Dragunov

I can't speak to the wax much other than to say we have good luck with 1274 but at 4% fragrance. Mottled pillars smell stronger anyway because the small fractures allow the fragrance to keep migrating to the surface (Which means they MUST go on a dish or something because fragrance will attack wood, plastic etc.) We also pre-heat the molds a bit and pour closer to 180F - 190F but no covering afterwards. Another thing we messed with was polishing the inside of the mold. This changes the number of nucleation sights from which the crystals start to form. A mirror finish gave hyper mottling! I even had one anodized and that created some interesting effects. It is also important to not disturb them while cooling. That too messes with the crystal growth. Good luck!

Sorry, I don't know any good resources. The company I work for works directly with fragrance manufacturers to get diffuser fragrances made ready to use. You need to commit to some rather large minimums to get them to do that for you though. We spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars a year with those manufacturers...

Can you give a little more information about the size of your business - how many candles you sell per year or how many total customers you have and the part of the country you are in? I know some people who have purchased candle businesses before.

I think it depends on the oil. Oil designed for candles can be different than oil designed for diffusers and may not be very effective. I do know that there is a CPSC regulation stating that reed diffuser oils can't contain more than 10% hydrocarbon content (By weight). This came about because if a child aspirates the liquid (Gets into the lungs when trying to spit it out) it can be fatal. The candle fragrance manufacturer may not be taking that into account. Since you are in Michigan you shouldn't have to worry about CARB (California Air Resources Board) regulations on VOC's. I'd ask the fragrance supplier and see what they say.

I think Chris R is correct. Even if the FP of the fragrance is lower, once mixed into the wax, the FP of that system will be much higher - closer to that of the wax itself.

Very nice! Cool works of art.

Hello, We buy a LOT of wax -both paraffin and vegetable. Paraffin is typically more expensive than soy or palm. Paraffin prices are usually more stable than soy or palm due to crop seasonality. There are lower cost paraffins but you get what you pay for. Lower cost paraffins are likely not refined and contain a higher oil content which contributes to soot and possibly off odors. I find it best to use a hybrid of paraffin and vegetable waxes for both cost and performance. Good luck. Todd

Hello, I'd stick to a soft microcrystalline wax at about 5-6% and petrolatum anywhere from 10-30% depending on how "Soft" you want the wax to be. Softer will give a better fragrance throw when not yet burning (Cold throw) but it can also melt easier when you don't want it to - like in a parked car on a sunny day. The Sasol 3456 is a good wax with a low oil content. The oil content is a big contributor to soot. Unfortunately, the petrolatum also brings oil content to the mixture. If you are OK with vegetable materials, partially hydrogenated soy or palm oil can replace the petrolatum and help to reduce soot. Good luck. Todd