Kerven

Wax into pot, turn it on*, put the lid on (optional), and give it a stir once in a while. *Be very careful with the temperature dial. Those pots can easily reach temperatures high enough to scorch the wax or worse, and even though the temperature needed for the wax isn't labeled on the dial (it isn't on mine), you can still reach it. I haven't used mine in a while but I think it was somewhere between the A and R in "warm".

Are you testing trimming lengths for candles that will be sold? I ask because, IMO, most non-savvy users aren't going to trim to 1/8 and most trimmers that I've seen trim closer to 1/4 (maybe a hair longer). The addition of FO may soften the wax further, so it might be worth anticipating that.

Tumblers are my go-to these days. I like how open they are. Sleek and simple. A variety of lids, dust covers, etc. Almost can't go wrong. The "playing it safe" option, IMO. Wishing I could find more of those frosted oxford tumblers that Peak had.

Would probably work if the waxes are compatible. Although, the throw will be weakened. If the wax melt is 1.25oz and scented at 10%, that's .125oz FO and 1.125oz wax, which would be approx. .8% FO in the lb of wax. Honestly, I wouldn't count on any throw at that percentage. You'd need 7-8 melts of that size to get the equivalent of 6% FO needed for the lb of wax. However, assuming 7 melts are added, that's another 7.8oz of wax to the lb, bringing the total of wax to approx. 24oz... and that means the FO percentage gets adjusted to 3.6%. That is, unless my math is wrong and I need to get to bed.

AFAIK, silicone is heat resistant up to 500F. Its use in wax might prove a bit problematic, so I'm confident that's not the case. Polybar is another term for vybar, I believe. Vybar is a polymer. If it is wax on the floor, there are several methods of removal around the internet. There's the vinegar method. The ammonia method. There may even be a few commercial cleaners at the grocery, home improvement, or hardware stores that can remove paraffin. One thing to note is that linoleum floors do require waxing. Every once in a while, after several layers of wax, they also need to be stripped and a new coat of wax applied to remove discoloration, embedded dust and dirt, and to restore shine. Some people use liquid acrylic floor polishes instead of wax... but I can't speak on that since I've never used/seen the polish on linoleum. Nevertheless, be careful trying to remove any paraffin that might be on the floor because you might end up removing the protective coating of wax... unless you used the acrylic polish, in which case it should be fine.

CS Fraser Fir. Been using it for a few years. It's that good. CS White Birch. Might end up being tied with Fraser Fir. Just poured a tester with it and... wow. Pungent. Awesome cold throw. Reminds me of an FO I tried years ago... maybe something from Peak. Tried a little of it last year, and although it was nice, I wasn't really looking for a new FO so back on the shelf it went. That's very likely to change this year. CS Wassail. This is definitely going to be used this year, whether in candle or salts. No question about it. Sampled it last year and liked it. Just poured a tester with new wax and I'm already hooked on the cold throw. I'll probably do CS Apple Harvest for late summer and early fall, then switch to Wassail for late fall and winter. VBN, but I need to try a different one. Flaming's was pretty good. A candle of it from last year smells the same - hasn't changed in the slightest. The FO, that is; the wax, ugh. However, it does lack a certain something that the original from BBW had. I think it's a deeper vanilla or custardy note. It's not very embracing, IMO. Still good enough to keep using if I can't find a replacement. EBB Balsam & Citrus. To me it smells just like simmering spices and citrus peels on the stove with a bit of evergreen nearby.

Have you tried CS Blood Orange or CS Orange and Goji?

I have a couple of FO's that have flash points <110F. I'm not sure how I'll incorporate them into solid wax.

The WSP natural fragrances are probably heavy with EO, if those prices are any indication. EO's don't perform very well in most waxes. Small amounts, like what are used in CS FO's, sure, but as always you'll have to test to figure out what works and what doesn't.

I don't know what that was about. I think it was a method I found in one of the guides at Nature's Garden. I was new to candlemaking at the time. Although there may be no single pour pillar waxes, that doesn't mean you couldn't blend one of your own.

Edit: Nevermind. They weren't pillar waxes.

So you can use the remainder on the prepaid cards in stores? I thought it had to be a certain amount or a single card because each card results in an additional fee to the merchant? Well, now I know what to do with this stack. I think I've seen some sort of reloadable prepaid card at Walmart. Might be more convenient than the disposables.

