Sarah S

8 hours ago, calan said:

Just finished the 1st 4-hour test burn of my first palm candle. I think it worked as expected (exactly as @CaptnKush described), other than the typical off-center burn of the CD wick (which I hate  ).

Do the CSN's burn straight with a nice centered MP... like zincs or the LX's and Premiers?

CSN's have a bit of a curl, but no where near as bad as the HTPs. I would liken them to the Premiers. 

The CSNs are my favorite for palm wax, and well worth the extra investment. Get a sample pack to start off with, so you have a few sizes to play with. I use the 7, 9, and 14 the most, but I do need the larger ones sometimes.

The CT for palm is outstanding on day 1, but the HT really needs a good two weeks to develop. Some oils I can get HT on a 7 day cure, but 14-20 gets the best results imo. 

Enjoy the testing! Once I figured it out, I fell in love with palm. For my personal use around the house, about half my candles are palm 1, and half are CBL125.

4 hours ago, calan said:

Any problem with leaving it in the presto for repeated uses, like with any other wax?

Not that I've discovered yet! 😉😁

Flaming Candle's Chai. It's the Sunshine. 😉😉

Rich and spicy, very full bodied. I actually add a little vanilla to it to tame it a bit.

The first three burns with a palm wax candle don't give you a lot of info unless it's horribly under wicked. You really need to burn at least half of the jar before making a judgement call about the wick or the FO.

The good thing about Palm is you can tell immediately if it's under wicked. It will be the saddest little flame you have ever seen in your life. 😂

16 hours ago, calan said:

@Sarah or @Candybee

 

What would you suggest as a starting size for a Premier with the glass glow in a 9 oz sraight jar?  I think Premiers would be the best I have to start with (I also have CD's, LX's, Eco's, and wooden wicks... but seems that Premier may be better based on the posts I've read).

Thinking about pouring a non-scented GG candle just to start playing.

And, I guess I'm not going to be going my usual route of pouring a jar full of wax and then poking a hole down the center after it's cooled to stick a wick in? 

CD's could work too. 

For a 9oz jar I'd try a 770 in the Premiers. Palm really wants a hot wick.

The best luck I've had with Premiers and palm wax have been with very small containers or multi-wicking a large container. Basically conditions where a CSN is just too hot. I don't know that you'd have great results with a 9oz jar and Premiers, even with a larger size wick. But I suppose it's worth a try!

I have been able to make a wick hole by using a long skinny screwdriver after the wax has cooled. But usually I make the hole crooked. 😂😂😂😂

Omg I think that's the best thing ever!!! I am seriously by ordering some! 😂

On 12/8/2019 at 1:01 PM, TallTayl said:

It looks like their entire web site is crazy out of date. Imagining the cost to replace, and populate with their inventory is going to be a major undertaking.  I’d love to give them a crack at a new site. There are so many good, affordable options available now. 

Its such a shame because they have a lot of great products. Their website just screams 2005! It would be a massive undertaking, but imagine how their sales would increase with a modern, mobile-friendly, user friendly site! Well worth the investment imo. 

Almost all of my sales are CC. Even friends that come to my house to buy my stuff. 😂

People just don't seem to carry cash anymore. If I do have a cash sale, it is almost always something under $10. 

@Candybee, I literally just had this problem with 28/410 pump tops that I ordered from US Plastics. 

I put a top on my daughter's bottle of conditioner, and nope, it wouldn't open. Thought maybe I just got a bad one, switched it out, nope. That one didn't open either. I tried all the tops (on empty bottles), and none of them opened, out of a dozen.

So I emailed US Plastics to let them know I had a problem. BTW, I also ordered a dozen 24/410 tops that are working just fine too. I really didn't expect them to care about my piddley little order, but I got an email from them today saying that they sent someone to the warehouse to test the tops  for themselves, and yes, they are defective! I was pretty impressed! So I think it happens that sometimes our suppliers are shipped defective lots, and they don't realize because they aren't out testing every single one. It's just not realistic. USP is sending me replacements. If you can track back which lot your defective tops came from, it might be worth it to contact your supplier and let them know.

18 hours ago, Hopie said:

What in the trailer park is this? 

