C Dizzle

I wasn't aware a batch could be so different. I'll definitely watch out for that

I've noticed the top of the lid a bit hazy but didn't feel like condensation to me, but I honestly don't know what it is. Will try it off for kicks!

I am only using GB 464 Soy and so far I've done with the lid on. I have it well below 200, not sure how hot, but its about the M in Warm. It gets to about just around 185 after 20 to 30 min or so (I need to time it) and has been perfect. There has been a tiny bit of condensation on the lid and that was concerning slightly, but I wasn't sure if leaving the lid on or off was better. I think I shall try off too and see what happens. The lid blowing off sounds scary, but I imagine it's for a higher heat than I'm using? Interesting there's a lot of views on both sides here, like the toilet paper over or under argument only far more practical!

Please don't think I'm trying to deter you. It's been worth every penny and I'll make my money back eventually OR I'll be giving candle gifts for birthdays and Christmas for a VERY long time!

What type of wax are you using? You might can find a thread about scents that throw well in it. I use GB 464 and there's a thread specifically for scents in that. I've only used soy and it's picky. They speak the truth on testing. I started in August and I'm still testing and have spent a few grand. I've got more to go. I'll get it back eventually but it won't be soon. Others have spent less than me to get to where they could sell but surely they spent a lot too. I don't know when I can start to sell but hopefully in a few months if all goes well. Each wick size/jar size/wax/fragrance/dye type needs to be tested and by tested I mean fully burned the entire candle. Even two candles the same but a little more dye or fragrance can use a different wick (prob larger). Candles can potentially be fine in the top half but get dangerous burning near the bottom. I wish I knew this before I started but I've gotten to enjoy the challenge although my pocketbook has not enjoyed it. Probably the best advice I've gotten on here so far is how serious testing is before selling or giving away candles, as well as product liability insurance if selling. That's fortunately only 500 ish a year. My best friend is an attorney and told me if my mom's house caught fire from my candle even though my beloved mother wouldn't sue me, her home owners insurance would. Of course my mom would say "I don't know where that candle came from" I'm new too but listen to these seasoned chandlers on testing. You can't extrapolate testing either. I used to make Status jars of the small, medium and large sizes Candle Science sells (switched to medium for money and time reasons for now). Every time I got a ECO 14 to work in the 12 oz medium, the small jar would have a great hot throw in ECO 4. The strongest scent did as well, red hot cinnamon. I switched to a different dye to get a prettier red and the medium jar worked well at 14 but the ECO 4 had 0 hot throw. Perhaps a dozen other scents followed the trend including it with a different dye but it didn't then. Had I not tested that and assumed it would work, I'd have made a lot of candles that would have made people unhappy with 0 hot throw.

I'm talking about the presto multi cooker. I'm always in the room with it and haven't noticed any type of pressure/steam buildup currently

My question is as simple as the thread title. Do you leave the lid on or off your Presto Pot when heating wax? I use GB 464 if it matters and so far I have done lid on, but didn't really think to ask if others did without.

I was just joking on the amounts, but am very appreciative of the ideas.

About a hundred bucks

Yeah I'm more worried about candles with the thermometer as it's my main focus, and for consistency I need to use the same one over and over. If I make one batch of candles at a time it's no thing to clean it and use the same one, but when I tried two it just wasn't in the cards, and my other one is a few degrees off. It also looks useful around the house to help me find those elusive drafts! It wasn't too bad, $80 was hundreds cheaper than the others that let me change emissivity by 0.01 as others were .1 increments, or just flat stuck on 0.95. Soap is just one of many things I will use it on.

The amount of information and knowledge you all share is amazing and I hope to be able to start giving back to others eventually. I'm a long ways away from it, but one day! How many pounds do your biggest molds hold? That's unfortunate news on not being able to level the tops of those bars. The troubleshooting part in me wants to ask if you were sure the table was level, but I'm pretty sure you two of all people looked at that first thing and that leads me to believe it's just a defect/trouble with the mold. I would imagine you'd have to not only have it on a level surface, but somehow be able to close all the slats at the exact same instant for it to be uniform thickness? I'm just guessing here and could be way off. Do y'all recommend any books on soy candles or soap making? I can't seem to find a single book that jumps out to me as good specifically regarding soy candles, but I did order a few which I'll link below. I also ordered an infrared thermometer. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006K3M8BK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 I'm super excited for this as a consistent thermometer I don't have to clean each time appeals to me, as does the instant read. I'm aware of it reading surface temps, but I can deal with that and will do heavy testing to make sure I'm being consistent with temps. This appeals greatly to the computer geek in me (my trade), because I can't find emissivity values for any type of wax online and I am thinking they will change, at least slightly, depending on the wax, colorant, fragrance, etc, and I'll get to test out for myself if it does. I looked high and low on these forums and the internet in general regarding wax emissivity, and came up short. This thermometer can change from values of 0.10 to 1.00 by increments of 0.01, so I can get pretty precise with it. So I may be able to provide new information (although very technical) here eventually, although it may or may not be useful to many people. Of course I could be wrong and it already exists, in which case, feel free to point it out I also got these two books on candlemaking. Looks like a small amount about soy, but a bit in general. Candlemaking for Fun & Profit (focusing on fun, but profit in a few years would be nice) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761520406?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 Candle Making Genius - How to Make Candles That Look Beautiful & Amaze Your Friends (not a fan of that title, but it seemed to be a good resource) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1910085049?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02 And these three books on soap. I am getting ahead of myself with these, but I do want to read ahead and be more prepared when I tackle soap fully than I was with soy candles. Soap Maker's Workshop: The Art and Craft of Natural Homemade Soap (looks to have a lot about the chemistry behind it, which fascinates me. Reviews say its good for its cold press information only) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440207917?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01 Homemade Beauty Products for Beginners: The Complete Bundle Guide to Making Luxurious Homemade Soap, Homemade Body Butter, & Homemade Shampoo Recipes (reading ahead) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1508840628?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02 Making Natural Liquid Soaps: Herbal Shower Gels, Conditioning Shampoos, Moisturizing Hand Soaps, Luxurious Bubble Baths, and more (again, I'm far away from being able to use this information, but expanding my knowledge first!) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580172431?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01

