chuck_35550

It reminds me of a glycerin bar. Kind of clear looking but not typical in appearance for milk soap. I just had a brain fart and wanted to see what would happen if it gelled. It may turn out to be good soap. Does anyone else do this with their gm?

Ok, I made my usual gm recipe with pumpkin spice fragrance and boy was it beautiful! I never gel my gm soaps but this time placed the mold in a 100 degree oven and baked for an hour. Needless to say, the soap gelled and I figured that after 24 hours of cooling would look more lilke my normal gm soap. Hmmm it still looks strange on the top but the rest of the bar looks normal. Ideas?

Ng has a dead on dupe IMHO.

That seems awfully high to me too. I calculate an 8oz candle runs me about $1.65 apiece, using high end fragrance oil. It makes for a reasonably priced retail candle. Large orders lower the cost due to bulk is always less expensive. Maybe after you've done a lot of testing, reading boards and comparison of the different available venders; you will eventually be able to lower the cost. Good luck and happy testing.

Thanks Carole for the info. I can get 415 or 464 locally; so that's probably what I'll go for. Your posts are always so helpful. Thanks again, Chuck

No, that's the 70/30 veggie from Tennesse Candle Supply. The other 70/30 paraffin is $17.95 a slab and $79.50 for a 57 lb case. Here's the address http://www.glcandlesupply.com/.

Oh man, I sell a ton of their Creme Brulee, Gingered Pumpkin, Fresh Linen and use the Creme Brulee in a lot of other mixes. Plus I love their cdn wicks. They were up front about some of the changes in their fo formulations; such as the Pineapple Slices. I liked the old one better but it was still nice and strong (if not stronger) and their service was really quick. I sure hope I can find replacements.

I haven't tried these products, but those of you who have....$7.50 a pound sounds like cheap fo to me? How good are these fos in relation to Daystar or Backwoods? I mean those are some pricey but really good complex fos. Experience has taught me that you never get something for nothing. Just an observation.

I have been testing with an 85/15 formula using gb415. The ct and ht are really great but some of the candles have major wet spots and some set up just fine. I pour at 190 degrees into really warm jars and then box em up to slowly cool. I just can't understand why some get such bad wet spots, unless its just an fo issue. I sure need a stable wax to stick with but the throw on this combination is really nice.

Yup. When you add shipping it really kills my bottom line. GL carries the 3020 wax and you might get a slab and test. It is real easy to wick and it sets up nice but is unstable for wet spots. I just couldn't get it to adhere to the jar wall for very long. It burns clean and will accept a number of wicks. You might give it a go.

Clarus is a major manufacturer of all kinds of waxes. The 3020 is very similar to 6006 IMHO. I still use their 70/30 wax that used to be GL 70/30 and is now offered by Tennessee Candle. My question for Brad is....when will the $105.00 a case come down in price? Other waxes have dropped but not this one. I just can't afford to keep using this wax and am preparing to switch to 6006 with added 415. I really hate to switch from a wax that still does a great job but that's economics.

Try adding about 10 to 20% of your soy and see how that works. I use it with 15% 415 and find it real easy to wick.

Gee I didn't remember saying most of the time.

Ok, one more time. Walmart carries the 3m heavy duty double sided foam squares that you can cut each square to do 8 wicks. Really cheap, fast and never fails and is easy to remove if you want to reuse the jar. I have been sticking wicks for 3 years with these things and they never fail to stick the wick. HTH.

Try a 85/15 combination of 6006 and 415 and pour at 180-190 in warm, clean containers. Try LX wicks or CD. You should get a beautiful ct/ht and very little smoke or soot. HTH.

Hey all you Alabamians! I live near Birmingham. Glad to hear there are other folks in the neighborhood. Just don't try to sell any candles or soap on my turf.....I'm Italian. JK (about selling not about being Italian).

I know just how you feel. I have stuff sitting around and people wanting to know what's the deal? It just needs to sit there awhile and let me think about it real hard or not. File my monthly tax statements for zero sales and pay out money for license and other junk. I lost a couple of grand this year (which really helps my tax situation) and it seems like everybody wants the fo that didn't get poured. Same old same old.....sigh. Headed to the beach folks, I don't need this kind of treatment. Good luck to all the newbies and appreciate the fact that all of this is so brand new and awesome. It's a lot better than knitting...I think.

So, when are you gonna test one out?

JS has it.

That's some bad advice. There are different grades of commercial glass that are intended for only one type of use. A juice glass might be fine with boiling water but not with 2-3 hours of hot wax. You can shatter any glass with an improperly wicked candle. Testing is your only way of knowing for sure how your combination of wax, wick and fo will affect the container.

Fillmore has them too, but at the same price. ouch. Shipping sucks.

Stop talking and read. I wouldn't bother to test a single thing without first reading the archives on down. That's what this board is set up for (thanks to Peaks). You read for knowledge and guidance to figure out how you want to start learning the craft. Asking for information won't give you what you want. Read, read, read and then go to the other forums/boards and read some more. Copy information and print it out and put it in a binder and study it and then order some stuff and see how close it matches your expectations.

The survey helps you to understand why so many people have blends of the blends. Everyone wants that wax with the great hot and cold throw and the great appearance without wet spots or any blemish problems. I just don't see why the wax folks can't (or won't) come up with a wax formula that meets or exceeds these standards? Would a good chemist from one of the companies give me that product with a hefty payment of cash?

I like the Madison jars with the silver lid/fitment. They hold about 8 ounces of wax and are very smart looking. Expensive but perfect for what you plan to do.

I didn't care for it. It really had wet spot issues and the throw was just ok for me. It didn't come up to the description but that was just me.