lovelyscents

I meant to also ask, has anyone ever used any other wicks other than just CSN and RRD with palm?  I have even seen some around with wood that seem to get good reviews.  

The appearance of palm is so beautiful, takes color well, hard, and I love the flip method with no repours.  Not to mention, I like standing out against all the lifeless white soy wax that surrounds me.  Don't get me wrong, I actually dislike using liquid colors because of the smell OOB and it stains EVERYTHING.  Therefore, I will likely do a creamy, colorless wax in amber jars.  However, in clear glass, the colors really give character to a certain scent and allow the palm to show its true beauty.

Ugh, I just sold my CW container palm.  I may have to pick up some glass glow or visit CW again LOL.  Maybe I was indeed adding too much FO.  If CSN is no longer available and that leaves RRD, does that limit the best burning / throw capabilities palm has to offer with the ideal wick or just makes things easier?  😂

Do you think palm is harder to source than paraffin in the long-run?  I am considering mottling wax too.

If I do colored palm in clear glass and creamy colorless wax in amber jars, I would be able to make CP with or without palm and not look hypocritical in that retrospect.  I personally do not have anything against palm.  It is probably because I am not a Karen to any wax or those who prefer to use what they love.  I am quite good defending against 100% soy when people ask what I use and I tell them it's a blend.  I do not mind the minor confrontation to stand behind my product that I know is well tested and of great quality.  They can move along to the gazillion other booths for soy if they are truly brainwashed that their cotton candy candle is "natural".  🤷‍♀️

I had the same issue years ago when I ordered 4625, they sent mottling wax.  I seen several other folks in the FB groups have the same issue from them as well.  I stopped ordering from them.  They really need to label their items in their shop / warehouse since those 2 wax slabs can appear the same prior to melting.

Not saying he is lying, but some suppliers will not reveal that information purposely so consumers think he is the only one to purchase from.  🤑

Did you happen to order from Virginia Candle Supply?

Exactly what I was afraid to hear.  I may venture back into considering mottling or palm.  I love the appearance of both, how it takes color, and the hardness for warmer temps.  However, I am not used to repours or too good at convincing customers mine are not toxic compared to the abundance of soy that surrounds my town.  Even my melts get questioned and I continuously have to repeat myself that a "natural" soy bean is no longer natural once processed, a fruit loop scent is not natural, and essential oils aren't good to burn with direct flame.  🤦‍♀️

As far as palm, did not have too much luck in the HT department but may have not given enough time to cure, etc.  I was underwhelmed by the palm melts I tested as well.  Also, may have a hard time selling palm candles when I am working on a palm free CP soap recipe. 🤦‍♀️

to get something consistent.  Is there ANY consistent wax out there anymore?  I have gone through tons and still cannot seem to settle on one.  I get these crazy ideas to custom blend but then I struggle with wicking and go back to square one since my "bright idea" blends are exclusive to me.  It seems the more who use the same blend, the more help troubleshooting and bouncing ideas off one another we get.  I do not care at this point if its mottling, soy, paraffin, coconut, etc., I am willing to try it.

3 hours ago, bfroberts said:

For me it was always finicky about FO, in exactly the same way as soy. It either throws or it doesn’t, and it’s maddening.  If there’s a secret, I must be out of the loop too.

Same here.  Maybe we are too spoiled with paraffin blends 🤷‍♀️😂.

I have not tried that oil so may not be much help, but I have found oils can settle differently in different wax blends.

I'm having the same issue and would like to know as well.

10 hours ago, NightLight said:

Do you mean formulas on the outside of the box, or like flaming candle send problend with the real manufacturer?

When you purchase cases, the supplier sends what the manufacturer packaged it in which has the wax name/number on the outside of the box.  Suppliers don't repackage or place those boxes in another one.  To save time and shipping costs, I see why they do it that way.  I was just turned off / shocked by it.

