lenarenee

I'll try that that, maybe even find some Premier 700 if I don't have enough CD's. Thanks TallTayl!

I do have the 83 and beeswax, and status jars. But what little experimenting I did adding scent to that wax resulted in virtually no cold/hot throw a month later. I suppose that could be because of the fragrances - only 3 of them, at lowest percentage.

Hi everyone! I used to make Unscented coco83/beeswax wood wick candles for myself before the pandemic. Very briefly (like 1 week!) played around with adding scents but quickly learned I have no interest in the experimentation and attention to detail needed to make a candle even good enough for my personal use. Went back and made more soap instead!! But like any good maker, I never passed up a fragrance sale, and am now stuck with lots of 2 ounces bottles, or unfinished bottles I won't use in soap. Thought I'd throw some into candles, maybe tarts, and just cross fingers that some turn out decent. I'm not going to be picky and don't care about paraffin, luxe, soy-only, frosting, mottled tops, wet spots, etc. Won't be coloring. Even a big hot throw isn't my goal! I'd just like a combo of wax, containers, wick that is most likely to have some success without me pulling any hair out. Can you suggest an easy first timer's wax for me? Glass is preferred - but I'm open to compromise. Also, I understand that vessels in the 3 inch range are troublesome to wick....so I'm willing to buy a different size (have some DollarTree glass hurricane and tumblers in that range from years ago). (I can't find the thread I read that suggested a para-soy container blend from IGI). ProBlend 600 was another someone suggested?? I have some CD, HTP, HSPS stashed away - willing to buy something else. My fragrances were bought with soaping in mind, except for a few from WoodWick (Makesy)....that are still sitting in the box! I'd appreciate your thoughts!

It's a possibility. I was happy because I was able to fairly quickly get a candle that satisfied me and didn't want to start over. But....that's what all of you professionals have to do time and time again isn't - start over! I don't know how you put up with it. I might just try a few pounds of parasoy this year as well!

Hi everyone! I make a few candles only for my own use - I prefer wood wicks (for the crackle!), and Unscented and uncolored candles. Over the last couple of years, the people on this website helped me make some fairly decent cocowax83 candles with wood wicks, and eco. My coco83 wax was ordered over 2 years ago; I read on the forum that this year's wax seems to be different, so I'm sure the wicks I used before won't work. So I thought I'd ask for help again. (I ended up using 4% beeswax mixed in) For this holiday season, I'd like to make more unscented, but also a couple of scented Christmas candles. (I love Christmas tree scents the most, apple, cranberry, spice, even outdoor/snow type scents.) I have 3.25 inch glass jars leftover from last year (hurricane, and rocks straight sided) I have an assortment of wood wicks, many eco, a few cd wicks. But I'm open to getting different ones to suit any wax you'd recommend, and even different size of glass jars because I know this size is a little tempermental for single wick. I'd like to make about 12 candles; most of them crackling, unscented. What one wax (don't care if its para, blends, soy, etc) would you recommend I buy? (looking for ease of use and decent performance for unscented and also a few scented, don't care about wet spots or double pours) Thank you for your help! ETA: I am not using these as gifts! I live in dry California and take flames seriously! Any candle, store or handmade is burned on a metal tray and away from curtains!

Hi TallTayl - check my knowledge here and let me know if I'm right or wrong. The eco wick she was talking about is getting too much fuel, right? Therefore can't burn it off properly? A smaller size would burn less hot, therefore not melt so much wax?

I don't have more to tell you. I'm happy enough for what I have. These are only for my personal use. If I were selling I'd be testing more. When the weather cools off again I'll probably do more.

Just an FYI , curing soapint only about water evaporation. Soap isn't really a solid, there are crystals and liquid that are constantly moving around and restructuring. This goes on for months, perhaps forever, but I don't know for sure.

What would happen if you made a candle within a candle? Very expensive, certainly. But take 2 large glass containers, with the smaller placed inside. Take the flowers and place in the narrow space between the 2 walls of the jars, fill with wax. Then treat the smaller, inside jar as a real candle and fill with wax and wick. The outer "candle" would surely have to have a thick wax layer on top of the botanicals so the flame/sparks can't ignite the flowers. Just an idea - feel free to input any problems you see.

