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So i was burning the ones that had weak hot throw today when a friend walks in and says "holy crap that smells good"

I looked at him dumbfounded

ROTFLMAO - yep!! The dreaded candlenose strikes again! It is mindbending when someone else talks about how STRONG a smell is that we can barely discern. You had the right instinct. Give testers to people who live somewhere else and trust their comments when it comes to throw.

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Here is the 1st tester cd16. The "The Wicker AKA Husband" takes credit for this one, cause he was suppose to wick it with a cd18. Looks like a good burn to me for the 1st. Because my house is small and full of FO I think I'm having trouble with the HT. Can't really smell it, I will have to pawn it off on someone at a later date to see what they think. Or maybe this cinnamon wasn't a good choice, I have 2 other scents to test. Here's the pics. Feedback please:grin2: These pics taken every hr for 3 hrs, #2 is 1hr #5 is 3hrs Front shots. I have no frost on this one. The top did form a hole that I heat gunned to fill in. If you look back at the 1st pics in the thread, top did come out nice.

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Edited by soy327
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Sure looks smooth as glass!! It'll be interesting to note the color distribution as it burns down. Time will tell, but I think The Wicker Hubby might have messed up good. I think an 18 would have been too much. Looking forward to seeing photos of this one all the way to the bitter end. :D

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Hi, just wanted to share my results so far

3 7/8" Apothecary jars ~ room temp

Poured 2 at 155 ~ perfect no frost very creamy smooth

Poured 1 at 165 ~ 1 very small fine crack between the 2 wicks

2 CD wicks in ea jar

I have done 3 test burns so far the CD 10 & CD 12

CD 14 were way too big (Soot)

They smell & look great so far, can’t wait to do 4th test burn & try more FO & see what my testers think.

:yay:

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O.k. here's an update, The blue (Ocean) is on it'td 3rd burn. Looks like a lot of hangup, but it really is minimal it's going to do IMO what I want. When it get's to the middle or hopefully a little less than the middle it's going to get the hangup and be perfect.:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2:I said hopefully! everybody is looking, but nobody is commenting. What do you all think.:confused: This is the most fun I've had in a long time:yay::yay:Oh by the way I also tried C3 today, made 2 exel and 2 C3. Guess I'm a hostage:drool::drool:

Thanks for looking,

Linda

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Guess I'm a hostage

More like a wax junkie! :laugh2::laugh2::laugh2:

But seriously, folks...

That ocean CBXL candle is lookin' very pleasing - I can smell it from here... oops, waitaminute, that's my palm pillar... never mind... For a second I thought we had internet scent-sharing goin' on...

Can hardly wait to see how your C3 tests go... you gonna make a new thread for it? I'll be watchin' for it! :yay:

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Hi Soy, Im following the thread with interest as Im sure a lot of others are. Your pics are wonderful. What size diameter is your status jar? I use metro's which are 2 1/2 inches. Im interested to know if your results can be applied to my jar.

Keep 'em coming!:yay:

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Stella I will Start a new thread with the C3:grin2:, 1 has a little frost on the side.

The red CD16 is on it's 5th burn today, It seems to be catching up nicely Whew for I while there I thought I messed up with the wick. It does have frost on the side. I don't know if you can make a soy candle that won't get frost sooner or later.:embarasse I'll keep you all posted.

Koalagirl, this jar is 3" boy having trouble wicking, don't understand maybe I have a 3" mental block. I did make another last night no dye 2 CD3 I had no cd4's and I thought the 5's might be to big, beginning to think I might have made a mistake, but ya don't know til ya try it. The scent is Tropical Tuberose from Peak man does it smell good.

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this jar is 3" boy having trouble wicking
Sorry, but I'm not seeing the problem. Specifically, what is troubling you about the tester? Frankly, it's lookin' pretty decent to me...:confused:
Im interested to know if your results can be applied to my jar

KG, while the results of others can be used as guidelines, they cannot be blanketly applied to another person's candle system. Start yur OWN tests with your wax, wicks, containers, techniques & FOs! ;)

Edited by Stella1952
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The red one had huge hangup yesterday until last night and I lost track of time, burned it for about 4 or 5 hrs instead of 3hrs. Jeez got to busy with other stuff. now I'm on the 3rd burn for the brown one I't warm vanilla sugar w/cd18 status jar It has hangup to but also to soon to tell. the other is same fragrance in jj w/cd8 hangup on one side but I'm sure it will recover. Here ar 2 more pictures of the blue 6th burn. I think it's doing good.

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I'm less concerned about the hangup in the 2nd photo reddish one (heat is not centered in the container - hangup might diminish if it was) as I am the clean sides of the blue jar with not quite 1/2 burned... Since the container tapers slightly to the bottom, I am wondering about the heat of the container later on down in the blue jar. :)

Edited by Stella1952
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Stella I'm not sure how to get the heat more centered and we did twist the wicks when these were made. Any suggestions:confused: Do you think with this FO I should try a cd7 this is an 8.

Linda

Edited by soy327
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I'm not sure how to get the heat more centered

In the photo, the flame is blowing toward the hotter side. Turning the container to compensate for the air currents might help.

Do you think with this FO I should try a cd7 this is an 8.

