Sledgehammer09

ok ... report card time!

Tested C3, 6% frag, 795 and 798, medium libbey ... no bueno. They didn't seem large enough to get full melt pool but the flame was too large.

Tested C3, 6% frag, double wicked 765, large libbey .... meh. Corners were just too resilient. Gonna bump it up to 767 and see or maybe even triple wick.

New question, since I'm closer to a 464 vendor I think I'm going to switch from C3. Thinking of going 8% frag. Thoughts? I'd like to kick up the throw a notch but not waste too much either. 6% is good and I've tested quite a bit at that percentage in the C3 but I want a bit more throw. 10% seems to over-fuel my wicks. Have you ever gone 8%? If so, what did you like/dislike about it?

Ok thanks! I'm thinking I jumped the gun a bit befor the first light at 3 days. Also, I used 10% frag since I was making wax melts and used the leftover for my tester candle. Maybe too much frag is fueling the wick a bit too much. I'll take it down to 6% and re-test when I get more 464 in. 

The jars I'm using are also 3" wide diameter so that makes sense that you wick with 785's also. They are my new favorite. 

As far as the Libby's go, I wicked them today with some c3 since I ran out of 464. Followed traps route and using 795 and 798. We shall see. The large Libbey I'm also going to try a 798 by itself and double wick with two 765's. I'll keep you posted on the results in a couple weeks. 

Thanks again Glory. 

Thanks for the quick reply! Good idea on the testing secret! Nothing fun about having to melt down a doozy candle to repour and wait to cure again. I'll reply with my results once I start testing. 

Seperate question, I know you pair the premiers with 464 which I just started testing in my other jars. Normally I was using c3 but had some 464 laying around and figured I'd get rid of it on some wax melts and test a few candles. Well guess what, the 464 seems to be performing nicer with the premiers than the c3+ no bubbles that the c3 loves to give. I think the 464 may need smaller sized wicks though. I had a full melt pool in 1.5 hours with the 785 which normally takes the c3 3 hrs. Also, how much frag do you put in with the 464? Still 6%? Sorry for the million questions as usual but I always love yours and trappers feedback and thoughts  

Hey Trappeur and Old Glory .... Hope you're doing well. Trappeur, just wanted to check in to see how your testing went on the medium libbey? I'm also working on the large libbey 22oz but I'm certain it's going to need double wicking. Old Glory I've been testing the wood wicks from unitywoodenwicks since bcn is now out of business and unfortunately I'm just not in love with them. I think I'm going to stick with premiers if possible. Any thoughts on double wicking the large libbey? They are 4" top diamter and 3.5" bottom. Shoot, I was even thinking of triple wicking with some 750's just to see what happens.

Hey Trappeur,

How did it go on your wood lids? Any luck?

General Wax is in North Hollywood, CA.  They carry the C3 wax as well as HTP wicks if that's what you end up deciding on.  I don't think shipping will be bad to AZ.  I am 4 hours from them so sometimes I pick up

but honestly unless I'm heading that way the gas is more than the $20 shipping charge on a 50# box of wax or $30 for 100#.   They charge exact shipping and are very helpful with questions about candlemaking on

the phone as they hold classes there as well.   They have what they call an outlet store but the prices are not discounted but you can go in and shop which is fun!

awesome!! Thanks for the heads up on general wax. I never heard of them until now. Really appreciate it

Which jar are you using?  the style and the size?

 

 

Hi Trappeur,

I'm working with recycled wine bottle that I'm cutting and sanding down. Roughly 5" tall and the diameter is 3".

Hello Sledge,

 

I used extensively for 8 give or take years c3.  The reason I switched was for none other than the fact that one day I ran out of the wax and it wasn't in stock at Candle Science at the time so being that I had been ordering quite a bit from Alabaster (Now Community Candle) it was suggested by Paula the owner to try 415 which I did.  Iiked it somewhat and I could use the same size wicks as I did in the C3, but I didn't like waiting to pour till it got to the slushy state about 100 degrees.  Then the owner of Community said I might like to try 464 as it was pretty similar she said to the 415 but I could pour hotter.  So I did give it a whirl and really liked it and could pour where I do now anywhere from 140 up to 150 give or take.  I still use c3 now and then since I mastered it and I do love it and I also love the 464...Both I can use the same size wicks.  I did find the c3 would produce more wet spots than 464.

I used to dye my candles but couldn't deal with the frosting which soy is a stickler for so I went au naturelle and never looked back.  They both put out great fragrance throws of course depending on the oils you find compatable.  I can pretty much do a 1 pour with both waxes meaning not having to do a second thin pour on the top.

 

I agree with Kandlecrazy said and Old Glory too.  If you have a supplier close to you where you could drive to or someone close enough where shipping is reasonable I definitely would get my products there and learn  to master that wax.  It will save you dollars in the end.

