On 4/4/2022 at 1:19 PM, TallTayl said:

I’m curious how other sources would get around the lumetique trademarks and patents. The patents are pretty broad and far reaching. 

Maybe many of them are made by the same company? I buy some from other countries that look nothing like the lumiteque ones - so maybe those patents are not fully defensible…or tested? 
 

As far as woodenwick.com goes, if that’s their patent for wicks that won’t even light, not sure how great their idea was in the first place. I am debating soaking my wicks in mineral oil…have you actually done it? I don’t even know where to get mineral oil! 

I’m looking for ways to decrease shipping costs. I am open to new containers and even small flat tins so I could probably use a padded envelope, although ideally I’d like to ship small 5 x5x5 packages that weigh about a pound.

I always use pirate ship but they don’t have all the rates and I can’t seem to find a way to get shipping under $9 - it just adds so much to the price I have to charge.

I've avoided wooden wicks ever since I bought hundreds from wooden wick.com and had tons of complaints that they didn't burn. It didn't seem like good business to tell customers to smash the tops or trim them before burning.

So now I see that there are many more wooden wicks on the market. And I just had a customer request wooden wicks on their store order. So...just wondering if anyone has found reliable wooden wicks lately? Thanks in advance!

On 7/23/2021 at 5:35 PM, TallTayl said:

For calculating, Will this thread help?

As for temp, it does not seem to matter as much as how the wick moves air around and out of  the container. 

Are there any tips for having best airflow? I have a slightly tapered candle that is 7” high. When it burns to about 3-4 inches, that means there is 3” - 4” of empty space and it is not getting great airflow. 

On 9/16/2021 at 11:12 PM, INEDINCRED88 said:

I am trying to find the optimal balance between strong hot throw and my wax not turning a gross brownish color after burning. The candle in question is a vanilla cake candle with no color dye - 8% FO - and I’m trying various blends of 6006 and 4627 together with LX wicks, premier wicks and zinc core wicks. The more (paraffin) 4627, the easier the wax burns and the darker brown it turns. The hotter the wick (LX>Premier>Zinc), the easier the wax burns and the darker brown it turns. I’ve made so many candles, and I’m seriously struggling at this point. A 50/50 blend of 6006/4627 with zinc core wick provides essentially no browning or burning of the wax, but with a throw that isn’t strong enough for me. A 75/25 blend of 6006/4627 with LX 14 wicks provides great throw, but the wax burns and browns and starts to smell burnt and sooty. Why does this happen? Is it the vanillin burning? Is it the wax burning? Does anyone have any experience or advice with this scenario? I would sincerely appreciate it. 
 

 

As soon as I read “vanilla”….you had my empathy. I have avoided all vanilla FO for this reason.

Yes, it’s ironic. Burning a candle was a great way to get moms off the scent trail…but now that marijuana is legal, I have had several requests for weed candles?!

Any suggestions on who sells great cannabis fragrance oil?

Thanks in advance!

On 9/7/2021 at 9:14 AM, TallTayl said:

It’s a good idea, just adjust your time line to allow for plenty of learning curve.
 

Candles seem simple to make (melt wax, pour into a container with a wick). anyone can make a candle. It takes time to learn how to make a safe candle that burns and performs like people are willing to spend money on. 
 

we can all give you our candle formulas, but much like baking a cake it is more than the ingredients. Candle waxes and fragrances are finicky.
 

plus, Supply chains are unstable. Waxes vary from box to box of the same wax. Fragrances are reformulated without notice. Jars are sourced from different manufacturers around the world and vary ever so slightly in sizes and thicknesses. All of which make a candle burn entirely different. 

recently wicks we’re different because of a different yarn source at the manufacturer. T left a lot of pros scrambling to retest everything before being able to sell again. 

and, the big one, how time changes your candles. Burning a freshly made candle versus a cured one can be night and day. Testing in winter and a customer burning it in summer can be eye opening.

 

the only remedy is time to learn how everything works so you can quickly troubleshoot. 
 

do factor in for product liability insurance right from the get go. A candle is the most dangerous thing we can sell. 

 

so, pick a wax. Pick a jar. Pick 2-3 fragrances at most and start practicing.

