ehatch1
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Everything posted by ehatch1
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Update in case anyone is interested: It's been a week since I poured the Bulk Apothecary patchouli candle, and I have been test burning it today. Hot throw is excellent; it's a four ounce jelly jar candle and the scent fills my entire upstairs! Very impressed. It also has that perfectly earthy smell I wanted. Nothing like the original smell, out of the bottle. Also, after burning, the wax doesn't crystallize like I'm used to with soy; it becomes perfectly creamy again. I am so happy! The only negative is that the dark oil originally discolored the wax yellow, and then the top turned a pinkish brown color after curing (the rest of the candle, that could be seen through the jar, stayed yellow). Kind of weird. Bottom line: still waiting on my shipment from Fillmore so that I can compare patchoulis, but this one has actually turned out to be quite good!
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I use 444, heat to 180ºF, add fragrance immediately (sometimes lower depending on the fragrance oil's flash point), cool to around 110ºF and pour. I've never had wet spots or any issues, and my tops turn out nicely, too. I live in the Mojave Desert, so I originally got 444 to prevent my candles from melting in the heat. I've been really curious about 464, just to compare scent throw and how it burns, but I can't bring myself to waste money on testing a new wax when the one I've been using is doing just fine. The only thing I don't like is that after burning, the tops crystallize and look kind of grainy; however, I have just given in to the fact that it's soy wax and it does what it wants It doesn't affect the burn.
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What candle are you burning for Christmas Eve?
ehatch1 replied to Candybee's topic in General Candle Making Discussions
NG Christmas Cabin tarts in the warmer this afternoon <3 love that spicy cinnamon apple scent! -
That is good to know, Trappeur. I may have to place an order! As if I don't have enough suppliers already, haha oh well. For good scents, it's worth it.
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An update after just one day of curing: the Bulk Apothecary patchouli is improving. The harsh smell that was nauseating is no longer present, and I'm beginning to detect that earthy smell I was looking for. And almost a sweetness as well. If it keeps getting better over the next week or two, I might just be a happy camper! (Still ordered a sample from Fillmore, though - I couldn't resist.)
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I don't use the same wax as you, but I use room-temperature jars and have never had any issues with the wax pulling away from my containers. To start, you might want to try pouring at a lower temperature. I have gotten better and better results the lower I pour; I usually try to pour between 100 and 110ºF. I also pour slowly, so as to get even tops. As for the ones you've already made, I don't think there is much you can do to fix the problem, although someone more knowledgeable might have a trick or two. Just remember these are your first candles and they will only get better the more you make!
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I appreciate the help! It's tough to choose scents based on the online description (I don't live close enough to civilization to go to the stores and smell them in person). Candle Cocoon has me very interested as well, especially since I'm on the hunt for a new vanilla; my last bottle of Vanilla Bean from NG smelled horribly wrong. The Vanilla Voodoo sounded quite good...
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Hi everyone, I have wanted to try patchouli in my soy GB444 container candles for ages now and have begun the hunt for the perfect fragrance. I am dying to try Lebermuth, since everyone raves about it, but I can't justify the hefty price + small order fee + shipping. I had heard that Bulk Apothecary might carry the same oil, but it just arrived today and to me it smells horribly of alcohol and has an overall harsh smell. Not the earthy, calming patch I was looking for. I poured one anyway and will wait for it to cure, just in case. But usually, if it smells this bad from the beginning, things don't get much better. I'd like to try Fillmore's patch next. Anybody have experience with this one before I bite the bullet and spend more $$?
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Thanks for the responses, everyone. I guess I'll be purchasing some UV inhibitor, and hope for the best!
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I have been using Nature's Garden Vanilla Bean fragrance oil in GB 444 soy wax, and the smell has been incredible. I have a previous bottle with some oil left, and it smells lovely out of the bottle. I bought an 8-ounce bottle of it last week and holy cow, it smells HORRIBLE upon opening! I won't even waste the wax to test it. Luckily NG refunded my money, but I'm nervous to order another as it will likely be from the same batch. It's too bad, because I loved the fragrance. Has anyone else had this problem? It's as if the oil went rancid. On another note, does every vanilla discolor soy wax? After about two weeks and a day outside at the craft fair, my vanilla candles had turned an ugly yellow color. They weren't in direct sunlight either, as I had a canopy. Is there a vanilla fragrance that won't do this? Thanks in advance for any advice.
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I use hot glue for all of my wicks, and once the candle has burned down, I just heat the container, in a pot of water on the stove, until the leftover wax starts to melt. Dump it in the trash and use a paper towel to wipe out the container, then wash with soap and hot water. The hot glue melts off with the wax, and if it doesn't just wipe out, I use my fingernail to pop it off. I've reused many containers, very easily.
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Thanks for your advice! It's been hard getting any information out of anyone so far, but after spending countless dollars on different wicks, fragrance oils, etc, I needed some help. I'm test burning one of my 4-inch teacups today; I wicked with two CSN 7s and the results are MUCH better than expected! My melt pool is actually better than it was with the larger wicks. This is about 2 hours in. Fingers crossed for when I get to the bottom half!
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I'm partial to Lavender from CandleScience. When lit, it smells just like real lavender buds. Fills the room without being overpowering.
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I've been working on soy teacup candles for the last couple of months; GB 444 wax with CSN wicks. I pour my first batch, then when they burn down, reuse the cups to make more testers. Some of my teacups have been through 4 or 5 candles and no breaks or problems! My only issue is finding the right wick, since many of them taper towards the bottom. My 4-inch diameter ones are a pain in the butt. Double-wicking with CSN 12s gets a perfect melt pool at the beginning, but seems to make them burn way too hot at the end, while a single wick (CSN 26) doesn't clean the sides at the top. If anyone has any ideas to fix this, I would appreciate it.
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Not sure if this is helpful at all, but I just started making 100% Ecosoya PB tarts, using Asian Sandalwood fragrance oil (from Peak). Only used a 6% fragrance load; it melted beautifully with an electric bulb warmer and my whole downstairs smells wonderful! I really am impressed.
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I use GB 444 and have been testing many ECO wicks; every size over ECO 10, the flame got too large and smokey. I also found that they made candles with any fragrance oil smell like jet fuel. I've since switched to CSN wicks, and like them pretty well. Best of luck on your wick search!
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I should add that I've since started using Pumpkin Thyme from CandleSoylutions, and it is amazing. Two thumbs up
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I tested the pumpkin souffle fragrance in GB 444 soy wax; I used an ounce per pound. It definitely smelled great out of the bottle and had great cold throw, but man did it smell like a burnt mess when it was lit. It was so bad it gave me a headache. Bleh! But this fragrance gets so many other good reviews.. not sure what the deal was.
