bfroberts

I just double checked the ones I have on the curing/storage rack and I do have 3 types that are starting to show rust. One is Firewood FO, one is Amish Harvest, and the other are my Citronella candles, to which I add a little bit of a citrus FO. Thankfully, the citronella candles are for my own personal use, and the others are just a couple of each FO. I have purchased 8 oz tins from Flaming and Aztec both. I have purchased ALL my 16oz tins from Flaming. I have both 8oz and 16oz with rust, but I'd be willing to bet the 8oz tins that are rusting came from Flaming too. Most of my Aztec tins on the curing rack are dented because I dropped a bag of them on my tile kitchen floor and dented them. Those are the ones I use for testing, and none of the dented ones are showing any rust. The only 8oz tins I have with rust don't have dents, so I bet they came from Flaming. I checked a bunch of others and those scents are the only ones with rust. So, I don't know if its a reaction with the FO or not. I mean, Firewood, Citronella w/citrus, and Amish Harvest are a pretty random bunch of scents. I won't buy tins from Flaming again, which is a pity because I generally like their products.

Gorgeous, as always!

I tried these dang bath bombs again, and I think I may finally have a successful batch. I used cocoa butter instead of SAO and I warmed my BS and CA first. I didn't warm them separately, but rather mixed together. The mix began to clump pretty badly even though I stirred several times with a fork as it was warming. I had a few chunks that were as hard as pebbles and I just tossed them out. So now I'm wondering....is it normal for them to clump when warmed? Or possibly my dry ingredients had trapped some moisture? I haven't a clue, but these bombs have been drying for 2 hours now and they appear to be perfect! So, again, thank you all for the great advice!

Gorgeous, is what I think! I love those CS jars, but they are too pricey for me...unfortunately.

Over time, I have had several different label types. No matter what is on the label, the customer is going to open it and smell it, and I think that is when the decision is made to buy or not to buy. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't think it makes that much difference as long as the overall appearance is pleasing to the eye. I'm sure a marketing exec. would have a different opinion....LOL

They used to be Libbey jars, but they are another brand now, and they aren't the same quality visually. I've heard that some stores still have the Libbey jars, but none of mine do, so I don't know that for sure. I have bought loads of them over the years. At $1 each, if you catch it when they have a $4.95 per order shipping sale, they are much cheaper than ordering from a supplier.

I was creeping on various candle websites last night and noticed that a lot of people describe their multi-wick candles as having "increased throw" because of the use of multiple wicks. Most all of them were smaller containers....status jars and tumblers, that do not need more than one wick.

A week of two before never is right. I can't even make a decent tart out of it unless I use it at a really low percentage, and that makes me wonder what's even the point. It throws good, though. So there's that. Good luck!

Thank you, Kelly. I will definitely try using cocoa butter. That's one alternative I had not even thought of.

I'm in southern WV. It's not hot, but this is usually a pretty wet environment. Its been dry as a bone for a month now, and today was a 0 humidity day, so I thought I had a chance. I'm beginning to think they just cannot be made here SAO is sweet almond oil.

It is 1 1/2 c. baking soda, 1/2 c. citric, 1/8 c. corn starch, 2 tbsp SLSA, 1 tbsp. kaolin, 2 tbsp SAO. Its just a recipe I downsized for small batch testing. I just use a few drops of EO or FO and spritz with RA. I've ends up with mush so many times that I've done all kinds of tweaks. Tried different oils....rice bran, sunflower, etc. I've tried with and without FO. I keep the RA to the bare minimum. They mold beautifully and always appear to be a success, but after a few minutes, they start to get mushy wet. Once, I used the same recipe with tea tree and lemongrass EO and molded them in a square silicone mold tray. I left them in the mold for about a week. They were total mush, and when I dumped them out, there was liquid pooled in the bottom of the mold. It's like there is something drawing in moisture. I am at a total loss. I think I have enough citric for two more tries. I'll try preheating the dry ing. and see what happens. Thank you!

