Clear Black

On 1/31/2017 at 11:13 AM, infertilemyrtle said:

@TallTayl the burn so far has been really good (for the ones that did not cure but 12 hours). The only issue is slight mushrooming on the 16oz & 8oz candles. Assume I need to wick down slightly?

Is mushrooming a tell tale sign you need to wick down? Im having slight issues myself with this atm

What would you folks suggest for cure time in a 60/40 para-soy. The 40% being 464. Should I still wait the standard two weeks as if I were doing a 100% 464 soy? Typically with the paraffin I use the cure time is 24-48. Hardly none needed.

4 hours ago, Trappeur said:

oh are you? lol, lol...well cool!!!  You just never know these things unless someone tells you or there is a picture.  Now we know! lol

 

Trappeur

Hehe. No worries hun.

5 hours ago, Trappeur said:

I too love what Clear Black did....Actually with the big yellow band she did, it looks like a honey comb and changing the font color of the scent to the yellow looks smashing too and the label really pops.

 

Trappeur

Lol, I am a HE Trap ;D

Where on earth do you get adhesive backed canvas and have it be affordable enough to justify the cost?

49 minutes ago, Belinda said:

What program are you using? I need something besides what I'm doing to make my labels look more professional.

Im only using MS Paint and the label design that comes with onlinelabels.com. Think they call it Maestro Label Designer

Nothing special, nothing fancy. Some day I hope to get a copy of Adobe Illustrator so I can design labels with vectors. Would be fun to learn

Trap, do you design these yourself? If so, what programs are you using and how/where do you get the stock images, ie, the hearts and whatnot

On 1/18/2017 at 5:58 PM, Moonstar said:

So you use these photos they offer for your labels ? Great suggestion .

Not just clipart though. There are sites out there that offer all sorts of images for a small price. 123rf.com Its a sub based or credit based image hosting site where contributors basically put their images up for sale, in a nutshell anyways. As always, read the fine print but it basically says that when YOU purchase the right to use the image only YOU have the right to use that image. For instance, as a label designer I couldnt purchase the rights to an image, use it in a particular design for YOUR candles. It would have to be something for me and only me. Not sure that makes sense but there are many sites out there that offer royalty free (RF) images. You just need to make sure that the image you purchase is ok to use in the fashion you want. 

I did this in less than 4 minutes, but this is what I was talking about above. Just a suggestion, nothing more, Im bored drinking coffee lol. But hey, why not offer help eh?

My only suggestion would be to space out the honeycomb a bit more. It looks crammed in there between the two words. You have room to move the Honey one spot left and Coast one spot to the right. Leaving ample space for the honeycomb logo in middle. 

My other suggestion would be to remove the single honeycomb in the middle, and make that entire top "Name Bar" all honeycomb, leaving the business name in Black and on the top layer as is now. Not sure if you have ever worked in layers, but its easy once you begin and get familiar

17 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

All are the same thickness in my packs. I should not have to double a wick to get it to light. I held one in my hand and lit it. The flame would not even catch on the fibers. I have to check the label on the candle to see if it was a premium crackle, non crackle or the other version. 

I can only give information on the wicks from woodcandlewick.com, as those are the only ones ive ever used. They DO sell different thickness ones if you are ever interested in buying a sample pack from them TT, although I cannot remember if you get different thickness ones in the sample pack. I think once i narrowed down what size wood wick to use I then bought a 100 bag of .30 thick ones

53 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

I bought those packs, clear black, and had trouble with some of the sizes not staying lit at all. Not drowning, just not burning... I really wanted them to work... 

 

am giving one one last try to bittercreeks two types. I really hate not feeling confident in wick performance for retail candles!

TT, what thickness wood wicks did you get? They sell .20 and .30 I found the .30 thickness ones to stay lit just fine, but you can always double up on x2 .20 wicks and test from there. It will at least let you figure out if the .30's will work better than just one .20 that may be snuffing itself out.

25 minutes ago, karinz40 said:

I have had no luck trying to wick candles in jars or tins.  Have gone thru many many testers and just never burns perfectly for me so now looking at wooden wicks.

