Arch Rock

Since everyone else is wrapping presents and baking cookies, I'll chime in here Forrest. I think the same approach we've all adopted for our jars applies to tins too - don't expect a FMP on the first burn and yet you need a nice flame height with a good consumption rate. Maybe your NASA buddies could help figure this out: When I tested tins, I was always horrified to see how much the hot sides of the tin sped up burn rate. Clearly, metal conducts heat faster than glass and I almost always wicked down even though the container opening on my 16 oz. tins was larger than my 16 oz. jars.

I found an old slab of something out in the shed. Anyone remember a supplier named "Stuff Julie Likes?" I melted some down for kicks and giggles and it suspended fine pumice like a champ at around 105 degrees. Look out below that. It turned to a weird, gelatinous blob quicker than you could blink an eye. What was this stuff?

Thanks Laura. You rock.

Nice upgrade. They're going to look fantastic all lined up!

Can't seem to keep my paws off the testers anytime I place an order. This bad habit is ruining my Christmas budget! Regardless: FB - Mulberry, Lemon Pound Cake, Creamsicle, Citrus Tree, Apples and Peaches - all giving off a fuel smell despite a small tester wick. It's as if all of the fruity smells from FB hate my wax (paraffin container blend)! I'm so disappointed because they took the roof off when I threw them into hot wax. I'm going to start some mixing recipes with these because they're that good. I'm thinking 1:1:1 of FB Lemon Pound Cake, Fillmore Lemon Biscotti and FB Vanilla Ice Cream. Cross your fingers. NG - Black Raspberry Vanilla and Ocean Mist - I used these keepers many years ago but needed to re-test to be sure nothing's changed. Perfect-o. NG Butter Brickel - No HT CW - Maple Butter - Nice, but not strong enough as a stand alone. Good mixer. Also getting fuel smell from Peach & Sweet Berry and Tangerine Peach. Fillmore - Very pleased with this batch of samples English Lavender: Very soapy and not a good fit for my wax but would be great in soaps Warm Apple Pie - Puts Lonestar to shame Iced Lemon Biscotti - Holy Crap. Incredible. Christmas Tree - I know everyone raves about this one but it smells rather one-dimensional to me. Plus, I could have sworn I detected a pee-like after-smell. (Okay, I'll admit it was burning in my bathroom and I haven't cleaned in there for a week or so . . . but still! 🤔) Butterscotch Brulee - Phenomenal. Daffodil - LOVE this. Not your grandmother's daffodil. Woody base notes and herbal mid-notes with very few top notes. Ginger-Nutmeg - My new gingerbread. This has the punch I've been looking for that sweeter blends can't deliver. Overall, a successful round of testers.

I don't use that wax but I would definitely test the "naked" wax and wicks without fragrance oil to get an idea of what's going on.

Lookin' good Milos.

Quentin, I know what you're talking about at Paper Mart - those rolls of corrugated wrapping. They're inexpensive and are bound to decompose faster than bubble wrap or even those foam sheets.

If you're serious about trademarking, you need an attorney.

Oh, the trials and tribulations of doing craft shows! Years ago, my mom roped me into doing one at her local high school. I took the kids so they could visit with grandma at the same time. Stopped at McDonald's for breakfast and they both barfed in the car on the way there . . . all over my displays. I'm sure there are many, many other horror stories out there! But yes, it sounds like you got your foot in the door. Good for you.

First off, the tree is absolutely ADORABLE and fits the whole "feel" of the label. I agree with Candy and Sarah. I always put my scent at the bottom of the label, whether it's my safety labels on the bottom of the jars, my wax melts, and now my soaps. You want a consistent font for the scents - big and bold enough to pull the eye downward. I always tend away from scrolled fonts but your logo certainly works. Awesome design and you must be thrilled to have found that tree!

Absolutely beautiful! Clean, professional, well-labeled and how about those vibrant colors! Hard Work and Perseverance is written all over each and every product. Hope you made a profit because you deserve every penny . . . (to buy more stuff!)

Thanks so much Candybee and Sarah!

You sound as picky as I am!!

Darbla, that mix sounds like a winner.

That's a friggin METEORITE. Thanks for sharing though. Made my day.

