EUROPEAN Candlemakers - EU Palm wax test

Hi everyone, I'm testing the samples Ubure sent me. The first is "Spidernet" palm wax.

This wax is really beautiful, in US something similar is called "tortoise" (the one sold at CS I believe). Anyway, here are four pics.

Two front pics to show you the pattern, one from the top and one of the bottom.

It gets hard as a rock once cooled, and you can see some cracks in the bottom. Also, the leftover in the pot tends to curve and deform. Following Ubure's advice I used a 3% FO, no additives (besides UV inibhitor). I used peak's Coconut milk and the cold throw is strong. It came out of the mold really easily. Today I will do a test burn, and let you know how it goes. I usually wick palm with fb 36 ply so I'm going to do same today.

HTH

Thanks for looking.

Looking good Sabrina, I'm going to give that a try soon. Lovely purple btw.

Sally.

Perfect, then we can share results here. I'm burning that pillar and I'm at 2 hours mark, at three hours I'll blow it out and post pics (and impressions).

It's really so nice, Sabrina - thank you so much for testing it!!

Hope everything will be to your satifaction.

Inez, thansk to you for letting me try it! I like it, I don't know about the little cracks it develops, maybe you could ask the supplier if some additive could be needed or if it0s just the nature of the beast (to me it is). here it is the first 3 hours burn, the hot throw is good, I think we can see what happens adding a bit more fo. Also, some crack formed around the shell while burning. Anyway, the pics!

1)15 minutes

2)1 hour

3)2 hours

4)3 hours

OO I love that glow, how thick is an acceptable thickness of shell with this palm?

Sally.

OO I love that glow, how thick is an acceptable thickness of shell with this palm?

Sally.

Hi Sally, what you see in the last pic could be acceptable. I know it seems a lot but it will get thinner and thinner everytime you light the candle. palm wax is hard and doesn't curl in and you can't hug it. Tomorrow I will do the second burn and show you how the shell becomes.

HTH

About those cracks - I will check this with the supplier. I didn't notice this with the other waxes - so thanks for the hint (burn lovely though, imo!).

About those cracks - I will check this with the supplier. I didn't notice this with the other waxes - so thanks for the hint (burn lovely though, imo!).

This wax is different than other palm waxes. As I told you the one I have here is almost the same. All palm waxes are hard but they are also brittle, this is like stone. It seems the tension is so high that it cracks.. anyway when you hear from the supplier let us know. I think it's the nature of it, and I can live with it, but maybe presenting it to a customer requires some explanation!

I just unmolded the granite one, beautiful, tomorrow I will post it here. Thanks again Inez!

When things go right with my soy/para pillars I get left with a shell measuring approx. 5mm,sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. This usually stays intact & I'm happy with that. If the palm burns in a similar way after a second/ third burn I'd say it was behaving very well, & you've done a good job with it.

Can't wait to see the granite one.

Sally.

very nice. ecoysoya pillar blend was does the same cracking thing. I hated it so don't make pillars right now. will probably try again with a para/soy blend as I just can't accept cracks round the candle like that. They get worse - when the candle burns down further the whole top of the candle splits apart.....

Sabrina, at what temp did you melt/pour? I have noticed that when I pour palm wax on the cool side, more cracks develop than when it is poured hot. Perhaps the addition of some stearic acid would reduce the cracking?

Not being in EU, I am not familiar with this wax. I don't know what size the pillar is, but if it is that close to the edge at 3 hours, there will be no shell as it will burn away on subsequent burns.

It looks LOVELY!!

very nice. ecoysoya pillar blend was does the same cracking thing. I hated it so don't make pillars right now. will probably try again with a para/soy blend as I just can't accept cracks round the candle like that. They get worse - when the candle burns down further the whole top of the candle splits apart.....

Hi Nat, my guess is that this type of wax is not only palm. But this only the supplier can tell. I blew it out and when it colled the surface cracked completely.

Other palm waxes don't do so!

Sabrina, at what temp did you melt/pour? I have noticed that when I pour palm wax on the cool side, more cracks develop than when it is poured hot. Perhaps the addition of some stearic acid would reduce the cracking?

Not being in EU, I am not familiar with this wax. I don't know what size the pillar is, but if it is that close to the edge at 3 hours, there will be no shell as it will burn away on subsequent burns.

It looks LOVELY!!