Does the Accu Blend apricot wax only come in 50 lb sizes? It's not possible to order a few pounds to experiment with?

Oh I would love their White Mountains (born in New England) and their Redwood Avenue candle! But after spending hundreds of dollars on car maintenance....I just can't. FYI: there are some candles heavily discounted - for 15 dollars! Their website says they use cotton wicks. But they have pictures of with wood wicks.

Where did you purchase coconut wax candles? (I want one!)

That was very interesting pughaus, thanks! What type of regular wicks other than premieres have you tried? TallTayl suggested eco wicks - which I tried and I'd like to retest with either some added soy or beeswax. Or palm. The cd wicks burned so unevenly - heating one side of the glass so I shelved those. I have some htp to try. Your 3% beeswax with the wooden wicks sounds like a good idea. I'm mostly happy with the booster 3/8 wick, but it did run a little hot and eventually I'd like to make some with fragrance.

Hello everyone! I'm kicking myself for not using paper and pencil for keeping notes because a major MS update on my computer screwed it up so much it can't completely be fixed. (hello Linux) I've done a few more tests myself with straight coco 83 and different wicks and so far my favorite has been the small booster wooden wicks. Second place goes to eco 4 and 6, but not really happy with them, 4 is a little too small I think, and 6 has a dancing flame and mushrooming. The cd wicks burned only one side of the candle. I've lost the specifics of all of the testing and I'm sure there's many forgotten details I'm wondering if it's time for me to start combining this wax with soy or beeswax. How are your experiments going? Any suggestions on which waxes that have worked for you? (my goal is only to make candles for myself, so shipping cocowax isn't a problem)

What other wick types are there to try for coconut wax? I've heard of rrd....any other ones I should try? And from what supplier? I've read here that not all series wicks are the same depending on the supplier.

Still burning the cd 8 and 10. I did the "wickless" pour and added wicks later; one I wick I put in off center, one wick I nailed! But the nicely centered one is burning crooked - one side of the candle has quite a bit of hang up. The off center wick is burning crooked as well but I don't care much because I think the whole thing is underwicked any way. These are, in order, cd 10 at 2.5 hrs., and cd8 at 2.5 hrs.

Just sharing some observations I've made. Because I'm so new to candle making, I not sure yet what qualities and standards I should have in making candles and I'm trying to build that knowledge. My first batches of soap (years ago) were successful and I thought they were good soap, but knowing what I know now about soap making they aren't soaps I want to replicate! I've got one Nature's Wick and one Wood Wick candle burning right now. I suspect the Nature's wick is at least part paraffin due to the large amount of black soot on the rims. Wood Wick is probably at least a blend because it's harder than soy, and leaves a smooth finish after it burns, but no black soot. Both of them seem to be slightly over wicked because of how quickly the melt pool (wide and deep) develops. Both wicks dance and flutter constantly, and make a LOT of crackle. (both are cross wicks) My beginner coconut wood wick candles have decent crackle and a more gentle flame, but not a steady flame. They are not perfectly wicked, but I am pretty pleased with their performance and will make them again to enjoy while I continue to work on wicking. I've definitely gotten FAR more burn time from my coconut candles than I have from the store bought ones, and they are all very close in size and jar type. What is the standard for wooden wick candles?

Well, I'm one who won't buy candles a second time that look bad after they're burned. That goes for a pitted appearance, or black soot on the rims. In fact, I bought 5 candles from a local candle maker, burned one and found it left a pitted appearance - and the remaining four are left untouched. (should give them away so they won't be wasted). However I don't think I am a typical candle buyer because I don't buy candles for the scent unless it's Thanksgiving/Christmas and that was never a habit until the crackling wicks came out. My idea of a perfect candle is unscented, uncolored, big crackle, glass container - and since I've never seen one anywhere for sale I have to learn to make my own!