 

With the c3 I primarily used htp wicks.  With the 464 I can get away with the htps but have really settled on the cd's.  I know Old Glory who uses 464 uses premiers.   And like Kandlerazy said with soy you have to learn to embrace certain characteristic things with each wax.  So true.  I have never had to use any additives except uv inhibitor being that I sell to shops and all of them have flourescent lighting.  Even a few fragrances still turn yellow with using the uv so I try and stay away from certain fragrances when selling to shops.  I can't stress enough too that curing is so important in attaining a great throw.  I do 2 weeks for the 464 or c3....but this is just me.  If your dying you can pretty much expect to see frosting in both waxes.  So either you learn to embrace that feature or get a frosted jar or color jar or go au naturelle.  What ever choice you make, either the c3 or 464, you picked 2 great waxes and I don't think you need to look any further or try changing to something else.  Just have to have patience, time, persistance and lots of money you will spend on all the fabulous and not so fabulous oils out there! ha! lol  Good luck and keep us posted of your findings.

 

Trappeur

Trappeur,

Htp's with c3. I'm going to give them a whirl again. 3" glass opening in a cut recycled wine bottle. Suggestion on sizes to test?

Thanks

lol I was just curious how you kept it from falling over and how much do you sell a 4 ft candle for? haha too funny

Thanks for validating the percentages guys. I've been sticking with 6% also. If I were to try the 464 I might mess around with a bit higher just to see if there is much diference but from what I've been told the more oil we use the different wick results we will get. I've definately noticed that my nose is de-sensitized. I took one of my candles to work to test it out at my desk and I could barely smell it. Then, to my surprise, a collegue walks in and starts ranting and raving about how good it smelled in the room (large room by the way). He even told me I might need to put it out because it was a little too strong after awhile. Just goes to show that our noses are pretty smart and create immunities to certain smells haha. Let's see, as far as scent testing goes, I have been using cierra candles frasier fir which smells amazing, Rustic essentials pumpkin souffle and candlescience cranberry marmalade. I'm kind of all over the place as far as vendors go. I haven't quite honed in on which vendor I like most but as you guys mentioned before shipping costs are the biggest concern so I try to stick with candlescience since they ship quick and are one state line away.

Sidenote: testing of the premiers ..... I'm not too sure how well they are doing in the C3. To get a full melt pool, I need to be 793 or higher and definately need to let it burn the full 4hrs, however, the downfall of going that large is the size of the flame. These guys can get enormous if not trimmed to a nubbin before each use. I'm concerned omce I start selling them that our customers aren't going to follow the directions and burn thier house down. To be completely honest, I never read any candle direction nor did I ever trim a wick before I started making candles. Most people don't know that's even a rule. So, that's my dilemma. Trappeur, tell me more about the htp's and cd's. I have sample packs of both here at the house but never found a good combo. The htp's have a large curl which seemed to lopside the meltpool so I scratched them off pretty quickly because I like a centered burn and I haven't tried the Cd's yet. What is the difference between cd's and cdn's? I'm definately willing to re-think the htp's and possibly try the cd's but for a 3" x 5" glass jar what size would you go with for each wick? Have you guys ever tried LX's?

OK thanks for the advice.

Last question and I'll leave you alone I promise ....

Old Glory and Trappeur ...

If using C3 what was your typical frag load? 6% as recommended as the max or have you gone higher?

Same question for the 464? I know it claims 12% is max load but man, that seems like a ton of oil and potential overkill/waste of money considering oils are usually the most expensive part of the process.

Thanks for the help in adsvance.

Thanks so much everyone for your replies and help! I'm testing the premiers now in the c3 and I'm hoping to get some great results soon. I'll keep you'all posted.

Old Glory, quick question on the premiers ... I have a 3" diameter jar opening .... what do you think would be your first test .... 795's? I know different oils will effect the results on each candle but I figured I'd ask since these badboys are in your wheelhouse.

Thanks again guys!

Thanks for the feedback. Sadly I'm always going to have to ship since Az isn't much of a candle making state haha I'm waiting on my premier wick sample pack to keep testing. Hopefully soon my first candle can hit the shelf. I'm using recycled wine bottles that have about a 3" diameter. Seen the idea out and about so I'm attempting to recreate. I'm still hoping trapper will chime in to let me know her reason for switching too. Maybe for the same reasons as above. Suppliers are hard to come by within a reasonable distance. Anywhoozie, thanks for the help.

464 or C3 that is the question. I've been going over everyone's comments, recommendations, frustrations, and success stories. At the end of the day it really seems like a toss up.

I would love to get feedback from some of you that have worked with both and why you chose one over another.

Also, Trapper, I read C3 was your bread and butter for awhile but you recently switched to 464, how's that working out and if you don't mind sharing why the switch?

464 seems a bit less finicky but I've only been testing the two for a few months so far. HT is one of my biggest concerns so maybe you can enlighten us how the two compare in that regard?

Really appreciate the help. Thanks.