Hi Stella, I poured at the same temp I always do, at 203 F (95 C), as per supplier raccomandation.

It's just the wax that is completely different. The pillar is a 3" diameter. Mine usually leave a thin "wall", in some spots more thin, like leaves. I'll burn it again and take pics.

Thanks!

the surface cracked completely.

Other palm waxes don't do so!

Well heck! :undecided You sure poured it plenty hot enough! The next set of photos should be velly interesting... This is what I hate about these "secret" wax formulas - makes it so tough to troubleshoot! You gonna try any additives on future projects?

They are really pretty.

Update!

I'm showing you all a pic of the spider palm wax after the first burn, to show you how it cracked once the melt pool cooled down. Also, a new crack appeared near the bottom. Today I'll do a second burn.

The other pics are the granite palm wax.

This time I used 5% FO without problems. No additives and it came out easily of the mold. No cracks in this, it's differnt than the spider wax.

Hope you enjoy. Thanks for looking!

Wow the granite is awesome.

Am interested to see if the cracks open up during the second burn.

Sally.

Wow the granite is awesome.

Am interested to see if the cracks open up during the second burn.

Sally.

yes the granite is wonderful. I'm burning the spider one now, then I'll post the pics!

Update!

I'm showing you all a pic of the spider palm wax after the first burn, to show you how it cracked once the melt pool cooled down. Also, a new crack appeared near the bottom. Today I'll do a second burn.

The other pics are the granite palm wax.

This time I used 5% FO without problems. No additives and it came out easily of the mold. No cracks in this, it's differnt than the spider wax.

Hope you enjoy. Thanks for looking!

so is that pure paraffin? How much granite additive did you put in per pound of wax?

I didn't get a spider one - I got peacock and granite...is the peacock the same as the spider?

Nat

so is that pure paraffin? How much granite additive did you put in per pound of wax?

I didn't get a spider one - I got peacock and granite...is the peacock the same as the spider?

Nat

Hi Nat. This is only palm wax, no additives needed.

The granite effect is the effect of the palm wax.

I don't have peacock, I just have spider, granite and feather (this I have to try next).

Just pour and see what happens, remember to use high pouring temps or the crystalization won't show.

If you need something just write me!

I poured a spider two days ago - I will post some pics as soon as I burn it. If it cracks this way we don't need this wax.

The granite is wonderful - I poured it several times now and it works each time - no probs with this. Only hope it won't crack as well!!

Natty, the spider isn't the same as the peacock. I posted some pics in the gallery some time ago - did you see them? The peacock was among them as well:

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57156

I really appreciate all of you doing some testing for me so we get reliable results and therefore can order good stuff, right?

Oh ok so I just use this stuff on it's own. I didn't get enough to pour a pillar though - i've only got a little bag and that won't be enough to fill anything other than my smallest mould, and then I won't get to see the effects very well as the surface area will be small. That's why I thought it was just an additive, as there wasn't enough to pour a whole candle.

So what's this palm fat stuff you sent me? That's just a replacement for soy?

Nat

Oh ok so I just use this stuff on it's own. I didn't get enough to pour a pillar though - i've only got a little bag and that won't be enough to fill anything other than my smallest mould, and then I won't get to see the effects very well as the surface area will be small. That's why I thought it was just an additive, as there wasn't enough to pour a whole candle.

So what's this palm fat stuff you sent me? That's just a replacement for soy?

Nat

Nat, I had about 250 gr of each type, I poured in a 3" x 3" mould and the pillars are very short but it's enough to do a two-three burns and to see the effects. All the pics I took are these little dwarf pillars!

I don't know what's exactly palm fat but yes I think it's a container wax.

Let's see what inez has to tell about it!

I poured a spider two days ago - I will post some pics as soon as I burn it. If it cracks this way we don't need this wax.

The granite is wonderful - I poured it several times now and it works each time - no probs with this. Only hope it won't crack as well!!

Natty, the spider isn't the same as the peacock. I posted some pics in the gallery some time ago - did you see them? The peacock was among them as well:

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57156

I really appreciate all of you doing some testing for me so we get reliable results and therefore can order good stuff, right?

Inez, thanks to you for sending me these waxes. I really appreciate it, you are giving me a great occasion to source for my little business.

Granite, feather, frost in my suppositions won't crack. I don't know about peacock, we need to know it by someone who makes the test!