Shoegal

I use 464 and I hate coloring my candles. I do ok not coloring them, but the biggest order I've ever received was due to the color of the candle. It just depends on your market.

This is exactly how I do it. It works great and I don't have a spigot. I've always been confused about how people get them to work. Like, is it high up on the presto pot so that you can still fit the pour pot under it? The ones I've seen have the spigot low, so is the pot then sitting up on a higher counter? LOL, so confusing!

I've been wondering if the wick setting tools were worth the price. I have been using a template that I downloaded from a group on Facebook to center my wicks and it works great.I get them centered but sometimes when I burn them, I notice the wick gets off centered, so they are setting straight. I use the wick bars from cs. OP, let me know if you'd like a copy of the template that I use. It is free and helpful if you're pouring into glass. Can anyone recommend anything that keeps the wicks straight while setting? I've been on hiatus for a while, but I'm getting back into candle making now.

Do you still have these?

I don't make tarts, but I do purchase them from others. I have tried Suzy's Scent Shop, Lake Providence Lodge and Swanky Candle Co and I really like all of their tarts. This isn't to say there aren't other vendors here that make great tarts, but these are the ones that I have personally tried and enjoyed very much.

You have two great answers so far. I pretty much get everything from Peak or Candle Science. I like Candle Science because I'm in Nevada and I get everything the next day. Plus they have tons of great tutorials that can help you get started. Just watch their shipping fees at checkout and make sure everything you're ordering is coming from one warehouse. I have tried wooden wicks and I do like them, but they can be unpredictable so you really have to test thoroughly. A pound of soy wax will get you about 3 8oz candles in the tins. You can figure this out by looking at the description for your containers and taking a look at the wax weight to fill line. For example, an 8 oz tin will hold approximately 4.8 oz of wax. So, 4.8 oz of wax per candle x 3 candles = 14.4 oz wax. That's a starting point. You may have to tweak it a little. Also, you can weigh a full candle and an empty container. The difference in the weights will be the weight of the wax. Most use 1 oz of fragrance per pound of wax, which is about 6%. When you start researching, you'll learn that more fragrance oil does not a stronger candle make. Soy wax is tricky, but if you embrace frosting, pay close attention to your wicks and test a whooooooooooole lot, it's a great wax. Just be ready to invest a lot into this ol' hobby. You need to test every fragrance in every jar with your wick choices. Once you find a combo that work, you'll need to make several more candles using your recipe and then several more with the recipe every time you order a new batch of wax. It's addictive and it's expensive, but man is it fun!!!

The mp looks great for 4 hours, but the black worries me. I'd say try a smaller wick or a different series if you have some to test. I like how my 6006 performed with ECOs

I have run the gamut as far as containers go. I have used tins, the 12 sided jars, cube jars, tureen jars, jelly jars, quilt jars, lucida jars, status jars, salsa jars, canning jars...You name it! I absolutely have glass everywhere because I am so indecisive and can't just narrow it down to one or two.

I pour my 464 when it's slushy and my tops are normally fine. When I poured hot, like around 170, I had great tops as well. I almost always got sink holes and awful frosting when I poured at 135. 464 behaves strangely in my environment. I get the best throw when I add my scent right before pouring. I realize this doesn't work for everyone, but it's what has worked for me. 464 can be temperamental, but it is a really great wax once you get it figured out.

OG, loves the Premiers with 464. I use CDs with my 464, but am going to test the premiere wicks due to OG's positive comments about them. What exact fragrance oil are you testing? Some are just light scents and won't have a super strong throw no matter what you do. Some others (like Macintosh Apple) are super strong and show throw fairly well. Keep in mind that you could also have candle nose and the scents just don't smell as strong for you. I made some tarts using Pink Magnolia Blossom and they cured for like 2 months. I wanted to cry when I put it on the wax melter and couldn't smell a thing 8 hours later. When my hubby came home, he said the scent was so strong that he could literally taste the fragrance. I was shocked. I couldn't smell it, yet it was super strong to him. My mom and sister came over and said the same thing. So candle nose is very, very real. 464 is a really good wax. You may have to move to a different wick series and see if that helps. I have zero experience with zinc wicks in any wax, but 464 performs great for me with ECOs or CDs. My fingers are crossed for the premier wicks. Keep us posted!

6? Wow David!! That's amazing! I blend two waxes for my melts and even that's exhausting to me. I want to try a preblend, I just haven't figured out which one I'd like to try.

When I used to hot glue wicks, I found that rubbing alcohol helped them pop out very easily. I would pour a little alcohol in the glass (just enough to cover the wick tab) and let it soak for a few minutes. The wick would either be swimming around in the alcohol after or come right out with a little tug. If I had an extremely stubborn wick, I'd let the alcohol sit overnight and it would be free the next morning.

Ahhh....If only it were that easy!

That comment about Justin Beiber was hilarious!

For $15? Goodness! What terrible customer service!

Always better to try to be patient and give it a full two weeks before you light them. The difference is night and day. When I first started, I was excited too. I made candles every single day so that it when the two weeks were up, I could try something new everyday. Your burn in two weeks will be so much different than it would be right now that you'd be doing yourself a disservice to burn them too quickly. I know it's tough because this is super exciting, but try to hang in there!

Oh how I love stories like this. Congrats!! I love the labels!

+1 for OldGlory and Chuck's posts. You really don't need to add anything to get a good scent throw in 464. Try a longer cure time if you're sure that you're using fragrances formulated for soy wax (not all are) and the proper wick size.

Ok, thanks to you both. We will give it another try when they are back over next weekend. ETA: Suzy, I have some cocoa butter but I was wondering if you could recommend a supplier for the Kokum butter. I've never used it before.

Hello lip balm makers! i made lip balms with my little cousins last weekend and they melted like crazy because it's a little warm out. Do you all have any suggestions as to what we can do to keep them from melting? We used a basic recipe of shea butter, beeswax, almond oil, jojoba oil and avocado oil. I was thinking of adding more beeswax to the recipe but is there anything else that you all could recommend? Thanks!

Congrats on making your first batch. Let the madness begin!

That's a nice jar and the burn looks groovy. I will have to try it. I'm still trying to get away from their status jars.

My goodness these are gorgeous! I'm almost embarrassed to try my hand at making soaps now. I know my creations won't be anywhere near as gorgeous!

Suzy these are so cute! Your colors come out amazing! I love your packaging too. They do indeed look good enough to eat!

Coconut oil never did a thing for my hot throw with 464. OP, you'll need to play around with temps and the kind of wicks that you use. Like others have mentioned, some fragrances just don't throw well in soy. Even those ones that have the cute little three leaf rating on Candle Science. You will have to continue testing to see what comes out best in your candle factory. It's a p.i.t.a. but we've all gotta do it. Good luck!