9 hours ago, Kerven said:

It would annoy me if someone I sold to or potential competition found out what I'm using. My honest, but not overly detailed, description of ingredients should be enough for them. They don't need to know that I use X wax, Y additive, and Z whatever else, much less where I'm ordering them from. My blends are proprietary and I'll release them or hints of their composition when I see it fit to do so. Knowing that I order A wax from B supplier, it's not hard to get a rough idea of how much it costs me in materials to make a candle, which then interferes with my ability to charge whatever I want for the candles. "You're going to charge me $20 when it only costs you around $5? No, thanks. I'll get one of those $3 ~16oz candles from Michaels."

 

It's kind of like receiving something from Keurig or Kitchenaid, and now the whole street knows I have a new coffee maker or stand mixer because the shipper thought it was a brilliant idea to ship the product in its retail packaging or a sturdier outter packaging that resembles the retail packaging. As though I need a porch pirate knowing exactly what's in the package. Just send it in a plain ol' cardboard box, please, and don't use the brand name on the shipping label. Some companies just don't care about your need for privacy or discretion.

Exactly my point, thank you! 

Of course I'm not as worried about candles since many more factors go into making what the final outcome becomes.  There are tons of candle makers who try the same wax, oils, and wicks as TallTayl stated and they all can come out totally different.  However, I'm wickless right now so it's not as difficult to figure things out since there are not as many variables involved as candles.  I'm also the type to custom blend almost every scent I offer in a way to make me unique in a saturated market.

I now see I posted this in the wrong spot but I am still slowly testing candles regardless.

Either way, I know my product isn't gold but I guess getting my recipes stolen in the past has made me overthink and more on guard for everything I do.  I need to care less sometimes 🤣.

2 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Raise your hand if you too have trailed wax from the delivery truck through your house to where you make your candles. 

😵

......that suppliers send cases as they come from the manufacturer with the wax name plastered all over on the outside of the box?  Wax is one of the biggest proprietary ingredients in a candle makers business and I'd rather not exploit it to the delivery personnel or neighbors.  I try not to complain but that is like someone announcing one of the chef's ingredients of a propriety recipe to the kitchen staff.  I don't know, maybe I am overthinking it.

On 6/7/2020 at 2:55 PM, TallTayl said:

I don’t know about you, but I would rather use 3% than 12%. We can’t often get these super concentrated custom FO from usual retailers since the retailers are pressured to make their FO usable in soap, lotion, candles, etc.  another reason candle FO has been lackluster in recent years is the removal of phthalates. Consumer pressure resulted in that. Finally, state air quality regs, like those California issues, prohibit some fragrance compounds that can make a candle smell much stronger.

I noticed alot of companies are taking the candle only fragrances and now noting that they are reformulated to have a higher usage rate for soap.  Now I am not a soapmaker but to me, that sounds like the fragrance is less potent in order for soap to have more?  Correct me if I am wrong on that.  Either way it is so disappointing for us making wax products to have mostly only universal oils available.  

14 minutes ago, Ravens said:

Oh, I should add that of all the soy waxes, the one that gave me best HT results is the GB415. It had better throw than the C3, 464, PB, etc. and other proprietary soy waxes that you'll find at several suppliers such as The Flaming Candle etc.

I'm starting to think that the less additives in a wax, the better.

7 minutes ago, Belinda said:

Do you think their candles look like 6006? I've wondered what wax they use. 

I've cut up leftover candle wax from them so I could use it in my warmer and it's way more firm than 6006.  

On 6/16/2020 at 1:49 AM, dustinryan2010 said:

Aha.. I actually noticed BBW wicks act a lot like zincs without the wire. 

I thought the same thing.

