Arch Rock

Do you guys get these at Fillmore?  Good job, Gail.

Nice.

19 hours ago, YellowButterfly said:

Awww, what a nice and supportive (and enabling? 🤣) husband!

 

I started in 2016, but stopped because grad school and full time job was taking SO much of my time. Now, I'm finished with grad school and started a new job that allows me more free time, so hey, why not? Family and friends are still my go-tos for testing and such, but I'm hoping to launch officially next year. 

YB - what did you study in grad school?  I started cnalde-making in 1999, ran the business for five years and then got bored with manufacturing so got my M.S. in Psych.  I've been in private practice for five years and now miss being creative so I'm pouring again.  It's the five year itch I guess.

This is so exciting!  Great suggestions from Candybee, as usual, but it sounds like you're prepared.  The only thing I would add is a small fishing tackle box filled with pens, paper clips, extension cord, double-sided tape, scissors, wire, Advil, a tampon, breath mints, Xacto knife, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, etc, etc.  I took my tackle box to every show and can't tell you how many times I turned to it in times of strife.  As you branch out and go to bigger shows, you never know what you're going to get when you reach your booth no matter how many times you read the small print on the application forms.  At the Philly Gift Show, I ended up having to hang background drapes with zip ties!  Try not to sit too much either.  Be on your feet as much as possible.  You'll need a bubble bath when you get home. 

I know, Sarah and Belinda!  Now mind you, I'm very consistent with testing.  6%, same temp, same containers and CD14s.  First burn in a 400 square-foot room.  If I get HT, I move the sample to 800 Square feet.  If I can still smell it at the front of the house, it's a keeper.  Not very scientific but I do the same song and dance for every fragrance I test.  The only thing I can figure is that this latest shipment of wax seems to have more vybar than usual - I can see the ripples on top of the slabs.  And yet, why did I get such good results with Fragrance Buddy with the same wax shipment?  By no means am I giving up on CW.  I've got a bunch of Fillmore samples coming too so we'll see.  Thanks for the honest feedback.

Lonestar does great vanillas.  Sugared Cronut is awesome - I renamed mine French Toast.  Mandarin-Cranberry is fantastic too but I couldn't get it to burn without a flame-thrower.  I used Hot Apple Pie for years until I got it duped.  Vanilla Cotton is great too but was tough to wick.  I renamed this Sweet Snow.

Google the Department of State for registering the fictitious name.  Here in PA it costs $70.  Merry Christmas.  It's not a copyright per se but it gives you standing in court if someone else comes up with that awesome name.  You should probably do Quentin Doing Business As Pillar 7.  IRS.gov for the EIN#.  No charge for this because their benevolence is repaid ten-fold once you start making money and filing income taxes on your biz.  Can't make your mark flying under the radar.

I like it too.  Spoiler alert:  better get your fictitious name registered in Mississippi and get an EIN # but you probably already knew that.

I use a paraffin based container blend similar to CBL 125.

Fragrance Buddy:

Cinnamon Bun - Good but not the best

Cucumber Melon - Very nice.  Not sticky sweet like some.  More cucumber than melon with dry base notes.  Filled the house with HT

Vanilla Ice Cream - My new vanilla.  This will replace Lonestar's Creamy Vanilla it's that good.

Lavender Sage - Very nice and spot-on.  Will be adding this for spring.

Apple Jack 'n Peel - Just as good as BC

Brown Sugar & Fig - Really nice.  Good CT and HT and perfectly balanced.

Pumpkin-Pecan-Waffle - OMG.  This is bound to be a best-seller.  Phenomenal.

Pumpkin Perfect - Not so perfect to my nose - weak in my wax.

Pumpkin Cheesecake - Can't get HT even after wicking up the sample.

Bourbon Barrel - Disappointing.  Absolutely no HT.  Weak OOB

Frosted Carrot Cake - Just ok.  Not good enough to add to my repertoire.

Twisted Peppermint  - Fuel smell even after wicking down.  I don't think this FO likes my wax.

Candlewic:

First, let me say that maybe I'm doing too much testing or maybe too many tests of similar scents, but this grouping of CW oils were very non-descript and indistinct.  They all started smelling the same.

Merry Mint - This is a best-seller for CW, but to me it's nothing to write home about.

Pumpkin Pancake - Really nice but no comparison to FB's pumpkin pecan waffle.

