olives

21 hours ago, pughaus said:

@olives  I'm glad to see someone else is testing this wax.  I know you just poured it, but anything to note at this point?  I'm gonna guess since it's coco, that they're looking nice and smooth.  How's the adhesion so far?  

The adhesion is great, and I cannot get over how smooth they look...I actually keep running my finger over the top because it's like glass! One thing I did notice on 2 of the jars I poured is a significant dip in the middle of each jar. I'll take a shot tomorrow and post it...

I just poured my first test batch yesterday of this wax! I poured into the various jar sizes I use, but with no wicks...the jars are all straight-sided jars ranging from 2.5 - 3.25" in diameter. My plan is to poke holes in each and swap wicks out to test.

I'll probably do a test burn early next week when I have some time. I use ECO wicks normally, so I plan on testing those with the high hopes that they'll work 😂 just because I have so many of them! I have sample packs of CD and LX wicks as well that I'd like to try.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your results! I have no idea what to expect with this wax...

On 2/16/2018 at 2:39 PM, Flicker said:

You will get sink holes with that jar/wax. Pour hotter at 185-190. Tent newspaper over the top to slow cooling. You will probably have to top them off. I usually check them in a few hours, poke relief holes and do my repour.

@Flicker, your comment got me thinking about a random question I've had in my head. I've read recently about how pouring too hot can cause the wax coating on the wick to melt, which ultimately can cause tunneling. I'm having crazy tunneling issues lately and have kept this in mind when playing around with my pour temps. How hot is too hot to pour? 

12 minutes ago, moonshine said:

Coconut is notorious for wet spots in glass you won’t be able to get away from that at all 

I have not tried the paracoco one but being it has paraffin I would guess it will also produce wet spots - I have come to embrace them and not have a care in the world so long as I get a good clean burn and throw 

I agree, wet spots at this point are the least of my worries. I am going for the same things you are - a good burn & throw. And I want to use a wax that is easy to work with - the amount of rework I'm doing to fix my soy candles (relief holes, second pours) is unsustainable for me.

18 minutes ago, moonshine said:

That was supposed to be they WERE filling the offices like mad after months of making them 

Ah, got it...but still, months to cure is not going to work for any of us! It's funny...C&S told me 24 hrs cure time...I have no idea how they are coming up with that as a recommendation!

Wow @moonshine...that's crazy and not good to hear.

Just now, se2653 said:

I have tried both, and like both.  The one from WSP that I have used is the detergent free, really nice to work with, lathers and holds scent really well.  I just ordered other detergent free bases from WSP, and hope to get some poured this weekend to try them out, am hoping they are also as good.

Thanks @se2653! I'm going to order a sample today. I'm glad to know that it worked well for you!

Slightly different ingredients:

Candlewic Coconut Milk Soap base

Glycerin, Prop. Glycol, Coconut Oil, Triethanolamine, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Stearate, Coconut Cream, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Purifited Water

WSP Crafter's Choice Detergent Free Coconut Milk Soap base:

Sorbitol, Coconut Oil, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Coconut Milk, Titanium Dioxide

9 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I found easy beads easier to work with. It can be tricky finding the right wick to not soot stack or mushroom though. 

 

There is absolutely anything wrong with paraffin. A few of my paraffin only candles burn cleaner and throw better than soy or coconut could ever hope to. You just gotta work toward wicking them right. Too many people over scent and over wick, leading to sooty messes in all waxes. 

 

Let me know now how you like paracoco. 4786 did well with my easybeads in some trials. 

I'm really intrigued by the paracoco. I'm going to test it solo, and then blended with a little soy. I currently use ECO wicks so I have thousands of them, so will start there. I've also got samples of CD and LX wicks that I'll try. I keep hearing mixed things about RRD wicks, so I think I'll hold off on testing with those for now. (I'm exhausted just typing all that...)

@TallTayl did you have better results with the easy beads? I’m planning on testing their paracoco blend this weekend. Yep, going to the “dark side” (paraffin)...

