Kerven

Are their flash sales for members only?

@TallTayl After you said that about WSP, I had to check. I hadn't noticed their FO's are by the fl oz... Floored and even more hesitant to order from them. Their prices are already sky high.

Oooh, you're right. I forgot all about the volume of water = its weight. That makes it much easier, not having to measure the water's volume. Specific gravity... eek. I remember learning that in some class ages ago. Chemistry?

Not on topic but since allergies were brought up... Does anyone know if soy candles can trigger soy allergies? I've often wondered if those sensitive to soy could handle them or breathe in any fumes/smoke/soot from a soy candle.

But then you have to measure the inside radius... and what if it's not a perfect cylinder... Sticking to the water method. I rediscovered the magic triangle we learned in middle school for calculating velocity... it works for converting from volume to weight when filling containers! Also, cross multiplication: my go-to for almost everything.

I don't think it was mentioned, but there is a method of determining how many oz by weight will fill a jar at a particular volume. Fill a jar to your desired height with water, taking note of the volume of water added. Next, take that volume and convert it to wax weight... the general ratio for 464 soy is 16oz(1lb) = 20floz, I believe. It may be 19floz or 21floz. I always end up with a little extra or a little less, but it's a close approximation. Nevertheless, if filling a jar to your desired height is 7floz of water, then you could use a conversion factor of .8 (16/20) to multiply the desired volume by: .8*7floz = 5.6oz, which is the weight in wax you'd need. Granted, the FO's volume can have an affect on the total volume, so testing is necessary if there is no room past your desired volume. I think I said that right... Someone correct me if not. An 8floz jar will never hold 8oz of wax. It seems suppliers rarely define whether their jars' capacity is in floz or oz, tending to use just #oz when they really should be using #floz, IMO, which can lead to a lot of confusion.

Looks a little too close to the rim to me. If the neck narrows any, you might want to stop pouring at that point, otherwise the narrowed section will form a melt pool much quicker than the rest of the candle. One issue that I run into is that many suppliers often say their jars are "8oz" or "9oz" or "12oz" or etc., but what they fail to mention is that those are the manufacturer measurements, which are fluid oz and not oz by weight. So, an 8floz jar isn't going to hold 8oz by weight of wax exactly. Then again, you have other suppliers who offer products and "wax weight" and "fill line" and "overflow" measurements... of course, different waxes have different volume to weight ratios... So, in the end, you do have to make a few test pours to get things measured right. After that, it's just a matter of editing the label for total weight of candle minus the empty jar's weight. You can always label less than the actual weight... or so I've read. Not to nitpick, but just a suggestion, if the overall weight of the completed candle is 15oz and the empty jar is 7.1oz, that's 7.9oz of product in the jar. If you label at 8oz, someone might have the nerve to go through the trouble of checking and that tenth of an oz might be more trouble than its worth.

Ozokerite... eh. It's been more difficult to find than cetearyl and not as economical, although, the melt point is where I need it and its ability to emulsify and stabilize are pluses. I forgot about candelilla and carnauba. Do they tend to rapidly crystallize before reaching pouring temperature? Candellila definitely has the melt point I need. I'm not sure about its congeal point. I think that's somewhere around 156F, close to its melting point. Carnauba's congealing point is somewhere around 180F, which is a hair below its melt point, I think. I'm wondering if they'll rapidly crystallize when slightly under their melt point, which the palm has a tendency to do. Brassica glycerides look interesting. Too bad it's absurdly expensive.

I'm working on coconut-palm blends and need a somewhat higher melt point congealer with a congealing temperature around 140-150F. What sort of candle-safe congealing additives are out there - any suggestions? I've read that castor wax in greater than 5% can cause congealing and it has a quite high melt point. 30/70 cetearyl alcohol needs to be greater than 10% for significant congealing and acts as a surfactant and crystalline modifier. Sunflower wax congeals as well, I believe... or maybe that's the oil in cosmetics. I can't think of any others... palm kernel flakes, maybe?

Does it smell anything like Earl Grey tea?

@Birdcharm Formula, recipe, whichever you call it... perfectly smooth tops, good throw, steady flame, good MP formation. It worked great! That is, with the 464 I already had. The new bags didn't turn out the same for some reason I'm still working with it to see if I can figure out what's different. Thank you for the suggestion! I'd have never thought to try square braided wicks with soy.

I gave up on trying to prevent wet spots. They have a knack for popping up unexpectedly at some point in the candle's lifetime. I've had them show up after burning, when moved between rooms with slightly different temperatures. They'll even pop up days, weeks, even months after pouring what appeared to be a flawless candle. And then... they may not show up at all. Candlewic's product description for CBL 130 states that it was made to pull away from the container. Some waxes are created with that purpose in mind... if there are going to be wet spots, might as well have the wax completely pull away from the container for a uniform look. Personally, I prefer full adhesion over full separation because the candle looks smaller when the wax doesn't adhere. If partial separation is an issue, there are countless ways to encourage further separation. The easiest: expose to cool temperatures after curing.

