ambar

9 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I would be pretty satisfied those two cases were from the same manufacturing run. Typically wax batches are tens of thousands of lbs in one go.
 

For good measure, and peace of mind you could make one small baseline test candle from each case to be more certain,  I probably would not in my own shop.

Thank you @TallTayl! I trust your judgment. My gut told me I’ll be fine with 7 seconds apart but a small part of me was hesitant since I’m still fairly new to all of this so I wasn’t sure if 7 seconds was long enough to transition into a new lot of wax.

On 10/19/2020 at 6:50 PM, TallTayl said:

Usually, yes, especially if the seller has high turnover.

Adding onto this question, I buy from Flaming Candle (45lb boxes) and I don’t see a “lot number” either, just the date and time stamp. I order two boxes at a time and usually the date and time is almost identical, except off by 10-60 seconds… is it safe* to assume these two boxes (one time stamped at 11:20:15 and one stamped at 11:20:23, for example) are from the same batch? What are the chances that they’re different? 
 

if anyone has any advice on finding a batch or lot number for Flaming Candle boxes of Golden Brands GW 444 wax, please advise! 
 

thank you!

3 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Seems like wax prices were kept artificially low for a long time. too bad since the waxes out there now are junk compared to earlier manufacturing lots. 

 

Now that fuel costs and other inputs are up, I doubt we will see much downward movement. At least usps parcel  Shipping will drop mid January from indicators I see.

 

at least,  if we are patient, loads of failed new candle businesses will sell off / destash supplies in the months to come. Keep your eyes glued to Craigslist and destash groups on FB marketplace.

 

 

I never even considered that. Thanks for the heads up! 

4 minutes ago, franu61 said:

Yeah, I doubt they will come down again.  

Thank you for letting me know. I’m new to this (a little less than 2 years) so the price change really shocked me. I guess I’ll stock* up now before they increase AGAIN after the holidays. 

6 hours ago, RichardLOZ said:

 

Once prices go up they very rarely come down again unfortunately.

 

We used to do Soy, but only use Palm now as Soy prices in Australia have gone really stupid - up to $185 AUD / box, and then where we are located you can add an additional $45 AUD for shipping.  Now add jar, scent, label, wick, etc and the candles would be priced beyond the reach of most people.

 

We do love making candles, but not to just sit and look pretty on the shelf.........

Wow! I’m right there with you. It would be too much to price them according to the cost to make + the time invested in creating them. Thanks for your feedback.

1 hour ago, franu61 said:

Yes they are insane.  I am in Ca too. The best we can do is order from the nearest supplier to save on shipping.  For me it is candlescience, as they ship out of Reno.

Yeah good call, but I never know when the wax is coming from the east coast or west. Seems like a gamble with CS.

 I guess my concern is, do you think these prices are permanent and will just keep climbing from here? Or do you think they’ll drop again after the holidays?

Bought GW 444 45 lb for $66 last December, then again this past May for $75….. today, it’s $90-98 for 45lbs everywhere I look?! (Not including shipping or taxes)

Is this just because of the holidays? Or is this post-covid quarantine inflation? I can’t imagine charging an appropriate price for my candles to match this… it’s insane. Any suggestions? I’m in California. With shipping, I’m looking at $140-$160 for 45lbs…

On 10/29/2018 at 1:01 PM, TallTayl said:

What brand of wax? Several like 444 crack like mad in many of my containers. Sometimes the cracks don’t appear for months later. Seems a lot like it’s weather driven, Particularly if it’s cool. Cooler temperatures change the rate of cooling of the candle and can cause massive cavities and cracks.

Is this just a cosmetic issue or will it affect candle performance? I just noticed cracks at the bottom of my jar as well (444 wax). Debating on dipping the jar in a pot of boiling water, but not if the cracks won’t be dangerous/affect candle performance. 

On 3/1/2021 at 8:15 PM, bfroberts said:

If cured for 2 weeks, they should be good to go.  I see a lot of drowning wicks if the candle is burned too soon, but that usually works itself out with a decent cure time.    Are you using a heavy or hard to burn FO?  High FO load?  Are the wicks actually leaning/falling over?  Do you have pics?

6% FO load with this wax. Scent throw is great, just been hard to find the perfect wick that will last (they throw nicely but drown/lean after ~1-2 hours). No pics unfortunately. I’m going to give it one more try. Which wick do you think is best for triple wicking a 4.7” jar? 