Hot Buttered Rum - Also nice but I'm looking for something stronger.

Agave Nectar - Just ok.  Lots of citrus and floral top notes.

Black Tea, Orange & Almond - Gail C is going to find this hard to believe, but I wasn't overly impressed.

Butterscotch Pudding - Nice, but didn't blow the roof off.

Jack Frost - No CT and very little HT

Peppermint Cypress - Weak

Gingerbread Spice - Non-descript.  I swear, I smelled some Hot Buttered Rum.  Like I said, maybe my nose is worn out.

Coastal Kale - Nice, but weak

Snow Flake - No way close to the name.  This smells like my old boyfriend's house and he used those Glade Lavender oil plug-ins if that gives you any idea.

Vetyver - Weak and too flowery.  Also thought I smelled some Agave Nectar in this.

Onward and upward!

Bless your little candle-makin' heart.

10 hours ago, TallTayl said:

For out of the box waxes and wicks, sharing observations of burns is really not that big of a deal, is it? When I stuck an array of wicks in a pan of C3 to compare burns did that really reveal any secret sauce? Sure was a nice revelation to me of how that new lot of wax was performing. Showed quite a few newbies and oldies different ways to test too.

 

Also passed on some pretty valuable info to quite a few oldies when soy waxes became terribly, dangerously different, cautioning everyone to test new waxes or potentially lose their businesses.  I learned that a very expensive hard way.  Sharing is caring.

 

Everyone gets something out of this place.  Surely little tidbits can be passed along without fear.

I agree completely.  Baseline testing of "bare naked" wax and wicks should not be considered proprietary.  Anyone can melt wax and stick 30 different wicks in it and record the results.  Things get interesting when a specific fragrance oil from a specific manufacturer is added.  Now it's proprietary.  My biz used to be in a big warehouse and we had a retail store attached to the front.  Once a week or so, a retail customer would ask to see our production area and 9 out of 10 times I would kindly deny them, citing safety concerns.  On the few occasions that I did allow a competitor to tour our operation, I have to admit that I draped the shelves holding the gallons of fragrance oil with fabric, covering them up.  Blood, sweat, and tears to customize our fragrances I wasn't about to share with anyone.

On 11/15/2018 at 10:34 AM, Forrest said:

You are correct, my degree is in electrical engineering, but I work as a systems engineer at NASA. I'll use your example for Model 1, suppose you wanted to offer that model in another FO. You would make the candle and do a test burn, it might work or you might need a different wick. Once you got the wicking right you would be able to tell if your HT was good, and if it was you would add the candle to your line. But let's suppose when you made the candle you changed something in your process, say reduced stirring time, and the candle had poor HT. How would you know if it was the FO or the process that was the problem. You can only test for one variable at a time. That is why I say you have to fix your process. Once you have a set process, container, and wax any problems are due to FO or wicking, It is my nature to try and turn this into an exact science, even though I know I never will.

The Scientific Method never fails.  If I get a new child client with ADHD, I encourage parents not to start him/her on a medication until I treat them with therapeutic play for six weeks.  If they start the medication at the same time they enter play therapy, we'll never know if it was the medication or the therapy that decreased symptoms of impulsivity and lack of focus.

On 11/13/2018 at 1:19 PM, pughaus said:

 

I have exactly this problem with the 9 oz straight sided jars.  The heavier scents are a real challenge for me in these.  I call it tiny flame syndrome.  They start out great then around burn 3 or 4  the flame shrinks to 1/4". Then it comes back to 1/2" or so. on the next burn.. then small again.. and so on.   I need a smallish wick since these straight jars trap heat so well but they seem to get overcome by FO, heat and lack of air in the middle of the jar..

I think you're right about the straight sided jars.  Do the crimps in other jars create a chimney effect that's missing with our straight sides?

On 11/13/2018 at 10:45 AM, lightmyfire said:

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!!

 

CD10s are nice, but as TT has pointed out, sometimes, you'll get similar FMPs with 10, 12, and even 14 and I've found this perplexing.  I also think for those of us who use straight-sided jars, it's easy to underestimate the impact that a straight-sided jar can have on wicking.  I've had one heck of a time switching from a 16 oz country comfort jar to a 16 oz straight sided.  That crimp in the neck of the country comfort jar may look innocent, but it has a huge impact.

On 11/13/2018 at 10:03 AM, 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.