Recipe is baking soda, citric acid, corn starch, SLSA, kaolin, SAO, FO and RA spritzing. I use 91% RA only. The mixture is pretty dry when I pack them, and they are firm enough to hold them and move them around to get them in position for drying, but 20 minutes later they are mush. I've tried drying them in to oven on warm, and they will dry that way, but they always expand. I've tried drying them under a fan, and they always turn to mush within minutes. I molded them about 30 minutes ago, and they are now so wet, I can't even pick one up. How are they wetter now than when I molded them? Where is the moisture coming from? I've tried these dozens of times. I've tried leaving them in the molds to dry, taking them out of the molds to dry, everything. They always get mushy. Any ideas or tips or tricks? Thanks!

#1

No, never have. I'm pretty sure it would be too much. I'd start with 51 or 44-32, depending on the FO.

I did try Premiers on my first (and aborted) try at 6006. I didn't like them, but I don't remember why. Honestly, when I threw together my first great 6006 candle....it was Buttercream (Tennessee), double wicked with 36z's, from that point I never looked back. If you can't deal with a cure time, 4630 might be just the thing. I'd love to hear your results.

If you want to give it a whirl without an investment, I'd be happy to send you a few wicks to try.

I'm cheap, and if it doesn't work at 6-7%, I don't usually use it. I have had a couple of exceptions, but it is rare. More FO can most definitely mean more mushrooming, but it's just one factor. I can get a great throw at 6-7% using a lot of FO's. To get a great throw with no mushrooming is a lot more challenging, but it can be done. I'd rather have a small line of candles that throw well and have no mushrooms than to have a large line of candles that throw well but get big mushrooms. Do you have MacApple from CS? If so, get some 36's, and try double wicking an apothecary using 6-7% FO, cure it 2 weeks, and see how it burns. Also, I think you could use 51's in your tumblers. Apple Harvest should do well at 6-7% with a 51z after a 2 week cure. Of course, they always say what works for one person may not work for another, but I've got a hunch....

I use 6-7% generally. I lean toward 6% for anything heavy. I would have thought a longer cure would need a larger wick also, but I am finding just the opposite with this wax. Over and over it's proven. Remarkable, really. I can't tell you how many candles I put to the side thinking they were under wicked only to revisit them later and find they were perfect. So I learned a valuable lesson there. Status and tumbler should wick about the same. I cannot imagine a 60z in one of my status jars. What types of FOs are you using? How long do you cure? No one wants my bigger candles. I think it's probably more that they don't want the bigger price! Most of mine are sold to men who are buying them as souvenirs for their wives. My market is not the norm for a candlemaker, to say the least. I am using wood wicks from The Flaming Candle. I haven't had any problem with the quality and they seem to be consistent, unlike some others I've tried.

For double wicking the apothecaries, I use 36z's for all but a couple of FO's. I place the tabs about 5mm apart. This combo creates an excellent candle. FO's I can think of off the top of my head that required larger wicks were Cinnamon Broom (Tennessee) and Santa's Pipe (WSP), but it's rare that I have to wick up. This is an area where a longer cure really helps. For example, initially I thought I was under-wicked with 2 36z's using This Old House FO. That same candle was a fail after 3-4 days but ended up being absolutely perfect after 2-3 weeks. I use liquid dye also, but I don't really find that to make much difference. The difference is all in the FO and the cure time. I don't think you have to accept the mushrooms, but if you don't, you have to accept that it's harder to find FOs. It's a trade off, like most everything in candle making. Just depends on what you are looking for. Get some 36z's and I think you'll be very encouraged. I'll be happy to give you a list of FO's that work well for me in this combo. It is definitely harder to find FO's that don't cause mushrooming, but creating that perfect candle is worth the search. The cure time is a bummer, so I just pour something new all the time. That way I always have something new to test burn. I am so over using big jars except for my personal use. I'm only using status jars and 8 and 16oz masons. Anything larger than 16oz moves slowly anyway, and I don't think anyone will miss the apothecaries. For mason jars, I use mostly 44-24's. For status jars, I use mostly 52z's. I also do a line of wood wick candles in the status jars. The medium wood wicks are nice in those, but that's a whole other set of headaches and challenges.

