bfroberts

I really, really want to use Pa-rum-pa-pumpkin Pie, but I know no one but me would get it.  I'd probably go with Holiday Pumpkin Pie.

I couldn't handle the mushrooming with zincs.  The throw was great, but the mushrooms were legendary!

I used 6006 with the 8 oz. square mason jars for a while.  I had moderate success with Premier wicks in that combo, and that is what I used for the most part at that time.  If my memory serves correctly, I used a lot of 765's.  I found out by accident that HTP 62's worked better than the Premiers, but by then, I had pretty much given up on that wax because it's too darn finicky for me.  I still pour it for personal use candles from time to time because I still have a few slabs, and I use the HTP's now.  I haven't done any extensive testing with that set up, just a few FO's, but so far the HTP's have been the best. 

Coriander & Tonka - CS (Candle Science)
Violet Lime - CS
Oakmoss & Amber - CS

Caramelized Pralines - CS
Mistletoe - CS
Apple Harvest - CS
Mac Apple - CS
Pink Magnolia Blossom - CS
Black Rasp. Vanilla - CS
Blue Spruce - CS
Caramel Popcorn - CS
Egyptian Amber - CS
Mint Mojito- CS

Lemon Pound Cake - Aztec
Caribbean Breeze -  Aztec
Blueberry Cobbler - Aztec
Banana Nut Bread - Aztec
Black Sea -  Aztec

Grandma's Kitchen - Aztec
 

Patchouli Amber -  TFC -The Flaming Candle (My favorite fragrance on the planet.)
Amish Harvest - TFC
Wild Mtn. Honey - TFC

Fruit Loops - Tennessee Candle Supply (I hate this FO, but dang it's strong.)




 

I have a problem with orange FOs.  Always have.  The only orange I've ever used that had a really good HT was Orange Blossom from Aztec.  A lot of the coconut FO's I've used tend to be on the lighter side as well. So it could just be lighter FO's.  How long are you curing before burning? 
I don't use much 464 anymore, but when I do, I heat to 185, add fragrance, stir 2 min., and pour at 140.  I believe CS recommends pouring at 135, but I have better results at 140.  I use Premier wicks. 

I received my 40 yesterday, and I hate to say so, but OOB I was a little underwhelmed.  I haven't put any in product, and I am hoping to get that done today.  I chose a good variety, looking for B&B scents as well as candle scents.  Most of my choices were well reviewed, so I am expecting to get a few pleasant surprises when I get them in product.  OOB, a few that I am pleased with are Patchouli Rain (a softened patch scent), Woolen Blanket (gives me the warm fuzzies), Strawberry Musk (more strawberry than musk), Passion Melon (strong), Tuscan Fields, Vanilla Sandalwood, Badedas (lovely spa scent), Wine by Candlelight (nice, realistic), Sweet Pumpkin (I really like this pumpkin), Apple Clove Butter (very apple buttery), and Oak Barrel Cider.  The Oak Barrel Cider is probably my fave OOB, and I didn't really expect it to be anything special, but it is quite nice.

I like CS Very Vanilla.  If also sometimes use TCS's Buttercream if I'm doing a bakery scent.

I believe I used 16's in that jar, but I never was satisfied with the Eco's and gave them up pretty quickly.  I eventually settled on Premier's.....a 798 in that jar, if my memory serves.  It's been a while since I worked with that wax (and I'm old.)

Indiana Candle Supply has the best I've tried.

This is one of the reasons I abandoned the zinc wicks.  They just were not stable in my application/environment/whatever.  I use HTP wicks in the 8oz. jj's now with much better results.

I love Aztec's.  To me, it smells like fruit pies with a bit of spice.  It's a great thrower as well.

Peak's Stargazer Lily is nice.

This turned into a happy accident.  I was afraid of leaking clamshells, so I only re-poured into the ones that were perfect.  Rather than using up new clams for the leftover wax, I poured it into a couple of jars intending to save them as "sniffer" jars (trying to cut down on so many grubby hands on my clams).  They were, without a doubt, the most beautiful candle pours I've ever done.  I let them sit overnight and a couple of hours ago I poked a hole and stuck a wick down in one of them and lit it.  Oh my, what a fabulous candle.  The pour was gorgeous, perfect adhesion, flawless top, the throw is amazing, and now a perfect burn at the 2 hour mark.  I know this can probably never be duplicated on purpose, but at least I can admire it while it lasts.

I poured 20 clamshells before I realized my percentages were off.  I meant to do 50/50 blend of 4630/4625.  Instead I poured a 65/35 blend, which is too soft and won't release from the clams.  I popped a few in the fridge and after a couple of hours, they will slide out with a little manipulation.  Question is.....can I melt them down and add the appropriate additional amount of 4625 and FO to get them up to the correct 50/50 blend and then repour back into the same clams? 

Just trying to salvage whatever I can.  Thanks!

Does anyone have any ideas for renaming Coriander & Tonka (CS)?   I can't even figure out what this stuff smells like.  Our product line is Appalachian themed, and I am totally clueless on a name for this.  Thanks!