I didn’t check but I will go back tomorrow to compare. Great reviews on the WSP base, so I might just get a sample to try. 

47 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Coconut slab from candles and supplies did not perform for me. I could have chosen the totally wrong wick series and fragrances. It could be that it needs a really, really long cure time. @moonshinemade some last fall that after this amount of time have begun to perform. 

 That is so disappointing. At one point I did email C&S with some general questions on this wax, one of them being cure time....they told me 24 hrs was all it needed!

I just bought a sample of Candlewic's Coconut Milk MP base, based on a good review I saw on this board...and then went over to WSP to do some other shopping and realized that they, too, had a coconut milk MP base. Anyone have experience with either of these bases? I have read so-so reviews of the Crafter's Choice MP bases, but if the WSP base is a good one, I'd love to order from them instead. I don't order anything else from Candlewic, and shipping was high!

Would love to hear anyone's experience with either base. Thanks!

9 minutes ago, WaxDaddy said:

thanks @olives ! Do you currently go with coconut? How is the HT compared to others you may have personally used? Any advice you would give?

I'm still using 464 soy wax, and I blend in a bit of the coconut slab wax from Candles & Supplies. I have found that the addition of coconut wax has given me maybe a slightly better hot throw, and a nicer, creamier look to the candle. (It has not, however, solved my wet spot issues...)

Soy has given me huge, huge problems lately, so I'm about to start testing with various coconut waxes, and maybe blending a just bit of soy in with them. It's going to be a long process, I think, given that there are so many factors that are going to affect what wick type/size work best for whatever blend I decide to go with: jar size, fragrance oil, % of soy wax used, type of coconut wax used, etc. Honestly - it's daunting! But that thread link I sent you has been my bible. I would suggest reading every single post and you'll get a good sense of what's worked for people and what hasn't, and it should give you a bit of a starting point. Ultimately, there are so many variables, that you will end up having to do quite a bit of testing to see what wax blends and what wicks work for you. This board is a GREAT resource!

8 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

I start off adding nothing to learn the base wax. I make a pro/con list as I go. Things that bother me most go right to the top of the list. 

 

Example:

coconut slab wax rom candles and supplies. 

Texture like shortening.

sooted with eco wick sizes x,y,z in status jar.

poor cold throw after 1 week.

no detectable hot throw after 1 week cure

 

I try every wick series I have from eco to paper core to cd to RRD and note things like flame height

 

RRD too tall and thin. Must trim wick every hour.

Carbon balls at x hours. 

Melt pool too wide at 2 hrs

Melt pool 1/2” deep and growing at 2 hours. 

 

I pick what wick i think performs the best and go on to fragrance and color testing. 

Sometimes changing the jar fixes the big problems. 

 

I have tried additives like beeswax at 1%, 2%, 5%, etc. and note the changes.

 

there are no real secrets I can reveal, except to call the retailers, call the manufacturers, google patents and tuck in for a series of tests to figure out what you really like in a candle. It takes time and lots of pictures, videos and notes to find your path. What I love in a candle you may hate. 

 

I buy candles from popular Instagram shops, other etsy shops shops and some based on friend recommendations all the time to see what people consider to be a good candle. 

@TallTayl...is that what you've noticed with the coconut slabs?? That is NOT good news...

6 minutes ago, WaxDaddy said:

got ya. So because I'm starting out and more than likely going to try other waxes, what do I need to know. What makes each type of wax hard to work with? Is it simply FO % and wick testing, or is it what to blend with each type of wax? I'd like to experiment with beeswax and/or coconut wax, but I have no clue what I should be adding, mixing with it, or much about it. You have any tips/guidelines for these things?

Just jumping in because your question is a weighty one, and I think you might find this thread very helpful:

On 8/1/2017 at 7:57 PM, CorgiCaper said:

I am testing a coconut hybrid from Candles and Supplies.  It's a proprietary blend for them.  Mostly coconut and a tad of soy.  Cold throw is outstanding.  Testing wicks right now. 

@CorgiCaper, how did your wick testing go? I'm about to test with CD wicks in this blend and would love to hear your thoughts.

