anncal

On 11/19/2021 at 11:41 AM, Lizzy said:

The 4 lb metal pour pots are useless to me. I use a large pitcher mostly. They come in different sizes. Check US Plastics. https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=115049&catid=682&clickid=popcorn

 

 

 

This looks like it could be perfect!  Do you find that the scents don’t stick to it after washing?  That’s been my only concern with plastics

I have a standard 4-lb pour pot that works great if I only put ~2 lbs of wax in it at a time.  If I load it up to ~4 lbs (a full batch for me) I cannot pour wax without it running down the sides.  What have you folks found that works better?  Surely not everyone is only scenting and pouring 2 lbs at a time?  

Hi all, back again after a bit of a crazed candle making montage.  I've got what I think is a pretty good product now thanks in great part to help from the lovely folks here.  I'm getting ready to start selling on a small scale, getting the paperwork together to create an LLC, talking to insurance companies etc.  One thing I'm not sure of is how to deliver an order to folks I know locally who order from me.  Do I just...hand them a candle?  I'd almost like a bag or box to put it in, but don't want to increase my cost unnecessarily, or use plastic packaging.  I like the idea of cheap kraft bags with raffia handles and a logo sticker, but I'm not thrilled about the dimensions of the ones I'm able to find.  What have you folks done/bought that works well?  My initial product is an 8 oz tin candle with 3" base diameter.

Thanks, all.  I bought small packs of CDs ranging from 4-12...I know I shouldn't have to go to those extreme ends but I'm not willing to write off anything at this point.

17 hours ago, ErronB said:

I would try CD / HTP, or maybe even LX. It's a very forgiving parasoy as far as wicking goes. I think I've only ever used Eco in 2 candles I've made out of god knows how many, doesn't work out for me.

Could you point me in the right direction for size?  CS doesn't include ProBlend in their wick guide, and TFC just lists CD 12 - 22 as being appropriate for my container size.

Everything is overwicked.  Wicking down a size from an ECO-8 to an ECO-6 somehow made the problem worse in multiple candles.  Using Probend 600 in 8-oz tins, is there a better line of wicks I ought to be using?  I'm torn between ordering the next size(s) down in ECO or just outright switching as I'm tired of dumping money into wicks that aren't working for me.  I've noticed the PB600 stays rather soft even after a 4 week cure - does this mean I should consider looking for wicks that aren't as "hot"?

I am very confused.  Test burning a candle in an 8 oz tin with PB600 wax, ECO-8 wick.  The flame was a bit larger than I wanted so the next day I yanked the wick out and replaced it with an ECO-6.  The flame was somehow larger, very smoky, and burned the wax up like mad.  Am I crazy??  What's happened here?  How on earth has a smaller wick caused my candle to burn hotter and faster?

It's me again, Margaret.  Working my way through unending testing.  I've found a wax/wick combination that, when trimmed, performs as I'd like.  Untrimmed, too big a flame, lots of sooting/dancing.  Should I consider downsizing the wick assuming that most customers will not actually trim their wicks properly?  Or do they?  I'm worlds away from selling anything, but I want to get this right.

On 4/19/2021 at 5:13 PM, BusyBee said:

I am assuming this question is for when we work with small amount of wax.  It is going to be hard to control the temperature of pouring pot with small amount of wax.  Try to add FOs in the Presto Pot.  That would be one of the best way to control temperature to add FOs.

The issue I'm running into is melting 6-10 candles worth of wax in the presto pot, and wanting a different scent for each candle.  I'm working my way through my initial testing stages to see what I like and what's not worth continuing to test.  So basically filling the presto pot, and then measuring out ~5.5 oz worth of wax into a pouring pot, adding fragrance, mixing, and pouring.  Unfortunately adding fragrance to the presto pot won't be an option until I'm actually making a whole batch of something.

What is the best way to keep your wax up to temperature when transferring from Presto Pot to your smaller pour pot for scenting?  It seems like no matter what I do, the thermometer reads 165 or lower once I've measured it into my pour pot, and I think I'm having fragrance issues because I'm adding to the wax at that temperature.  How is it possible for my wax to lose 20 degrees of temperature going from one vessel to another?  I've even tried leaving my pour pot on a heat plate to keep it hot but no matter what I do that wax just doesn't stay up to temperature. 😫

I adore this fragrance, but I’m really struggling with HT. Problend 600 wax in an 8 oz tin with eco8 wick. I’ve tried FO at 6% and 8% but it’s just so weak.  Anyone having luck with it?