Again, before trying anything, complete the testing and keep good notes on the test burns & observations. If the blue candle (which I am assuming is the one to which you are referring) does, in fact, cause the jar to heat up too much, then by all means test another one size down. :)

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Oh yes, I see what you mean. On the blue one, which I relit at 6:00 (cooling since 1:00). I will start taking the jar temp the best I can with my thermometer that has the red light (forgot what it's called) not sure how accurate those are but can get close.:)

Thanks,

Linda

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Stella,

"If the blue candle (which I am assuming is the one to which you are referring) does, in fact, cause the jar to heat up too much, then by all means test another one size down." :)

It was about 126-130 degrees just above the melt pool line going up the jar, is that too hot it's half burned now. I do have 7's ordered.

It feels a little warm but I never really thought about it, because the jar on any candle will get hot. I need to make sure about the jar temp. What's acceptable?

Burning the red one now for the 9th burn, still has hangup on one side(i'll post a pic when it's done and cooled) and I keep turning and adjusting the wick with my dipper, but would a customer want to do this?

I like the wick, and the color did frost a bit, this FO was not a good choice for HT. I have been rotating the burns between the 3 FO and so far the Ocean FO is the best.

Linda

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I made 4 different scents last night in 3 different containers 3oz votiv, 6oz 12 sided, and 16oz 12 sided with excel soy. Tried pouring at 135, normally pour at 145-155, and placing in a preheated, to 175, oven and leaving overnight to cool. I looked at them before heading to work today and it looks like a Rootbeer Float, all foamy at the top and frost on almost all of the candles. :confused::confused: Any ideas on what happened? Will remelt when I get home tonight to correct.

The batch before this one was nice smooth tops, a hole in the top of a couple of them. Only the brown had any frost.

Found my camera and some pics will be posted soon.

Jim Ruhsam

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Jim, on my last batch I heated to 185 poured into a heated pour pitcher (Pyrex meas cup) with my fragrance and melted chip in it stirred and let cool to 125. Poured in heated containers left on the counter (formica) to cool. My candle room is about 72 to 78 degrees. Pretty warm. The tops were basically smooth but touched up a little on the top little bubble around the wick area. Some I did with only FO no color let cure for 1 week before burning.:smiley2: I did have frost after burned on the red, on the sides of jar. The blue got frost after burned too. I'm not sure about tossing in the towel on my other wax yet and I am testing the C3 too. Good luck let me know how it goes. Pic would be great.

Linda

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Will be making a couple more scents in a day or so. This time I will try pouring at 135 and 125 but leaving on counter, not in heated oven this time. So far I am liking this wax. I just need to learn the differences and what to do.

Jim Ruhsam

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Jim,

Remember, I keep my candle room warm. You might try heating your oven up to 150 or the lowest setting turning off before and putting one in there and maybe set one on the counter. Other people also put them on a rack and cover with a box big enough to let air flow around them. Whatever works for you. You will get the feel for it and please let us know how it goes. Can you take pics of the frosty's and this new batch and post. :smiley2:

Linda

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Just got home and there is FO sweating from every candle, .75oz per pd. I tried what you suggested with the warm oven and that is the first time I have seen anything like I described above. I will just try different temps and leaving them on the counter where I have had MUCH better luck.

Jim R.

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I'm not sure I understand. When you got home the rootbeer float ones had FO seepage and you did what? Put them in the oven? to melt down?

Sometimes I will get a little FO beads on the top after they cure I take a paper towel and blot the top lightly this very seldom happens to me. I don't know what climate your in but depending on how much you are seeing it might absorb back into the candle. I find this happens more in the summertime. I've also been told it might have been to much FO, but I don't think you over did it at all, about .7oz? did I read that right? Go to www.ngiwax.com and click on products and ordering then on excel wax and it will tell you everything about the wax and what they suggest.

I do what works best for me and pouring at a cooler temp works better I have used all their waxes exstensively and have been on the site many times rereading. Hope this helps and please let me know how it's going.

Linda

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Just to try to clarify a bit. The tops of almost all of the candles looked 'foamy' kind of like the foam when you pour rootbeer on ice cream, or kind of like a sponge. When I got home from work today almost all of the candles had large amounts of FO seepage, not just little drops. Yes, I put in 3/4 of an oz, .75oz, to 1 pound of wax for these 4 scents. Been as high as 1.5oz per pound with little issue before.

I have remelted the candles in the oven and once melted I placed them on the counter. So far so good. Smooth tops this time not foamy.

I have been making candles for about 3 years+ and have never seen so many candles with 'foamy' tops or so much FO seepage. I will just go back to what I know works. I will try altering the pouring temp to find what works for me and this new wax.

I should have remembered. "If it ain't broke Don't fix it." After I learn this new wax I will slowly try other things to improve the candles.

I'm in Florida near Tampa and wanted to try placing the candles in a warmed oven for a slower cool down, especially with temp swings in my place from ~83 during the day to ~67 at night. Trying to save some money on electric.

On a different note about the excel wax. I have 4 candles, 6oz (12 sided jars), Amish Harvest scent, red color that I am testing with different wicks. ECO 10, HTP 93, LX 22, and RRD 34. Figured I would test the different wicks since I had them laying around. So far they all work but the HTP 93 is a bit much for that jar, larger flame than the others, deep melt pool, mushrooming. ECO 10 and RRD 34 burn about the same. Nice flame and melt pool. LX 22 is the slowest burn with a smaller flame and a little hangup on the side ,which should correct when it burns down a bit more, but seems to work fine so far.

Jim R.

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