katinka

Not sure what you mean with changing colours? The only ones I know of that can change their colour is the electrical ones the Chinese are so fond of making, LOL! Maybe if you could post a pic it would help.:smiley2:

I also made a candle with plain paraffin when I started out and it almost put me off containers permanently!!! Don't expect a stunning candle - normally pillar wax have a way higher melt point than a container wax. This means that yes, you will probably have a significant amount of shrinkage, you probably won't get a full melt pool very easily and you will probably see mottling and wetspots. There is a good reason why there is such a thing as container waxes, they are often blended with other additives to make them more suitable for the application, whether you are leaning towards paraffin, soy or a blend of the two. So I guess what I am trying to say after all of that is just don't be put off. Part of the learning process is doing things that simply just won't work...:smiley2: HTH,Katinka

I saw some on Peaks site - sorry can't be of more help but I don't do those. On fragrance - have a look in the fragrance section of this board. You will find a lot of recommendation on various suppliers and fragrances. I think fragrance is often a very personal preference - like I like Just Scent and Indiana Candle Supplies, but have several other suppliers on my "wishlist", LOL!!

I also prime mine with beeswax, and not only does it add a hint of beeswax fragrance when the candle is burning which I like, but it also makes threading them thru holes easier. In containers priming the wick makes it more rigid, thus preventing the wick from drowning in the meltpool. Some of the experienced candlemakers suggest using a wax with a higher meltpoint than that used for making the candle. If you look at all the major wick suppliers, they all offer their wicks primed - I don't think they would do it without good reason;)

Hi there If you are talking about the Scenti masterbatch solid fragrances that is actually manufactured by Sasol wax, believe it or not. I know Candlewic in the states also used to sell them. I sympathise with your fragrance problem - in my country things are even more limited, but I am not letting that get me down. I order most of my supplies except for wax from the US because I would rather have a quality product that is a little bit more expensive than have to compromise, but thats just me:rolleyes2 . USPS has worked out fine for me, with the exception of one order and that was insured, so there was no hassles. I really appreciate all the suppliers that are willing to ship international - without them the struggle would be much harder. HTH, Katinka

Hi and welcome. Some of the reasons would be that paraffin (or the fumes released when you heat it) is actually flammable and so it would be a fire hazard, the wax degrades (and discolours) if you heat it too much for an extended period, fragrance is very sensitive to heat and so if you add it while the wax is very hot, it will cause degradation of the oil and alter the smell. Also, particularly with paraffin, the hotter the wax gets the more the molecules expand. When it cools down it contracts again. If you were to pour any candle, even a votive, at a very high temperature it will shrink more in the mold, so you will have to do at least one repour, possibly more. Just some of the reasons, but there are losts more - you will find that there is a reason for everything in candlemaking:smiley2:

Have a look under the fragrance section of this board - you will find a lot of info about them there. I personally buy most of my oils from Becky and her customer service is excellent. No problems with delays, incorrect orders or anything like that. And she always tries to include some free fragrance samples of things you haven't tried which is always a bonus!!! She definitely gets a big thumbs up from me. Oh, and by the way - her oils throw equally well in paraffin although she tests mostly in soy. HTH

Know what you mean!!! I think I suffer from it almost permanently and the first time I just mentioned to my husband that I think I have a bad case of candlenose he almost fell of the chair laughing at the term "candlenose"! Must be the mental picture he though funny.

You know, somehow your comments often make me smile... AJ, how about an answer - could be competition for the wood wicks everyone is going so crazy about?

A website with some info on these is www.spwax.com. Maybe have a look. I am planning on investigating it as well and will let you know what I find. HTH Katinka

Okay, so what about using natural waxes with a meltpoint higher than that of soy like Carnauba (82.5º C) or Candelilla (68.5 - 72.5º C)? Sorry I am not sure what that is in Farenheit, but I am sure it is equal or higher than the meltpoint of beeswax. Just a thought.

