Gary in Canada

3 hours ago, GoldieMN said:

 

37 minutes ago, Trappeur said:

Very nice!   Is that one of the plastic tea light cups?

 

Trappeur

It's not your typical tealight...they call it a Spa Cup..it's larger than your usual tealight and burns a lot longer. I filled a lot of them with CB135 (now running out).. various FO @ 6-8% and used a HTP52. Burns great...maybe not the strongest HT because of the size, but its more for ambiance.  The glass chips in the bottom are from Dollar Tree (we have DT up here now!!)..and that's about half a bag.  I have seen what you are capable of Trappeur, so I think you could create a lot of interesting holders.. 

18 hours ago, Trappeur said:

What a great idea!  I'm going to have to give that a try!  You have a picture?   Would love to see one made up.

 

Trappeur...

 

Thankyou for the kinds comments on the pictures everyone....I love to share....

 

The cup holds about 2 oz..its Polycarbonate..recyclable and unlike a voitve, doesn't need a small container to use..You can use any container you like..decorate it then just add the spa cup. This is a simple one I just use myself.  I just took the pic now...sorry bout the bad quality...lol

On 9/3/2017 at 6:47 PM, Jeana said:

I just started to really get in to the Cotton Core wicks from Peaks, but of course they are gone now. When I look up other suppliers I notice that Peak changed the size numbers of the wicks compared to the wick charts and other suppliers. Does any one know how Peak Cotton Core sizing crosses over to the standard wick guide? For instance I really liked C-70 from Peak, what size would that be from the chart or other supplier? 

Don't know if you were able to sort out your Peak wick problem Jeana...but you are probably aware by now that Peak is back, but only with fragrances, and a very limited Website. But, maybe you could email Alan at Peak Fragrances and ask him who made their wicks, and if they are available anywhere else...or if he has any idea what would be a suitable replacement. Wouldn't hurt to try.

I do keep notes on everything I do...but I don't keep notes on old large jar of used wax. Maybe I could call it "The Mystery Candle"  We actually have a company up here that sells a "Money Candle"..money in every candle! Canadian Money lol..but still money! You can see it at https://villagecraftandcandle.com/candles/money-candles

@bfroberts  I have some large glass containers...and what I do is fill them half way with coloured sand...small stones...shells, whatever you have then put a "spa" cup on top. They are about 2 oz and are like a BIG tea light... and burn for quite a while. Makes a nice presentation and the customer can change them easily. Small..and inexpensive to make.

6 hours ago, Sarah S said:

 

Especially up in that cold north, eh?

😆

Haha..it is cold up here....  I tried amy's, or previous posters idea of pouring a candle with no wick, making a hole with the skewer, then testing different wicks. I wasn't sure if it would work, so I tried it today with an old mason jar full of used wax that I collect to make firestarters. Poked a hole down the middle with a wooden skewer, and have tried a couple of wicks already.  Worked great!! Its actually burning pretty good...its a mixture probably of about 4 different waxes (no idea what they are lol)...multiple scents...different colours.  The only thing I know for sure is the 2 wicks i have tried in it..lol.  And I can tell you...it is well cured!!!  

On 10/30/2017 at 3:05 PM, Sarah S said:

@amy91, that's what I do. If you have one of those candle warmers you could use that I suppose.

Sometimes what I will do if it's a new container that I'm testing or a new FO that I'm really unsure about, is I will pour the wax into the container with no wick. Then I cut the appropriate length of wick I want to try off of the tab, stick a hole in my wax with a skewer, and stick my tabless wick in the hole. I totally stole that idea off this forum. 😁

That way if the wick is way off, I can just pull it out and stick in a different one.  The wick will fall over once you get to about 2" from the bottom, but it's great to establish a starting point for wicking without wasting a whole candle. I'll also just pour 1/2 the container to save on supplies. Once I feel like I've got a good wick, I'll pour the full candle with the intact wick assembly and start on the serious test burns.

Its been a lifesaver, I'm still fairly new to candles myself, and I can be way off with my wicking sometimes just from lack of exposure to different fragrances and how they affect a burn.

 

That was probably more answer than you wanted, lol!!

 

Thanks!!! I saw that info on an earlier post somewhere, but they didn't go into detail about how it was done.  You spelled it out for us, and I am going to use this method now.  Using my method, I have enough firestarters for a couple of years lol..!!!

On 5/26/2017 at 7:07 PM, ChristinaJW said:

Hi everyone!

 

My name is Christina Whippo and I am a fragrance addict!  Seriously though...  I think I am one!