Hopie! Where've you been? 😁😁

I miss your posts!

42 minutes ago, Marleigha said:

Why hello Miss Sarah!  How are you doing?  I hope well!    From your list the only ones I have are Ice Cream Parlor (which I love) and  Sweet Potato & Brown Sugar.  Both absolutely phenomenal scents!  Cozy Cabin & Egyptian Musk both sound lovely!  What kind of things do you mix with Egyptian Musk?  If you don’t mind me asking what other Cinnamon Bun FO’s have you tried?  
 

Are you all prepped and ready for Christmas?  I sure am not!  😬. Have to get on the ball and try to finish this weekend!  🎄⛄️❄️💫❤️

I am actually ready for Christmas this year! I work well under pressure, and the holiday season sure is short this year! 😅 We are doing a door decorating contest at work, so that forced me to step up my holiday game. 😂

I have tried the the cinnamon bun from WSP and it was ok, and from ICS, which was very good. Aztec's just happens to be the one I went with for now. I do think that ICS really has excellent bakery FOs, and when I run out of this I will probably switch over to their Bearclaws or Cinn Strudel.

Egyptian Musk mixes well with anything that needs a little taming. I mix it with Dragon's Blood, it does great to tone down Aztec's Sultana (a great soap scent, btw, but super strong)... it's just great for softening pretty much anything that isn't bakery. 😁

Oh yeah, and Gail reminded me, I love Aztec's Bayside Marina! She recommended it to me, otherwise I never would have tried it. It is a warm salty fragrance with a hint of fruits and flowers warmed in the sun, but just barely discernible. I love it in palm wax, it is warm and clean.

5 hours ago, GailC said:

@Sarah S  I've bought 58 fragrance oils from Aztec through the years, plus lots of samples,  but not a one of those on your list except the Sweet Potato and Brown Sugar. Sometimes I wonder about asking others what fragrances they like from a supplier because we all have different tastes.  But I still ask.   

 

 

I know, it's so funny! I think we have different tastes, but also you have turned me on to some awesome fragrances, like Bayside Marina, that I would never try on my own. So it's good to get other points of view. 😁

@Marleigha, I have a lot of FOs from them, and most are true to their description as well as strong.

Some favorites that I think you will like as well:

Ice Cream Palor, smells just like it says, this is my 16 yo's favorite.

Egyptian Musk, a fantastic blender and very nice on its own, not at all like a animal smell. 😂

Cozy Cabin, great for winter when you're tired of the Christmas scents.

Sweet Potato and Brown Sugar. Yep. Lol

Sandalwood (cost revised), surprisingly strong and close to the real thing.

Fresh Cut Christmas tree. Yep.

Christmas Cookies, similar to most sugar cookie scents, great throw.

Cinnamon Bun, this is a great cinn bun, fantastic throw and a nice dry cinnamon scent.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'll check my stash later to see if I missed any good ones. 😁

22 hours ago, calan said:

Did you stay with the CD 20? I have the same jar and some glass glow, and am reading and trying to figure out which wick to start with. I have premiers, CD's and Ecos (and a few others)

Premiers are ok but you have to wick way up. Same with CDs. I have not heard of anyone having success with Ecos. For me, CSNs consistently perform the best in palm wax.

This is probably more opinion than you were looking for, but it would really be in your best interest to become proficient with the 4630 and/or a soy wax before experimenting with palm wax. It performs very very differently than other waxes, and will only increase the time it takes for you to feel like you are successful at making candles. Trying too many different waxes in a short time span is one of the biggest mistakes I see new candle makers doing. 

I don't want to deter you from using palm wax, I personally love it, but I would encourage you to focus on making awesome candles from a wax that you have already tested before you move on....

Totally just my opinion though. 😊

I placed my order at NG on Friday afternoon. The package got delivered to my work this morning! Now I just have to remember to bring it out of my office to my car. 🤣🤣🤣

@bfroberts and @The Candle Nook have great advice. Stick with the 4630 for a while and just work on nailing down that wax. It will throw really well when wicked correctly!

