chuck_35550

I started out with a votive kit from Cajun Candles. The kit was well stocked and was perfect for learning one of the easiest forms of chandlering (candlemaking). Once you get votives under control, then you are ready for jelly jars and so on. Keep it simple, order small amounts of wax, tester fos and wick samplers to keep your cost down. Read all the posts you can and ask questions. Don't worry about sounding like your new to the craft. Everybody starts out at the same place and wants to learn secrets from the pro candle makers. Sometimes, they slip up and tell you really good stuff.

I like it.

Personally, I like Astorlite V for votives. A really great one pour wax that colors vividly and rarely has issues. You really want to get away from Yaley or any other similar craft stuff and start buying some really good wax and fos. I like the zinc wicks for paraffin but you might want to try LX wicks for soy. Try hitting your molds on the side with a spoon to loosen air bubbles and try not to stir up your wax and incorporate air bubbles as you mix. The Astorlite V comes in pellet form and I usually measure out what I want into an old Mr. Coffee carafe and melt on a griddle or hot plate. Buy one of those thermometers with the long probe for your oven and stick that sucker down in the wax and set your stir time for 2 minutes for color then 2 minutes for fo and then pour and cool slowly in a cardboard box. The wax pops out with a tap and then you plug in your wicks and cover the bottom with a warning label and then package in little plastic craft bags from wally world and stick a label on it and you're good to go.

The really great thing about being new to a craft is that you aren't limited by what can and can't be. I don't know what kind of wax you are using or the type of wicks but I do know that many a popular item has been created out of curiosity and nerve. The jars may turn out to be just fine and not all that hard to wick. Who knows, unless you try. I started with votives and quickly jumped into all kinds of containers and waxes and wicks and was in love with the investigation of it all. I eventually could pick up a piece of glass and KNOW this will work or it won't. You will go through shops and dollars stores and be like a vulture circling for that great deal on some really nice containers. Some of it will work and some of it won't but when it does work; wow is that cool. Don't apologize for trying to think outside the box. Have fun, be safe and learn.

My family,friends and customers have gotten used to my cp soap products and can't seem to go back to store bought stuff. I started with mp and jumped into cp and its just not that big a deal. I still make mp guest soaps for holidays and special occasions but give me a great bar of goats milk soap any day of the week.

I have a stainless steel bowl that fits into another bowl full of cubes. I watch my thermometer and keep my temps where they need to be and there is no waiting. Then I put my pot of oils in the ice bath to bring the temp down and then soap.

I don't know about body butters but lye or other toxic additives should stay far and away from food prep. IMHO.

I use a small stainless steel mixing bowl that fits into a larger stainless steel bowl that I fill with ice cubes. I keep my goats milk solution under 100 degrees while mixing the lye and I also use the cold bowl to bring my oils down to the same temp as my lye mixture. Clean up is a breeze and I don't have to worry with the lye damaging the stainless steel.

I'm totally ignorant of your meeting. I live in central Alabama and would be more than happy to attend a seminar. Please supply info. I make both candles and soap.

Kudzu and Christmas Cabin.

The jars I get from my supplier are seamed. You're problem is going to be the bubble shape. That's gonna be tough to wick. You just can't tell about glass containers. I bought some really thick juice glasses from Dollar Tree and they broke every time they got hot. Testing really is a lifesaver. Seams are not pretty but that doesn't mean they aren't as sturdy as seamless. You pay more for first quality glass; which is usually seamless. Pour some up and test. If the glass seems to insulate well and there appears to be no problem; then they are probably ok. I wouldn't used damaged glass at all.

Trim your wick really low and see what happens?

I like it too. When I first proposed the idea of using coconut oil for improved hot throw, lots of folks thought it was just another fad. You just have to be careful on the amount if you are using a parasoy blend (1/2 tsp is good for mine).

Not enough information here. If this is an fo that has always performed well in the past....maybe its been reformulated. The low flame indicates the wick is too small and you need to wick up on this fo. There may be a lot of vanilla or you may be using more fo than is necessary if its a strong fo. Try a different type of wick other than a zinc.

