truth Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Hey everyone. Im new to the forums. I was reading them heavily and signed up for a new account literally minutes before the crash. Then I couldn't sign in, so I signed up again and I think the second registration did the PC in. So I would like to say hello to everyone and I have some questions I would like to ask. Im new to candle making. I ordered some cargill C-3 Soy wax (10lbs) and a few 4 oz. FO's. I am very unhappy with the hot throw of the candles I made. The cold throw seems ok. Then I read somewhere that curing might be the issue, So I let them cure for over a week and still the same result. I can barely even tell that the candles are scented. One tip I picked up from the forums was to pour at a lower temp which seemed to help reduce wet spots and made for smooth tops. I guess one of my biggest questions is whether I should be mixing FO's by volume or weight. I put an unmeasured amount of wax in the wax melter (presto pot with spigot) I measure out 1 fluid ounce of FO in a seperate container and then when the wax is melted to approximately 175 degrees I pour 16 fluid ounces of melted wax into a pouring pot and mix the 1 fluid ounce of FO, stirring for a few minutes. Then I let the mixture cool to about 100 to 110 degrees, give it some stirring then pour into an apothecary jar with a tabbed wick already glued to the jar. After looking into a few candle supply places I realize that they sell FO by weight and not fluid ounces. So I'm wondering if maybe I should be doing the mixing by weight and not by fluid ounces. Based on the praises of Peak candle supplies on this board I ordered and received today some Ecosoya CB-135 and 3 different FO's and a sample FO which was very cool. I am going to give it another go tonight. Also I ordered tabbed HTP 104 wicks. The apothecary jars I am using are 4 inches in diameter, So based on Ecosoya's recommendation I will use 2 wicks in each jar. I chose HTP 104 from the list of wicks if using 2 wicks in a jar of that diameter. Previously I used ECO-114 pre-tabbed wicks. Any tips that you could give me would be appreciated.Stephen G Dailey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clc404 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Hello and welcome to the board. I also use C-3 and I pour hot. Maybe it's your FO. Is it a strong scent? I use between 1 and 1 1/2 oz per lb. I measure by wt. I get awesome cold and hot throws. Try doing a seach on Cargill C-3. Sorry your having hard time. Hang in there.clc404Cheryl C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinnyRit Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Hi Stephen and welcome to the boards! I can't really help with your wick questions because I use a different soy wax, but you definitely do want to measure your FO by weight rather than volume. I pour my desired amount of melted wax into my pouring pitcher (usually 3 lbs at a time), then tare the scale back to zero and start adding the FO. I generally use 1.5 oz FO per pound, although you are able to cut back on some of them.Good luck with your testing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaybee23 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I agree you should be measuring your FO's by weight. Also, you should buy a wick sampler pack, that way you have several different wicks to test. For a 4" jar, double 104's sound about right, though depending on your FO, you could go up or down a size in your wick. Welcome to the board and happy testing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhobby Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Welcome to the board! Vickie/Chicago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 Thanks for the replies. I guess I need to get some sort of scale to do my weighing with, so I can begin to do my measuring by weight. I am unsure whether or not the FO's are considered strong since I have only bought from 2 different places at this point but the FO's from peaks seem to be stronger than the ones I bought from another supplier. Although I am still so new that I might not be a good judge yet. I poured a couple of Macintosh apple with the Ecosoya CB-135 tonight, they came out great and the cold scent throw seems good. On average how long should you let soy candles cure for? And does it make that much of a difference? Anyways thank you for the replies, I look forward to becoming a member of the community. Everyone seems so nice on this board.Stephen G Dailey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaybee23 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Curing time varies by the type of wax. I don't use and haven't tested that particular wax, so maybe someone else will jump in and help. For scales, you will want preferably a digital scale that will read in tenths of an ounce. I bought mine on ebay, but I think others have bought scales at Walmart and such. Peak has wonderful fragrance oils that do very well in soy, you can't go wrong with almost anything they carry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottopus Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I do believe that a soy candle will get stronger with time. I've found that the longer the better, but the majority of curing is done in the first week. I've also noticed that some FO take longer to cure than others. You should also know that soy reacts with FO's unlike inert pariffin. This means that certin FO will or will not work with soy. An example of this is a candle that has a very strong cold (not burning) throw and a non-existant hot (burning with a 1/4-1/2" melt pool) throw. It takes me on average about 4-5 different FO's of the same general scent to get one that I like and works in soy. You should see the testers laying around just to get the 12 different candle scents that I have now. Once you get some experence with testing FO's, you'll be able to know when you got a keeper.The Peak FO's that I use in my candles are Spiced Pumpkin, Key Lime, Watermelon, and Vanilla Passion. I've tested the Macintosh apple and found for me it had an awsome true to life cold throw, but no hot throw. If you what to experence a strong cold and hot throw FO, I would recommend testing Peak's Apple Jack & Peel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanna Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I am not sure if you have tried this, but supposedly you should add your fo only a little before you pour...long enough to get a good bond, but not too long or it will cook off. I usually add the dye after my wax has melted, then wait until about 15 degrees before i want to pour...stir your fo for a minute to make sure you get a good mix...just stirring will help it cool faster. then try pouring and let it cure before you burn. it may help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I am not sure if you have tried this, but supposedly you should add your fo only a little before you pour...long enough to get a good bond, but not too long or it will cook off. I usually add the dye after my wax has melted, then wait until about 15 degrees before i want to pour...stir your fo for a minute to make sure you get a good mix...just stirring will help it cool faster. then try pouring and let it cure before you burn. it may help!I, too, add my dye after the wax has melted, then add my FO shortly before I pour. Also, make sure you measure the FO by weight. A digital scale is by far the best way to go. You can get them at most any store that sells kitchen stuff. I got mine at Walmart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkat Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Welcome StephenHonestly you should mix your fo in at 160-170 degrees this insures that your fo binds with your wax... mixing in at a cooler temp will create dead zones... where you you will smell your hot throw only in certain parts of your Candle and then just smell the Soy that did not bind in other parts...I hate the smell of unscented soy burning... but that is me ...I do like a fragrant candle..and that's me also Cathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 Wow, Im so grateful for all the input. I have so many tips and great advice just from this one post. Thanks everyone for the input. I Feel like running out and getting more apothecary jars after reading the responses. Im very excited to keep making and learning. What a great community.Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaybee23 Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 I add my FO first, right after I put in the pour pot, then add dye. I find that some of the FO's affect the color of the dye. Discovered that the hard way with pink dye and Rose Petals FO. I made the mistake of putting the dye in first and had a very pretty pink, then when I added the FO, it turned it a bright flourescent pink. I have had it do with other FO's and colors as well, but not as bad as the pink one, LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvcandletarts2 Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Hi and Welcome to the Board! I just started testing some soy and sorry, can't help you on that right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottopus Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 Welcome StephenHonestly you should mix your fo in at 160-170 degrees this insures that your fo binds with your waxI also add my FO at these temperatures (165 F). In order for soy to react with the FO, it need to be hot (160-170 F). I've tested both methods (165 F and 110 F) and the 165 is always stronger. I think that a lot of confusion comes from people not understanding that soy is very different than pariffin. Since you pour pariffin hot, you would add your FO just before you pour. Remember that you can easily test this to see for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.