I use HTP wicks, and for what it's worth I think a 72 is too big for jelly jars. I'd go for a 62 or even a 52. Personally I don't like to use jelly jars beacuse their small size makes them tricky to wick, and they don't throw as well as I would like. I think maybe you are over wicking a smidge and that is causing your FO to combust too quickly, thereby negatively impacting your throw. See if bfrobert's wick recommendations help, or try a smaller HTP if you like that series. 

If you have some mason jars, maybe pour a couple of those to see if changing the jar helps. For a fruity fragrance like apple pie or peach nectar, I would start with a HTP 72 in a mason jar. Not sure what that would be in a zinc or LZ. 😁

Let us know how the testing goes!

Oh, I usually wait a couple days before burning even with paraffin wax, just to make sure everything has worked it's magic inside the jar. 😂😂😂

@calan, I have a couple apple fragrances that have very poor HT, in any wax. I think that's just a finicky fragrance.

I was very pleased with NG's sale! I needed more Christmas Splendor and some lye anyway, so I went ahead and ordered 4 more bottles to get the $1 off per lb and the 10% off.

@Belinda, how about "Sunset Trails" for yours? I bet that would be popular in your area!

Or "Mulled Berry Cider" if it's more fruity than earthy. 

I've never smelled that one but I have been tempted to order it several times!

I like that!

Maybe Grey Flannel?

Snuggle Up?

Fire light and Kisses?

Winter Getaway?

Is it the WB from RE? That is a beautiful fragrance!

Welcome!

Please do not listen to your friend on the topic of candles. He/she is not helping you, and candle making, while it can be rewarding and enjoyable, can potentially be dangerous without proper precautions.

Most soy waxes are not appropriate for making molded candles. I'd start by finding out exactly what wax you have.

Crayons are not suitable for coloring candles. Under any circumstances. Ever.

Wicking a candle properly requires testing, and knowing what wax you have is important for choosing a wick that will give you a safe, beautifully burning candle. 

You have come to the perfect place to learn all about making candles!!

If you could give us more info about your wax, that would be a big help for giving you specific advice.

That mold is totally cool! 😎😎

@Sebleo, I used a champagne from WSP and a peach from I can't rememer where (lol) to make a peach Bellini and it was awesome. I bet Vanilla Champagne would take it to the next level!

I did end up making the Southern Gentleman blend with peach, tobacco, bourbon and something else... sandalwood maybe? It was good, but heavy on the peach, if I get the urge to make it again I'll have to tweak it.

22 hours ago, calan said:

Do you have a preference for one or the other, other than what you mentioned? Why would you choose 129 over 125, unless you just want the nice white color at the expense of a second pour? Is the 129 harder and good for melts?

The 129 is great for melts! Yes, it is much harder than the 125. CBL 125 is very similar to IGI 4630.

I only recently tried 129 for candles, at the urging of some other enablers on here. 😉 It made a great candle, but I am just too darn lazy to do a double pour, lol. The reasons I would consider using it are: higher melt point for shipping in summer, excellent HT, no wet spots, easy to wick, a little less sooty than the viscous waxes. And it is awfully pretty! The down side is double pour. And I would rate the 125 with slightly better HT.

Well, if you like pre-blended waxes and you don't have a hate on for paraffin, I highly recommend Candlewic's waxes. The CBL 125 is easy to pour, looks great, and throws like a champ. The CBL 129 requires a second pour, but has a lovely white appearance and zero wet spots. Oh yeah, and throws like a champ. 😁

Their parasoy, CBL 130 is also a beautiful one-pour wax with zero wet spots. For a parasoy, it throws very well.

I don't get any kickback from Candlewic. 😉😄 I just really love their waxes!

Maybe if the Problend isn't working for you, it's time to try another blend? IGI's 4630 is a good wax too, and most oils throw very well in it. Maybe stick with that one for a bit, and try some different wicks and FOs. For a while I thought all my candles were sooty gross messes, and I was getting frustrated. The new I tested a couple fragrances outside my norm, and suddenly the candles were gorgeous. Turns out I love vanillas, ambers, spices, and resins - all the trickiest FOs to wick. 😅😅

Is there a specific reason why you're using the Problend?

I just ask cause it seems like you don't enjoy working with it.