lightmyfire

26 minutes ago, CaptnKush said:

You have any good results with your candles?

The CD4 was perfect in my 6 oz jar (Black Cherry Merlot, CS).  In the 12oz Calypso jar (Earth & Woods, FC), I switched to a CD6 about 1/3 of the way into the jar as it was burning hot with a large melt pool.  The CD 6 is pretty good but is getting fairly hot and starting to mushroom considerably at the bottom 1/3 of the jar.  After reading all of the wick test info above I've decided to pour another tester with both jars and try the HTP's for comparison.  

1 hour ago, Belinda said:

Right now I only sell to coworkers and friends (hopefully when I retire I'll sell to more people)

My #1 seller is leather mixed with vanilla

My #2 seller is leather

My #3 seller is anything mixed with leather LOL!

I do occasionally sell a bakery scent or tropical scent or two and that would be Cherry, or Caribbean from NG or Monkey Farts, something like that. Florals run about the same which would be lavender.

what ratio are you mixing your leather/vanilla?

I'm going to try mixing leather from RE with some Tobacco & Caramel (FC); T&C is my #1 seller--I think this would make an awesome combo

I just poured my first 2 candles with the 6046; I used the 6 oz and 12 oz calypso jars from Glass Now and so far I love this wax!!!  I used a CD4 in the small jar and a CD 8 in the 12 oz and they are burning beautifully on my first 2 test burns.  I'm definitely going to try the suggestion of adding the FO at around 170 to see if that boosts the ht; the ht is great now (I added the FO at 185) but I'll give it a whirl.

I just tried the Flaming Candle purple dye---a bit stinky but no residual odor after the candle is poured.  I don't usually color my candles but I had a special request from my biggest customer.

On 1/22/2019 at 11:51 AM, Pip said:

I’m using the 110z tumbler from cs , they are now saying eco wicks may not be the best, try cd 14 or cd 16 . I’m having so much trouble with this wax 😩 I like the htp 105 the best but it leans one way, the eco wicks left a yellow color so Not adding dye doesn’t not seem to be a option. I just ordered large ribbon wicks 🤞🏻Hopefully these work! Good reviews I know i will still need to do a lot of testing, Can anyone help with the severe smoking just black smoke while it’s light, it’s awful I’m not using a 10 percent fragrance load 7 percent, figure I’ll work my way up to 10 percent definitely not there yet! 🤦🏼‍♀️

I use an 11 oz tumbler with 6006 and I find that a CD 8 works well with many of my FO's.  

On 12/9/2018 at 4:08 PM, Candybee said:

I know what you mean by knocking the jar and having the wick go off center. Arghhh! Done that  lots of times in the past until I got smart and got wick centering tools. Now I just wick it and forget it. You can get them in small, medium, and large. I have some of those metal ones and they move around too much for me. I prefer the plastic ones as they fit snug and won't throw the wick off center. I have a bazillion small ones for my 12 oz jars.

 

I wish someone would come out with a version that you could adjust to fit different sized containers---that would be awesome~~

6 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

How long has the candle cured?

A week.  I don't have the luxury of letting it cure any longer than that as I need to get these poured.  I'm not willing to sacrifice quality, believe me.  I know you had mentioned that a longer cure time in larger containers when using the zinc wicks is important to determine wick size.  

9 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

Sorry can't help with your wax or zinc wicks but I'm surprised you had a problem with that scent.  I've not wicked it, only melts but it just didn't hit me a scent that would cause problems.  I was considering making my son a few candles with it for Christmas, now I know I might have to play with wicks.  He knows how to test candles for me but I'd like the wick right or close to right.

If I didn't love this FO believe me, I wouldn't be jacking around with this when I have so many orders to fill 

Can someone just tell me what you think about this flame and MP at this stage--it doesn't matter what your experience is with this wax or wick.  Just a visual opinion?

10 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

The real test is the next set of burns. You’ll need to test it to at least the half way point before you see if the wick Choice is correct. Alcohol scents get very tricky. A power burn will reveal a lot too, especially toward the end.  

