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smcatharine

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    candles soap b&b

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  1. thanks, everyone! We sell quite a bit. We make them with 100% beeswax. I guess it is a "niche" market of people willing to spend more for tealights than usual! I usually make about 100 at a time. As I go on I spill more! :-( I try to get them filled as much as possible so that people get the best value for their money.
  2. Hi everyone! Anyone have any thoughts on the benefits of using a mold vs direct pour into cups? Have you used molds from Mann Lake or Betterbee or Candlewic? Do you know if the tea lights poured into molds can then be putting into the cups? I look forward to any advice! THANKS! Sr. Mary Catharine
  3. Steve, I had the same problem with PVC pipes. Sister said that she was in the candle shop and saw them pull the candle out of the pipe. It seems that the gas vent pipe is easier to get from places like Home Depot than it is in the US. And I think they do make a 2.5" mold. The monastery is in Squamish Valley, about 2 hours north of Vancouver. It's a beautiful area... when it isn't raining! When we were there the river and creek flooded and destroyed the Sisters' bridge so it was quite an adventure getting out in time for our flights home. http://www.dominicannunsbc.ca/Queen_of_Peace/Queen_of_Peace__.html Ayer Sales makes the pipes. They call them CPVC https://www.ayer.com/system-636/cpvc-system-636.htmlI need to double check that this is the correct one. TallTayl, that is what I thought! I mean that is is why it is called Square braid! The sisters use almost all recycled church candles so they use 51% beeswax. I use mostly 100% beeswax. We like to do tapers in silicone. I have metal molds for pillars and I have no problems. Today I dipped 48 pair of tapers! I'm still new to dipping and my biggest challenge right now is getting the wax melter to get down to the correct temperature! I'll let you know when I hear from the sisters and give you the exact info for the molds!
  4. Hi! I am a nun and this week I was visiting my sister-monastery in Canada. They make candles. They have a friend who has a candle shop in Vancouver and he said to use GAS VENT PIPES for molds NOT PVC. The candle comes out much better! He said to use MOLD RELEASE Powder in the mold as well. He suggested 60% beeswax and 40% soy or paraffin. Gas vent pipes look similar to PVC but it's not the same. Also, Sister said when i use Square braid wick to make sure that V you can see in the weave of the braid goes DOWN! Usually when you wick a mold from the bottom it would go UP! He said that helps it burn centered! I am excited about the mold as I want to make our Easter Candle next year!
  5. I use LX 18 for a 3" candle using 4627. Seems to burn well!
  6. Hi, everyone! haven't posted here for awhile. I've been making beeswax pillars and tapers for a while and I'm getting requests for TEALIGHTS! I know there have been a lot of discussion about those here. They are a challenge. I've been testing and testing wicks. I'm happy with how the 4/0 square braid burns, sort of Ok with LX 10 but my main problem is that I can't seem to get them to burn for 4 hours. Usually about 3.5 hours. I found that when I put the tealight in a holder it doesn't burn as well as on a plate. Hmm. Any suggestions? I want to get them to burn longer but I'm running out of ideas for wicks. I did try an ECO 1 as well. Thanks!
  7. An update! I poured a set at 180 and another at 170 and I notice a much better finish. Using mold release powder helped a lot. When I started I wasn't using any mold release spray. When I contacted CW I wonder if they were thinking parafin, not beeswax candles. Thanks, everyone, for your help! I have about 30 sets of tapers on order to make in the next few days besides the Advent candles so I'm super grateful! God bless you! Sister Mary Catharine
  8. ChrisR you're not the first person to say that Mann Lake molds are better. Unfortunately, I have 15 CW ones! I contacted CW about the molds and they told me to pour at 180-190. As a whole the candles stick a lot less but it's the finish I'm not happy with. When I pour in a metal or plastic mold I get a nice smooth and even finish but not in the taper molds. Is this a problem with Mann Lake molds?
  9. Hi, everyone! Last year I got 15 taper molds from Candlewic. I have been sucessfully making beeswax tapers to sell in our shop. I use wax from Bulk Apothecary. I use both the natural and bleached. Now I am making advent candles. I color the wax with liquid dye. I can't seem to get a nice, even finished look. Sometimes they stick a little which is another issue but also they just don't look "smooth". Maybe the natural candles don't also but I can't tell. I'm starting to panic as we're getting calls about when our candles will be ready. Last year I used tin molds and that had its own set of problems but I'm begining to think I got better results. Candlewic said to pour at about 190-200. I haven't noticed this helps much. Am I being too picky? I can't really show in a photo the finish of the candles. I use silicone release spray and am just starting to use a release powder. Are the mold release sprays different than silicone spray? THANKS! Sister Mary Catharine
  10. I have 2 Presto pots and I just pour it into a pouring pot. I use a Wilton Silicone spatula to stir, etc. I love it. I never have a problem mixing in fragrance and dyes. It takes a bit of time to cool down 10-15 degrees. I just give the pouring pot a wipe and on to the next scent and color. Sometimes I have to do a real cleaning job of my pouring pot first which I don't enjoy! The silicone spatula is great for scraping out softening wax.
  11. UPDATE! I finally made 3 22" candles with pvc pipe. I used cooking spray instead of silicone and it slipped right out. i didn't even have to put it in the freezer! I did only 1 quick spray and it was enough. Hurray! I recently found out that silicone isn't helpful on plastic such as PVC. I need 6 for Easter. I have 2 made as I have only 2 molds. But now I know what to do! Thank you everyone! Sr. Mary Catharine
  12. You guys are great! Thank you! I have been afraid to cut the pipe in half but now I'm going to give it a try. I haven't gotten to making another candle. Too busy in the soap room! Someone also suggested not only putting it in the freezer but leaving it out for about 20 minutes, bang it on the counter and supposedly it will come out. I'm going to try tomorrow! I'll give you an update as soon as I can! And yes, the candles are supposed to be 100% beeswax.
  13. Thanks! I'm not sure I could line a mold that big (22" high) with wax paper but the use of cooking spray was something I was thinking about. It may make a difference. I'm going to try and I'll let you know!
  14. Hi, everyone! I'm new here but I've been making candles for about 2 years. I make tumbler candles with a one pour creamy wax and 100% beeswax taper candles. I love working with beeswax. I'm a nun in a monastery and would love to make our own candles. Our altar candles are 1.25 x 23. I have tried using a PVC pipe but even with spraying with silicone and freezing the mold the candle is very, very hard to pull out. Does anyone have any ideas? I would love to get a mold for these but so far haven't found a company who will do it. The Sisters want me to make our Paschal candle but I have visions of a huge candle I can't get out of the mold! Thanks! Sr.M. Catharine
  15. Hi! I'm new here. Been making candles for about 2 years. I said I never would but one thing led to another.... I've had my presto pots for 2 years and no flaking. They do flake quickly with soap but no problems with wax! I use a silicone Wilton spatula. Sometimes a metal spoon but rarely. The silicone spatula is wonderful! I use a presto grille for my taper fluter and also to heat up my tumblers for jar candles.
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