 

I have a small home fragrance business that started back in 2014, and I finally just signed my first commercial lease and moved out of my house and into a large production studio!  I primarily make candles, including wine bottle candles. Actually wine bottle candles is what started this whole business... we use to own a winery, sold our share of that business, and invested more time and energy working with other wineries to make a better product than what is on the market now. We have grown slowly over time and I really couldn't be happier with how things are going. 

 

So...after years of stalking this board I decided to finally sign up, stop hiding, and reveal myself. Thanks again for sharing all of this information and  for letting me join.

 

If anyone is in California, hit me up! lateharvestcandleco@gmail.com  I'd love to chat about suppliers, etc. because shipping and doing business in California is SO MUCH FUN! not!!! (can anyone say not business friendly or taxed to death?)

 

That's it for now!

 

-Christina

Welcome...I'm new to the forum also..its a great resource for info.  I'm sure California has their share of taxes...but it can't compare to Ontario Canada...can it???

On 5/14/2017 at 11:29 AM, Trappeur said:

Hello Obsessed,

So we are all on the same page, tunneling is where the candle when lit burns straight down the middle of the candle as if the wick was undersized and just couldn't start melting outwards towards the side walls of the jar.  And "hang up" is where the candle is melted across the diameter of the candle and there is wax residue left on the sides of the glass.  And like KK said Debra said you will see wax hangup for the first couple of burns if you are doing like in 3 hour test increments.  The further down the candle that it burns, those side walls of the glass jar are going to heat up and that wax residue will start melting off the sides of the jar if the wick selected is the correct size.  

 

As mentioned add your oil about 175 farenheight degrees and stir till the oil is fully blended.  Now I pour at about 149 degrees to get some nice looking tops.

I might or might not have to do a second very thin repour across the top of the candle (just depends how the temperature is in my house).  I don't worry too much how the tops look as my concern is to get the right size wick.  You can always rectify the tops by doing a repour or like most use the heat gun.  In cold weather, my concern is getting thin hairline cracked tops which in this case after I have done the repour is lay maybe a paper towel across the top as the wax cools and then if the house is still cool, I put in boxes right away, close them and pad the sides and tops of the boxes with a heavy blanket, or something for warmth.  This is a pain in the butt and I just hate it when it comes to something like this, so I guess you just should not have a house not freezing cold to store candles (if you do it and sell wholesale as I do).  Since you are so limited for wick brands, at least the brands you have, the cdn and htp are great choices in my opinion as I use the htp's myself.  

 

C3 is a wonderful wax.....it truly is.  Like kk said all soys have their idiosyncrasies.  You just have to know that it is going to take TIME, PATIENCE AND LOTS OF TESTING.  Don't get disgusted and throw in the towel. YOU CAN master this wax BUt you have to have "patience"......If you don't have the time to be patient in this craft you might as well hang up the towel and get another craft project...I was different than most.  I never tried a half dozen different types waxes to see what I liked when I didn't know what to compare it to when I started out.  You really can't judge a wax in a couple of weeks and say I don't like it and then move on to some other type.  I would keep reading here on the board and see what everyone has to say about their journeys into the wax world and take notes.  Just because this works for this person and then someone who uses the same wax does it a different way says this is the way they do it, well we all have our own final testings and judgments to make and you are going to go through this yourself.  Posting pictures says a lot, so if you can do that, it would be great.

 

Golden wax has some great waxes and I use  464.  I found it similar as far as wicking goes compared to c3.  Others use 415 and 444.  I myself use 464 and c3.  Now in golden wax 464 I use cd's and on occasion use htps.  And don't forget.....IMPORTANT.....YOU NEED TO CURE C3 AND 464....Some oils are going to be great throwers and some not.   Just goes with all testings done.  Buy oils from reputable companies that have been in business for a long time.  Read up here and see what oils are great throwers for the wax you are using.   It makes all the world of difference when going with quality oils.  I use 6% oil.  Sometimes when you go with more it could clog the wicks or just be a big waste of money for oil by going with a larger percentage.  You just have to test.

 

This is my unbiased opinion on this topic.  WE all have our own opinions and you will come up with yours!  When you get frustrated and want' to throw in the towel......well, walk away and go do something else and take a break and come back later....if you get frustrated again...do the same thing again.  REMEMBER.....PATIENCE.....

 

Trappeur

 

Great advice Trappeur...I've been trying for quite a while to "get it right" too.  When I used to buy candles, I assumed it was just a matter of melting wax add some fragrance, pour whenever into a jar with a wick (didn't realize there were so MANY).. wait for it to harden..light it and all would be wonderfull!!  I have a new respect for candle makers!  Your advice means a lot to all of us.

20 hours ago, Sarah S said:

Welcome!