I stumbled into 6006 trying to use up some I had on hand from a long time ago. I poured a candle based on recommendation and it was so great I just ran with it. I've only used it extensively for about a year, so I'm not extremely knowledgeable. When I started with 4630, HTP's were what was recommended by the supplier, and they did work well, so that's what I used. They are a self trimming wick, and I just don't really like the way those kind of wicks work in smaller containers. The curling of the wick creates an off center MP which is harder to deal with in smaller containers. In all fairness, I didn't try all wick types, although I did try several. There may be something better. I poured, burned, and sold a whole lot of those candles, and they were great candles, but I just wasn't 100% satisfied. I don't think you have to settle for mushrooms with zinc wicks. My very best candles using 6006/zincs have no mushrooming whatsoever, and when I blow them out, all that's left on the wick is a little bit of ash sticking up. No mushroom at all. It's a beautiful thing to behold...lol. Unfortunately, it takes the right combo and alignment of the planets for that to happen. If an FO produces massive mushrooming, I just ditch it. As far as I'm concerned, anything other than tiny mushrooming is as unacceptable as no HT. I like a very clean burning candle, and I can get that with 6006 & zincs. It just takes a lot of trial and error to find the right FO's. I can't single wick the apothecaries with 6006. I can get a decent MP but not without massive mushrooms and soot. I can double wick and get a perfect burn, and that's what I do. It isn't ideal, but it is what it is. Because of that, I am phasing out the apothecary jars and going with another jar type that is easier to wick. I have massive respect for people that can wick Pumpkin Souffle and Blueberry Cobbler in 6006. I can't, so instead, I do Pumpkin Pecan Waffles and Strawberry Cheesecake. Those I can do perfectly! I've never tried blending any waxes for candles. To me, that just complicates things. I don't mind the extra work I have to put into 6006, but I do like to keep things streamlined. One wax, one wick type, etc. I think I tackle candle making differently than most people. I am a chandler of opportunity rather than a chandler of knowledge....LOL. Rather than trying to figure out how to make something work, I find what works and just do that

I've used both, quite a bit. All in all, 4630 is easier to work with, in my experience. It is a dream to pour, doesn't require much of a cure time, and I found wicking to be a breeze in all my containers. That said, I gave it up to use 6006. I find pouring 6006 more challenging, it requires a longer cure time, and it's a pain to wick in some of my containers. I chose to give up the 4630 and run with 6006 mainly because I get a bit longer burn time out of it, and I prefer the burn of the zinc wicks I use in 6006 to the HTP's I was using in 4630. All in all, I feel like the *successful* candles I am able to make with 6006 are superior to the *successful* candles I can make with 4630. However, it's harder to get those successful candles out of 6006. I have to work harder for them. I have to heat my jars and keep them insulated, something I never had to do with 4630. I have to cure for at least a week, sometimes 2 weeks or longer to get the optimal throw. And some of my containers (apothecaries) just cannot seem to be wicked with some FO's. But at the end of the day, 6006 has given me some candles that are as close to perfect as a candle can be. I don't think one necessarily has a better HT than the other. Some FOs perform better in one than the other, but I think that could be said for most any waxes when compared side by side. I don't find that many FO's that do not throw in 6006. A few, but not too many. Some that were great in 4630 are lackluster in 6006, but the reverse is also true, so I don't really consider that to be a factor for or against either wax.

Gorgeous! I love your banner. I am so out of touch with the seasons right now. We just spent 10 days on the coast of NC, which is a world of difference from our place here in WV, in terms of not just scenery, but weather....and mosquitos! I've spent half the day making plans for new citronella candles with wood wicks. Totally counter productive, because I'm on the verge of some big (for me) orders for fall and Christmas. On a good note....I finally found a use for the Fig & Rhubarb FO from CS which I did not like and have struggled with finding a way to use it up. I blended it with a smidge of Black Cherry, and oh my heavens, it is so lovely. I am about to pour a few of those. Maybe I can pass them off as fall scents....

You can still get discounted USPS rates thru Paypal.

You'll need the "Large" to fit the Dollar Tree jar.

I just checked a bunch of mine, both 8 and 16oz, and none have any rust. Even the ones I wash and reuse for testing are rust free and they've been washed, heated, and reused a bunch of times. I don't have anything with that scent or any lemon at all poured to compare, but I'd be inclined to think it's a reaction with the FO.