jbrooks

I put my candles in the oven, melt them down, then pour any unwanted wax into a huge bowl lined with parchment paper and sit on counter to cool. Once cooled, you can pop out the whole thing with the parchment paper and dispose of it. Wash and reuse jars.

I agree OldGlory, the only way to know for sure is lots and lots of testing and notes. I was simply suggesting that in some situations it seems like there would be sort of a catchall suggestion (ie- great CT/no HT - probably the wick) etc etc. I wasn't just asking about my particular set of variables so much as a starting reference point for certain issues.

Thanks for you input!!!

Okay, sorry for the long topic title!  I am still in the testing phase (on and off for roughly one year) and I have a hard time telling which element is giving me an issue when I test.  I am mainly trying to start this thread to focus on how you may be able to narrow down problems during the testing phase. I definitely could use some guidance, and I'm sure a quick list would be good for others as well.

 

For instance, if you are using a fragrance oil and the cold throw is great, but you get no hot throw(my current issue)... would you suspect this to be an issue with your wax, your FO, or your wick?  I would assume it would be a wicking issue, since there is a good CT, but I'm not sure if I'm thinking about it properly.  There are all kinds of issues that show up like this and I assume some of the more seasoned board members generally look to one of the 3 (wax/FO/wick) for certain issues. For us newbies, when it's so hard to tell which element isn't working, it's easy to want to scrap it all and try something totally different across the board. 

 

The biggest ones seem to be related to throw - no HT/no CT, good HT/CT but weak on the other, great burn but no throw, etc etc etc, Another biggie seems to be smoking/sooting wicks. I've had so many times I thought a wick was working well, but still had too much smoke!

 

Looking forward to hearing any input, and thanks for reading!

JBrooks:

I haven't tried wooden wicks but at some point I will. What do you use them for?

I use a 10 oz jar that is 3" in diameter. I'm testing 4627 and 3022, and I get mine from woodcandlewick. They have a bajillion sizes there but they also offer a good sampler kit to try, that's where I would start! They've been nice so far, but I'm still dabbling and haven't made any decisions. Definitely worth trying out though!

I wish you so much good luck! I've been testing on and off for a little more than a year, and wicking still has me tripped up. You're already doing better than I was, I was all over the place. I tried about 6-8 waxes and I have sample packs of every kind of wick. Finally in the past couple of months I have narrowed down to 2 waxes for testing and have had the best luck with wooden wicks, surprisingly!

It's definitely a journey, but you're off to a great start!!!

I also wanted to add to this -and it may just be me- but in my (limited) experience, too much fragrance oil also distorts some/many scents really badly. There are lots of oils that I like at 6-7% but I don't think smell very great closer to 10%. Again, may just be me but wanted to voice that opinion

Do you guys think that it would be wise to buy a masterbuilt that has been used (twice) for actually frying turkey? There's one on my local craigslist for a good price, but I don't know how well you could clean it :/

What did you figure out? I've been experimenting with this one for a while now. Most rain FOs just don't cut it IMO. What did you do?

I was thinking a blend of Dirt, Clary Sage, And Camphor... but come to think of it Gaia might work?

Is there a specific 'Dirt' f/o that you like? Would love to find one to mix into several scents. I really want a wet mossy fragrance and don't know where to look because SOS gets such mixed reviews!

I always wait to trim my wick just before I relight it and then I trim it really really close with those big toe nail clippers and try to get all the "burned" wood trimmed off. Works like a charm! This might help Jbrooks but don't know about the original poster!

Thanks for the tip!!!

Do you guys using the rebatch bases find that they sweat or are they pretty sweat resistant?

I have purchased candles with this fragrance from another maker, and they called it Christmas Past, which I thought was pretty evocative of the smell

I am having a smoke problem, but it's because I am testing with 4627. On top of that, I'm testing wooden wicks, so the combination is a nightmare to wick. First burn is usually great, then on subsequent burns as soon as you light the candle, smoke pours out of the wick. It seems like the wood wick really sucks up the wax, because when I go to touch it/trim it after it's been blown out and sitting, the wick is super greasy. Anyone know if adding a small amount of soy (10%) would help this issue? I don't have any straight soy laying around so would have to order some to test.

 

Anyhow, I know this isn't the exact same issue as you are having OP, but it really does seem to all boil down to the wick with smoke.  Soot further down in the jar might be a little different, but I think if you light up the wick and it immediately starts smoking, it's definitely the wick.

A fragrance is technically a formula and yes it can be copyrighted. A dupe of a popular fragrance or perfume is not an exact copy but carefully simulated to smell the same.

 

Now, these are actually 2 different things. Yes, I totally agree that a formula can be copyright protected (I am not sure if they actually are, or if they are just 'owned'). A fragrance or scent cannot. There was recently a Lancome (L'Oreal) lawsuit regarding this exact issue (specifically suing a company for making a knockoff of Tresor, although not keeping that name) and L'Oreal lost. If they can't enforce copyright law in relation to fragrance and win with all of their company money, it is pretty safe to say it is not enforceable under copyright laws.