I know I am resurrecting an old thread here, but I find this topic fascinating. The two minute rule is RAMPANT out there on the interwebz, but I trust y'alls judgment much more. I'm still going to err on the side of caution and stir longer until I get all my scents ready, and then I will feel comfortable backing off then.

Thanks for all the advice. I talked to my wife and her tastes for hand-made soap were precise in a few areas: goats milk, swirly colors, crinkle cut. So I think I shall start with that. I know that large molds are a wishlist for 6 months to a year, or possibly longer (not sure, but won't invest until I'm ready). I did see a very large one on Brambleberry that has 36 slots and makes what they seem to claim is uniform size soap. Is that the same mold you have but with the smaller slats for the 72 bars, TallTayl, or was that one you made yourself? http://www.brambleberry.com/36-Bar-Unfinished-Birchwood-Mold-P5167.aspx Obviously I'll start smaller and my money's being funneled into soy candles currently, so I couldn't even get a lot of soap stuff if I wanted to. I have a ton of boxes and the like around the house I'll begin with, but was curious down the road what something more durable was and some of those look amazing! Not cheap, though, by any means.

I think I will try out a melt & pour kit, or just go with another insurance. They were very clear on their requirements that I had to sell one type, but didn't have to be much. But I'd rather have a line of soaps that I love, rather than that one I made right that one time to get the insurance without feeling bad, so I have some thinking to do on how best to proceed. Other than melt and pour experimenting, I would want to start with CP for sure. I'll wait for my books to arrive and then go from there. I've noticed there are multiple types of lyes even. Is there a lye type you recommend for CP, and a supplier?

I think in the long run I'd rather just make big batches of bars of soap if it's great, and stick with molds for friends and family, but I did want to do both in some capacity.

TallTayl, thanks for the detailed response. I was considering going cold press, then liquid soap at some point but if it is easier to learn cold, then hot, then liquid, that sounds like a plan. Do you have any posts here regarding any tips or tricks you learned? I would love to read it. Obviously I'm not trying to mass produce like you off the bat, but in the distant future when I am ready I'd probably go that route and if it's far easier for CP, that sounds like a deal-sealer to me! I also feel that I worded the have to poorly. I genuinely REALLY want to learn how to make all types of soaps, including liquid soaps, but at this current time I am trying to get soap maker's guild insurance and I want to be able to make at least one or so decent bars before I get it to sell my candles. I WANT to learn and make these, I just wait I could wait a few more months when I'm done making and testing a bunch of soy candles. It'll be a few months before I am ready to sell candles, but it would be nice to have that insurance so I don't have to "waste" a year with insurance elsewhere. So the "have" to feeling is that I'm not wanting to take time away from candles yet, but it's probably the wisest avenue currently. I'm not going to try to skirt around any rules, so whatever they require, I am doing. Old Glory 1. I sort of answered this above. I legitimately want to offer soaps, and didn't want to learn how to do them yet as I am focusing on candles. But soap maker's guild insurance demands at least one bar of soap be offered in your line, although they are clear it doesn't need to be any amount or percentage. I don't want to do a terrible job on it, so I was hoping to dedicate time to crafting a line of soaps and perfecting at least one process (I'm thinking CP) but if I can make one or more soaps that are great and get the insurance for candles and soaps, then that's cool. Other than these, a major motivator is it would be nice to use my own soaps for home bathing, and the sooner I learn how to make a quality bar of soap, the sooner I can start using it at home. 2. I like all kinds. I do really like the bar soaps, especially hand made I've seen. The only type I didn't like was some bottle at a health foods store that was just a white bottle with a tooooooooon of writing all over it, if you know what I'm saying, and my only gripe with it though was certain areas of my body felt super cold when it got there and that was spooky to me. Other than that, it was good, but that part was a deal-breaker. I've never disliked any other soap enough to just flat out not use it. 3. I definitely want to play around with a lot of different molds, and from what I understand, CP might be better for this. I like the bar types, and the swirls look amazing. I'm not going for any particular style though, if I make it and like it Ill give it to friends or sell it if others are interested. If I understand correctly, CP has a smoother texture, and that appeals to me. 4. I have bought 3 books that I should have Wed or Thurs. I've read a bit here, and some other soap/candle supply vendors. I'm considering getting a CP starter kit from peak, as it was cheap and looked straightforward, but I'm very open to suggestions here. Lastly, Candle Science has told me their FOs can be used in soaps if the IRFA document states it can, up to a very precise percentage. I'm also reading some processes are fickle about the type of FO or EO they can use, and I'm not quite sure yet how to figure out if a FO will work in CP soap. I didn't see any of them in the "FOs that ROCK in CP" thread. I was thinking of going exclusively EO, but if I can make a candle and soap smell similar with the same FO, that's very intriguing to me. The way I try to view it is, is this something I would buy for myself or my immediate family in the store? I'm very particular and picky about it, so if so, it's something I would make and give away/sell. That's all kinds of vague, but a main line of reasoning is if it's high quality and reasonably priced, then it's good. I think if I went into the store and saw a soy candle and soap that smelled the same, that would intrigue me to get it for my wife, kids, or maybe even myself. That's the kind of product I want to make. I saw a tutorial where someone put rose petals on the top of the soap as it cooled, and one long edge had rose petals in them. That's neat! But is that practical? Is it bad? That I'm trying to find answers to, but if so, it's something I would buy for my wife for sure, so it's something I would want to make. I'm no stranger to bad tutorials and I've read so many soy tutorials after the fact that are very misleading. Any tutorial suggestions though I will gladly read.