I find this UNbelieveable. Ugh!!

@kandlekrazy @runner14jc I think you guys are right. They are definitely NOT ordering from the suppliers we're using and testing each box before they use it...and I'm not even talking about Yankee or the other big guns...I'm talking about smaller scale - yet still very popular - companies like PF Candle Co., Seawicks, etc. I'm sure that even they are working with a manufacturer and getting custom blends.

Relief holes are a huge thorn in my production right now. I'm going to try the tapping during my pouring today. In the meantime, I'm going to work on a blend that uses as little soy as I can get away with. The cost is going to be higher, but time is money and right now the amount of time I'm spending with re-works is killing me.

@Linds, I feel your pain! One thing I've also stopped doing is stirring intermittently while the wax is cooling down; I thought doing this would be a good thing, to continue to promote the binding of the fragrance oils to the wax, but figured I might be contributing to any air bubbles during pour.

You actually bring up a REALLY interesting point about the wick stickers...I use those, too, and I have noticed those same bubbles around the wick tab when I pour... 

Due to the volume of candles I make at a time, the wick stickers are most convenient for me to use. (I have someone actually pre-stick my wicks with the stickers so my wicks are ready to go when I grab them.) I've used hot glue before, but had so many issues with the wicks coming loose that I had to stop. I also tried that gasket adhesive that many people have recommended, and while that stuff is insanely adhesive, I found it messy to use (oh, and it's red...which you can see if it seeps a bit outside the diameter of the wick tab.) So, it was back to the wick stickers for me - quick, easy to use, and sticky. But now you have me wondering...hmmmm.

A TOTAL mess. I constantly wonder how bigger soy candle businesses are coping. I'm super small-scale, but still losing sleep over this (and how much time and money I'm spending on testing and re-works). 

Good to know about the coconut wax...I'm testing a few different brands and now I'm going back to the drawing board with them. Planning on lowering the soy portion of my blends drastically, and even eliminating altogether.

Just a post to vent and maybe feel less alone if there are any others are experiencing the same...

I've posted in the recent past about my issues with air cavities beneath the surface of my mainly 464/small percentage of coconut wax candles, which have been causing severe tunneling during burning and causing the wick to self-extinguish. Thanks to everyone's advice, I've experimented with lowering pour temps, heating jars, slowing cooling, monitoring room temp, and even RAISING pour temps. However, after having two customers return candles recently due to tunneling, that was the last straw. (Lord knows how many other bad candles are out there that I've sold that I don't know about!) 

I'm now poking relief holes around the wicks of every candle I make after it sets, and then doing a final top pour the following day. (This is a time-consuming extra step to my production, but it has to be done for my own peace of mind.) And when I poke those relief holes, I can feel air cavities in every single one of my candles. 

Could this just be the reality of things now that soy wax has changed? I have been making and selling candles for 3 years, and this is the first time I'm experiencing these issues. Anyone else noticing this with their candles?

For those of you who mainly use coconut wax: Do you experience tunneling/air cavity issues? If all of this is soy-related, I'm thinking of ditching soy altogether, or completely shifting the soy-to-coconut ratio I use in my blends so that the majority of my blend is coconut wax.

Thanks in advance for any feedback/general good-vibe-sending!

@Kerven @kdmorgan Thanks to you both! I will add FO at 180-185 and try pouring at around 170. I do plan on testing it with a bit of soy blended as well. Just bracing myself for the inevitable wicking frustration...

I got a sample of this wax from Candlewic (it's a coconut/apricot blend with "a small percentage" of paraffin in it), and realized that there were no real instructions on their website re: idea temp to add FO, pour, etc. I emailed them and got this response:

At what temperature should I add fragrance oil?         10 to 15 Degrees  before you pour

At what temperature should I pour?                               145-150 Degrees F

Recommended cure time before burning?                     About 24 hours

For those that have used this wax before...does this sound right? I'm especially curious about the cure time...

This is the story of my life!! And congrats on the new workspace!