I burned 2 unscented cocowax 83 status jar last night - a cd 8 and a cd 10. The cd 8 went out after 35 minutes. I re-lit it later in the day for another hour. The cd 10 burned for 3 hours, did not make a fmp, and the flame was nice and steady; except for every once in a while it would flutter a little. This morning, the cd 8 is slightly discolored where the melt pool was, and it's also recessed. The cd 10 is also has the recessed melt pool, but not discolored. This makes me wonder if the wick is just going to tunnel. I'm also guessing that the discolored wax was too hot? If so then why wasn't the melt pool wider? Now, the first coconut wax candles I made were with wooden wicks. After burning them for over 20 hours there is some hang up, but none of the wax discolored, no recessed melt pour area .....the melt pool area is nice and smooth.

Thanks TallTayl; I made 2 scented and 2 unscented wickless candles to test out!

I want to test these in status jars (12 oz size). Unscented, uncolored - should I start with the smallest of each series?

Thanks Kerven. A couple more questions: It sounds like many people think soy doesn't produce smoke or soot - but is there research that backs that up? It's odd that soy is the only thing that doesn't smoke or soot when burning - paper, fabric, vegetation all smoke and produce soot. I've got to think soy wax does too...? Also, does anyone have information on the effects of the solvents used to process soy into wax? That must produce some kind of pollution when burning. I haven't looked into what it takes to make coconuts into wax either....

Well I've been distracted from candles because of the arrival of our brand new baby guinea pig!! He's 4.5 weeks old and cuter than 5 kittens! He's tortiseshell (mix of browns and black) abyssian - so his fur sticks out! He actually looks like the world's tiniest buffalo! Our widowed guinea pig showed signs of worsening grief so we had to match him up as quickly as possible and the rescue said that very young guinea pigs can often work with stubborn bossy males like ours! We still very upset over Abby dying so young, but we learned that this baby was born from one of the hundreds of pregnant pigs found in Northern California a couple months ago (for a total of 700 hoarded g pigs!), so he is our silver lining. I didn't make any new candles but continued to burn the 3 candles I've shown. 2 of them are half way down the container. Here are my observations: the flames got smaller toward the center of the candle (I expected them to get bigger?). I kept them trimmed. So, I thought I'd skip trimming from the last burn, then re-light without trimming - expecting that to make larger flames; it didn't' In fact, the .02 width went out. I blew them out, trimmed, re-lit and got happy, calm flames again! I still detect a bit of fuel smell from the .02 wick, not from the thicker .03. But the .02 makes the best crackling sound! The 1/4 inch .02 thick wick is just tunneling down. TallTayl, ever since you said you got status jars from the dollar store I've been stalking mine!! But found nothing; so I asked the staff when they might get some in. They suggested ordering - which would take 10 days. Since I'm spoiled by Amazon Prime, I looked at online suppliers. Yikes!!! Same delivery time frame and triple the cost!!!! Went back to dollar store - and no kidding....they just pulled some off the truck the hour before. So now I'm fondling some lovely 12 oz status jars and dreaming of filling them with wax! I have an order from Cal Candle arriving today with more cocowax and wick samples (htp and...cdn?) I thinking about using cocowax with scent - and using the 1/4 inch .03 thick wick with it. (haven't tested that size at all).

Wonder what would happen if I broke a Lonestar dual wick in half,lengthwise? That's not high on my list of experiments - just a thought. I'm sticking with the "real" ones the WW company for now. Hmm..except between the cocowax testing and now palm....I'll be using those small sized wooden wicks up very quickly!

I found this thread interesting; I'm using Calcandle's coco.( I'm still new at candles - quickly gave up on soy after hearing about cocowax). I have a question about smoke/soot. How much - if any - black smoke or soot is "allowed"? I've seen a liitle black smoke - on ocassion from at least one of my testers. I've been concentrating on flame and melt pool size and perhaps should have been observing the smoke too? For those of you in this thread who are unhappy about finding petroleum in the cocowax - what is your reason for that? I'm learning to make candles for my personal use, and don't mind having a small amount of petroleum - but educate me. Maybe 100% petro free is better?