Credit card fraud is rampant these days. According to what my creditor told me, people can sit there with programs and such - sometimes with a little bit of info like the last four digits or the entire card number except for the pin - and cycle through until they finally get something that is accepted by the merchant. Two weeks ago, someone tried to make an online purchase of $2,000+ at Walmart with my GM card - the card that hadn't been used since its replacement two months prior. How could they have possibly known all the info necessary on a fresh card? Luckily, it was caught, the account frozen, and a new card overnighted. Not-so-luckily, they forgot to unfreeze the account so it was a little embarassing when the card was denied at the grocery store. But, hey, after giving them a piece of my mind on how any of it was possible (the fraud and then the frozen new card) and the embrassment of the situation, I got a credit. Can't complain about that. Prepaid really is the way to go. Now, if only I could find an efficient way to drain the last few dollars off each of these cards... The largest downside to prepaids: ending with a balance too low to buy anything and too large to toss out. Don't get me started on how often my Netflix account gets hijacked by someone from France or another European country.

I find that 145F, maybe a little more, is a good melt pool temperature to aim for. Most candles will reach that without problem. However, these coconut waxes with low melt point lipids have trouble doing that without developing an inch deep melt pool... but melt pool depth is something of a topic for debate. Personally, I like to see my melt pools around 1/4-1/3" in depth.

Forgot to add that my candles weren't 100% Coco83. Couldn't figure out which wick series to use for straight Coco83, so anything made was a blend with large percentages of soy. I was also testing Candlewic's coconut-apricot wax as well, which seemed to be better with both CT and HT than Coco83. I think I'm going to go back and do some more wick testing on a Coco83 blend I started in early spring. It's beautiful and firm, although it still has that greasy smell from the coconut wax.

I didn't make many candles with the Coco83. They were all testers, although the few that were scented were... odd. Some FO's lost their top notes and the rest smelled a bit off somehow (not that greasy scent but just... off). I couldn't figure out what was going on, so they ended up in the tester graveyard (cabinet). I tested with FO's that were rated for use in soy. FO's that don't do well in soy might do well in the coconut wax. That's something to look into. One problem with coconut waxes is that they melt so easily, requiring a smaller wick, which can't heat the melt pool to a high enough temperature for a good throw. TallTayl suggested adding some of the scented wax to a melter to see if it throws. If it does throw, then it's probably too low of a melt pool temp. It's one of the reasons why I note melt pool temperature while testing.

I'm still convinced that Coco83 has paraffin in it. The MSDS even lists paraffin fumes as an inhalation hazard. However, I am a little confused by the spec sheet for the hybrid coconut wax and the MSDS for the "all natural" coconut wax. The spec sheet states "Accu-Pure 83" while the MSDS states "All Natural Coconut #83". Dunno what sort of confusion is going on there. That said, has anyone noticed a weird smell to their Coco83? I just went through my testers to see if I had made anything previously that might be promising to pick up again, and the one blend that I made with Coco83 still stinks. Very greasy. Like lard or some form of animal grease. Wondering if there's tallow-derived stearic in it. I mean, it absolutely smells like someone had been frying in it... or they reclaimed oils used in restaurant fryers to make that wax. Haven't used any FO's in it but I am a little concerned that the smell will carry over.

Haven't used many WSP FO's. My first and only (so far) was their V-Day sale. Was hit and miss for me. What's your opinion on the Black Salt and Cypress, Oakmoss Sandalwood (is this similar to CS Oakmoss and Amber?), and Guava Mojito?

I forgot to add Croda to the list. They have a polyamide somethingorother (might be OleoCraft) that sounds like it might work. I read that - the big chemical companies cracking down on hobbyists and crafters ordering samples. Unfortunately, I haven't set up a business. Making Cosmetics has almost all of them, but those prices... Woah! Modernist Pantry has microcrystalline cellulose, which I don't think will perform the same as ethyl cellulose. Hydroxyethyl and methyl cellulose seem plentiful but not oil-soluble, I think. I'm searching for oil-soluble gelling agents that can thicken or gel oils.

These are ingredients used in cosmetics, so I thought I'd ask here. So far, I haven't been able to find any of them sold retail. Any suggestions? Ethyl cellulose Trihydroxystearin Polyhydroxystearic acid Tribehenin