Your post in the firestarter thread had me chuckling for days! 😄

It must be tough to get supplies in Canada, so many of the suppliers are in the US. I'm always grateful for American consumerism. 😆

We have very few suppliers in Canada...so the variety of products are limited. I've ordered from a couple of US suppliers, but the $$$ difference and shipping charges killed me. 

I just made another batch of firestarters with my failed Q210 wax tests...and wood shavings this time.

2 hours ago, Lorelei said:

Is Q210 the reformulation of the PB?

No..Q210 I believe is very soft container wax.. I believe for PB you would have to try the Q230. I have some, but haven't tried it yet. I have tried the Q210, and it is VERY challenging to wick properly.

Those firestarters are works of art Trappeur...I wonder if buyers actually burn them.. ??

I have tried HTP, LX, and RRD wicks, various sizes with 2 different fragrances at 10% and 18% (NGI's supposed max fragrance load)... in Q210 wax.  NONE of them burnt any good at all. As has been stated previously, all my testers did the same thing.  They looked good, smooth tops..and they burnt well...for the first 5 or 10 min. The wax couldn't seem to get up the wick..all the different wicks got fat and stubby, then the wick died out. All those testers are now firestarters.  

So what do I go with now? I have limited suppliers in Canada...I've tried all the American Soy products..they were just ok..and the old Ecosoya.. Never tried C3, and one of my suppliers now has a coconut/soy blend. Here's their description. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you Crafty...I love the colour of your candles!

For my fire starters I use a 1oz or 2oz paper portion cup (I sell those in my day job lol..) Pack in some wood shavings then fill it up with old left over candle wax, or failed tests!!  If I don't have any wood shavings...I just shred up all my old letters and threats from the CRA (Canadian equivalent of the IRS), put those in the containers and burn them...gives me a great sense of satisfaction!! LOL..

It really depends on the strength of the FO and what strength of aroma you want. I have a VERY strong Maple Syrup from New Directions (Canada) so I use about 75% DPL and 25% FO. and 6-8 reeds.  I give it a stir every 2 or 3 days, turn the reeds over about 4 days and put them back in the solution.  It will last about a month or longer depending on the size of the area.  For lighter FO, I add more FO depending on what room I put it in and what strength I want the fragrance. 

Thanks Candy...the scent was great..but I was really impressed about how quickly the scent filled the room and how well the candle behaved..melt pool formed quickly, but the flame was just right and the melt pool just stayed perfect..not overly deep. Well...I will keep trying ..isn't that have the fun??

I have probably spent $400+ trying to duplicate that candle...lol..  But I have enjoyed my somewhat adequate candles in the mean time... But I have got a lot of good ideas since discovering your forum a couple of days ago..  Thank you for your comments, and I really look forward to following and hopefully contributing some worthwhile info.. 

It wasn't a cheap container candle TallTayl...but I don't mind paying the price for something (like a good restaurant meal) as long as its good...and that candle was GOOD. It has become an obsession with me..lol.. to make a candle that would rival their candle.. Candles and ribs seem to be my obsession these days!! lol. 

Well..I thought I had it sort of figured out with CB135...but we know what happened there lol.  I got some of the new Q210 and was instantly impressed with the appearance, but couldn't get it to wick properly...Im very limited up here on which wax to start over with because of the shipping. A local supplier has 'C3, and another supplier Canwax has a new coconut/soy blend? Im thinking about giving that a try.  Im not sure what to do.  Luckily I only make candles for myself and friends as give aways...but I really feel sorry for those of you on this forum that depend on candle making as a business.. things have really turned upside down in the last 10 months or so.  My candles are not great..yet..lol.. but they do throw off some scent and it sure is better than the "old farmhouse smell"..  I wish I had found this forum long ago, as it is a wealth of "honest" evaluations.

How did I get into this obsessive craft?  Well...for me it all started about 6 yrs ago when we bought a 130+yr old farmhouse..It had that "old house" smell..you know, sort of musty on humid days. I was in our local gift/craft shop looking around and found these soy candles and decided to take a sniff.. Well, it sure smelt good so we decided to buy it. It wasn't cheap..I think $28 for a 10 oz tin, but boy did it smell GOOD... So we took it home to our musty old place and lit it.  Well...withing no time, the whole main floor was filled with the scent from that Soy Candle..I was hooked...So I thought..hey, google it, make my own and save some money!!!  Well, a few years later, and I'm still trying to duplicate that original awesome candle lol... I have made countless container candles, votives, melts, spa...but have never been able to get quite to the quality of that original soy candle (Whitewater Premium Candles)... I thought I was almost there with EcoSoya wax, proper wicks, hot throw, cold trow, proper burning...nice containers.....then EcoSoy was gone!  In my search to find a solution, I found this forum...glad I did..wish I had found it sooner!