grandmaskitchen

I never leave the lid on while melting wax. I only put it on after the pot has cooled to keep dust and particles out of the wax until I need it again.

I've seen wet spots on jar candles in stores. The only things I care most about, are the fragrance and how well they burn. Even my friends and family members don't care about them; they only care about how good they smell.

I have been using Greenleaf's 70/30 container blend and it has been really great to work with. Smooth tops, (very creamy) no repours, and excellent hot/cold throws using only 1 oz. of fo per pound of wax. It comes in slabs, but is very easy to cut. Even though I don't pour a lot of candles (mostly for friends and family), I went ahead and ordered more just to have it on hand. Best I've every used!

So far, these 3 are my favorites. Will be trying out more companies soon. Greenleaf (my favorite) Indiana Candle Supply The Candle Source

Love it! Looks good enough to eat!

I have tried the Indonesian Teak, Magic of India, and French Market in their 70/30 wax and the hot/cold throws are great! I have some more samples to try out, but so far, I have had very good luck with these.

Greenleaf's Indonesian Teak is fantastic! I used 1 oz. in a pound of their 70/30 wax and the cold/hot throw were both great. My husband liked this the best of all the fragrances I have, so I had to order more of it.

The molds I am using are aluminum, concave top, and a single wick hole. I purchased these about a year ago and just decided to give it a try to see if I could come up with a decent looking pillar. The pillar looks great, but now I need to find a single wick that will do the job. Someone suggested cotton core, 45 ply braided for this size. The only kind of wicks I have at the moment are the ones I use in containers; zinc, LX, ECO, and CD. I have tried an LX 30, but it doesn't quite reach the sides when it melts. I think I have read in another post, you should have about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch left at the sides to be able to hug them. Mine melted out to within an inch of the sides. I'll keep testing other kinds of wicks to see if I can come up with something. Maybe trying to burn a single wicked 4 inch pillar is going to be more than I what I want to try. I may just stick with smaller pillars until I get more experienced with this. Thank you for your input. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Hi! I have made a 4" x 4.5" pillar candle using KY 143 pillar blend, 1 oz. FO per pound of wax, and using pillar wick pins. The question is: What size wick would you recommend using for this size candle? I like using the pretabbed wicks because they are easier to insert but not quite sure which size or kind would work best for it. If anyone has any suggestions, your help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a bunch! P.S. This is my very first pillar candle and it looks great!

Hi! I have tried the CBA, too, and had the same problems with the scent throw. I ordered some of Greenleaf's new 70/30 container blend which I found has the best hot and cold throw of any wax I've tried so far. I only had to use 1 oz. per pound of wax to get a great throw with this. They don't have any on hand right now, but are expecting a new shipment around February 28. The web address is: http://www.greenleafcandlesupply.com/index.html They also carry some great fragrance oils that work just great in their new wax. Hope this helps you out.

Hi! I have to admit, I have been lurking around this board for quite awhile just to get a feel of it. I have learned a great deal about candle making from all of you and will continue to do so. I had no idea how much went into creating a good candle; the right wax, wicks, and the best fragrance oils to use. With all the great information I have gained from your experiences, it certainly makes me understand you can't just put a wick into a jar of wax and expect to make it work. I started making container candles about a year ago, but gave it up thinking I would never be able to make a good one. But, after reading this board and getting some great ideas, I have gone back to making candles just to give to my family members and a couple close friends. My daughter loves the idea of testing my candles for me; she burns them all over her house. A friend of mine thinks my candles smell just wonderful and wants me to continue making them for her. Thank you all so much for your wealth of information. I will continue to drop by here for more helpful hints and ideas on making good candles.

When I found out the free samples were going to take awhile, I went ahead and ordered 10 pounds of the 70/30 and some sample oils to try out. The wax is better than I had expected; creamy, easy to use, and didn't even have to do a repour. I used the 1 oz. sample of Indonesian Teak in 1 pound of wax, and it has the best hot and cold throw of any wax I every used! My husband liked the Indonesian Teak so much, I ordered a full pound of it. I will definitely be ordering some more of the wax when it comes in, also!

Hi! I am new to the board, but my favorite is the Vanilla Smoothie from ICS. It has an awesome cold and hot throw.