geekrunner

Silly! You wait for the wax to set up! geek

Those are pretty clever. When I was trying to come up with a good name for a candle company, I was goofing around and though of "Trailer Park" candles. Some FOs would have been Biscuits 'n Gravy, Dirty Laundry, Wet Dog, Pull My Finger, etc. your trailer park geek

According to Jason at GB the additive is soy-based, so you could say it is 100% soy. IMO geek

You have an interesting approach here! Please do let us know how it works. When I have tested GB wax I have always heated to 185 and added FO at 175. For the 464 I poured at 135 into slightly warmed jars, just enough to take the chill off. Good luck and may the Force be with you! geek

I'll bet soy wax won't do windows, or even do cartwheels I must be off! geek

I wholeheartedly place my geekrunner ***Seal of Approval*** on Golden Brands wax. Not all work well for everyone, but the variety of waxes means you'll find one that works for you. geek

I don't think you can really control how the tops look after burning unless you use paraffin in place of any other additive. If you want to use just enough to smooth out the tops and pour hot, 20% paraffin works. Typically 30% is the most used percentage. Also BW and paraffin don't play well together. Paraffin doesn't necessarily soften the wax but it does in practice allow you to use smaller wicking than straight soy. geek

You are close with the 60/40 but you have to include the USA (universal soy additive) too. I'm currently testing Premier 700 and CDs. The HTPs mushroom too badly and are making the wax smell like burned wick. Don't worry about being a noob, we were all noobs at one time. geek

I do get very good results from 415 and BW but I hate waiting to pour, and I can't pour it hot without getting air pockets. I'm testing six fall holiday FOs with the new blend and then will compare to 415/BW. What I like with the blend is that the 402 softens up the 415 enough to allow me to single wick the 3 1/2" keepsake jar, where I have to double wick the 415/BW. geek

Funny you should ask! The 402 is probably more like the 464 than 415. 415 is definitely a higher MP and harder wax. I have been mixing the two in various percentages with USA to get a blend that I can pour hot, and hopefully avoid any pitfalls that come with variations between batches. I can't tell you my specific blend, 'cause then I'd have to send my hit squad out and have you sleeping with the fishes but if play around with a 402/415 blend that is mostly 415 and has a little USA you'll have a pretty decent wax that you can pour as hot as 150, and only need to zap with a heat gun to smooth out the top. I must be off! geek

I have burned the candle abnormally to see how it behaved, however the intial burn was for four hours. I got a Green Apple scented one. I think I have major candlenose, cause I can only smell it if I stand over it. But mrs. geek says it smells great! We just have it in the bedroom and light it for special occasions It appears to be burning fine, and sets up just like a soy candle does. Only a small touch of frosting on the top. If I were just a candle customer, and did not make my own, I would buy more of these. geek

I've always wanted to use this so here you go! :awww: You can add 4 oz of wax to drop the FO load to 6% HTH! geek

By simply admitting you have a problem, you are on the first step to recovery (maybe) There is a Mad Scientist that hides within us, always seeking to achieve perfection. To have that one moment, when the platform rises to the open window on that dark, stormy day, and the lightning bolt strikes the rod, energizing and awakening the Monster we have created. Then, only then may we shout to the heavens, "It's alive, IT'S ALIVE!!! Bwahaahaahaa!!!!" Seriously, though, I think it's because we know that CP soap won't burn down a house like a candle will, that drives us to perfection. The chemical reaction of somone lathering up with a bar of soap is much different and more predictable than the mixing of FO and vegetable based wax, then setting it on fire. But I do understand your obsession. Wax testing keeps me off the streets and out of jail geek

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Think of a slightly beefier LX and that is what you'll have. geek

Welcome! One thing you might consider, since you are in the DFW area, is the Greenleaf soy or their 70/30 parasoy. Greenleaf is in Grand Prairie, which may be relatively close to you (of course close is a relative term in the Metroplex--I have family there in Euless and know). If you are committed to using the C3 then you are getting great advice from this board! geek

I do like them for the size range, and so far in soy they mushroom less, and if you blow them out (as opposed to dipping the wicks to extinguish) there is less afterglow and smoking. They do curl, and it is difficult to tell which way they will bend. They are very competitively priced, but you have to buy 1000 at a time. Great for bigger operations, but a little price prohibitive for a budding candle operation. Perhaps someone can start a a Premier 700 wick co-op? geek

Well, I really didn't get to work with the 449 much, but I found it did work a little better than the 444. Sorry I'm not much help there geek

It is from the Jar Store: http://www.jarstore.com/product.asp?itemid=118&catid=[catid] It is imported from China. geek

I would want full adhesion first and foremost; barring that, no adhesion at all. I have noticed that, although mrs geek keeps telling me women care more about the candle smelling good, and that it lasts a long time. I'd be interested in any tips on heating, pouring, etc. Currently I follow the instructions KY provided. Heat to 185, add FO right away, stir and pour at 160-165. I preheat the jars too. Cover with box to try and slow down cooling. geek

Along with toiling long hours on soy, I wanted a candle that looked great and was not a huge hassle. I was able to color plain soy and have it turn out well, but after some time the frosting would creep back. It was too much work. So I decided to sell all soy candles plain, and use a parasoy for colored candles. I really like the Greenleaf parasoy, but it costs too much to ship to me. I tried the KY Parasoy and though it doesn't quite behave the same, it does pretty well! The only thing it does not do as well as the GL is wet spots/adhesion. It pulls away from the jar, while the GL adheres very well. Given the price and shipping difference, I'm inclined to go with the KY. Any KY users/former users out there with opinions one way or the other? geek

As many of you know, I love the jar, but had some trouble wicking it earlier in the year. I had a test candle fail due to drowning wicks. Also, some of our 415 users had similar problems with drowning wicks in different jars, and others with the same jar with wicking issues. At that point, I started to panic and began my Mad Scientist quest for my own perfect soy blend. Naturally, GB had introduced and given us samples of their new container waxes, the 444, 449, and 464. Some worked OK, some worked well, some not at all. Anyway, after much testing, late nights, cursing and hair pulling (not to mention bad advice from my lab assistant, Bobbie the Bobcat) I think I've found a good wax blend that is 100% soy AND allows me to single wick in the 16 oz melting pot jar. It uses either 464 alone or 402 with 2-3% USA. for my keepsake jars, I'm using a proprietary blend of 415 and 402 with USA, and am still experimenting with using BW in place of the USA. The entire purpose of my experiments was to find a blend that would throw well and still allow me to pour relatively hot (125-135) with minimal post pour maintenance. Along with working in the MP jar. I welcome your comments! geek

I have them, and intially had trouble wicking them. I"m not sure if my experience will help you much, since I primarily do soy and parasoy. You may be able to single wick that jar if you use a blended paraffin like J50, but it would need to be pretty hot, and an HTP may soot excessively. It seemed that double wicks would starve for air, but wicking up to the next size would be too hot. If you are trying out a soy you might try a single LX30. What works for me in the Melting Pot is HTP1312 with GB 402 and 2% USA. I am having better luck also with 415 and 3% BW double wicked with Premier 700 wicks. The LX30 may work with the J50 also. Another thing, the 16 oz MP jar will hold 16 oz and still leave room for air space, but you could also just fill it wiht 15 oz and have a little more air space to hold in more heat, to help spread the melt pool out some. HTH! geek

My uncolored soy will yellow under UV. I have left some candles on my kitchen table, and after three weeks of sunlight striking it you can see the yellowing was only on that side of the candle. geek

As Top would say: "Welcome to the wonderful world of soy!" geek