I bough some Small ones from Aztec and tested a couple in a 6 oz tin with 3022 wax and Lavender fo and the wick in my opinion is to small.  melt pool after 3 hours was not to edge and the HT was really good

Does anyone work with these and are they worth  the time and effort?  

They really sound cool when burning a crackle sound like a fireplace,.

 I would be able to make candles for gifts but I do not seem to have a green thumb for wicking.

Also, I may want to point out, you stated above that your melt pool wasnt to the edge after your first 3 hour burn. This is actually a GOOD thing. You never want a full melt pool after your first 3-4 hour burn. Typically if you DID have a full MP that early, later on in the bottom half of the candle, the tin would be way too hot and your burn on the brink of being a danger hazard. Just my 2 cents anyways.,

Start here. http://www.woodcandlewick.com/ Scroll to the bottom and order the sampler pack. It comes with I think 5 of each type/size and 20 sustainers. Ive ordered from them in the past when testing and they are really good quality wicks. I believe they are the patent holders so I always trusted the product. As far as which wick to use I cannot help due to not having any previous experience using your wax. Good luck

1 hour ago, Trappeur said:

Is this the status jar?

 

Trappeur

Hey Trap! No, I decided not to follow through with that jar. They are very heavy weight glass and shipping was just not justified enough to do further testing. I have since moved on to what I want to be the last container I test. I have grown rather attached to how my final design looks when they are labeled and packaged, I just need to gdt the wick and fragrance load to where I get less soot and mushroom at the bottom 1/3 of the container. The container in question is a 1 pint (16oz) paint can. There are a few sellers on the market who use these and I myself fell in love with it so its what I am using for now. Here is the container: http://www.thecarycompany.com/metal-paint-can-30ws8u

In hand it measures about 3.5" tall with just about a 2.75" opening and a total diameter of 3". So I am testing for a 3" opening but the 1/4" lip that the lid sits on doesnt really factor in. I fill to that line and it takes 13oz of wax.

On a side note Trap, you still planning on moving here?

Flicker as stated above the jar is 3.5" tall and 3" wide. Do you use 4627? 6% may work and be fine for whichever wax you use but 4627 has a max load of 11-12% depending on which supplier you are getting your information from. Now, i figured I would go down to 10% seeing how thats not the max and I love the HT/CT at that %. I am willing to go down to 8% but at that loint I might as well move on to a less messy, cumbersome wax. I will try a tester at 8% tonight and burn. 

In regards to how long I burn..I always burn at minimum 3-4 hours. Then power burn a bit, then back to 3-4 hours. Being as soft as this wax is tunneling is never an issue.

Flicker, if you use 4627 may I ask what wicks you use and if so what would you suggest for a 3" diameter jar in those wicks? TIA

As the title says. The top 2/3 of the jar my wick behaves nicely and minimal soot. Once I get down to the last 1/3 I basically have to trim the wick every 30 minutes or it starts to get carbon buildups and the flame dies down. This is also where the soot kicks into overdrive and starts getting noticable.

The jar is 3.5 in tall with an opening about 3 in. Im using 4627 at 10% with a premier 790 or 799. Both acted the same and the 799 is as big as the premier line goes. I ordered the largest wick of all the top named wicks and will compare to see if they all behave the same. 

Any thoughts? Ive considered dropping the frag load to 8% but feel as if 4627 should be able to handle a 10% load. Ive also thought of cutting in some 464 at 25%. So 4627 @ 75% and the remaing 25% add in 464. Would adding this soy at least help with soot? I know it wouldnt eliminate it completly as all parafins tend to soot a bit more...

Halp lol

Does anyone here blend 464 and 4627? If so, any info on how it behaves or other characteristics you could give?

16 minutes ago, ChrisR said:

I've used LX wicks for years and love them.  You don't say what size your jars are, so I can't really comment on your wicking issues.  I used to use the 4627 wax, but found too much sooting for my taste, even though it does have a good throw.

They are actually 16 oz (1 pint) paint cans. Its a 3.25 " diameter candle. It wasnt so much which LX wick do I use, I was more asking how true the claim is to this wick being self trimming. Its mushrooming I was having problems with using Premier wicks. 

6 hours ago, KrisS said:

The liability on using things like this always scares me off.    There's no way to demonstrate I'm meeting the ATSM standards for glassware without the manufacturer's certs or having the testing done myself. 

