wthomas57

What type of wick did you find worked best with this wax. I also love the wax, but have two concerns. 1) Wick type... I can get various wicks to burn just fine, but lots of black soot/smoke. Maybe its mostly because its straight parrafin, but hoping with some good wicking to minimize it. so far, its a bit of a problem. I am using a jar that could be a single wick or a double wick. I like the double much better because it gets a better melt pool, plus flames stay smaller and it looks better. But, it makes jar hotter because there are 2 flames and when it does smoke or soot it hits the sides of jars more than a single wick in the middle. HOWEVER, if I use just one wick.. it has to be a much bigger wick. this ends up causing just as much smoke and soot, a huge wild flame eventually and gets equally as hot. So I am kind of torn right now. Any wicking suggestions for this wax would be great! Or, any suggestions in general with this wax to cut down on soot/smoke. 2) I also had an issue where after it burned half way down, it lost ALL its scent. Cold throw and hot throw. I've NEVER had that happen with a candle.Not sure if it burned too hot, or too long, or because the wax only holds roughly 5%. I dont know. But it worried me. And it was with trust ole Macintosh Apple which I always use as as a baseline because it performs well in EVERYTHING. This happen to anyone else? Tricks or tips? Thanks

Mostly issues relighting but also major discoloration of the wax afterwards. ugly brownish yellowish color

Thanks for all the comments so far. I love cracklin birch by itself.. and fireside by itself. But haven't tried combining them into a burning leaves combo yet. I was thinking combining a leaves scent with fireside (have'nt had a chance yet) but also throwing in some grass wouldn't be a bad thing to try as well. TallTayl.. when I get my hands on any of those scents I will definitely give those a try

Thanks for the compliment. You can see why I want to continue them. They look really nice and get a lot of buzz. Plus, they are fun and unique so I dont mind the little extra work.Ill do other things while waiting to do the second pour. Would you mind sharing your supplier for the wood wicks. I had not great results from Lonestar and Flaming (I think). But I see in your post that the reason may be because they aren't carrying the good wood wicks anymore. Keep me posted if you find a good replacement Would love to work on those again.

I dont have it happen a ton... but it does sometimes at events, shows or in direct sales. Not enough to worry about unless you worry about everything (like me). I've only ever had one person ask if it was all soy. My response was, "No way, if it was you'd probably return it with complaints". Haha! Yes every set of testers I do with 6006, I do 2 or 3 sizes of the following wicks: Zinc (baseline basically), LX, Premiers, and Eco Zinc are easily the most dependable, burn the coolest, yada yada.. we all know the benefits. The mushroom is only thing I combat (and paranoia about the "wire") lol. LX I absolutely LOVE the flame, the burn, less mushroom than zinc... BUT, I occasionally have more soot Premiers - burns similar to zinc but hotter (sometimes good, sometimes bad). Mushrooms about the same, rigid and sturdy without a wire. I use it when a zinc size doesn't work Eco - My favorite in regards to wick combustion, curls a little, little to no mushroom, good melt pools, etc.. but burn hotter than I want occasionally and seem to be more sooty. Ill tell ya though... Ive had scents I've loved but couldn't wick with a darn using zinc in something bigger than a mason and that is where those other wicks have really come in handy since they burn hotter. I had no temptation at first for the same reasons, except now 1) I've realized the amount of people who LOVE the mottling is amazing. There is a reason soooo many people will still only buy yankee or similar and its not just because of reputation. I've been asked since day one about using the "textured wax". I wouldn't want to use it extensively, but a line of them is something I am working on. They are beautiful. 2) I only use it in large apoth and large status (22oz net wt) so 2nd pours dont bother me because I am generally only doing 2 at a time (I dont stock them like I do everything else). So, this means I pour each about half.. wait.. and then finish both off with second half. Its not bad at all. Plus mostly Ive been two toning these candles for a more fun look so I would be pouring twice anyway. Here is a few pictures you were asking about (bare in mind these are testers, so the real finished ones would be better.) 3) The FO seems low at 5 or 6%. But you can add a bit of vybar (that doesn't hurt the mottling) and bump it up to 7-8%. There is NO reason to add more than that to an all parrafin candle in my opinion. They throw really well. Plus, jars this diamater have such a large MP that the throw is great anyway. Ha, I definitely hear ya. Ill say that I dont get holes with 6006 though. Maybe because of temp I pour or how I cure them. I dont blend anything with it for holes. I blend it to soften it a bit as 4630 has about a 15 degree lesser melt point. I like to bring 6006 down a bit from 130ish closer to 120-125 to melt a touch better. Also, 4630 will only enhance HT anyway. Ok, regarding the wood wicks. Please share! Feel free to message me as well. So far my testing with wood wicks in 6006 has been pretty awful. Maybe the scents, maybe my lack of patience.. but most likely its the wood wicks Ive tried. the first burn seems just fine. BUT... can rarely ever get them to relight (at least consistently) and they discolor the top of the wax so badly it makes them utterly ugly! So I am very interested. Would love to offer a small line of wood wicked candles. Thanks.