 

Make candles in different sessions and compare them. surface imperfections? Sinkholes? Cracks? Did the wicks stay centered? Ambient temperature and humidity change how the candle comes together. Melting, pouring and cooling temps and rates change the candle. 

burn a few of them in the same batch “perfectly”, and a few like a typical customer will (burn one hour. Burn for 8 hours in a session. Trim wicks too short. Don’t trim wicks at all, etc) and compare. Burn some the day after making them. Burn some a month later. Compare. Burn some 6 months later. Compare. 
 

If you pick up the hobby craft quickly, and take excellent notes this can get to a profitable point in a decently short amount of time. Adding too many variables at once (more than one jar, more than one wax, too many fragrances, color, etc) the process will take exponentially longer. 
 

good luck!

Can you please elaborate on the wick problems people have recently encountered (or post the forum link?) I searched for this but can’t find a topic that specifically discusses this. It might be what I am going through with my large multi-wick containers just not burning the way I expect them to. I am sort of starting from scratch on wicking after 10+ years making candles! I haven’t been on these boards in a while so I must have missed the fact there’s a yarn issue! 

I am looking for tape that won't immediately lose adhesion when it contacts oily wax. Does anyone know if that is pfte tape or exactly what works best? I have been using plain scotch tape but it doesn't work well. I use tape sometimes to tape notes to the side of a container when I am testing wicks and also to tie down string that supports wicks in large multi-wick candles. (It isn't something that customers see...just for the process).

4 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I have a small one for cosmetics, purchased to make nail polish. It does not move thicker materials around like I had hoped. I had several sizes of stirrer bars.

I have only used glass beakers with it. It’s not overly powerful.

 

The bigger ones like what a candle company sold a few years back have not really been promoted in a long while, so not sure they even worked for the tiny batches the company marketed it for.

 

honestly, a $35 (or so) presto pot and dollar store spatula were worth more to me over the years.  Quick, dependable and made thousands of candles.

I hear you, I am just looking for a way to eliminate the standing and stirring. If I had a machine do it, I could be working on the next round of wicking. But that makes sense if it won't move thick liquids too well. Although the chandler machine did work-maybe it was made in a different way.

I have considered these before, but wondering if anyone is using the laboratory kind of stirrers that have a little magnetic "pill" that spins around and creates a whirlpool. I see some on Amazon that are actually heated too. Is there a reason we couldn't use these to blend fragrance oil in liquified wax?

(and because I slept through high school science, does anyone know if you can use a metal pouring pitcher on these or must it be a glass boroscite container?)

https://www.amazon.com/Inch-Digital-Magnetic-Hotplate-Stirrer/dp/B07KJZRMWQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1AP1TB31GE6RN&dchild=1&keywords=magnetic+heated+stirrer&qid=1631117816&sprefix=magnetic+heated+s%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-5

(btw I do have the similar concept machines from candle science. They were great for a while but only make one candle at a time. Some of mine have also stopped working at all)

https://www.candlescience.com/equipment/candle-maker-8-oz

EDIT TO ADD: just came across this, so apparently people do use them for candle making!

https://www.aussiecandlesupplies.com.au/products/magnetic-stirre

On 12/9/2019 at 11:43 PM, Hopie said:

Forgive me for being a little off topic here, but I can't help but notice that ginormous candle on the right with multiple wicks. How many ounces is that container? How many wicks are in it? Most of all, how does it burn? 

(Responding two years later...) It is a huge container and the candle is about 5 lbs of wax. I think that one had 7 wicks. It actually burns beautifully. I bought about 30 of those containers from Restoration Hardware on sale, and I sold a few and have a few that I make for myself. The glass is beautiful and I just keep re-making them over and over. Sometimes they do get sooty on the sides, and I have to wipe them down. But for the most part they burn really nicely and fragrance a huge area.

On 7/24/2021 at 6:00 AM, Fahmighazel said:

Hi All!

 

First of all, hope you all are doing great despite the pandemic! 

It's my first time here on this platform and I have a list of questions with regards to candle making, using 464 Soy Wax in hot & humid weather.

 

I'm from Singapore and the country is located near the equator and has a typically tropical climate all year round. In addition to the tropical climate, Singapore has high humidity as well.

I have been experimenting with candles for 6 months now (still experimenting) & recently decided to work with 464 due to the excellent HT, as described by the company i purchased the wax from. 

