GoldieMN

I'm testing Tobacco from RE/AH ATM and am a but disappointed. 2week cure and little to no HT. :-(

Maybe I need to try Aztec'

Are you testing "Cuban Tobacco" from RE/AH? They rate that one as "strong" for soy throw. I've noticed a couple of their fragrances that I have had problems getting a good hot throw from, are rated "not tested" for soy. So I thought I just had to avoid buying anything they hadn't tested. Hmmm. . .so I can't help you. What container, wick, soy, & % of oil are you using?

GoldieMN

Goldie, I tested 415 with Aztec's blackberry sage (which is very strong in 464 with a 790 Premier wick) and I did NOT get a great HT. I like the fact that 415 doesn't frost, but it also doesn't throw for me. If you don't color your wax I would suggest trying 464. I use 6% fo load.

 

However, some others here on the board get a strong HT using 9% fo load in 415. I think you should consider doing this if you want to stick with 415. I wouldn't mind changing to 415 at some point simply for the fact that it doesn't frost, but I am sure my clients would not be happy with the price increase I would have to apply if I increased my fragrance load by 50%.

 

Btw, Trappeur also uses 464, and that's why she is having good results with the same fragrances I am. I think she also uses a bit more fo than I do.

 

Oh, and I have not tried their cinnamon buns yet.

 

I recently bought some Black Sea and it's really nice, very complex OOB. I put it in melts and they are strong but I haven't put it in candles.

I don't color my wax. I've done all my testing with 415 which is what I started with and have on hand. Someone mentioned that more oil doesn't necessarily mean better hot throw so I've tried to stay between 6-8%. If I could get a great throw with 9%, I'd be ok since I'm not selling wholesale and can keep prices as they are.

Right now, I'm ordering:

Cinnamon Bun-1oz(1)

Tobacco -1oz(1)

Spiced Pear-1oz(1)

Blueberry Cobbler-1oz(1)

Sweet Potato & Brown Sugar -1oz(1)

Mistletoe Kisses-1oz(1)

Cozy Cabin-1oz(1)

Fresh Linen-1oz

I can't stand anything flowery as my asthma acts up so I don't make candles with those fragrances. Other than that, anything else I should try from Aztec?

GoldieMN

I don't remember which ones I sent other than Blackberry Sage and Tobacco. Did she say what other types of scents she wants?

Sweet Potato and Brown Sugar is killer in 464.

Volcano, a new one, is very nice - very citrusy.

Mistletoe Kisses is gorgeous. It's very strong in 464 and very complex. There's a bit of pine note in it, and some fruity notes. A former client of mine built their entire business on this scent. (I sold the heck out of room sprays mixing this 50/50 with white tea and ginger.)

Spring Rain explodes out of the candle jar. Unbelievably strong. To me it's a little green and a lot jasmine.

White Tea and Ginger is awesome - very green and floral.

Lovespell is uber strong.

Omg, the Baked Apple Pie is extremely strong and right on the money.

Cozy Cabin is very strong - to me it smells like an old log cabin that has had 50 years of wood burning fires in the fireplace.

Apple Jack is strong.

Fresh Linen is strong. I actually cut back a bit on this FO.

I'm going to try Aztec's fragrances as I'm not getting the strong throw I want from testing other companies' oils. So with the sample sale, I will try quite a few of your suggestions. Thanks! Have you tried their cinnamon bun? I'm using 415 soy and Premier wicks in pint canning jars.

GoldieMN

I've been testing Rustic Essentuals Cinnabon in Golden 415 and love the scent.  Not getting the throw I want with 10% oil so going to up it.  I'm seeing recommendations of 6% all the way to 2 ounces/pound for 415 from various companies who sell it.  Would you go that high? Two ounces/pound?

Goldie

Just wanted to revise this post. I was not using 10%. It was 6.25%.

GoldieMN

Today's the day! Poured the 1/2 pint jars on June 1, so lighting up today. I will take photos as I go along. Starting with a fragrance that I actually blended myself so this may be a short test if I hate the smell.

Also poured a few more fragrances, yesterday. I remember reading somewhere that you should wait a certain number of days before covering them with their lids. Is that correct? Do you wait a few days or cover as soon as they are solid.

GoldieMN

I was going to pull weeds, but it is raining. So I will do a bit of cleaning then have some fun pouring candles. Just bought a new scale from WalMart that measures in .o5 ounces so I don't have to spend so much time converting or questioning myself. Gosh, I think I bought the right scale!!!

GoldieMN

Your bakers calculation above is correct.

Seriously, i would look into a traditional scale. It is simple enough to make mistakes without an extra layer of calculations. The KD7000 scale has been a work horse for me. I got 7 years out of my last one. And it measures in grams in addition to ounces so small batches are a snap.

Edited to add, are you sure your current scale does not have a setting switch or tiny button somewhere to make it work like a traditional scale?

Thanks. I definitely will check.