I just got my sea legs back with making candles again and now you've made me dust off my M&P stuff! So much has changed in 15 years . . . and yet not so much, so that's a relief. In the archives, the Australian guy - Dean - really got me inspired along with your wisdom and experience. Years ago, I poured straight into decorative clam shells but want to get away from plastic packaging. That leaves me with the soap boxes from Paper Mart which I think will work, but I'm concerned with placing an M&P soap directly into the box without a wrapper first. I never had a problem with sweating with NG's shea butter base but I did add some stearic acid. I think the clam shells were my protection, though. Now that I want to move away from clam shells, I can't stand the thought of wrapping with Saran Wrap. What do you suggest? I even thought of those de-hydrating packets that come with certain medicines and decorative cardboard boxes to mitigate moisture weep. I would love to slip an M&P straight into a box. Thanks in advance.

First . . . RRDs - don't get me started on these fireballs, but it's probably my paraffin-based wax so I shouldn't diss them. Next, the glass hurricane you're using is like a chimney. Unless you're asking your customers to burn your candle with the glass hurricane, perhaps you could just focus on the candle jar itself. The hurricane adds another variable to the burn rate and the fewer variables the better.

Thanks, TT. I'm really trying to leave a small carbon footprint and model that for consumers. I need to follow and contribute to the discussion on packaging wax melts in another area as I've been wrangling with this. I agree that bubble wrap looks amateur.

Great conversation. My ex is an attorney so I loved the SCOTUS story from Q. And TT is right about the nature of the biz - it matters. Many musical bands have been sued and reached SCOTUS review because it's music. When I registered my therapy practice initially - Family First Behavioral Health - there was someone else in PA who snatched the handle before me and wanted me to buy it from her. Yeah. . . . no. So now I'm Family First Counseling Services, LLC. Boom. I think the more creative you can be with your name the better. My first candle company was Open Hearth Candle Company because I lived in a small enclave of Victorian homes built in the 1890's in my small town. Zero chance of duping that. (Although there is an Open HEART Candle Co.) When I moved to Arch Rock Road in a neighboring county and started pouring again, it was a no-brainer to switch to Arch Rock Candle Co. I haven't done any research to support this opinion, but I would bet that Yankee and Colonial didn't trademark until they got big.

Lulu, as long as the jar is the same design and same diameter, but once the 8 oz gives you a good burn, you'll need to burn a 16 oz from top to bottom before you can be completely certain that it's the very best wick.

Wow. I had no idea. Thanks so much everyone! Being out of the loop for so long has put me behind the eight-ball on some things. I truly appreciate it.

I'm gearing up for spring fundraising and have plans to carpet-bomb schools and other non-profits with a sample candle and color brochure. I needed to find a nice box to hold one, 8 oz. candle with room for foam/bubble wrap and the brochure tucked in for good measure. ULine is having a sale on a variety of great cardboard boxes until 1/13/19. 4"x4"x4" mug-size box is .23 cents with a minimum of 100. Larger sizes are also reasonably priced and on sale until 1/13. Also found "variable depth" boxes - a maximum 8"x8"x8" box that can be scored down to 4", 5", 6", or 7" heights which will suit my fundraiser packaging needs as I sort orders by each seller and each order can vary widely. The other cool packaging I found there were "gable boxes". These fold at the top (think the donut hole boxes) to create a handle. Different sizes that range in price from .37 cents to .66 cents a piece for a minimum of 100. My only concern here is how much these gable boxes can safely hold (think kids carrying candles home on a school bus - what could possibly go wrong?!) I deliver my fund-raisers so I don't need heavy-duty shipping materials, but thought this info might be helpful to some.

I keep all three on hand but use CD-10, CD-12 and LX-16 the most for my wax and fragrances. Your goal should be finding the perfect wick for each fragrance - don't expect to use the same wick for every fragrance. There are also very seasoned chandlers on here who use different waxes too, which would make my head spin! Also, don't expect to have a full melt pool (FMP) during a first burn. You don't want tunneling, but within four hours, you should shoot for 1/4" or less of melt pool with some cling on the sides and a nice, steady flame. You might want to check into the mathematics of figuring out Rate of Consumption rates. The other thing that helps to establish a baseline for wicking is to use an old cake pan or old muffin tin. Wick up several different wicks, fill the muffin cups or the entire cake pan with PLAIN wax, let it set up, light the wicks and observe burn pool, flame height, and any carbon mushrooming at one-hour intervals for four hours. This will give you a good idea of how your unscented wax performs with different wicks. Then you can start testing different fragrances. Testing can be frustrating and expensive but you will never regret it.

Lulu, I don't use your wax but used to use the 16 oz apothecary. I agree with Trapp and Sarah - you can go up as far as a CD-20, HTP-126 or even that fireball of HTP-1212. Two LX-14s might do the job, depending on the FO. Test, test, test!