Thanks for the update. I realized after reading your post that my recent testing in the large apothecarys wasn't with 6006 (oopse, forgot to mention that). Yes, double wicking with 44-24s did me fine with 6006. The problem I had is the people who liked the larger jars were also the people who preffered the mottled (yankee look) over the solid creamy. And I totally get that.. the mottled look can be pretty awesome. So my testing was with 2530 mottling wax. Being all parrafin you would think one wick would cut it.... and perhaps with enough testing it would. However I had an EXCELLT double wicked one going but the scent faded after a couple long burns. Here was the cool thing. I got it completely self trim and never had to trim the wicks. Ever. I burned for 18 hours straight... flame size never changed, dind't have to trim. Relit and did it again. Its pretty amazing having a candle perform like that. But again... (and perhaps because I need more work with this wax...) but it lost scent eventually. Never had that happen. And yes blueberry cobbler and pumpkin souffle is a hard burn almost all the time anyway. I can get it to burn well in my 8oz and 16oz masons, but thats it so far. I am at a struggling point because Id like to do away with the zinc wicks purely to eliminate the wire. I have people who dont like it, wonder what it is, or assume its lead. Dumb. But... I like the cooler burning and that seems to make the candle and the throw last longer.

@bfroberts Thanks for the update. And I find it utterly amusing how similar we must think and work. Over the weekend before I was able to get back on here and respond... I had the same though and poured a blend of 6006(70%) and 4630(30%) because I had the same thoughts. I will say so far zero sink holes and cracks (which I never get anyway with any waxes (due to my curing process). Obviously using many parrafings will have shrinkage and need 2nd pours, but not referring to that. Anyway, I haven't done any burn tests yet but plan to today and will update you. I also poured a blend of 6006 and 464 as well and curious how it will work. The positive of that blend is a bit cleaner with more soy. All the other benefits are with the 6006/4630 blend. I actually plan to pour 2 different blends. 1) 6006/4630 at 70/30 ratio as I already have done. 2) same blend with 50/50 ratio as you have done. So let's keep our fingers crossed. I also agree the smoke/soot is usually from wick more than wax. That being said, I can wick 464 with damn near anything and get no soot. Parrafin I get soot unles wicking is PERFECT. Speaking of perfect... this is a bit off topic and in reference to conversation we had a while back about double wicking the apothecary jars. Wicking these jars is a nightmare and double wicking has been much better. However, Either the wicks end up too big or hot or too small and drown/almost drown. You mentioned using (2) zinc 36-xx. In all my testing that combo has drowned or essentialy drowned. In fact, same with 44-24. I got good results with 44-28 and 44-32 though although a bit bigger and hotter than I'd like. Was curious if you had more feedback on double wicking those damn things. Finally.... any issues you have had with the large jars losing scent after a few long burns. Never happens to any jars for me except testing the large apothecarys. Thanks @Tammy.D I have blended with 464 as well and other than slightly cleaner burn and softening up the 6006 a bit... haven't really seen a big reason to do that combo vs just 6006 or 6006/4630. (FYI, 4630 will also lower the melt point of 6006 a bit too)