 

Through testing, I noticed the following:

 

1) The HT isn't great. I used 10% fragrance load & I bought the scents from Candle Science

2) The wax is extremely soft, even after curing it for 1 week

3) The wax looks horrible after each burn, leaving the top look like planet mars

 

Measures I have taken to make my candles:

 

1) Given the humid weather, I turned the AC to cool the room temperature

2) I burn the wax up to 185F, add the fragrance oil immediately and then pour the wax into my container jars at 150F to obtain smooth tops 

3) I add 10% pure coconut wax to help increase the HT, but i read some forum stating that coconut wax will make the wax softer than before

4) I cleaned the jars beforehand to ensure that the wax adheres to the glass (it works!)

 

Questions:

 

1) Given that i live in a hot & humid weather, should i add additives such as stearic acid to make the wax a little bit harder? I heard adding stearic acid will decrease the HT  Please advise if this is indeed true!

2) Do you recommend using 444 soy wax as i heard that it's a better option for summer weather?

3) Lastly, are there any methods to ensure that the 464 soy wax candle looks good after burning? 

 

Thank you in advance people & stay safe!

 

 

I live in Florida *thus the name* and I use 444, especially in the hottest months. I have found that it eliminates the 464 humidity problems. I also add a little stearic or occasionally vybar (just a teeny amount) because I find that it makes the finish a little extra glossy and hard. I have not noticed that it hurts hot throw. With that said, I think UPS shipping might be a little more air-conditioned than Usps...I could be wrong about that...but I have had some baaaaaad shipping/melting issues with usps especially when it has odd delays and the candle is sitting in a hot truck somewhere.

On 9/5/2021 at 7:15 PM, BusyBee said:

Price should not be a concern in luxury product market especially in Los Angeles or New York City.  As a matter fact, the higher the price the better it will do.  

 

What is your definition of luxury candle?  

To me, luxury product is a brand recognition not a product itself.  You have to realize that no one makes luxury candle.  No superior quality, high pricing nor fancy packaging will ever make you as a luxury brand.  It's people's recognition of your brand that makes you as a luxury brand.  And it would take years of marketing effort and budget with a great company story to build a brand recognition.  That is the reason why TallTayl is recommending you to work with a well established brands or store to piggy back on their brand recognition since none of start up candle maker has that brand recognition from the start.  Try to collaborate with well known perfumer, artist, hair salon, skin care salon, interior designer, famous celebrity, etc. from the start since they have brand recognitions.  If not, then start build one.  Do I have candles that perform and have appearance of luxury candle?  Yes I do!  But I know that I am far from being a luxury brand yet. 

*For give me, if you are already well known famous person and has that brand recognition from many people.

 

I have another question for you.  Why does it cost so much to produce a candle in your case?  How much are you paying for your containers?  Unless you figure out how to reduce your material costs, you are going to have hard time succeed in this business.  Locating the best & unique ingredients & parts at lowest price possible would be a key to success in our business.  Set your target price and divide that amount by 6 when you are small operation not by 4.  That should be your targeted material cost budget in order to be stay open as profitable business.  Figure out the costs in bulk(pallet pricing ) and small quantities in few boxes direct from manufacturers(both American & foreign) and wholesalers including shipping costs.  If you want to do cement or ceramic containers, then you might want to looking into make your own containers.  Many other candle makers make their own great unique containers.  

This is terrific advice-I am just wondering if there are some particular things that must necessarily go into a luxury candle. I mean, if we buy cheap fragrance oils at a discount store, thin glass, and low-quality wax, we would not have a luxury candle. So, aren't there some things that are necessary for a high-end candle (in addition to marketing/design)? Or are you saying that basically the quality of good materials doesn't differ from one to the other so much.

On 6/20/2021 at 5:41 PM, gls said:

Giving this a bump!   I’m currently looking at purchasing a wax melter and would appreciate any updates you guys might have.  

Bumping it again lol.

I bought the wax melter from wooden wicks.com. It sure is nice looking-all black. It's weird that it has a plastic lid though. It seems to work fine and can hold something like 20-25 lbs of wax. It is very basic though-the temp dial is very vague. It works ok for my purposes but it's nothing too thrilling.

On 2/4/2021 at 3:26 PM, TallTayl said:

well labeled Photo boxes solved a big wick headache for me. 

 

 

small containers in bigger containers solved another headache.
 

Like seeds For example. Of a box is too big everything gets lost as I paw through. 
 

these suitcases of plastic boxes by Recollections solved the problem totally. 


 

i wait till they are on sale steeply and buy several. These were down to $12 mid pandemic. Usually retail for $40+

What a GREAT idea! I have seen those!