But its not glassware, more ceramics. Would this still fall under those guidlines?

Has anyone ever tried these? I am having issues with mushrooming in the bottom half of my jar and am getting just a bit fed up. Currently I use a Premier 790. After my initial issues with mushrooming I wicked up, twice, and dropped my fragrance load by 2%. The jar burns perfectly, but only if I maintain a regime of snuffing and trimming the mushroom heads every hour for the bottom half of the burn. I doubt most potential customers will be as OCD as I am on wanting a well lit flame. 

So I decided to try out 3 different sizes of LX wicks. Candle Science touts them as self trimming, low mushroom when used with paraffins. (I use 4627 by the way) I got the LX 20, 22 and 24. Anyone with experience using these wicks please chime in. Thanks 

Also, from what I remember working with 464, you should probably wait a minimum of 2 weeks before you test burn. 4-5 days just isnt enough time for a proper cure. And as others have said, 2 oz PP is a bit too high i think for 464. Even though they say its the max load, I made some at that fragrance load and the FO leeched out and never truly incorporated into the wax. It was just too much

19 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

From memory, and I usually have to play with the right consistency. I was working on this bar my renaissance bee brand packaging. 

 

 

Starting blend for wax seals By weight:

2 parts glue sticks

1part beeswax

1/8-1/4 teaspoon of mica from my soap making collection. Glitter may even work. Go nuts. 

 

put all in a small metal container and warm over a heat source. Double boiler might work, but I work in tiny amounts in a small metal mold I no longer use right on my griddle. As it melts you will see the mica swirling around.

 

pour a drop onto wax paper and press your seal into it. Anything works from traditional metal seals to metal buttons, etc. You will need to figure out the right timing with your blend and stamp. Too soon and it might be too thin of an impression or it might stick to the stamp oddly. Too long and it might be too hard to stamp and get good detail. I spent maybe two or three tries per session and figure it out. 

 

If it is too brittle, return the cold wax blend from the wax paper to the heat and add more glue stick. (Should pop or peel from the wax paper easily enough.) Not all glue sticks are made with the same formula, so you get to play. 

 

When I need something runnier I work quicker. For example, I bought typical 15 ml Amber bottles with ugly plastic caps. To seal so they looked the period I dipped the whole top of the filled bottle in the molten blend, let a little excess drop down the bottle and stamped my bee in the top. Looked in the photo archives of my backups and can't find a pic. If I get to the shop I'll make more and take a few shots. 

TT. What type glue sticks do you use? I bought some at Michaels hobby store and its dang near impossible to get the glue to fully melt. It was in a glass bowl placed in a saucepan, double boiler style, and the glue stayed hard enough for me to not be able to stir in any wax or color chip. The glue was just purchased so I know its a fresh batch. I also tried to microwave the glue with no luck. Im at a loss? 

10 minutes ago, Candybee said:

Talltayl posted that she used beeswax and combined it with glue stick and soap mica.

i missed that thanks. I would think the beeswax would make the wax seal brittle, but I have some here I use for lip balms I will give a try. Thanks for pointing that out

2 hours ago, Jcandleattic said:

For candles? Or are you trying to create crayons? 

Moonstar is correct, you shouldn't color your candles with crayons, as they are typically made with pigment coloring which can and will clog your wick. 

 

Honestly, I don't know if I would want to create my own crayons, because it's just as cheap to buy them. 

 

I think if I were to try though, I'd use a creamy paraffin blend such as the pre-production blend that C&S carries. I LOVE that wax and it's a soft - ish pillar wax that is incredibly creamy. 

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I get what you are trying to do. I made my own wax seals using glue stick, mica that I have for soap and beeswax. They work great. Just keep playing with the proportions until you have one that works well. 

 

The one one I made for bottle seals was a little more "flowy" to dip and run while still hold the stamp impression and cool quickly.

JC, Im not trying to MAKE candle NOR crayons, I just wanted to know what type of paraffin gives crayola crayons that softer creamier feel than the typical rock solid, brick-type paraffin. 

TT, when you made your seals do you remember the type of paraffin you used? Not for dipping, for just run of the mill stamp type sealing. 

Thanks