BF, did I see in an archive that you had been experimenting with RRDs?  I see you've settled on zinc.

22 hours ago, Clear Black said:

 

So does this mean you are normally wicking your containers to reach a FMP by the second hour? That seems very unsafe, regardless of how much you think your customers want this. If this is how I am interpreting your comment then I would suggest focusing on making a safe candle above satisfying a customer based on false information they think they know.

 

Take this as advice and not anything personal. I would hate to see you put yourself or anyone else at risk with an over wicked candle just to make someone happy

Thanks for the input Clear Black but I've been doing this for many years - just re-started my biz after a long hiatus.  I always balance flame height and melt pool but do expect 1/4" of FMP within 4 hours but am fine with some cling.  There's a gal in town here who makes soy candles in soup cans.  It's pretty scary how horribly hot and sooty these burn.  I'm afraid she's going to burn someone's house down.

On 11/13/2018 at 10:52 PM, TallTayl said:

Which kind of wax? 

I love them in deep containers in some blends. 

I use a paraffin-based container blend.  I hear you about not worrying about a FMP on the first burn.  And WOW a 24 oz. jar!  I could see cottonwoods working.  They are hard workers.  Kudos for that burn time.

19 hours ago, Quentin said:

Very possible! This post has made my day. Really. You're a psychotherapist. I'm a psychiatric patient. What are the odds we would meet here?You used the word "focusing". Your diagnosis is right on target! A.D.H.D. A big ROFL going on here. Today will be a good day. I can see it coming.  You gotta love it. 

We're all psychiatric patients to some degree Quentin.  Before I went to grad school, I was in the candle biz for five years and will tell you that the most consistent product I manufactured was due to having a 300 pound water-jacketed wax melter, using wax from an international company in business for generations, and working with large scent manufacturers like French and IFT.  On the down side, mass production takes the joy out of the "art and craft" and I eventually got bored with it and wanted to pursue something more cerebral.  I will tell you that your medium - making pillars - is one of the most difficult to master consistently.  It's extremely difficult to get hot throw from pillars because you need so much vybar to make the thing stand alone and vybar "locks" scent and doesn't release it like container blends.  That said, I've gotten some kick-butt hot throw from votives.  Once again, as everyone else has suggested, keep it as consistent as possible and don't over-think the small stuff.

9 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I gave up shooting for perfection and settle for within a range of acceptable. 

Exactly. 

Thanks BF!

Any supplier working on Scentsy dupes?  Great fragrances, but it's easy to make wax melts, in my opinion.  MUCH harder to make scents throw in wax with a wick attached!

6 hours ago, LivInTX said:

Ok so I have loaded my cart at FB with the Cherry Champagne and Sugar Cookie Signature.

 

Have these others in my cart as well and curious if any of you have tried them:

Kettle Corn

Cotton Candy (looking for a strong one)

Buttercream Mint

Juicy Fruit

Rice Krispie Treats

 

Hoping FB will have a Black Friday Sale

Sorry, haven't tried those but let us know how you make out.

Not getting the results I'd hoped for.  I know TT is also testing these.  I'm finding initial big tunneling, which is not what Atkins & Pierce advertised.  It took double-time (up to 4 hours) to reach side-to-side jar and I think most of my customers would give up by then and label my candle as tunneling, which irks me so much, no educational hand-out could convince them otherwise.  These are crazy-hot burners too, which defies the tunneling.  Strange wick but glad I tried it.

My goodness you guys .  .  .  IMHO, you're making this more difficult than it has to be.  I'm a psychotherapist.  If I give someone a psych test, there's a Bell curve that helps delineate "normal" from "abnormal" and the difference between can be anywhere between 5 or 15 points, depending upon the test.  I have to take this into consideration when analyzing the results.  Same goes for candle-making.  Most waxes and fragrance oils and wicks are very forgiving and provide chandlers a pretty decent variance.  That said, my CD-10 wick will perform very differently in my vanilla compared to my Apple Jack 'n Peel.  I wonder if Quentin might be too focused on wax pour temp instead of the biggest variable - scent oil and supplier.  The same-referenced CD-10 will perform differently with different vanillas from different manufacturers.  My advice would be to dial-in the fragrance itself.  If your pouring temp and wax remain the same, the only other independent variable is your fragrance oil (assuming your jar has remained the same). 

Thanks so much.