There is some comments in the recent Beanpod post by Geek that might be of interest to you - about the 100% soy issue. Have a look - it was quite interesting. Some people felt that there it is all about marketing - that there is really no such thing as a pure soy candle, and maybe:grin2: that it does not really matter all that much either... HTH Katinka

What an interesting discussion. Following on from this, something I have been wondering about is the additives in soy wax, like vybar for example. I am sure that most waxes, be it soy or paraffin use binding ingredients to increase the fragrance the wax can hold etc. If you were to say "made with 100% pure soy wax" what about these ingredients and the so-called botanical oils some suppliers include in their wax formulations? I think it would be very difficult to have a "100% pure soy wax candle", if you ask me... It is a question I have been struggeling a bit with because for a long time I planned to do a 100% natural candle line for one of our big retail outlets here and I have come to the conclusion that you have to be VERY careful with the claims you make and the wording you use. Thanks for the info - it has certainly clarified alot for me! Katinka

I got my seamless aluminium molds from Candlescience. They are really excellent quality and the price was very reasonable. HTH Katinka

The only thing I can think is that you should check what temperature you added the FO at. If the was temperature is way high it cause degradation of the oil. I also found reheating or remelting fragranced wax also does this sometimes. HTH a bit! Katinka

Yup, thats Becky for you - always generous with the samples. I think that is how she gets so many of us hooked on her stufff....

Thanks for the giggle - you remind me not to get too serious... You read so many of the same type of posts that this is quite refreshing and different!

Hi there and welcome to the board!!! Finding wax in South Africa sucks, but there is a couple of places I can help you with. Pm me or email me on katinka.bezuidenhout@therapybar.co.za and I will help you. Forget about importing it, I looked into it when I started a bit more than a year ago and the cost is just totally crazy - for one you would never be able to sell them. Also forget about making all the nice soy candles people always show off on this site, there is not a single source of soy wax available in South Africa! Now, having said all of that, there is some local suppliers of paraffin wax in SA. I got all my molds from Candlescience (www.candlescience.com) -Dan is a darling - and my fragrance I get mostly from Just Scent (www.justscent.com) - Becky is really super and both of these companies are willing to ship internationally. I suggest you use United States Postal Service and just insure it, I have only had one parcel go AWOL, LOL! Need any help, just give me a shout! Good luck and once again welcome! Katinka:D

Two things you want to check: Firstly, make sure the jars are 100% clean and free of dust, if they are not this could be part of the problem. Secondly, make sure your containers are pre-heated in the oven for a while to make sure the glass has heated evenly all round. Leaving them to cool down in a pre-heated oven is an option, but be careful of the FO in a closed oven and the fire risk attached to it if the oven is too hot. You ideally want a very lukewarm oven, turned off the moment you put the candles in once you have poured. I also prefer to leave the door slightly ajar just in case - rather safe than sorry. I use my heat gun on the areas where it pulls away - on a low setting once the candle has cooled down entirely. It melts the wax in the area and often releases the trapped air bubbles, which will then rise to the top of the container. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't:D . HTH, Katinka

Just so that you don't feel silly - I also did that the first time I made a container candle... Then I realised my foolishness when I started researching on the board!!! Thanks heavens for the people here - they generally prevent us newbies from making asses of ourselves on a regular basis! Once you have used a container wax suitable for the job you will see what I mean! Good luck! Katinka

You might want to have a look under the Vegetable section on this board - alot of people seem to prefer pure soy or a blend of soy and parafin. I think some of the biggest considerations here is shrinkage (and the need to top-up or not), wet spots and motteling (i.e. the capacity the wax has for holding fragrance, if you did not know:) ). Another consideration is your closest supplier, which seems to be one of the most important from a cost point of view. You will see alot of people on this board prefer to make do with the wax closest to them (if it is at least workable...) simply because of the high shipping costs involved. HTH! Katinka

Trust me, that first candle will always be the most perfect candle you have ever made - at least thats how I feel! Keep going at it - oh, and I hope you have a bit of pocket money on the side because this is addictive and rather draining on the finances!! Enjoy, Katinka

I buy almost all of my fragrance from them and not only am I happy with the quality of the fragrance and the scent throw, but their customer service is excellent!!! Besides, if you are unsure, try one of their sample packs - I haven't been dissapointed. What is nice is that although previously Becky seemed to have alot of "foody" fragrances, she has really over the last couple of months tried to add a bigger variety of fragrances. Bottom line - give her a try!!!

I once asked the same question - here are some of the websites I got back then: http://stores.ebay.com/BB3D-Molds_Ba...QQftidZ2QQtZkm http://stores.ebay.com/Penguin-Love-...Q3amesstQQtZkm soapandcandlemolds.com http://jagsmolds-candles.bizhosting....one_molds.html http://www.soapandcandlemolds.com/babyshower.asp http://www.candlewic.com/store/categ...olyurethane,f3 http://www.firstimpressionsmolds.com/ HTH! Katinka

Very few things beat lighting your first self-made candle!! Keep going, they look good :highfive: Katinka