 

 

I already did a full burn on a test with this scent which got me to the point of having to do another one from scratch.  I'm just trying to determine at this point if this a good start with this wick.  I'm not familiar with the zinc wicks so I don't know if this flame looks too big, etc.  Do you think this is a good start or pull it out and go with something smaller?  I don't want to keep going with burns and wasting time if this initial burn is off course.  

I have an order for one of my new scents-Kentucky Bourbon from FC.  It's a fabulous scent but wicking this bugger has been a challenge.  

I use 6006, 16 oz ss amber jar.  I started with a CD 10 (too small), then tried a Z60 (only had one left so when it fell over in the jar I switched to CD 12), CD 12 was too big.  I poured another tester and started from scratch with a Z60.  This is what I'm seeing after 3.5 hours.  It's not smoking or going crazy but it has a full MP and scent throw is fantastic.  What do you think about this flame height etc? I have got to get this order poured and I'm just stuck. Thanks for your help!!

8 hours ago, number2of7 said:

I used KY parasoy tart wax for several years before switching things up.  I ALWAYS had dimples with that wax, no matter the size or shape.  The way wax is refined varies from batch to batch, so you'll likely always experience variables to contend with.  

Now that I think about it I did just open a brand spanking new box of this wax...........the smooth one was from the last box.  Hmmmmmmm...........

I'm going to choose my battles and embrace the dimples.  Just so dang frustrating to see these 2 melts next to each other and wonder WTH?  I will save my frustration then for sinkholes, wet spots, wicks pulling out and let's not forget about wick selection.  

On another note, I have been giving tours of my little candle studio to my customers.  When I show them my inventory of wicks and my note taking process for testing candles, they are always amazed at the process involved in making a quality candle.  I really enjoy educating my customers on how to burn their candle to get the best results and how monitoring the burning process by using a wick dipper to guide as well as extinguish the wick really does make a better burning candle.  They are always so interested and appreciative and they all say "I had no idea how much thought goes into making a candle".  Then when I ask them to wait 2 weeks to make their candles they are more than happy to wait because they understand that it's a process and a craft.   

12 minutes ago, Sarah S said:

Is that the KY 133? Your dimples are adoreable compared to the craters I got with that wax! I will be the first to admit, though, I lack patience when it comes to pouring tarts, I pour too hot and I don't slow my cool. So I don't use that wax anymore, it's much too temperamental for my ham-handed approach.

Sorry, I know that was not useful at all! But if it is the 133 you're using, I doubt it's anything you are doing wrong. Dimples just seem to be the nature of that wax.

I use the Ky para-soy tart and votive wax.  

Making melts is not new for me but I am so frustrated with what you can see in the photo.  The melt on the right is an example of the lovely melts I have been pouring for the last 5 months with several scents.  Beautiful, smooth tops.  The melt on the left is what I am now getting; this scent is "Sun Kissed Plumeria" (FC).  I thought maybe it was just this FO for some crazy reason.  But now it's everything that I'm making.  Wax= Ky tart wax.  Heat to 165 and pour at 150, like I always do.  Room temp in my studio is 70 degrees.  Between this and entire order of melts turning bright yellow I'm ready to pull my hair out.  Oh and yes, I tried pouring cooler........that didn't help.  I know it's ok that they're dimpled but I'd just like to know why. 

Any suggestions?

20 minutes ago, Laura C said:

I wonder if the altitude or elevation one is in makes a difference? Not only with the air pockets and sink holes but with everything; scent throw, wicking, jar adhesion, etc.?

I would think it would be like baking.......I had to adjust every cake recipe for the altitude when I lived in Denver.  Not so much in Texas 

But at some point I guess I realized that this craft is what it is...........I think sometimes there's just no explanation.  I have strengthened my intestinal fortitude immensely.

