Arch Rock

Thanks Sarah but the Premiers give me a long stem and high flame. You using them with the CBL 125?

Great info everyone thanks.

TT, did you give up on the cottonwoods?

Guys, I bought my Presto with the spout already installed. I forget where but they're available shovel-ready online. Mine holds about 11 pounds so if I'm making 10, 16 oz. candles, I weigh the wax and get it melting. Reduce heat, keep an eye on that thermometer, and add FO. As long as you're already wicked-up, it takes about 30 seconds to fill a (warmed) pouring pitcher so not much heat loss. When I need to pour new testers, I fill the Presto full with no scent and then use a (warmed) glass Pyrex. Add FO to the Pyrex first, add wax, stir well, and pour. The very best equipment I ever used for small pours (25 lbs) was an old coffee urn. My dad is in the coffee business and when we realized that coffee and wax were both maintained at 180F, he gave me an old urn. It's water jacketed, with 220 plug, pour spigot, and can hold full slabs (no more chopping!). If you can find an old coffee urn, it's perfect. Caveat: After about 3 years of constant use and zero maintenance, wax seeped into the wiring and it did catch on fire one day. Had a fire extinguisher handy so no harm. She was a good old girl.

I'm not sure what to make of this but I DO know that back in 2004, the same phenomenon began happening and by October, 2008, the Great Crash arrived in all it's splendor. I will say that I heeded these warnings early and got out by the end of 2004. I sure hope this isn't a repeat. Candles and other disposable income "extras" are not recession-proof.

So after a 15 year hiatus, I wanted nothing more than to start up again. Well, my best advice is, don't quit your day job. After seeing 8 clients today (the snow yesterday forced everyone into wanting a session today). Trouble is, I ran into an old friend last week (The American Soy Guy) who owns a florist business who said, "I'm having a Valentine's Day gig - bring your stuff". Okay, so I'm in pretty good shape with 25 well-tested fragrances so I"ll bite. And also, he has his eye on a new building where there would be room for my retail rise from the ashes. Sweet. Do I have Valentine stuff ready to roll? Not really, but I can gimp. My name to fame which I have yet to post pics is that I use old fruit crate labels and unlicensed vintage stuff for my labels instead of my logo. That's what set me apart from the rest eons ago. I never liked "Yankee" screaming in my kitchen so I made or free-licensed awesome fruit or laxative labels ("Fig" the natural laxative!) So I use Word to lay out my designs, usually 12 per page. Go to the printer. They're awesome. "Yeah, I remember you." Cool. Print these up in color. I got the 2 year-old grandson with me which is more information than I can reasonably print here. Pour like crazy all last weekend. 120 jars of varying sizes because that's what the florist friend is looking for. Unfortunately, not all 25 scents are tested in all sizes, so the gimp continues. Enter stage left my new-found desire for eco-friendly lids. The kraft paper lids look awesome but only with kraft labels. Trouble is, I printed some on my own printer and the Professional Printer's kraft paper doesn't match. The kraft paper lids now look like Sunshine. The grandson is left to watch Netflix cartoons and eat grapes out of the refrigerator Saturday morning. All's well. More clients with serious demands on Monday. I'm pouring in between sessions out in the "candle shed" - a 20x20 that requires a gas mask. It leaves red marks on my face and my clients ask if I've been crying. Yes, sort of, but it's because I care. Fast forward to tonight at 10:30. Last client at 7:00. Topping off the last three fragrances. Cleaning another 100 jars like crazy and applying safety stickers. At 10:30 I realize I can't find the Victorian Valentine's day vintage post card labels I THOUGHT the printer had printed last week. Can't find the thumb drive I gave to the printer. Searching frantically through the car and all coat pockets. Now also looking for cigarettes. The ones I quit 10 months ago. I have no Valentine's labels for my very demanding, very gay, extremely creative friend who I promised a great mini candle-show. I also have secured two other small wholesale accounts I sold to years ago who I thought I could peddle new designs to tomorrow over coffee in the morning. This is not going to happen even though I rescheduled 4 difficult clients. Printed out the Valentine's day labels in black and white, cut them out, and taped them to the tops of the jars which I"ve packed up so when I get the color labels printed, I will know which fragrance gets which label. Also included are beautiful displays of fake red roses, silver dishes, some fancy potpourri . . . you get the picture. My plan is to hit the printer's as early as possible, beg and plead to get the color Valentine labels printed, cut out and applied to the candles, and set up my display at my florist friend's place, drive back to my house, see three clients, drive back to the florist's, see how the Valentine's day gig is going (a local winery who has advertised in both newspaper and radio will be there), and reschedule the other two wholesale account meetings. A hot mess I could not have orchestrated better myself. Hoping you all have a better day pending.

