larger companies are strong at first but after 2-4 hours, they're no longer very strong or they can't smell them anymore. I figure even if people get half the time I test, they're still getting a good amount of hours. Most people tell me they get several days out of my melts. How many hours that means, I don't know. Edited March 18, 2014 by SuzyK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I agree and do the same. I make no claims of how long they last. When asked, I tell them that many varaibels such as warmer type, air flow, size of room, fans, heat, air conditioning and more come into play. I just like to know that they last 12-14 hours minimum in my test environments with different warmers. I am thrilled when they post that one melt lasted 3 days and not yet have I had to read that something just lasted a few hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Ditto all of the above- but funny I find my bulb warmers end the scent quicker than the hot plates- maybe because I am used to strong scents I just don't smell it anymore with the bulb not being as hot as the hot plate But my mother claims the opposite- so many variables Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlett Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I like both the clamshells and the portion cups. I ran out of clamshells and didn't want to spend the money again. When I sold both, I sold more portion cups than clamshells. I have had a couple of customers request that I get the clamshells again. They're cheaper so it's a good way to be able to get more scents. I sell them for $2.25 each or if I'm at a show, I'll sell 10 for $20. I blend ecosoya Piller blend with ecosoya xcel. I get an awesome creamy looking wax melt with that blend and a strong, long lasting scent throw.The board isn't letting me post a picture or else I'd post one of mine.I was thinking the portion cups would be more popular because they could get a variety. I may try them as well for a test. Do they hold the scent in? I'm also looking for a blend that is creamy looking and has the long lasting throw. I would like to see a pic if the board will allow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuzyK Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 What do you mean does it hold the scent in? Uploading a pic to this new board is really frustrating. lol. I hope it worked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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