I'm not too keen on naming and potentially shaming when I haven't done business with the person/company. My only issue was with the technique (the syrup, not the goodies sprinkled on top), which now that I've thought about it, might actually work... although I'm hesitant to say that it would provide any benefits over the traditional method. I just don't see the fragrance from the syrup penetrating the wax, but the syrup (if thick enough) could anchor the wick... especially if it set up like candy or caramel... I think. Originally, I was visualizing a thin simple syrup like that used in tea or cocktails being mixed into the wax. Obviously, that wasn't the case. As for the marketing... the stories and claims that businesses come up with run the gamut. Claims of being a healthier alternative to all the other soy candles... Well, it's not like those wood wicks grow on trees (well, they're wood but they also receive a pretreatment) or that soybeans secrete the wax used in the candles (it's likely hydrogenated). Just saying. That's why I like to always inform myself before making a purchase or buying into claims. I suppose, if all those cooked ingredients go into her syrups, then they are included in the candle. But hey, if it works for her and she's having success more power to her. The brand doesn't appear to be bad or anything negative, IMO. Just a tad bit overzealous with the better-for-you talk. Fragrance sources... I don't know anything about where she sources them, but I do know that it's not unusual for sellers to be little conservative, murky/hazy, or misleading when it comes to details. Afterall, it's proprietary. When was the last time anyone ever checked to make sure the supposedly phthalate-free candle was actually phthalate-free? Or that the candle was scented with what was claimed to be natural essential oils and not synthetic fragrances?

I don't know if I'd call it a sham - a gimmick, sure - since all I have are postings and pics to go off of. The idea of putting simple syrup at the bottom of a container candle is new to me. Maybe someone here knows about these candles, has tried them, and can provide a detailed performance review? I'm curious to know how they react once they reach the simple syrup. Is the syrup thick enough to hold the wick in place? So many questions. Off topic, but... I'm liking the design of the whiskey candles. Simple and rustic without looking "old". Too bad whiskey is high on the list of FO's I refuse to sniff. I need to know where those shiny rubbed bronze (or is that brass?) mason jar lids came from. That design would be great for a men's line of fragrances.

Alright, I think I found the business. Unfortunately, I can't view anything but the business's facebook feed. A lot of the candles don't seem to have a visible layer of liquid on the bottom... maybe the wax displaced it. Did see some pictures of candles topped with things and one of a wood wick ashing into the melt pool, but she seems to be a success and would appear to be doing something right. I just know if I tried the same thing with candles I'd end up with a lawsuit. I'm still curious whether or not the scented concoction at the bottom serves a purpose beyond marketing. Does it scent the wood wick? That one picture I saw of the ashing wood wick looked a little too charred. Maybe the simple syrup caused that? Maybe it adds more crackle? I don't think it's there to add fragrance, since it's sealed with a thick layer of wax. Who knows...

Ah, so the water is at the bottom. That's interesting. In that case, I think it might be possible to pull off if her wicks are very well primed so that the water doesn't wick up the centers and cause burning/lighting issues. Like a floating candle in a jar, I suppose. I can't say that I've seen that technique before. The candle would naturally extinguish once it reaches that layer, I'd imagine. As for soy wax being natural, chemical free, and local... Ehhh. That's debatable. I wonder if she's extracting her own essential oils, essences, and such. Neat idea, if she can get essential oils to behave in soy wax. Edit: Just realized she uses wooden wicks. Huh... I wonder how she keeps them from getting waterlogged and not lighting. Does she have an online presence?

Beeswax that hasn't been refined, bleached, etc. has a sweet honey scent. Commercial beeswax doesn't typically have that scent, at least, not to the same degree. Best to source it direct, IMO. I don't think I've come across anything that provides a universal sweet note. Each fragrance pairs differently with other fragrances. Florals, fruits, citrus, caramel, vanilla, etc. Personally, I find that amber does a lot to sweeten perfumey or cologne-like fragrances. You'll have to experiment with whichever fragrance you're using to see what works best to "sweeten" it. That said, the first FO that comes to mind as a potential "sweetener" is Rustic Escentual's Sweet Tooth. It's supposed to have notes of cookies, candied fruit, powdered sugar, and such. However, all I got from it was a light candied cherry (more candied than cherry) and maybe the faintest hint of almond... amaretto-ish but sweeter (now I want to blend it with a coffee FO). Not strong at all. When I sniffed the sample, I immediately thought it would make a decent blender but was too subtle to do much on its own. Other scents that might work to sweeten a fragrance are: strawberry, cotton candy, marshmallow, there's a cream/whipped cream FO somewhere, buttercream, coconut... Just Scent seems to have numerous confectionary FO's. Take a look at their Serendipity and Totally Scrumptious (I haven't tried these so can't give a review). As for the sugar in candle wax... No, just no. Sugar burns around 350F, which the melt pool shouldn't reach, but if it happens to get wicked up to the flame... Well, I imagine that's going to be a lot of smoke and a massive carbon ball. Was the simple syrup added for use on skin or solely for fragrance? Edit: Forgot to add that some waxes have a cleaner, maybe sweet, scent all on their own. When testing Candlewic's coconut-apricot wax, I noted a light apple-y scent. Edit: WSP does have Sugared. It's part of their blender FO's and is a base note.