Hey @bfroberts, been a while and forgot about this thread. I kept on using 6006 as I have been and didn't really mess with the 4630 much. For one basic reason.... more black smoke than I am confortable with. Did you notice this with 4630 as well? I mean.. its all parrafin so I guess its expected to have more than a soy blend. That being said... sometimes I get mote black smoke/soot than I want with 6006 as well (being mostly parrafin). Are you still exclusively using 6006? What have you done to combat smoke or soot if anything? Its not horrible or anything... but its something always trying to improve. The biggest thing Id like to improve is glass adhesion. Its ok.. but not great. I can get them perfect, but eventually once they hit shelves or leave my storage they will arrive at some point anyway. But I hear that isn't the case with 4630. So I thought about adding 4630 to it (which would lower melt point and get better glass adhesion). The issue is that 1) this makes the candle almost entirely parrfin and not so much a parasoy anymore and 2) more soot. Thoughts?

i have both and could give that a shot. thanks

Hey everyone, I am looking to create a burning leaves scent and trying to figure out which combos to use without spending a fortune if I dont need to. Off the top of my head, I am thinking of trying a few different leaves/meadow scents mxied with fireside and/or some cedar as well. Anyone else have any thoughts? Thanks

Ill throw in my thoughts here from experience... Some buyers like being educated and if they ask questions I share. Most do not and they just want something that smells good and burns well. Regarding "gimmicky" marketing. When they are bold face lies, it bothers me. Otherwise, I dont care. Candle makers may love what they do, but most of us are also running a business and trying to make profit and keep our business going. A LARGE part of doing that is advertising and marketing. Its not that your lying or being gimmicky... its that you are trying to market and advertise to your potential buyers. That is just life and how business works. As long as you aren't lying, I could care less about the words or phrases you use. I dont say "triple scented" myself, but dont care if some do. I tell people what they care about.... "clean burning, long lasting, great scent throw, and AFFORDABLE". The rest.... I share if they ask. Another classic example of this "gimmicky" marketing is these jewel candles, etc. Drives me kinda nuts I gotta say. But, if I am being honest... its me just being jealous that I didn't do it first. Ha! I am sure they have a blast and they are successful so power to them. I just try to stop being negative about what else is out there and find a way to stand out myself and worry about my own products and business. You will drive yourself mad worrying about everyone else. And this is coming from someone who tends to drive themselves mad worrying about everyone else.

This is good advise and what I do after I have set recipes. However, when I am experimenting and working on a color... I do the dye first to make sure I have plenty of time to experiment adding the dye until I get the right color. If I wait until after adding FO... I tend to not have enough time to do that. That being said, I've never had an issue with FO not mixzing well if I add around 185. Plus I stir for at least a couple minutes every time.

do you sell direct only or do you sell wholesale (sitting on shelves etc). Because inevitably wet spots will show up on any clear glass containers. Its unavoidable because of temperature changes which is out of your control. As long as mine look when making them myself, I dont care once they change hands because nothing I can do. Also.. I didn't really have big issues with wet spots with this blend. You have to really control the cure temp and let it cool as slowly as possibly. I do not have issues when donig that. But again.. its mostly soy, so will be undependable.

depends on multiple factors. But most people will tell you as a general rule, add FO around 185. Dye either right before or right after

You talking about some frosting or actual adhesion problems with wetspots, etc? I stopped worry about wetspots a while back. I can control them darn near perfectly and have ZERO wetspots. But as soon they start moving, shipping, going to store shelves, etc... they will eventually show up anyway because of temperature changes. So I stopped worry about it. If they happen, they happen. If not... cool.