Don't forget that the manufacturers keep changing the formulas of their products. Just when you think your have it made; suddenly your candle gutters out or you can't smell the candle. I have a batch of wax that obviously has a little too much vybar and some fos that have been reformulated. The nature of the beast seems to be shifting sand. You just have to be prepared to use all your wits and money to keep the customer coming back for more.

I'm not sure that one blend of wax should be expected to work on all container sizes. I recently had a problem with a container that wouldn't quite work with any wick that I tested. I softened the wax a little and the container was easily wicked. It always comes down to our personal satisfaction and the ongoing process of challenging that satisfaction for improvement of the product. I suspect that if we were allowed to inspect the large companies wax blends, fos and wicks; we would be surprised at the difference of each container offered. If you are unhappy with the overall efficiency of your product (does it fragrance the room(s) and is it safe and does it look attractive) then you have to consider which part of the equation may not be working.

It's not the melting but the sweating. Candles form a sheen of sweat on the top when they get warm. The cooler with blue ice works for a while but eventually even the coolers start to get warm. I use really nice old sheets with patterns for shades on the canopy and only put out a couple of each fragrance and then grab one out of the cooler for customers who want to purchase. You can use a sign that designates the shelf candles as "display only" but I think most people ignore cosmetic appearance. Good luck...break a leg.

Yeah, partial gels are not good. My Kelsei goes in the oven for the gelling process and just sits out on the counter for milk soaps. I mix my oils and soap at fairly cool temps (about 80 degrees) and feel the side of the mold for heat at different times during the 24 hour period before turning the bars out.

Well yes, you're talking coconut and palm. Those are hard oils on their own and yes you can tell the diff in hardness, as far as the water has evaporated out of the bar; but mixing different oils for different outcomes means you have to understand the fundamental properties of those oils. How about pure olive for castille? It never hardens or really cures out...there's that word again. We all agree that soap is gonna be basically ok to use within a short period of time if the formula is sound and you obeyed the fundamental rules of soap making. I have some old bars that last in the shower but aren't any more mild or drying than a younger bar of soap. Whew.

I don't ever mention it. Don't ask and I won't tell. Don't mention lard either. Just call it tallowate. The ingredients are on the label and folks look and smell and then buy. Repeat customers come back after they realize how much better hand made soap is than Dove.

You just can't have your cake and eat it too. Most soapers go for heavy superfat percentages to increase the emollient effects of the soap. You know those are percentages of oils that are not saponified and result in a softer bar that is going to stay soft. I superfat at 7% and use a 2:1 lye solution without a gel on my milk soaps and shampoo bars. I use soap after 24 hours and know my recipes in my sleep. No lye pockets or surprises to harm my skin and no problem with the density of the soap. I give it a couple of weeks before selling and warn customers that this particular type of soap will not last for 6 months. My hunters/gardners soaps and salt bars are thoroughly gelled and are hard as bricks but they are not superfatted and they are not touted to make your dry skin go away. They all clean without drying and I seriously doubt you could tell the diff between a bar 2 weeks old and 2 months old.

I always set the lye to water solution at 2:1 which automatically changes the water percentage on soapcalc. Super fat at 7% and am not brave enough to push the envelope on my lye solution. Really experienced soapers are familiar enough with the different oils properties to know how low they can go before the batch goes bad.

Avery has free software for pc or mac. I use the clear 2x4 shipping labels and they look great on the containers. I can cut them in half for smaller jars like tumblers or use them whole for larger jars like salsas. The look is upscale and totally up to you with the software. You can buy expensive labels but the majority of my customers pay little attention to the labels (too busy sniffing the jars and asking me what's this one).

Try a slab of TN 70/30 (clarus wax) http://tennesseecandlesupplies.com and start with a straight sided jelly jar or tumbler. I pour at 180 degrees, into warmed and clean jars, using 1 ounce of fo per pound and mostly cd wicks but have used LX and zincs for other containers. Place in a box and let cool slowly. I don't color my candles anymore but used liquid dye and got creamy pastel colors. I have tried every combination and always come back to this wax. It has a great ht and ct without curing and will take up to 9% fo load. HTH

Oh cool, I never thought of putting the mold in the fridge or freezer. Learn something new everyday. Thanks Chris