Quentin

12 hours ago, pughaus said:

@Quentin I use the wick charts from Wicks Unlimited - like this one for example http://wicksunlimited.com/wicks/atkins-pearce-candle-wicks/atkins-pearce-cotton-core-wicks/ to help me narrow down wick types + sizes that may have a similar burn results.    If I recall correctly, Precision has a similar set up. Either site is great.  These charts have been such time savers for me.

This was the sort of information I was hoping to find. Simply a starting point. I may have had something right in front of me in my work space, but how was I to know. Thanks.

On 7/27/2018 at 6:33 PM, Sarah S said:

It seems to me that you are not asking "how do I avoid wick testing?" But rather "how do I narrow down which wick series to test out of all the possibilities??"

yes?

If that's the case, please let me suggest that you check out Precision Wicking. @TallTayl highly reccomends them, and as usual she is spot on. They have wonderful detailed info on all the commonly available wick series, including which application they work best in. It's a great place to start.

As far as the 6" dilemma, like @Jcandleattic said, it might be time to consider wicking by the spool.

For a comparison chart, I am pretty sure Candlewic has one on their website, but I don't know how many series it compares. Same with Aztec.

Thank you. That was exactly what I was saying. I was talking about THAT SPECIFIC SITUATION, NOT TESTING IN GENERAL. I test all the time. 

I've ordered most of my wicks from Candlescience. No reason in particular, except that I probably just ended up there first when I got into making candles about a year ago. I also have a hodgepodge assortment from other vendors. The CS wick selector became my default location because I was simply familiar with it.  Here's an example of my problem: I decide to make candle X, using XX wax in an XXX size mold. Based on the waxes I'm using right now, the selector will direct me to an LX or an ECO wick. That's great! I've got all of those. Then I realize that I need an 8 inch or maybe a 10 inch length but the the company doesn't sell anything longer than 6 inches. It's not just CS. This could be any company. 

I need to make THAT candle right then. So what could I substitute? I have no idea. Surely, the wick they suggest can't possibly be the only one that will work. I know some will say you have to do do burn tests. I can't disagree with that, but I can't afford the time (in this instance) and certainly not the expense of owning every wick ever made. There is no definitive reference out there.  What do I do?  Calgon, Take me away!  

10 minutes ago, grama said:

I use 4625 with the same rustic look & like others said put mold in freezer and I pour real cool, like around 135-140.

If I'm understanding this correctly, you can do this even without a special mottling wax. The effect is more from the cold meets hot shock  than any special characteristics of a designated mottling wax. 

20 hours ago, Hopie said:

.I've wanted to do one in black and white...sort of a "concrete" look.

That's a cool idea. I like that.

8 hours ago, Lizzy said:

My answers in red...that's just from my experience and how I do it. Maybe others can chime in with their methods and knowledge
Hope it makes sense. I have the hardest time explaining things. I'm better at showing how it's done than explaining. LOL
 

You just about covered it. That gives me a good head start. I've got at least one of those waxes, I'm pretty sure. I might just do that this afternoon. Grabbing a couple of and headed to the freezer now .

On 7/18/2018 at 3:40 PM, Myia said:

What is  a good wick for tin? I know dye, wax, and all that comes into play but maybe a ballpark on type (HTP, Zinc, etc.)?

On 7/18/2018 at 3:56 PM, TallTayl said:

Impossible question. How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood. 

 

As TallTayl said, it would be like asking: How long is a piece of string?  How much does a diamond cost? What's the price for a square yd of carpet?  I'm just playing. 

There seems to be a consensus. I have three questions based on what I gathered from all the comments. 1) I assume I would use mottling wax?  2) On freezing the molds, overnight perhaps? 3) What temps are you referring to when you say pour "cool" wax? How cool is "cool"? 4) Are there any special tricks I should know about removing it from the mold?  That was actually five questions but this is really interesting. I want to make these. They're beautiful. Perhaps majestic would be a better word to describe them.  

I snagged this picture from a British website. These are beautiful. What is this technique called and how do I make pillars like these?

35 minutes ago, Myia said:

Does anyone know about Tim candle holders? I have always used glass jars, but I’ve did some research and they say tin holders reduce soot.... is this true? I also see that the tin holders are much easier to deal with when it comes to adherence and things of that nature! 

If you're talking about the Tins with the lids, they're really easy and they hide a lot of mistakes. I use the 8 oz Tins and everyone likes them. Shop around for price. Some sellers seem to think the tins are REALLY valuable. Lowest price I've found so far is the tin and lid for around 76 cents. If anyone knows where I can get them for a few pennies less, please let me know. 

7 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Heres a handy guide that will answer many many of the questions and comments above:

https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017/04/28/1020-1-labeling-guides-weight.pdf

Thanks TallTayl. This is some really good stuff. Good enough to print off in color and put in a binder. How do you find all this info?