I know others obviously have different results in their use and testing, but I have had much different results with CD. They lean and cause uneven burning pretty much always. Mushrooming... most of the time Very hot, good sometimes and bad other times. But because of the leaning and performance, it also causes excess soot in many applications. I go back to CD time and time again and inevitably end up with the same results. If the jar is wider, than I dont mind the CDs as mucuh since a little leaning is still ok. But average diameter jars or smaller, the CDs get too hot on one side because they lean. Let me put it this way.... if I dont know any better and I had only used CD's I would probably like them just fine. But time and time again, I prefer at least a few others over them every time. The ONLY candles I use CD in is my citronella... because I dont need a great even looking burn and its usually not a problem since I double or triple wick those. Plus, I want a really hot flame and to produce some smoke while it burns. So I will use CD and wickup for citronella. But thats it. EVERY wick has its pitfalls and it really depends on wax and FO. But overall, CDs are not near my favorite. Im prefer them more in soy than straight parrafin or parasoy though.

Have you tried any of the following: HTPs (more curl and less mushroom and soot) Premier (similar to zinc but burn hotter - still prone to some mushrooming though)

Me too. The other exception is UV stabilizer in candles. I rarely am using enough per batch to be able to use ounces. Lol

I'm in America... we hate grams. Ha! Kidding aside, Grams is alright if working in tiny amounts or increments.... otherwise I use ounces. Im just more used to working with ounces

To be perfectly honest... I've never understood when people talk about different wicks providing throw. Ive never understood that... and i never notice a difference. The MP and the wax is what throws the scent. The wick just creates the MP. Scent isnt thrown by the wick. Two melt pools that are the same stress going to throw the same... that had ALWAYS been my experience. So ive never understood those arguments about wicks and HT. I mean.... tarts have no wicks.... scent throw is good, that should end the argument right there. Lol So to specificslly answer your question... no, I've not had a decrease in HT using htp or premier. I think zinc seems to throw better because it burns cooler which means the candle and MP can last longer. My favorite wick hands down is zinc except mushroom and the zinc wire. But they all bave their drawbacks. Id rather have mushrooms and a wire though and less soot. Some wicks give me more soot for sure (eco, cd, cdn). HTP would be my favorite if they didnt lean and stayed centered a bit better.

Yes i was referring mostly to candles. I use neither for wax ments. I prefer harder wax for thise. Like 4625 If your talking paraffin

Sorry.. misread your question. I just thought you asked what I do with oils I have too much of BEFORE they go bad. I make melts or other testers, etc. Bad oils I throw out. Lol

Lots of wax melts! Lol

But makes it easier to find sales...

My input: 3022 is good... similar to 6006. But I wouldn't choose it over 6006 for several reasons. 1) HT is good.. but not better than 6006. Anyone who ahs issues with HT with 6006 just needs to troubleshoot what they may be doing wrong. 6006 HT is incrfedible and requires only a little cure time. Of course, it can get better the longer it cures like any wax. 3022 takes a bit longer to cure I feel. The closes thing you get to straight parrafin HT that isn't straight parrafin is 6006... end of story! 2) I can get a few different wicks to work well in both waxes but each with their own caveats. I feel like 6006 gives me a couple more options though. A lot of it depends on the jar. I think as the jar size (diameter) increases, 6006 has performed better than 3022. 3) Because 3022 has more soy than 6006, there is potential to run into more problem FOs, though I haven't yet with my limiting testing. 4) Color - can get more vibrant colors with 6006 5) Pricing. It just flat out costs more to use 3022 as of now. Less bulk discounts and shipping is more. 6) Availability - Clarus needs more suppliers for me to feel comfortable All that being said... I still like 3022 and like the company and people who work for it. I wouldn't hesitate about using or or feeling confident with it. But, I cant justify it over 6006... at least yet. 6006 has been my go to wax and taken me from 0 to where I am now all on its own. At this point.. I just trust it and have the process to use it down pat. So at this point, it will take something REALLY good and different for me to change.