From what I am reading, I don't think I would be interested in melt & pour, but cold or hot process. Cold process currently appeals to me more since I have more freedom of ingredients, and more leeway in what I make. The cure time is a put off, but if they will turn out better sooner, that seems desirable currently. I'm so on the fence about this though! FWIW, I am definitely wanting to use a variety of molds and that seems like cold process would be better for. Is that correct?

I have noticed 3 main ways, at least by my count, to make soap. Cold process, hot process, as well as melt & pour. I am still testing my candle line and will be for a while, but was wanting to add soaps as well for the soap maker's guild insurance, and well I've just always wanted to make my own soap. I couldn't find a pros and con list on here, but there's so much information I may not know where to look or perhaps overlooked it. I currently know it is very dangerous and one must excise great caution making soaps. Do any of the methods produce a superior product to the others? That's what's most interesting to me and it being more difficult to make or learn isn't a deterrent. I started with soy rather than paraffin knowing it would be harder because I feel soy is a superior product to paraffin (I'm sure not all agree, but that's my take). I would rather not learn one method because it is easier if it doesn't produce as good a product as a more difficult to learn method. If the methods produce a comparable product to each other, I'm also interested in a shorter cure time. I've spent 4 months testing candles and got more to go, so I have time. I certainly don't want to rush things, but if one had a shorter cure time but was equal to other methods in finished product, I would be interested in that just so I could test and use the soap faster.

I did I think going forward I am going to start making scents in the Status 12 Oz, but make 3 testers. Only change is wick size, CD 12, 14, 16, burn them all and see which is best. If they all fail, I'll move on to the next scent.

It'll depend on his shipping which he won't know til January.

So if I test something in a libbey status, the anchor elite of the same size should be the same? Obviously I'll test it, but it would be nice if they were interchangeable. Woodcandlewick is going to be selling them next year and its a better price than status

Are Libbey Status jars and Anchor Elite jars the same jar with a different name? I have several status jars, and the anchor elite looks exactly the same. Are they the same? Has anyone gotten both and compared?

I asked Lonestar, who's dyes I have the most of, and they claimed I could only use 10 drops before having issues. I read other sites, such as candlesoylutions, who claim I can use 30 drops. Now I can see that one might be more concentrated than the other, but surely it's not 3 times the amount and they are both giving me the same equivalents, but I don't know. What I do know is that my red hot cinnamon is my easiest scent to get to work well, so I am going to try making identical candles of CD 14 and CD 16 in Status 12 Oz for 10, 20, and 30 drops and just see if there's a difference. My hunch is that more dye might cause me to have to wick up, surely it won't be a wick down. But we shall see. But perhaps there is a limit where if I put in X drops per pound, I'll go from amazing scent throw to none. In fact, I might as well just keep going higher than 30 drops and see where that break is.

What is the maximum liquid dye PP of soy before you start inhibiting scent throw? I've read varying amounts online. I am using mostly lonestar dyes as I read on here they had a dropper in the lid. I was using candle science, which I still have, but it's a lot less elegant than the lonestar bottles. GB 464 if it matters!

I haven't tried those she mentioned, but the strongest of all my scents I've done so far is red hot cinnamon from Candle Science. It smells like red hots! Even people that hate cinnamon love it. I know a guy that for whatever reason "hates red hots", and even he loved it. No one thus far has disliked it's cold or hot throw! I use it in GB 464. Also the hot throw is good about a day later but I still of course let it cure two weeks. But if you want to test it out for scent purposes, you can quickly with this one.