New waxes at The Flaming Candle.  http://www.theflamingcandle.com/paraffin-wax/
I'm especially interested in the Pro Blend 450 to replace 4625 because it's granular, which means no more rock hard slabs.  Anyone know anything about this wax?  Here's the info for the ProBlend 450, which is supposed to be similar to 4625.  C&P from TFC site:

Top, thank you for the great info.  I'm going to try your suggestions today....now that I'm no longer thinking about dumping my supplies and finding a new hobby!

You're not off to such a bad start. I can't comment about the beer soap because I don't do that, but I have a few thoughts on the rest.

 

As Candybee pointed out, not getting gel isn't a failure. The soap is the same either way. What I don't like personally is partial gel, because that can sometimes look odd. I'd rather have no gel or complete gel. If you want the latter, you might just need to leave it in the warm oven for longer. Maybe try 3 hours if 2 didn't work. It depends on a number of factors, so you'll have to figure that out.

 

The original super-soft recipe with a lot of linoleic is liable to be discoloration-prone, alkaline, and won't last that long. Your lard recipe is much better. You can take it to the next level by reversing the amounts of olive oil and lard. The fatty acid balance is pretty good that way and should make some nice soap. Make sure to soap that warm rather than room temperature.

 

If you start using Soapcalc, I urge you not to formulate based on the soap qualities numbers. They are BS, particularly the conditioning number, and have hindered a generation of soapers from learning.

 

Have fun, and post photos in the gallery. 

So you think 8 oz. olive and 16 oz. lard would have better results?  What temp should I shoot for with that formula?  Thank you so much for your help!

Did you do full water? That would be approx 12.16oz of liquid and 4.472oz of lye according to Soapcalc.

 

Your original recipe is high in iodine and linoleic so it may be prone to orange spots which could appear at anytime. The recipe should produce a bar that is high in conditioning but will be somewhat soft. It should harden up after a week or two.

 

Its not a bad recipe but I would use less canola or switch it out completely with either the lard or crisco. Or even a combo of lard and crisco. I would also go with 5% castor if you want a bit more creamy lather.

 

Re the gelling. Its not necessary. Its a matter of preference. Some soapers swear it makes a harder bar or makes colors more bright. I have done both, gel and no gel and frankly prefer not forcing gel. If its gonna gel fine, if not, I don't worry about it. I know that some recipe formulations will heat up more than others so basically I just watch for overheating rather than worrying about the soap gelling.

 

Not sure what the 'layer' that peeled off the bottom is about. Never experienced that. It may be that the soap was too soft to unmold at the time. Especially since the recipe produces a soft soap and if you used full water it would be even softer. Sometimes a soap that is real soft may stick to the mold so that when you unmold it they come off the soap real easy. But that takes care of itself after a few days. Soft soap recipes just take extra time to harden up. Sometimes it can be a week or two for very soft soap to firm up.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me.  I did discount the water/liquid to 10.5 oz. for each batch.  My original recipe was just for fun...to see what would happen with pantry ingredients.  I knew the canola was frowned upon, and I didn't intend to use any, but I didn't have as much Crisco as I thought I did, so I improvised.  The ironic thing is that has resulted in my most successful soap so far.

Since that first batch did gel and that's my best soap so far, I was under the impression I should gel every batch.  I guess I need to rethink that theory!  I think my environment is just not conducive to gelling (it's always cold and drafty here).  Maybe I would have better results to try and prevent gelling.  I am kind of a perfectionist and I want my soap to look good as well as feel good.

I think the "skin" probably is from unmolding too quickly.  I was impatient...LOL. 

Thank you again for your help!

Hi!  I am new to cp and I'm having some problems I was hoping to get help with.  My first recipe was just a pantry recipe...I used what I had in the house.  That recipe was:

15 oz olive oil

8 oz coconut oil

4 oz. crisco shortening

4 oz. canola oil

1 oz castor oil

I ran it thru BB's calc and soaped at 5% superfat.  I used CS Pink Magnolia Blossom FO which did accel. but was workable.  Poured into a wooden log mold my husband made.  The soap did overheat a little and a crack formed down the center, but I cooled it quickly and fixed the crack and came out with a lovely soap.  It is really a nice soap, for a 1st try. 

Since then, I've had 4 failed attempts.  I eliminated the crisco and canola and replaced with 8 oz. lard.  The rest of the recipe remained the same.  My second attempt partially gelled even though I insulated and all that. 

For my 3rd and 4th attempts, I used the same basic recipe but replaced the water with beer.  I put those in the oven on warm for a couple of hours then allowed them to sit in the oven overnight.  Both of those soaps look nice, but they are super soft and they seem to have some kind of skin around the bottom.  It's like a thin layer of soap that peels off when I try to cut them.  I think they will evenutally be OK to use, but I don't know for sure.  I realize I should have waited to make beer soap, but I had some extra beer...

My last attempt was just yesterday.  I went back to distilled water and again, only a partial gel.  I covered and insulated and I had high hopes for a really nice soap.  I was bummed this morning when I uncovered it and saw the partial gel.  I popped it in the oven on warm and I'm gonna try to get it to gel, but I don't know if that will work. 

I've ordered some PKO and other supplies, but I'm getting pretty discouraged.  Any thoughts?  Thank you in advance!