This is fantastic! Thanks so much for your hard work.

LOL! Quentin, I sure hope you're serious about letting go this obsession with temperature! Like my prescription for clients who are hypochondriacs: Get the hell off the internet.

Chad, that's really weird. I can't even figure out which additive could be responsible - neither vybar nor stearic acid behaves like that. I'm no soy expert but it almost looks like the cracking you get with soy.

I've never trusted metal. Always figured it would have some sort of chemical reaction (for example, I don't mix food recipes that contain vinegar or lemon juice in metal "reactive" bowls - only glass). So I've always used wood or those white spoons that Laura C uses. When I had a 200 lb melter, I found long-handled wooden paddles from a restaurant supply place that were great.

Thanks bunches.

Exactly Trapp.

Great idea. I use tins for scent samples but same concept.

Waiting on 6006.

Definitely over-wicked. Big melt pool (not sure how long that was burning), long stalk, and carbon mushrooms. Took me a while to see this pattern, but when I light a tester for the first time and there's a big flame height and smoke curls, I know it's not a good wick match. I'll give it a few minutes MAX to stabilize but if it doesn't, I stop burning and re-wick.

Looks like you're getting rid of that 6006 ball and chain.

I also find that when I do the initial test, if I don't get a full melt pool because the fragrance is heavy and I've under-wicked, it's not fair to ditch the fragrance if it's not given a chance to show itself off with a full melt pool. Then again, if I have to wick it with a fireball just to get a good HT, I'm not willing to sell that or spend the time to keep wicking (that was before I found your apple corer approach!). That's when - if I STILL must have it - that I start looking at different jars that might be a better match. This is a rarity though. Most of the time I just move on.

Thanks Goldie. Yes, that's what I was trying to say! And it was Christmas Wish I really liked OOB.

Sorry guys - I think I clicked on the wrong button to post about American Soy Organics! You're stellar at running wild with a thread!

Adding some new containers. The 16 oz. mayo jar from Fillmore is adorable and has a pretty black Old Tyme lid but wicking is proving to be a challenge. Much smaller opening than the 16 oz. Country Comfort jar and the pinch in the neck makes the burn rate pick up momentum half way down. I'm using a paraffin-based container blend and the LX series. Wondering if I should also be trying some HTPs.

For those of you who use Palm (I certainly agree that it's very pretty), who are the best free trade/responsibly sourced suppliers?

Sarah, I just poured some CBL 125 and can't wait to burn. I don't dye my wax and the only issue I"m finding so far is that a high vanillan content will turn yellow with this wax. I wonder if I could add some white pigment. Anyone know if this will affect the wicking?

Nice round(s) of testing Forrest and thanks for sharing.

I stopped by a friend's floral shop yesterday and he let me sniff some OOB from this seller. Really nice pumpkin something and Christmas something. He said the wax melts are flying off the shelves.

So I'm really liking Fillmore's chocolate therapy and will probably rename hot cocoa but it's still a bit one-dimensional. What's the best peppermint to mix with this? Anyone use anything else? Thanks. (Wish I would have thought of this before the polar vortex).