GoldieMN

I understand the two methods. What I'm wondering about is what do I use to measure the oil? How do I know I have 1 ounce, or .8 ounce, or .75 ounce. My scale does not show me ounces. Please all understand, I'm not trying to be difficult.

GoldieMN

Thankyou thankyou everyone!  Now lets just hope THEY SELL once the candles get in there......It's always great to get a new account and the -first order....it's just getting reorders that the thing is.  But I am so surprized with as huge as that store is and with the few other lines she has there that there is no canning jar candle and that apple house is nothing but a tremendously huge canning jar place.  She did tell me that the few other lines she has are all the upscale spa-ish type scents and they don't sell quickly so mine should do great....well I hope so  She did say that I better be prepared for the fall because it will be a mad house.  So I hope they sell.  This area is a big tourist area and there are a lot of little country shops around up here and I see lots of canning jars but was so surprized she didn't have any, so I'm hoping I could be an ace in the hole here.   We shall see.  Do you think 13.99 retail price which she will sell these at is a good price?

 

I've worked in one of the bigger shops in town that sells Black Crow Candle Pint Jars for $16.95. If you Google them, you will see they are very primitive; they take a few steps to get the finished jar which I believe gets hired out. Then there is one of the more upscale-stores that are selling a soy pint with their own private label on them for $10. Not sure how the person selling them to this store can be making any money. The only thing I can think of is the owner of the store is making them which I highly doubt. So, I think $13.99 is a good price.

I think some others pointed out that my method is incorrect. What they said is to add the complete mixture, for example, 15 oz of wax and 1 oz of FO, for a total of 16 oz. Then divide 1 oz by 16 oz to get the %. This method shows a % of the total. The way I have been doing it shows a % of FO to wax.

When I divide .33 oz by 5.5 oz I get 6%.But, when I divide .33 by 5.83 I get 5.66%.

I am not sure where .021 comes from.

Yes, I understand the two methods. The .021 comes from the reading on my scale when I THINK I have .33 oz of FO on it. My scale does not read in ounces but in % of a pound. So I took 16 oz. and multiplied by .33 to get .021. Don't laugh, but I made a complete chart for 6%-10% using wax in 1/2 lb. increments just to get something to use with this scale. Maybe I just need to buy a different scale.

GoldieMN

I do math the old fashioned way. What can I say - I'm old! LOL

 

To get the percentage of FO in your wax, divide the amount of FO in ounces by the amount of wax in ounces.

 

For example, if you are using 1 oz of FO and 16 oz of wax, 1 divided by 16 = .0625, or 6.25%

 

If you are using 5.5 oz of wax you would use .33 oz of FO to get a 6% load. If your scale doesn't measure 1/100ths, don't worry about it for a candle. Soap is a different story - you have to make sure your measurements are exact when using lye.

My scale measures by percentage of a pound. So if I follow your 5.5 oz of wax with .33 oz of FO example, my scale would read .021 on my scale. Right?

Fantastic! So glad it all worked out. The labels are beautiful.

GoldieMN

Hopefully once that first order is filled and they need more, things will run smoother.

I've given up doing special orders for my decorative art because it was "Could you add more flowers?" or "It isn't the exact color green I wanted". And I usually spent a lot more time on those items.

Hang in there. When your getting orders from all over, you will look back on this as a bump in the road.

GoldieMN

So beautiful. Great that you are enjoying your Mother's collection.

GoldieMN

Okay so I fixed the glass adhesion. I don't expect it to be perfect, but I didn't like how it was mostly separated. This is without additives. I still have the really good sides with the sprinkle of frost on top. Next I'll try the same thing with a little additive and see if I can clear up the top. Fragrance is now up to 9% and the throw is good. This one is a week old and I thought I'd take a pic before setting it on fire. The original no-additive tester hasn't changed in appearance.

 

IMG_20150527_205031.jpg

Wow, that is beautiful.

GoldieMN

Hi again Goldie! I think you might have missed the questions I had for you in this response.

How wide is your pint canning jar at it's widest, not at the top?

With the 780, what does the melt pool look like after 3 hours?

Is the hot throw noticeably better with the bigger wick?

Have you burned one all the way to the bottom with the 780?

Can you post some pictures of different points in the burn so we can help you better?

Premier wicks are Premier wicks. Who did you talk to at Aztec?

Well for heaven's sake, I thought I had responded. Sorry.

The jars are 3" at the widest. The 780 melt pool after 3 hours looks good to me: About 1/4" deep and all the way across. Cleans up nicely after each burn so very little left on the sides of the jars. Definitely a much better throw with the larger wick (780 vs 767). There is a large mushroom after 3 hrs. but I can live with that if everything else is good. I will post pictures as I continue testing.

The person who sent me the message was Travis Forrester.

Also taking your advice and checking out smaller, 1/2 pint jars.

Thanks,

GoldieMN

The Premier 780 wick on Aztec's site says it is "non-standard wick".  Is that the one to order?  Not sure what "non-standard wick" means.  Also, would Premiers be the same wicks from Aztec, to Fillmore Container, to The Flaming Candle Company, etc.?