7 hours ago, TallTayl said:

When your cd wicks “drown”, is it like they are kind of eating themselves? Like over self-trimming then snuffing out? When this happens in my candles it seems the blend is too acidic. A CDN in that case often solves the problem.  They can have the same lean tendency, but seem to tolerate the extremes better than cd. 

Yes! They don’t grow any carbon head or anything, they trim themselves too small almost? I don’t have any CDN wicks. Is there anything comparable to that? I might just give up on this wax altogether. 

7 hours ago, bfroberts said:

How long are you curing before burning?

I cured initially for 2 weeks, and about ~24 hours before each wick test. 

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

Flash point is not a consideration in this case.  Once blended into wax, the flash point of the whole blend is much, much higher - by hundreds of degrees. 
 

Flash point is hugely important when shipping and handling the flammable and combustible material in its original state. 
 

Example: one of the most reliably potent throwers in all of my waxes from coconut to soy to beeswax to palm is Rustic Escentuals Lemon Verbena which has a flashpoint of 133*F. It is added to palm and coconut waxes at 210-220 degrees with no degradation of ct or hT. I use it in beeswax where the melt point of the wax for making pillars is only 155-160*F but the square braid #5 wick is like a clothesline to burn the wax and throw the FO.
 

in soy it throws, but is muted and a bit dulled because soy wax mutes and dulls fragrances.

 

Flash point WOULD be an issue in your candle if it is not blended well (or is over scented) and seeps or pools within the candle. In cases of free floating FO the flame can set fumes or the pool of unblended liquid alight. Likewise, If the candle is seeping or sweating FO to the top, a low FP candle fragrance can easily be set on fire. I strongly recommend not using flash point as a guide to temps used to blend FO into candle wax for these reasons. 

Oh I must’ve mis-read the initial response! I never worry about flashpoint since I never have seeping or anything. But I do think my wick was way too big and burning off too much oil the first burn. The glass temp was way too hot!! Thanks for the info.

7 hours ago, soylights said:

It's possible the wick is too hot and burning your FO off in the first burn.  You could try a temperature gun to check the temp, if it's heating past the FO's flash point, it's possible that's what could be happening.  

I believe that’s exactly what it was! Thanks so much I’ve been re-doing all of my formulas. 

3 hours ago, TallTayl said:

It is all so subjective. Soy waxes that some time to get going.

 Pouring with a bit more head space in the jar helps get the currents going faster.

 

 

 

Totally! But that’s actually really helpful, thank you!! 

14 hours ago, ambar said:

Hi everyone  

Is there a general rule or guideline for all waxes on deciding which wick is best for scent throw? How soon during wick testing do y’all decide “this one is it”, with all safety measures taken into consideration?
 

I’ve narrowed down my wick selection for my jar and wax down to 3 safe burning options. I’ve added the FO. Should I be able to decide on a wick by the first burn (~4 hours)? Preferably, I would want to decide based on scent throw within the first hour because if I purchase a candle, I want to smell it in the first hour. But my safe wick selections don’t have incredible scent throw, and some don’t even have a throw at all until the 3rd hour, and it’s minimal. 
what do y’all do in this case? I heat gun my candles to even out the tops when switching out wicks, so I think the FO% is fine because heat gunning creates the scent I want from a flame. But I’ve been avoiding over wicking! 
So how do you professionals decide?

for reference, I’m testing 444 & C3 wax using CD, HTP, & ECO wicks. FOs are from candle science & flaming candle. Testing at 6% in C3 & 8-9% in 444. Cured 2 weeks.

 

thanks!

I’m new here so not sure how to edit (or delete) my original post, but I found a recent thread stating that one should know within 30 minutes of lighting the candle if the hot throw is good enough 🙂

Hi everyone  

Is there a general rule or guideline for all waxes on deciding which wick is best for scent throw? How soon during wick testing do y’all decide “this one is it”, with all safety measures taken into consideration?
 

I’ve narrowed down my wick selection for my jar and wax down to 3 safe burning options. I’ve added the FO. Should I be able to decide on a wick by the first burn (~4 hours)? Preferably, I would want to decide based on scent throw within the first hour because if I purchase a candle, I want to smell it in the first hour. But my safe wick selections don’t have incredible scent throw, and some don’t even have a throw at all until the 3rd hour, and it’s minimal. 
what do y’all do in this case? I heat gun my candles to even out the tops when switching out wicks, so I think the FO% is fine because heat gunning creates the scent I want from a flame. But I’ve been avoiding over wicking! 
So how do you professionals decide?

for reference, I’m testing 444 & C3 wax using CD, HTP, & ECO wicks. FOs are from candle science & flaming candle. Testing at 6% in C3 & 8-9% in 444. Cured 2 weeks.

thanks!