13 minutes ago, moonshine said:

I appreciate that I really do 

I’m just puzzled why it hasn’t worked for me 😂

I added this technique to lowering my pour temps way down on my 6006 and it has worked well.  I just poured 6 of the 9 oz straight sided amber jars and as a test I poured at 160 instead of 155 and I went past the point where the neck narrows and I have sink holes on every candle.  The combo of lower temp and fill point just seem to be a happy combo in my studio.  

my tip wasn't intended to be a panacea, merely a suggestion on something to add to your considerations when pouring a candle in a jar with a neck that's narrower than the jar.  That's all.   

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I dunno about that.  Soy wax can be a finicky mistress. Poke around under the surface of your next bunch of candles and see if it holds true,  ive had sink holes/cavities in many containers at different pour levels. The only way they stay at bay in my shop is by managing pour temps and rate of cooling.

Well I do manage them with pour temps and as for rate of cooling I wrap each candle in a felt wrap to slow the cooling.  I still do that.  I do all of that, believe me.  But as an added precaution I don't pour past the narrowing of the jar.  It's just another step.  

I was on a crafting site a few weeks ago (I cannot for the life of me remember what it was) and I was searching for information about sink holes and how to avoid them.  I've been making candles for about 4 years so I'm getting the hang of this and I'm always reading threads here- I've learned a lot over the years about pouring temps, etc. 

Now this may be something ya'll already know, but the tip I read that has changed my life is that if you are using a jar that changes shape at the top, stop your pour before you get to that narrowing.  I have added 8 oz square masons to my lineup just for seasonal scents (I only use 9 and 16 oz amber straight sided jars--keeps my life as simple as possible!) and I was read to pull my hair out due to sink holes on every candle, every pour.  It was driving me insane.  After I read the tip I mentioned, I stopped pouring right where the flared square part of the jar narrows to the neck.  Voila.  No more sink holes.  I can tell when I've poured just a bit too far because I will get a sink hole; easy to fix with the heat gun as soon as I see it.  It sure beats fixing every dang one of them.  

Sugared Cronut - This is really nice at 6%.  I'm renaming it French Toast, to give you an idea of how it smells HT.

I agree!  I love this one.  Just an FYI--it turns wax melts yellow very quickly when not using dye.  That doesn't bother me but some may find it off putting. 

16 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

Oh gosh, don't I know it.  I've tried so many times to get away from this wax, and here I am using it yet again.  I'm using a new container, 3+ inches, and I'm having to break out the CD wicks for it even though they aren't my preference.  So frustrating, but since I have dozens of these jars I'll have to make it work.  I can't find one wick series that will work across the board for me in 6006.  I really don't know why I am still using this wax.  Glutton for punishment, I guess.

That's exactly the reason that I have narrowed my containers down to the 9 oz ss amber, 16 oz ss amber and the 8 oz square mason (the mason is just for seasonal scents).  I also refuse to keep adding FO's to the mix as well.  I have a "scent menu" of my set offering and then I rotate in seasonal scents so I just have to test new scents periodically.  

I found the CD 10 to work perfectly in the 16 oz ss amber jar on almost every scent.  Miracles do happen.

I am so very grateful for your input on this since I would have had no idea where to start with the LX or zinc wicks.  THANK YOU!!

6 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

Several ATM....LOL, but 6006 is what I was referring to.  

I thought so but I figured I'd better ask!  Thanks so much for your help; I just ordered an LX sample pack and I have a zinc sample pack already.  Yet another batch of test candles????  Oy!!!  The endless pursuit of excellence 

4 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

I use 9oz ss jars, but I don't use the CD wicks with this jar.  The off center melt pool messes me up with narrow containers.  I use zinc 44-24, 44-32 and sometimes need a 51z for the heavy scents.  LX 14 is a good starting point with this jar also.  Sorry I couldn't be of more help.  Good luck.

what wax do you use?

    Most of my FO's take a CD5 in this 9 oz jar; the VBN, TPS and CT take a 6

22 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

What wicks are you using?

CD

On 7/15/2018 at 2:17 PM, wgregww said:

Why do my tops have this downward tapper from the outside then the climb back up the wick? Im using 6006 poured into warm glass at 170.

 

Thanks

this beats sinkholes all day long