PDittman

Got it!

I totally understand what you are saying. Just to expand a little bit, when i say i just started testing with "one" wax, I meant that I had been doing testing with several types, ecosoya adv & excel, paraffin, and started working with the 6006 and several wick types. I realized i was diving in too deep and getting too hard to test them all and keep track, so i decided to start from scratch and test with just one wax. Granted I still don't have a huge amount of testing done since i only started making candles last Sept/Oct, but i may have misstated when i said i just started testing with one wax. I meant i just started testing with one wax instead of several.

I just started my testing with one wax (6006), wickless so i can change out wicks, no FO, no color. I am going to NYC to visit my son valentines weekend and he asked if I could bring a yellow and a blue candle. His wife loves to burn candles. I told him I was just starting to test all my wicks, that there was no guarantee that they would burn nice or have a good smell, but I would do my best. I would like to be able to make his candles this weekend so they have all week to cure, I just don't have very much testing under my belt. I am going to make him one in a 8 oz tin and the other will be a 11.5 oz straight sided tumbler. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have little time to test and only one shot at getting him a decent candle (this time anyway). Here are the two containers I am going to make him? 8 oz tin (3" dia.) - with 6006 wax, pale yellow, either lemon pound cake or coconut lime verbena (both CS). Before I left for work this morning I poured 3-8oz tins without wick, FO, or color. I am going to test them with Zinc 51-32-18, CD-12, and LX-22 (is this LX too big?). I do understand that if i like one of these, it will be different when i add the FO and color. 11.5 oz Straight Sided Tumbler - with 6006 wax, light-medium blue, hydrangea FO (both from CS). This container is 3" dia. x 3 1/2" high. Am I safe to think I can probably use the same wick that I use for the tins since they are both 3" diameters? I will heat to 190 F, and add color, FO at 185, and pour about the same. They will cool in a warmed up cooler since my basement work area is fairly chilly. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on different wicks, scents, temps, etc. I do have ECO, RRD, and cotton core also and lots of fragrances. I thought about blueberry cobbler, but he said they like more flowery. I do understand that what works for you may not necessarily work for me. Thank in advance, Patti

LOL That is cute... We do a lot of camping around PA. I am sure I can find a nice area to camp In that are and visit both places. Thanks for the info.

Thanks Steve. Appreciate the help. I am definitely not starting with soy, just need to decide if I want to start with my 4630 or 6006. Guess I will see which way the flame blows this weekend and stick with that for lots of testing. I think the closest distributor to me is about 3 hours. I am from the Pittsburgh area and there are a couple places closer to Philadelphia, I think Candlewic is one. My son lives in NYC and we usually drive to see him a couple times a year. Already planning on making it may stop when we do. Thanks, Patti

My brother is a beekeeper, about 500K + bees. It is his fault I got started on the candle journey when he gave me a 3 pound slab of bees wax. So now when my husband rolls his eyes everytime I spend money on candle supplies, I blame it on him. At least I don't pay for beeswax. I sell his honey for him in exchange for wax.

Thanks so much for all your suggestions and advice. It really is appreciated. I just have 3 basic questions to get me started. What temp should I be cooling my candles after I pour them? I live in PA and it is really cold right now. My work area is in my basement, sweater and slipper temperature. I have a hot/cold cooler that I decided to use so my candles do not cool too quickly. I plug it in and warm it up while preparing my candles. When they are poured I put them in the cooler, unplug it, and keep it closed all night. When it is completely warmed up it will be around 90 degrees F. Is that too warm? Not sure if there is a point that a candle can cool TOO slow. The cooler stays warm for quite a long time as long as I do not open it. What exactly should I be looking for when burning the candles? I have always read that it should reach the sides after 1 hour per inch in diameter, 3 inch diameter = 3 hours to reach sides. But just yesterday I read here that if my first burn reaches the sides in that 3 hours, my jar will be too hot by the time it is half gone. (Most of my candles so far have taken 4-5 hours (3 inch dia.) to reach the sides. If I size up with the wick, the flame is too high. But I think that is where my "no FO, no color" will help me adjust.) Just curious to know what I should be looking for. I think I know this one but want to confirm. If I have 2 containers the exact same diameter, but one is 3 inched tall and the other is 5 inches tall, I can use the exact same wick as long as the wax, color, and FO are the same? Basically height does not matter?Thanks in advance for your help. Patti

I want to say hi to everyone and thank you all you help so far, even though you didn't even know you were providing help. I have been browsing for several days and decided that this is a great place to get a wealth of information. I just started making candles prior to Christmas 2014. I tend to dive right in the deep end of the pool, so I ordered several types of wax, dozens of wicks, dozens of FO's, and a mix of colors, liquid, blocks, and chips. Until I found this site, I was becoming completely overwhelmed, not realizing the variables that go into candle making. Thanks to some threads that I recently read, I am going to back off. I will try the wickless testing (fantastic idea), without FO, and get to know all the wicks that I have. I have 4630, 6006, and CB135 advanced. I also have palm wax that I purchased for fun, just to see how it turned out but I really don't like how it burns. I also have CB Xcel and I hate it. It is so lumpy when it cools so I have been mixing with 50/50 with my 4630. Seems to work much better. I have a variety of wicks to try... LX, ECO, HTP, CD, RRD, cotton core. Any suggestions on which wax I should work with first? And should I work with just one fragrance or start without any FO. I am thinking that I can test quicker if I do not add any FO since on this site is the first I heard about cure time. Up till now I could never find anywhere that would tell me a starting point. It was like candle making tips were hush hush. I imagine with some people it is a proprietary thing, but I could never find ANY suggestions like try this wick with that wax... until now, so Thank you in advance for all the help I am sure I will receive in the very near future. Also, any suggestions on good books? And one last note, right now I only want to do container candles. I might have jumped in the deep end, but at least I didn't do it from the high dive. Thanks in advance, Patti