I haven't read all four pages so I'm not certain if anyone mentioned this. Cool temperatures may cause freshly poured 464 to sweat. I had this happen recently when I grabbed a box of freshly poured (less than 24hrs) candles instead of a cured box. The box was left in the car for several hours, which allowed the candles to cool to less than 50F. I've never had 464 sweat until this happened, so I'm under the assumption that allowing the new candles to go below 60F caused the wax to "rapidly" set up and crystalize, forcing out the FO. The sweating lasted for about 24hrs and only appeared around the outer 1/4" of the candle, which is why I think it was a temperature issue - the centers would have held in more heat, explaining the lack of sweating around the wick. One did crack as well, which -never- happens. Then again, I'm probably wrong. The OP mentioned that the 464 wasn't the same as previous 464. It just so happens that I received 10lb bags from CandleScience this month, which also happen to be the bags I used to make the candles that sweated. I used the same "recipe" as I did when testing #2 wicks and stearic, as suggested in another thread: 464, 1.7% stearic, 6% FO, and #2 wick primed with the 464. The candles made that way with a batch of 464 I received earlier in the year turned out to be the best 464 candles I've had since the 464 wicking fiasco. The candles made with the new bags of 464 (same box that I accidentally exposed to cold)... sweating, smoking, and a HT so weak I don't know why I added FO. The new 464 was obviously softer and more "greasy" and, maybe it was me, appeared clearer when melted... like what I'd expect from coconut wax. I know I shouldn't complain or criticize about this but the new 464 was oddly lacking in wet spots even after exposure to cold and the surfaces were perfectly smooth after burning, whereas the older 464 often left severe "scars". There is a definite difference between the older 464 that I used and the newer 464. I wonder if Akosoy has done it again and tampered with a good thing. As for my sweating, it was either an oil in the wax or the FO itself. I wiped it off a few times during a 24hr period and it was highly fragrant as though it was pure FO. Interestingly, it didn't pool on the bottom or sides of the candles, only on the top. After roughly 24hrs, it stopped. There was zero chance of moisture being incorporated into the wax between the time I opened the new bags of 464 and pouring the candles; used a presto pot dedicated to wax, a pouring pot that -never- gets washed, and I even cut a corner and didn't wash the jars this time. FO's used were from Aztec, Cierra, TFC, and CandleScience. Edit: I just noticed this thread is nearly a month old... How did I miss it?

CandleScience has one - the EZ wick setter. It even does three wicks. The only issue I have with it is that I never seem to get jars that fit it exactly. It's always a hair too loose and the magnets are slightly too large for the smallest double wick positioning. Edit: Nevermind. That's not what you're looking for... Still need a wick bar of some sort. Edit: By the way, does anyone know where to find the centering devices shown here ?

Rosemary Mint Kai (type) Spiced Cranberry Balsam Citrus Sweet Pumpkin Green Irish Tweed Autumn Harvest

I prefer the method of adding the % of FO to the wax weight of the candle. It's easier for me. 10oz of wax with 6% FO requires .6oz FO. Simple! Since we're on the topic... Which method is "best"? The largest difference I see between the two is the final % of FO in the finished candle. One method results in a slightly less % than desired, while the other method is more precise.

Save on Scents didn't come to mind but that's the one I was thinking of.

I knew someone had a custom scent creation service and blending ingredients but couldn't remember who. I had no idea they sold so many single note scents and accords... Interesting!

Perfumer's Apprentice has an array of ingredients. Wholesale Supplies Plus has something called the Fragrance Formulator. The Fragrance Formulator line of oils are meant to be single note scents for blending. They have an entire collection sample set.

Larger sizes or sample size?

Yours had plugs (like Cierra's)? Mine only had a screw cap, no seal inside the cap, just a plain screw cap.

I've only very briefly dabbled in bath and body products, but it has been an interest for years so I've been taking notes from all over the place. Apricot kernel oil - non-greasy, fast absorbing, can have a slightly nutty scent, emollient/sealant. Peach kernel oil - similar to apricot kernel oil. Jojoba - simulates natural sebum, readily absorbed into skin, can carry active ingredients into the skin. Macadamia oil - fatty acid profile similar to human sebum, doesn't go rancid as easily as some other oils, may trigger nut allergies. Olive squalane - light, non-greasy, rapidly absorbed, creates moisture barrier, adds suppleness. Sunflower oil - emollient, sealant, alternative to olive oil. Meadowfoam seed oil - good barrier formation, good at locking fragrances on the skin, regulates absorption to prevent "drying" due to rapid absorption, softens skin Sweet almond oil - conditions and softens. Brazil nut oil - emollient, moisturizing, quick absorbing, can have nutty aroma. Fractionated coconut oil - quick absorbing. Hazelnut oil - light, penetrating, slightly astringent. Camellia oil - highly moisturizing, penetrating, helps complexion, helps to balance moisture in dry skin, conditions, cools, anti-oxidant. Scentless and nearly colorless.

First time ordering from Aztec. Needed tropical scents. Sadly, Carribean Escape ended up in the bottom of the bag - loose cap. Why does this keep happening to me... Blue Hawaiian Berrylicious Wonderberry Copper Coconut Mango Peach Salsa

You can get 4 50lb cases from Lonestar for about $140 ground shipping, but the estimated delivery date is after the 21st. Distance didn't seem to matter for AAA Candle's shipping costs. Tried it from here on the East Coast and there on the West Coast and the ground shipping was exactly the same either way.

Are those cross shaped wicks the EricX Light wicks?