GoldieMN

I asked Aztec and got this response:

"It is not a wick we normally recommend we only carry very small quantities of them. They are also all 6 ½ inches no matter what the diameter is."

So do I order from another supplier?

GoldieMN

Excellent point!

Thanks,

GoldieMN

These lids are .75/each plus shipping when you buy 10 or more.  Could a customer burn the candle with

the lid on? They are from CWI Gifts which is a wholesale site.

GoldieMN

I was scrolling the internet for some ideas and saw some of these pictures for ideas....Geesh, wouldn't it be just awesome to be able to do whatever you wanted without worrying about money?  There are so many beautiful things out there.....

 

I know you do a lot of business with Aztec Old Glory.....What about that flint jar with a rust lid.  They show the lid with the silver....but what if you asked them if the could get it with the rust finish?

 

Here is the apothecary with rust lid with ring.  Candle Soylutions has that ring....I've done that jar with that lid and it is really beautiful.

You might want to call Phill at TVG as I know he does custom rust lids and he has wonderful prices.  That lid might even look great on the status.

 

 

Then when I saw these lids, wouldn't they look great on a cube jar?

 

 

If you are doing the wood wick, they are going to be just beautiful.....I saw this picture....Geesh, what kid of jar is that in the white?  I'm not sure that I even like at all, the wood wick is beautiful and you do such beautiful colors in your candles and I can just imagine the vivid colors....

 

 

Now I ordered a frosted jar from Filmore and Community Candle has the brown craft lids and being that your candle is going into a box, would it matter if there is not a typical lid on the jar and there was something like this.  I really loved the look of these paper lids...

 

 

 

 

Now I love love this lid and looks like it is on the status jar.  This would be smashing I think with a great label on it.

Geesh, I hope I don't get in trouble with posting pictures from the internet?  Were just talking ideas, that's all.

 

 

Now who would have ever thought to put a wood lid on a piece of cyrstal....I was just thinking of me and my crystal jars I have been doing....he he he..This was just for fun.....

 

 

Then the status jar I know come with black metal lids...is that too dressy and not enough rusticity?  Just a thought.

 

Old Glory, what type boxing are you going with?  Plain white or a kraft look or the ones that CScience have with the open front?

Speaking of Candle Science, that jar they have in the big colorful picture with the soy wax done in the lavender is a gorgeous gorgeous jar....Beautiful look - but I don't know what lid goes with that...but I did see on the internet where someone went with a wood lid and it was awesome and I could just see your wood wick in it.

 

So what ideas have you come up with so far?

 

Trappeur

So many great ideas!  The crystal and wood is really a unique look, elegant but a bit rustic.  Is that a canning jar?  It looks silver to me.

GoldieMN

The Premier 780 wick on Aztec's site says it is "non-standard wick".  Is that the one to order?  Not sure what "non-standard wick" means.  Also, would Premiers be the same wicks from Aztec, to Fillmore Container, to The Flaming Candle Company, etc.?

GoldieMN

I can't remember if you said you are using dye or not - I think you are not using dye.

I would try the 780, not smaller. I have a Butter Rum from BCS and it's a very heavy oil, like a creme brulee or egg nog. I have not used the Butter Rum from RE, but I bet it's also a heavy oil. Heavier oils required bigger wicks. My bet is on the 780, but you'll have to try it.

Btw, I sell the heck out of 8 oz tins with 464 wax. I love this short wide mouth container and get an AWESOME ct and ht throw from it.

Do the tins get hot?  Hotter than a jar, that is.

GoldieMN

I would definitely try to go down one size.The trouble with a taller jar is the amount of heat it holds. Have you considered a shorter jar?

I am not sure most people will burn a candle for 4 hours. I usually test for a 3 hour burn. So, give it a few days, put the smaller wick in, and see how that burns.

That actually sounds like a perfect solution:  A shorter jar!  I was so set on the pint jars because that is a popular size in my area.  No reason why I HAVE to compete with those companies.  So I'm on my way to check prices on the square 1/2-pint canning jars.  Need to order more Premier wicks just not sure if I should order 765s&767s for the shorter jars or if I will still need the 780s.  Happy to test all three but don't want to have even more wicks around here that I won't use.

When I started testing pint canning jars which are 2 1/2" across the top, I followed the Premier wick charts recommending up to a 770 wick.  I was getting pretty good results with the 765 and 767 wicks until I hit a brick wall with two new oils which had little or no hot throw.  Tried upping the fragrance oil but still wasn't a good throw.  I didn't even think to go up in wick size until some of you suggested I was using too small of a wick.  The 780 is much better for these fragrances although I am getting a good-size mushroom after a 3-hour burn.  The charts don't take into account the height of the container but are a starting point, I guess is what I'm getting at.

GoldieMN

I've only bought from Aztec.  They were small quantities; straight, neatly packaged.

GoldieMN