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It won't come up for me either

1) I'd agree with Robin - it sounds like ricing although I've been very lucky and it's been a looong time since I had a batch rice (and now the very next batch I make, when my new kitchen is completed, will definitely rice :rolleyes2 ) 2) I use the MMS calculator and have always superfatted at between 6 and 7 %, and I, too, would think that the higher the superfat % the slower the batch would move. There will be more fat than the lye can handle; the lye will be more "diluted." 3) My slab mold was made by my FIL and he made 2 lids for it; one fits inside and one lies on top. I smooth the top as much as I can with my spatula, then I use a piece of freezer paper to cover the soap and put the lid that fits inside to gently even out the top. As long as I don't have soap on a stick this usually works pretty well. 4) I make mostly 8 lb batches. I want to get at least one new SS but for now I use a very large enamelware pot that I bought a long time ago (but in this galaxy :tiptoe: )

Those are beautiful! If you've tested and you're sure of your product, don't worry about "only" having 6 scents. Better to have 6 that look and smell great, burn well and have been tested for safety than to offer 2 or 3 times that number and have crappy candles. I'm sure they'll do well! FWIW, I too like the lavender one better Good luck in the store!

Those are beautiful!! and great swirls :highfive:

Hi Jenn, I use the square masons with KY PB and althought that is a single pour wax, to avoid cracking, I do two pours in those jars. I fill just to the curve on the first pour and then up to the screw lines on the second. I leave about a 1/4 inch of headroom. You may have to see if you can do one pour with your wax, but I would definitely pour to near the top. I, too, like to see only wax when the lid is on. HTH

You're welcome! Mine just arrived one day; I had forgotten all about asking for them and then they appeared.

Hi Shell, So sorry to hear about your heart attack!! I do think, though, that keeping your things is probably your best bet. "Pouring" may be just the therapy you need when you are feeling better

Do you mean the Premier Series wicks? Here's the site for them http://www.wicknclip.com/index.html HTH!

I've used KY hot choc in their votive/pillar blend and PB and I thought it smelled very fake. I know people rave about it but I, too, am a chocolate connisseur :rolleyes2 FOH is great for CS and for oils. I second the Bamboo Sugar Cane, which is also a great CP fragrance.

:laugh2: Thanks, geek!!

Hi Tangerine, (now all I want to hear is "Tangerine," by Led Zeppelin. I'll have to go root through my cds! :highfive: ) Both the Scent Forum http://www.scentforum.com/ and the Scent Review http://scentreviewboard.obisoap.ca/ have search functions. Scent Forum's is a little more precise; the Scent Review searches posts as well as thread titles so I often get returns that I'm not looking for. They're both great sites with a wealth of information, though!

I have used a quilting mat to measure soap slices and to help me keep my cutter straight. The mats are intended to help with cutting fabric so they are ruled on all 4 sides and have grid lines. I just line up a straight edge of my soap square with one of the grid lines, score the top with a long knife at each grid line for the size I want, and cut. My square bars are usually pretty square :rolleyes2 HTH

Hi Rhonda, I use the PB and like it a lot. It's easy to work with, colors and scents well and looks creamy and smooth in the jar. I live in PA so the shipping is fast and not too expensive from KY. Their customer service is great. HTH:cheesy2:

For those of you who have conditioning numbers in the upper 60's or low 70's, what are your hardness numbers like? I don't want your formula (not really anyway ) I like fooling around with the sooz calculator, developing new formulas and making test batches, but I'm wondering how low your hardness #'s can go while you still have a good, firm bar. Thanks!

Hey Grumpy, I started testing these this weekend. In an 8 oz square mason with KY PB, liquid dye and a 9% fragrance load, the 750 seems to be working very well. I don't hve my notes with me but I believe I've done 5 burns now, all from 3 - 6 hours (yes, I know it shouldn't be burning for that long but I know that customers will do that ) I have no hangup, a nice steady flame, no smoking or soot...I think I may actually have found the right wick! - or at least the right wick for JS Serendipity. This is the first wick I've used that I've gotten this far into testing and still been happy with so I'm considering it a success so far. Good luck with your testing and keep us posted!

I use 92 coconut oil and it's always solid except on really hot days in the summer. In the winter it's like a rock. Even 76 coconut should be hard until the temp in the room is in the 70's. When you say yours is not solid, do you mean it's kind of soft or that it's a liquid or ...?

Simple Soothings Chamomile Pear, True Antique Lilac, Sage & Citrus Tony's Honeysuckle Grapefruit, Hawaiian White Ginger, Blackberry Sage Sweetcakes Christmas Spice, Snowplace Like Home, Applejack and Peel and I have to second Peak's BRV and GC&A!

Homemade Apple Pie from KY is very good. I have many Peaks and JS oils that throw very well in my soy blend but sometimes I find that using an oil from a soy wax supplier works better.

Has anyone CP'd a marijuana that stayed true?

I voted for the ums and oxides, but I also use herbs and botanicals, clays, micas and FD & C pwdered dyes or pigments, or nothing at all. I would like to try the peacock colors eventually, but since I can usually get the color I want with what I have, I've restrained myself and not bought them.

Baby Powder from Southern Scentsations is very nice. It's not a dupe of J&J but a light powdery scent.

You've only got part of the equation. How much is the 8% part of? In other words, are you trying to find 8% of 1 lb? 8% of 1 lb is 1.28 oz (16 x 8%); 8% of 5 lbs is 6.4 oz (5 x 16 = 80 x 8%) I know that's probably as clear as mud!!! HTH

You picked great colors! As others have said, the secret is mix, mix, mix. I often use oxides. I start with about a quarter teaspoon in 1 oz of warm water and stir with a wisk. One thing I learned from MMS when I got some of their colors in Bunny's co-op - add some glycerin to the mix to help incorporate the powder into the liquid. I also sometimes take a few tablespoons of raw soap and add that to my oxide/water/glycerin mix, stir, stir, stir again and then add that to the soap in the pot. That usually works for even the most stubborn oxides. HTH!

What kind of wax are you using? I use KY PB in the square masons and I can use HTP 104 or 105, although I'm testing some 51 and 62 cottons. I like the htps but I can't leave well enough alone :rolleyes2