On 8/28/2020 at 5:05 PM, Marisa11 said:

@Sebleo Did you ever get this figured out? I am having the worst time trying to wick Fruity Rings (Fruit Loops) by Natures garden. it is a heavier FO and mostly citrus notes with a base of sugared vanilla.  I have gone through at least 13 oz of FO trying to get this right. The CT is 5/5 on every single candle I have poured no matter the wax type. I have used it in Joywax, IGI 6006, and Coconut Apricot. I also bought some from Aztec but had the same wax burning fuel smell. I have decided to stick with Coconut Apricot I have added FO at Higher temps around 200F I have added at 180F I have gone down to 170F I have done 6%, 8%, and 10%. LX, HTP, RRD, ECO, HEMP, CD, WOODWICK crackling boosters, and zinc, The closest I have gotten to an actual smell that was not burning was in Joywax at 6% in a 3.5' diameter jar with a single HEMP 838 wick.  However, I feel like it would still get that fuel smell intermittently. NG base notes for their fruit loops has vanilla. Maybe I can add some silky vanila FO I have. This FO was the one and only FO that  I wanted to work and pretty much the reason I got into candle making so i could make this for myself. I do not sell as I have only been doing this for 8 months so I am nowhere near ready or even know 100% if that is what I want to do. I have poured this into so many candles and I have all my notes. I made some votive candles in 1.5oz jars  with 6% and 8% loads. All same variables except the FO load and I always cure a bare minimum of 2 weeks. These were poured June 28th, 2020 and I started burning July 20th. I still have a bunch left untested because I had tested about 8 at one time 6% & 8% with matching wicks. I had that fuel smell and I had also been testing on my 5oz and 8oz wickless jars with no luck. So I got frustrated and took a break from testing these.  I do not blow out my wicks I always use a wick dipper so I can smell the melt pool afterwards.  I made a total of 22 using 11 different wick types and sizes. 

 

Coconut Apricot has a MP of 125-129+ not sure why it ranges but I did not make the wax. I have some straight 130MP paraffin and some stearic acid.  Has anyone added either of these to your citrus scents to help raise the melt point so maybe it helped wick it?  Maybe I will do a another batch but just use the 5oz jars filled to 4oz and add FO at the lowest temp possible. Calwax said not to let it get below 160 ill add at 165/170. This FO has a flaspoint of 158 so I want to make sure that it binds completely with the wax. ill do one with just Coco apricot a 2nd with 5% paraffin added 3rd with 5% stearic acid added, and a 4th with paraffin and stearic acid. All with 5% FO load? Someone told me that maybe the FO just wasn't compatible with the wax. But dang it, I am going to make it work. 

  

Did you ever get this to work yet?

I know what you mean, trust me lol

Did you still try using it to see if the bubbles truly affected your throw?  Maybe your lot had moisture in the batch?

Belinda is correct about adding some container to it or it may need a repour since you have tried all kinds of pouring/cooling methods with no luck.  Just the nature of harder wax blends that are mostly paraffin.  You may like the look better with them blended anyhow

I was always told from a very successful and wise lady who taught me alot when I started was to scent ALL wax no matter how little is needed for decorating.  I say test and see

I have this same issue with about every wax you can think of.  I have learned over years that it is the oil and warmer in question for longevity, give or take a couple hours difference here and there.  For example, one wax would throw the same oil in the same warmer about 12-13 hours whereas another wax would throw that oil in the same warmer for about 15.  I educate all of my coworkers and friends who test for me that warmers have a huge effect on how long they last.  I tell them the hotter the warmer, the stronger the throw but it will burn off faster and the lower wattage the warmer, the longer they last but lighter throw.  I want products to be the best they can be, but sometimes it can get annoying when someone thinks a 1 ounce tart is supposed to last a week or more, especially when they pay no more than a couple of bucks per ounce.  If they lasted that long, we certainly would not get return orders as often and would have to raise prices for sure.  You are using more than 1 oz per pound already, so anymore than that is not cost effective for mostly the same outcome.  I think you are doing everything correctly on your end for results that can vary so much depending on the person.  I even tested the theory from customers at a local festival in the same oil and wax.  When I followed up with them....one person said the tart filled their whole 2 story home and lingered for days whereas another person with the same oil and blend said it barely traveled far from the warmer and was not as strong as they like.  We cannot please everyone and I say if you are confident you have tested enough and are satisfied with your product, keep it moving.

Ah, good point!