So, I am making candles that have a diameter of 7 inches at the top. (5 at the base)

I have made templates to help me align the wicks on the bottom (to help me place them properly) and the top (to hold the wicks in place, so I don't have to tie each one with string and tape!)

But I can't seem to get it perfect. I have watched videos and I have used circles to symbolize the wax pool etc. I have scoured wick charts and youtube.

I am using CD 18s or 22s, but again-I can't get an even melt pool that isn't too deep or shallow.

Any advice on how many wicks (and what size) to use for a 7 inch wide vessel with 464 wax? (I know it's an overly specific thing)

15 hours ago, TallTayl said:

If only the service times were what they were before last year’s debacle. Greedy buggers. 
 

anyone doing any special planning ahead for the holiday season?

Planning, as in shipping? I am just starting to think about the holidays. Every year, I am always too late.

16 hours ago, NightLight said:

From Pirateship

 

shipping rates for the holidays.

Unfortunately there's no way to escape this; USPS is raising rates the same amount everywhere you can buy their postage.

Their price increase for each shipment depends on the service, weight, and zone you're shipping to, as summed up below.

October 3rd–December 26th temporary USPS rate increase:

First Class Package Service

• $0.30 increase for all Weights and Zones

Priority Mail Cubic

• $0.25 increase for all Cubic Tiers, Zones 1-4
• $0.75 increase for all Cubic Tiers, Zones 5-9

Priority Mail Flat Rate and Priority Mail Express Flat Rate

• $0.75 increase for all Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes

Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Parcel Select Ground

• $0.25 increase for 1-10 lb, Zones 1-4
• $0.75 increase for 1-10 lb, Zones 5-9
• $1.50 increase for 11-20 lb, Zones 1-4
• $3.00 increase for 11-20 lb, Zones 5-9
• $2.50 increase for 21-70 lb, Zones 1-4
• $5.00 increase for 21-70 lb, Zones 5-9

To see the exact rates just grab the USPS rate sheets from your Pirate Ship account.

We've got a secret way to help offset these increases 😉 

Shhh don't tell anybody, but we'll be adding a new carrier with super deep discounts to Pirate Ship on October 3rd that could help offset this increase in the nick of time. Unfortunately we can't share more details until then... but rest assured it'll help save you a ton, and you'll be able to start shipping with them instantly. Stay tuned for more info soon!

I love Pirate Ship. I am also using UPS account with THRIVE coupon code.

Does anyone have suggestions on who sells the best black dye for soy wax? (looking for a rich black, not shades of grey)

It is beyond time to organize everything again, and this time...I want to find great containers to store fragrance oils and something to neatly organize all the wicks, without shoving them in a box or drawer. And maybe a prettier way to store wax, instead of the big cardboard box it came in. Does anyone have any suggestions or photos? I am attaching my dream redo photo I saw online...I actually work in a similar narrow space with cabinetry below and above. I have most of my materials on rolling bookcases, but those are getting a bit overloaded and messy. I love the brushed stainless bottles in the photo, it would be nice to have the bottles all match instead of the hodge podge (and 10 gallon factory plastic jugs!) that I have now.

Edit to add: Now that I look more closely, I wonder if the counter is actually a low bookcase on wheels, that is covered in washable vinyl wallpaper. That would make a great moveable work space.

On 1/22/2021 at 6:01 PM, BusyBee said:

You might want to keep your eyes on this one too.  https://cloud9vessels.com/

They don't have matte finish ceramic vessel right now, but their vessels might interest you.  It's quite pricey, but they are located in Orlando(Winter Park) FL.  So, you might be able to save on some shipping cost.

What a great find-thanks so much!! The only problem is the "90 days" timeframe

On 12/27/2020 at 2:50 PM, BusyBee said:

Sixteen Seventeen has light grey concrete container.

https://sixteenseventeen.com/collections/copenhagen-modern-jar

 

Wow-that was not smart of me. I assumed they were in Copenhagen, but they are in San Fran!! I am surprised I haven't heard of them. Any adds thoughts about them? their prices are rather high-but quality looks amazing! Thanks.

Have you ordered from them before? Seems like it could get complicated/expensive although I have ordered other containers from far away before, and it was worth it.

great-thanks everyone!

Interesting. I used it for basil butter, and it came out amazing. But of course that is very different from fragrance oil. Do you have any other ways that essential oils or something similar could be created at home?