 

Copyright laws protect an intellectual work that is precise and clearly identifiable. It has been ruled in court (in this particular case) that fragrance is subjective, neither precise nor clearly identifiable. You can google the case to read more legal jabber on the topic, but as it stands, no fragrance in and of itself is going to be copyright protected. Just wanted to clear that up

 

But absolutely, names and logos/likeness are copyright protected and legally actionable.

I have a question about this -

 

I found this same Turk n Surf fryer on craigslist, but it has been used to actually fry a turkey (2 times.)  I want to buy it, but would it even be possible to clean it well enough to use for wax?  I'm really worried that it wouldn't be able to be cleaned, and I don't want to throw money away with it if it will be unusable.

 

Thanks for any info! 

Same holds true for fragrance copies.

Fragrance/scent can't actually be copyrighted, it's the name that is copyright protected. Just FYI

I have been using the black liquid dye from CandleScience and I like it, but I don't have any others to compare to - it's the only one I have used so far.

I know that a lot of Thanksgiving stuffings have apple, so maybe something like 'Herb & Apple Dressing' or just even Autumn Herbs or Autumn Apple?

I've been using wicks from woodcandlewick and have had good luck with them so far! They also seem to have to largest number of sizes available, which is nice but of course, takes more work in testing!  So far wooden wick have done better for me than CDs as far as throw is concerned.

Thanks Steve! This is sort of what I was leaning towards thinking, that possibly I just need to ditch some of the oils I have tried based on being too weak. Its annoying when you really like a fragrance and it just doesn't throw well. Do you find that 3022 is finicky with scents (because of having so much soy) or do you think it generally throws most things you put in it?

I have really had more luck with this wax than any other I have tried, so I'm definitely determined to stick with it and figure it out! First wax I have felt a real attachment to.

Also, to add, I do seem to get a better/stronger throw with the wooden wicks, for whatever reason. I thought it would be easier to wick with woodens, but I really do find it harder to get a mix of good burn with minimal smoke when using wooden wicks. The CDs burn well, but the throw doesn't seem as strong with them.

Thanks for the input! 3022 is something like 70soy/30para. I will try more curing. I haven't sent any testers out either, but I may look into that. Up until now I didn't really feel comfortable with anyone testing but myself, but I am getting more comfortable now that I know they burn safely.

Also, yes 30 drops per pound is really high BUT this wax is very very creamy and it takes that amount to get it to go a true black color. I have definitely tried less, but if I want black in this wax, it has to be 30 drops/pound.

Again, thanks for all the advice, and any additional is very welcome!!

So, I'm having some throw issues and I wonder if anyone could guide me in the right direction. I think I am doing everything correctly, so I just have a few questions.

 

Firstly, I have tested several waxes (4630, 6006, 4627) and I definitely seem to have the best luck with 3022. I could basically never get much of a throw at all from other wax/wick combos. Having said that, the throw is still not exactly as strong as I would like. I definitely get a hot/cold throw, but I feel like it could be stronger compared to some of the 'higher end' candles that I burn here at home. I have been using both CD (18 & 20) and wooden wicks  (from woodcandlewick) in 10 oz Monticiano jars (3" dia).

 

So the process for me has been:

Put wax in presto pot and heat to 185/190

Put F/O in warmed pyrex pour pot (I have used 6% and 10%)

Pour wax directly into F/O in warmed pour pot

Stir until incorporated (1 min?)

Add 30 drops/pound of black liquid dye (I have translucent black jars and really want pitch black candles)

Pour candles and cool

Testing next day

 

So the questions I really have are

(1) am I heating hot enough or too hot?

(2) should I cool the wax a bit before adding it to the F/O?

(3) would adding that amount of dye bind up my scent somehow?

(4) do you really need to let 3022 cure longer than 1 day?

 

I am really really feeling like I am on the right track for the first time in the past year that I have been testing.  I'm very excited, and I actually feel like my candles are "okay" for the most part, but would love a really strong hot throw and I only feel like mine is alright.

 

Thanks so much for any help!!

 

 

 

I can't make a suggestion for the best, but want to add that I can't seem to get Peaks 'Winter Orange Spice' to work for me without smelling very very fuel-y. If it would work, it would be a nice one!

Thanks so much for the replies! The CDN's are about 12$ cheaper per 200ct from Southwest Candle, including shipping (wicks much less than CC, shipping more than CC.) I think I will try from them

 

Thanks again!

I have a big sample slab of Clarus 3022 that I want to test out, and I keep reading about many of you guys using CDN wicks. I already order several f/o's from CandleScience and was wondering if their CSN wicks are the same (or similar) to the CDN's. 

 

If they aren't, where do you guys order your CDNs and/or CDs? I haven't tried wicking the 3022 yet, but I would much rather start out with a wick that is easier for me to get. Not sure if it's worth adding a supplier just for wicks, opinions?

I really like Blue Spruce from CS. It has a winter/holiday feel but is really great all year. I also like Christmas Hearth, but it can get a little too smokey for me.