Has anyone tried blending this with anything?  To me, the hazelnut note is completely overwhelming and flattens out the fragrance.  Curious to hear if anyone's tried adding extra coffee or bakery FO to get those notes to shine...the description of the oil makes it sound as if those should be the dominant notes, it doesn't even list hazelnut!

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

so far so good.  Keep going.

 

looks like the wick was well trimmed before lighting.  One suggestion I have (learned the hard way) is to make another with the wick that seems the best.   burn it like a typical person would.  This means never trimming the wick. While “everyone” claims they trim perfectly before every lighting, truthfully they don’t, or have someone else in the household who doesn’t. What happens if it is not perfectly burned? 

Here it is at the 4-hour mark...a less well-behaved flame, some mushrooming, and full melt pool.  Very strong HT

On 4/3/2021 at 11:13 AM, TallTayl said:

Pictures help.

 

Here is one hour in.  ProBlend 600 wax in 8 oz tin with ECO-8 wick, 6% fragrance (TFC Cocoa Butter Cashmere)

I am forever hunting for a very crisp, clean, ozonic ocean scent that doesn't smell like men's cologne, laundry, or copa-cabana tropical fruit smoothie.  What have you found that smells like standing in the surf??

How do you find the OOB smell vs in a finished candle?  I haven't used it yet but OOB I'm getting all apple and almost no donut.

On 4/3/2021 at 11:13 AM, TallTayl said:

A full melt pool isn’t a problem in my opinion. A deep melt pool that grows steadily without checking itself will be.

 

Pictures help.

 

And take temperatures of your container. If any place on the outside surface (notably the direction of the curl in the wick) is 175°F or more yes it is overwicked.
 

Keep watching that candle to the very end. Things change fast in the last third.

 

Also when testing wicks don’t forget to abuse the candle a bit and not trim it perfectly before every light. And do your power burn.

Thank you!  What should I be watching for the most in the final third?  (Other than a giant full-candle apocalypse flame haha)

On 4/3/2021 at 2:45 PM, bfroberts said:

I am using the same wax.  It's very easy to wick and burns great.  How long has the candle cured?  If it hasn't cured a couple of weeks, I'd set it aside and test again after a couple of weeks.  

I did the full two weeks, so I think I'm getting a good accurate burn test.  It was hard to wait!

I'm in the middle of a test burn, ProBlend600 soy/paraffin wax in 8 oz tins with ECO 8 wicks, fragrance load 6%.  My candles are burning beautifully and I'm getting HT that I'm mostly happy with.  Nice smallish flames, no dancing or sooting.  However, I've gotten to nearly a full melt pool after about 1.5 hours.  Everything else seems perfect so I'm not sure if they're overwicked or if this may just be how ProBlend 600 works.  Help?

This may be totally off the wall, but is there a temperature that wax could be heated to which would effectively remove the fragrance from the wax?  Apologies if this is a really stupid question.

I've just started poking my nose into insurance information, and I'm wondering at what point I actually need to have insurance.  My basic plan is to start selling to friends, family, and people in my church community.  Do I need insurance at that stage, or is that something I could wait until I actually call my operation a business?  I'm assuming I definitely need to have it in place before even casually selling at craft fairs to strangers.  My concern at the moment is the price per month on insurance being more than my sales when I'm only selling to people within my social circle.

I don't think it's actually active anymore.  It used to be you'd earn so many points for so many dollars spent...or sometimes if you spent enough on an order you'd get a free gift like a sample size mica powder.  The last time I remember getting anything from it must have been over 5 years ago though.

On 3/6/2021 at 5:31 PM, BusyBee said:

Insurance policy & price will depends on your operation.  State Farm has decent pricing for candle maker who does online sales, and they don't offer insurance to other candle companies.  It might be best to deal with insurance brokerage firms where they can look for best deals and policy for you instead of contacting each insurance companies one by one.  

Could you tell me more about State Farm?  I checked yesterday and their website told me they wouldn't insure a candlemaker.  I'm not sure if this was affected by me being logged in under my homeowners/auto policy...could just be my local agent doesn't offer this coverage?

kycandlesupply.com

Kentucky Candle Supply

7945 Main Street
Jeffersonville, KY 40337

kycandlesupply@yahoo.com
(859) 398-6284

A smaller supplier offering beeswax and soy wax, fragrance oils, eco wicks, clamshell molds, and a handful of soap making supplies.  It looks like they did offer local pickup at one time, but have suspended it due to covid.  Rush ordering available for $15 charge.

I've never used it in a candle, but Wholesale Supplies Plus has a Fireside fragrance oil that my husband loves...it's the only fragrance he wants in his soap and I don't mind because it smells good on him!  I've never smelled the one from BBW so I don't know how close it is, but it is very nice.