3 hours ago, bfroberts said:

It’ll continue to harden more over time. I’d go w/ triple Eco 2’s, not placed too close together.

I’ve heard new batches of 6006 may have changed. If you’ve got some of that, I don’t know how it will wick.  

Ok thank you! I’ll let it sit for 2 weeks beginning today. It was very soft.

Are there any particular guidelines for triple wicking? My wicks were performing excellent first 30 minutes and then began to drown out. Should I be reaching a full melt pool in a triple wicked candle quicker than single wicked?

3 hours ago, bfroberts said:

How long are you curing before burning?  It needs several days minimum. 
I would try 3 Eco 2’s.  

Cured about 8 days.

On 12/15/2020 at 5:42 PM, bfroberts said:

I have seen a couple of people posting that (mis)info on FB, and it’s very misleading...in my opinion. What wax are you using?  Some are trickier than others, because certain waxes (6006 is one) tend to pool downward without creating a wide melt pool, but single wicking up to 3.5” still isn’t that difficult.

Any advice for double wicking a 4.5inch container that’s 2.5inches tall with IGI 6006? I’m just playing around with this wax for the first time & ive tried triple wicking CD 6, CD 8, & ECO 1, but I assume it’s been too hot because after an hour, the wicks get dim (drowning?) and they start tilting (the downward pooling vs widening melt pool is annoying). P.s. Candle Science says triple wick with CD 4 but I don’t have that, so I’m hoping double wicking would work.

On 11/28/2019 at 7:02 AM, marty said:

I have been using 444 for  quite sometime now.  I use 11 oz. tureen jars and I use two RRD 40's in this jar and the scent throw is really good.  Have been having problems lately though, when the candle is first list the throw is awesome and then about half way, when lit there is no scent.  Can't figure out what's going on.

 

Marty

 

Did you ever figure out the problem with this? I’ve been having a similar issue with my 444, but I single wick using CD wicks. Thanks for your help!

19 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I stopped using 444 because every case lot was like an entirely different wax. One would burn well while the next would need entirely different wicks just to stay lit. Sold hundreds of lbs for pennies on Craigslist to get rid of it. 

Ooooo I was worried you’d say that 😕 I guess I’ll finish this box & do a switch over to C-3, or back to paraffin  

thanks again!

15 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Always test the final application as it would be going out the door.  The middle burns VERY different when started at the middle versus the top. 

Okay, I figured as much. Thank you! I remember you’ve mentioned before the inconsistencies with 444 wax (craters, air bubbles, etc). do you think 444 has inconsistencies with wicking & performance, too? What’s your experience in regards to having to change the wicks batch per batch, for formulas you’ve already mastered?

17 hours ago, bfroberts said:

Unfortunately testing half filled will not yield 100% accurate results. A candle burns differently at the top than it does further down when more heat is held inside the vessel. You should always test the product exactly as you are going to sell it, and test the entire candle from top to bottom. Also fully test any time any single element is changed....FO, wick, dye, etc.

Dang I was trying to avoid this. Thankfully I have some good guesses on wick sizing for most of my candles, so I won’t have to make a million candles with a million different wicks. Thank you!

1 minute ago, ambar said:

The times during testing I have experienced a weak scent throw, I didn’t smell wax it just smelled burnt? And I knew the wick must’ve been too big. Melt pool never exceeds 1/2 inch, but is usually about 1/4-1/2inch deep.

Also, for reference, I am using 11oz straight sided Libby jars, 3.06” diameter, & CD 22 is the one that has given me most problems, but I’ve used up to CD 24 & thats worked perfectly (strangely enough)...

On 1/13/2021 at 2:46 PM, TallTayl said:

It is possibly a wick issue. If too hot it can burn off scent more quickly with some fragrances. 

 

When burning do you smell mostly hot wax at that point? How deep is the melt pool? 

The times during testing I have experienced a weak scent throw, I didn’t smell wax it just smelled burnt? And I knew the wick must’ve been too big. Melt pool never exceeds 1/2 inch, but is usually about 1/4-1/2inch deep.