19 hours ago, birdcharm said:

It looks nice.  Should the word "net" be added to the weight? 

 

One thing I wonder about is the placement of "Wimberley Wix" line at the top and the scent name at the bottom.  The company name is already on the tag at the top, so it seems perhaps that the scent name should take top placement on the label ...??? 

That's a good question about the word "net". Could you put something like:  Approx. 2.7 oz by wgt.  or  ~2.7 oz. by wgt. ?  Since we can't be as exact as the factories, how DO we label it and be as honest and legitimate as possible? This is something I overlooked but need to know about. What is the right way to do it for not only soap but candles too?  By the way, I like the brand name at the top. That's really what I want them to remember.

WOW! Absolutely incredible. If it's a secret, I understand, but I want to make stuff that looks like that. How do you do that thing with the leaf coming out of the wax? 

4 hours ago, Candybee said:

I use square on my phone. That's why I have my phone with me at the market. Don't think I want to use the laptop to take payments.

Update: took my new laptop to one of my markets and tried to set up hot spot function. Looks like the wifi signal is not strong enough. So maybe in another market I might be able to get it working. But I did find that working on my laptop at the market was not that much fun. The daylight makes the screen hard to see. Don't know how some people can work with that. I may just leave it at home unless I go to someplace indoors with wifi.

I've been curious about Square.  I've seen salespeople use it at my home and lots of the small businesses. Does it work on Android devices or just I-phone?

Very nice. That's an attention grabber.

Candybee, are you considering using it to take credit and debit cards?

On 7/3/2018 at 2:17 AM, Hopie said:

Here is my take on it...so many companies have the words "green" or "eco" in them. How about trying one of these:

Earth Works Candles (or Candle Co.)

Earth Light Candles

Earth Walk Candles

 

I like one and two the best.

54 minutes ago, Trappeur said:

Also do you like the word "neutralizer" or "eliminator"

That's a good idea you came up with there. Going after niche markets and tailoring your product to a particular industry. As far as the name, I'd play it safe and go with neutralizer.  Eliminator sounds like a little too much of a stretch, much like the old medicine and cigarette ads.  "Nine out of ten doctors recommend Camel cigarettes to their patients". Carter's Little Liver Pills. The FDA made them change the name to Carter's Pills, because Carter couldn't back up their claim that it was beneficial to the liver. Turns out it was nothing but a laxative.

On 7/4/2018 at 9:40 AM, ShelleyF said:

That is my website name as well. 

Excellent.

On 7/3/2018 at 2:17 AM, Hopie said:

Here is my take on it...so many companies have the words "green" or "eco" in them. How about trying one of these:

Earth Works Candles (or Candle Co.)

Earth Light Candles

Earth Walk Candles

 

The first two on the list are very good.

52 minutes ago, Scented said:

It was from a perfume description. I wasn't sure if that was the description. 

Oh. OK. Well looks like I found what I was looking for at SOS. Thanks. Now I'll just wait and see if it actually arrives here.

12 minutes ago, pughaus said:

SOS is a bit hit or miss

You can say that again. Their website is so cluttered and hard to navigate. They need some help in that area, for sure.

2 hours ago, waxwonders15 said:

My husband and I have been trying to think of a name for our business.  I came up with Forever Yours Candles, but he thinks that doesn't sound right for a candle business name.  We make palm wax candles and we're trying to come up with a name to keep the eco-friendly theme going.  Does anyone have any ideas to toss around?  We could really use some help!  Thank you!

I think I agree with your husband on the Forever Yours idea. It's just one of my crazy ways of thinking about things, but what you're selling isn't going to last forever. Go with the eco idea. I don't have anything specific to offer to you, but something may pop up in my head and I'll pass it on to you.  Actually, I do have something to suggest.

Make your company name the same as your website address.  ForeverYoursCandles.com, just like Amazon.com, eBay.com. Those names have become household words. Even if you have no immediate plans for a website, when you come up with your name, go online to some site like GoDaddy.com and buy those domain names fast! Don't wait until "tomorrow" to do that. Make sure you renew them each year. They will be your property should you decide to get a website store going. It's cheap insurance. I think it runs around $15.00 to $20.00 per year per domain name.

2 hours ago, pughaus said:

SOS has it and the reviews looks good: http://www.saveonscents.com/product_reviews.php?products_id=2451

Thank you 100 times and then some.

2 hours ago, Scented said:

Is this the description of the fragrance you want to try to mimick? 

 

this updated scent has top notes of peony, litchi, and freesia. The middle notes are rose, lily-of-the-valley, and magnolia while the base notes are amber and Virginia cedar.

I'm not sure I understand. It's been long time since I've experienced Chloe' but I'm sure I would recognize it right away. If what you've posted here is the description of the Chloe' profile, you've piqued my interest.