EmJean

Hi everyone,

Do you use one wick type (per wax and container) or do you find that you need to use different types depending on the FO used? I am using Ecosoya CB135 wax in a square 8 oz mason jar. I started off with Peaks cotton wicks (C-70 & C75 mostly) and then started testing with the LX wicks. I've been mainly testing 4 scents so far and tend to lean more towards the LX in each one. I would like to use just one wick type in this jar but is that realistic?

Emily

I read somewhere once to mark up freight costs based on weight of the finished product. So one idea I had was to average out the freight costs per lb on my supply orders and then weigh my candle and multiple to get the mark up. Obviously the cost could vary a lot depending on how much you order at a time but I try to make sure I get the most for my freight dollars when I place my orders.

I haven't set up my etsy shop or started advertising yet so this hasn't actually been put into practice.

Emily

OH, nevermind about the burning, I see now it's a melt...

Interesting....I haven't seen this before. What kind of wax is it? I'm curious how it will burn for you.

Is that completely cooled?

I see the flickering too. As long as the flame isn't too tall and it's not sooting, I always considered it fine.

Good to know...I have been avoiding pillars because of the whole priming thing. Maybe I will start playing around with those

You should most definitely call back. You have two issues - crappy packaging and being treated rudely. You might feel better if you call back and talk to the president and he makes it right.

Emily

Hey Andrew,

They are made out of soy (ecosoya CB135) and I seem to have better luck with the pink and brown candles with frosting (those are the ones I shipped). I have some teal colored Cucumber Melons that frost every time they cool after being lit. I know it's not affecting the burn but they just look so nice without it! Including a card is a great idea though. I think I will use that when I start selling...thanks for the tip!

I think I would take your 0 degrees today. Here in MN it's about -18. Too cold for the car to start which means I got to stay home from work and make candles. I guess I can't complain about that...

Emily

Isn't that the best feeling in the world when all of that testing pays off!! So glad you found your HT

Thank you!! I'll give the warm water or microwave a try!! Appreciate it..

separately before pouring in? How high would you warm it?

Well, I don't have very conclusive results for you...the last tarts I poured were Cucumber Melon with 70% ecosoya CB/30% ecosoya PB and they frosted horribly. This time I poured it with 50/50 and used Amish Harvest and Pink Sugar. They look beautiful so far. I covered one from each FO and there is no difference in the covered vs uncovered except for a very small frosting spot on one of the uncovered Amish Harvest. And I did notice the film on the tops while they were cooling. In my case, I think the added PB helped or it was just the Cucumber Melon FO that was giving me problems. I had other issues with CM in my container wax today...

Sorry that's not a ton of help...

I will. I didn't get to it last weekend so it's back on the list for today. My day is getting away with me though....I will let you know!

Hi everyone,

So I started putting my FO in (~185 in ecosoya CB 135) before my dye so I can see it mix in with the wax. Usually it looks kind of swirly until it completely disappears. Twice now I have poured Cucumber Melon and it looks like there is a bunch of little flakes in the wax. This is the only scent I have noticed this with. I get OK HT with CM but it's definitely not as strong as I would like. Any ideas?

Emily

Kandlekrazy - I wrapped each individual candle (there were 10) in bubble wrap then stuffed packing peanuts around everything. The only thing that did not have bubble wrap was the tops. They did have a lid with a lid liner but they also were the only part that frosted. Not sure if bubble wrap could really help that much or if it was just a coincidence? In 10 degree weather, I know they were getting cold either way!

Like 8-GRAN-ONES said, trying different waxes was too much trouble for me too. I started with a blend that came in a slab (dont remember what it was) and then tried Ecosoya CB 135 in flakes. I loved how much easier it was to work with, and clean up, but felt like I should try some other kinds. I bought some samples and poured some but never even really finished burning them. For me, I needed one thing that was a constant or it was way too overwhelming. So I am sticking with the ecosoya and slowly learning all the tweaks I need to do to make a great candle. And I love this board - I have learned so much from everyone here!

Don't get discouraged! I was in your same situation - no hot throw and really bummed about it. I was also adding my FO in at around 150 and that was my problem. I use just soy wax and started heating to 190, cooling to ~185 and adding my FO. It made a huge difference in the HT! I would give that a try and see if you get better results.

Well, the candles arrived looking great! My aunt said there was no frosting on the sides and just a little bit on the top of the candle. I'm pretty happy with that considering the temperature here in MN when they shipped.

Yeah, I will let you know!

Well, mine left today from MN to OR so we shall see! At least they are going to my aunt so she can tell me exactly what they look like when they arrive. They just looked so beautiful when I was packing them up last night....my fingers are crossed

Have you tried covering them while they cool? I poured some tarts this afternoon with ecosoya PB blend and I got the same thing. It doesn't leave frosting on my container candles though and I had some of those cooling at the same time. I'm going to try to get to another tart batch tonight and try covering them this time..

I use ecosoya CB and see that on the top of my wax before I pour and also on the surface of the candle while it's cooling. I always just assumed it was the wax starting to cool and harden because it never left any strange appearance after the candle was completely cooled. And, I only notice it when the wax starts to get close to my pouring temperature (105ish).

Emily

Do you worry about your soy candles showing up majorly frosted and cracked in the cold winter months? Anything you do to help prevent this? It's about 10 degrees here now and I'm shipping a few to my aunt for Christmas. Just wondering if there are any precautions I can take while packaging?

Thank you both!

Unfortunately the wick size up makes the glass super hot. So far the flame is small but doesn't look like it's small enough to go out. I'm thinking this still has a chance to catch up but I'm worried about those people who may burn the candle for short amounts of time. I don't think this would stand a chance with short burns. I will try your wick suggestions and do some more testing. Good thing I love this scent!

Emily