sugarysweet95

I've used 4 candles before and found them very helpful and they have good delivery charges. Sensory perfection does still offer free UK delivery, though i find her ebay store cheaper, so you could look on there maybe? I know the US shop candle science has very reasonable tea light wicks, but they only accept orders over $100 for outside US and i got stumped a lot on import tax!!!

I like chips the best, as i find them so much easier to use, liquid dyes can be a bit messy, as can dye blocks if you only need a small quantity. I only really use liquid dyes to create a special pattern, like a swirly colour effect over my chunks. (I'd show a pic but not sure how, the add attachment only allows tiny pics!)

Wow, just seen that thread, very cool. Guess the moral of that story is don't use vicks vapo steam (the liquid) but that vicks vapo rub is fine! We have glass bottles of the rub here, maybe i'll try it myself next time i have a cold!

Hi, Thanks for the info and pics on mushrooming, i think i was nearly right, just not quite! Thanks PS, why not melt down the wax and use it to experiment with a new technique or summit? Think it'd make great blue chunks!

Ok, this is a very silly question, but what exactly is mushrooming? I thought i had it figured from reading other posts, but then i don't get why that candle is mushrooming? Me confused!!!!!

i prefer smaller chunks, as i find they fit into the mould much better. If the chunks are too big (over about 1cm think) they can block other chunks from falling neatly so you have big gaps! (which i personally don't like as much)

All i know is that most web pages i look on don't have wick sample packs. Also, even though its nearer the wick manufactuers, the costs of wick are much more expensive over here!!!! Oh well

Thanks for the handy link, i'll make a note of that

Quite a spread then! Oh well, maybe i'll just stick to LXs for now and maybe try others in the future!!!! (or get sample packs when candlescience drop their $100 minimum order to the UK!!!!)

Hmmm, shame that, makes for even more testing! Oh well, i guess they don't want to compete with each other as much!!!! Thanks

I've noticed that the different suppliers often have the same name for fragrances. Do people generally find the fragrances smell the same from the different places and test the same? Just trying to compare prices and postage costs to the UK! Thanks

Wow, 1 oz per pound! Thats loads, not adding anywhere near that much, no wander i have poor scent throw. The wax always smells so lovely when i first add the scent, but then it goes when the candle sets Thanks

LOL, this postis great. Though people keep talking about pictures! Where are they? I saw the two wash clothes but no wax toilet paper! I'm tempted to try it! Sounds hilarious!!! What sort of fragrances are people using for them?

On general how much scent do you expect to add for a pound of wax? I can never get a good throw either and would like a ballpark figure to work from! (i use straight paraffin wax)

(Just to add - as i'm in the UK, it's quite expensive paying postage and import tax for lots of samples, so thats why i don't want to just buy lots!)

Ok, i know this has probably been discussed before, i but i want to get people's up to date opinion (and candle making supplies seem to change so quickly)! Anyway i was just wandering what people's fave wicks are for making pillar candles. I've been using LX Wicks cause they were the first ones i came across and had a good range. However, though i liked the LX wicks, i noticed recently how much more expensive they are in the US (we don't have as much choice in the UK) So anyway i was wandering if LXs are the best, or if others are better, rather than buying loads of wicks which may or may not work! Thanks

This site has 18 ply http://www.candlewic.com/store/Product.aspx?q=cWick+Spools,p597 I find them a great store to use and they ship to the UK where i am too!

I find that it is easier to make several candles at once, with say just one varaible (like the wick) because then you can actually see how they all compare. To remember which one is which, i just use a different colour dye, but use the same type of dye (ie red dye chip vs yellow dye chip) as i find the different colours of the same type of dye (not tried with liquid dye tho) don't affect the burn. Just remember to make a note of your colours!

I make mainly pillars and i find it next to impossible to get a flat bottom. They usually stand up sturdy enough, but the bottom is just not flat! Do other pillar makers have tis problem? If not, how do you fix it! My repour always doesn't go on smooth and i'm afraid with a heat gun, the wax will run over and onto the sides of the pillar!

I like doing layers in my pillar candles, and i assume it works the same for other types of candles. I wait til the previous layer has half set before i pour on the next layer. There should be a thick skin of relatively set wax on top, which, if u touch it, just moves slightly but doesn't bulge. If it bulges the wax underneath is usually too hot. If you pour the new layer when the wax is too hot, you can burst this skin and the colours mix (which can sometimes look quite nice, other times not!). I pour each layer the same temp, as if your doing a number of layers its silly to keep increasing the temp! (I do the repour wax hotter though). If you can't touch it, say the wax is too deep in the mould, one way (though less easier to tell i find) is to tilt the candle and if you see the wax moving underneath the skin on top (it bulges say), then its too hot. As soon as it stops bulging then its fine to pour the top layer, though pour it carefully so you reduce the risk of it bursting the bottom layer! (which i find can also happen if the new wax your pouring is too hot!). One way i find is, if the mould is big enough, vary where on the candle the new wax forms. Anyway hope this makes sense and helps

Not sure if this is quite what you mean, but this web site has loads of rubber moulds with flower patterns on it http://www.candlemakers.co.uk/index.html Hope that helps!

I have this trouble with a platic mould and it didn't have any room for clips! I found that i had two choices for using it, either i poured wax at a cooler temp so it set quicker, or i poured it over chunks, which cools the wax and makes a nice effect.

I've got some pretty pearl dye. Its in a dye disc form and it works fine in pillars. Not tried it in anything else though. It looks like a chalky white when the wax is set, but when it melts it makes a lovely shiney pearly effect which flows around with the candle's convection currents. It looks very pretty. You can get some from http://www.candlemakers.co.uk/index.html It's in the UK, but i'm sure they'll send abroad.

Ok, Thanks for the help, think i'll give zinc a try first then, if it burns cooler. Is the size 36 the usual size then? Should i give 44 a go first, not sure where to buy wick sample packs, and as i'm from the UK, it'll need to be a UK friendly and decent postage seller! LOL! The moulds are from candlewic http://www.candlewic.com/store/category.aspx?q=cVotive+Molds I bought them cause they were cheaper than the metal ones, and i think they're great! I have to admit i do like clear moulds as they do go shinier and u can see the colour kinda b4 they come out!

Well i've done a search for wicking votives, but its not really answered my questions. What is the best type of core to use and what do all the numbers mean in the name (i'm talking about pretabbed votive wicks). I just want to know how they're all different and then i can choose a few i think that are best, rather than just buyin them all and finding half of them are useless! The thing is the moulds i'm using are slightly bigger than ordinary votive moulds and so i need a wick that's for slightly bigger candles!