DanaE

It depends on what you're looking for in the pumpkin pie...I wanted one that was sweeter, without an overwhelming amount of spice, so I picked Heartfelts's Sweet Pumpkin Pie. Others will probably pipe in with the pumpkin they picked and why DanaE

Your rustics came out beautifully! I definitely have to go try it now. I think the fact that they're shiny on top of the rustic just makes for a cooler effect DanaE

Oh man, my square metal piece is significantly smaller! It doesn't even begin to hold the pyramid. I guess I should email or call them tomorrow and see what to do... Thank you for the pictures. They absolutely did speak a thousand words DanaE

I received two pyramid molds yesterday, and I'm a little lost on how to work these. Seems I'm missing a few brain cells from being sick for the last 2 weeks. What I seem to have is a pyramid mold (metal), along with a small metal square that is open on two ends. I assumed you put the pyramid into the metal square and it held the pyramid in place. Nope - when I put the pyramid down into it, it simply goes all the way through the bottom, like the square is too small (not tall enough). So it wobbles around in there, being pretty useless. Then I thought, well, maybe I'm supposed to put a wick pin in the bottom (top after it's finished) and that, along with the little metal square, would hold the pyramid steady. Nope - the wick pins absolutely will not go through the hole. I pushed and pushed and dug around with it until I finally gave it up as a lost cause. So....just how do you stand up the pyramid molds so you can pour into them? I'm itching to make a few pyramids, since I've seen so many pretty ones on the Gallery! I could get hubby to invent something to hold these up for me, but it seems that the metal squares I received are supposed to do that. I didn't order them, so I have to assume they are part of the set.... DanaE

Is this possible? I bought 4 HUGE polycarbonate molds and would look to make rustics with them, but didn't know if it was possible. If anyone has tried it, could you post your results here, or send me a PM? I hate to waste 4 or 5 lbs of wax if this isn't a technique that can be achieved with this type of mold.... Thank you! DanaE

The first few times I made rustics, all the frost stayed inside the mold. Just speaking for me, if I make sure I spray the inside of the molds with PAM, and don't wipe it out, then the frost stays on the candle, not the mold. (I also have to make sure the molds are completely clean before I spray the PAM -it seems to make a huge difference on where the frost is going to end up!) Also, I've found that adding 2-3 tablespoons of stearic per lb of wax gives me more frost. When I do layers, I don't usually slosh wax around. I pour just like I would if I were trying to make very neat layers, pouring slowly and trying not to get it anywhere else on the inside of the mold. Oh, one last thing that works for me. I absolutely can't rush pulling them out of the molds. Even if they feel cold, even if I'm itching to pull them out, I wait until the next morning. Then all the frost comes off on the candle. Everytime I get itchy fingers and pull them out at night, I lose the frost DanaE

I get mine at www.shrinkwrapstore.com - mostly because they carry a bunch of different sizes, and I get my orders within 2-3 days. They've always been really nice and easy to deal with ( I found them on ebay, and started ordering directly from their website after that). DanaE

I think your pillars are upside down Love the color and look of them! I'd pour it cooler, around 175. Poke relief holes and when you repour don't go above the first pour line. Anything above the pour line will look different.... DanaE

I can't compare the two, but I can tell you that KY's Apple Jack 'N Peel rocks! I've gone through 3 lbs of it in less than a month and I need to order more now. To me, it's the closest to the real thing yet.... DanaE

Yeah, 100% agree with Scented. I use OK6228 and things can happen 1/2 way down that don't happen on the first inch or two. Wicks that look perfect can begin to drown out after 3 inches has burned perfectly. It's sad isn't it? I can tell you that for a candle that size, you need a pretty large wick (or, at least, I do). DanaE

Okay, I can't come up with any reason why having the wick touch the bottom would make any difference. Maybe I'm just braindead and it's too early in the morning, but if there's a wick in a glass container, then it HAS to be on the bottom too! right? They put it on the warmer, the wax begins to melt....all that happens to the wick is that it might lean over and fall if the entire container of wax melted. But, it wouldn't happen then if it was a zinc wick. I don't know....sounds like another one of those stupid things that people say at Craft shows to get you to buy only their candles. DanaE

I love that scent too, and the pillars are lovely. I stopped making blueberry muffin scents a long time ago (had too many wicking problems). Mind if I borrow yours? My bathroom IS blue.... DanaE

Love the colors and design. You did a great job of preventing the red/cranberry shade from running into the white! I NEED some molds like that! DanaE

Yes you can, I've done it before. But, you have to measure and make sure to stop at the right point . It really is easier to just slowly build up a supply of all the sizes you want to carry. I carry 3x3, 3x6, 3x9, 4x5 (plus round, square and octagonal shapes) and also the 3 wick 6" round. Next up is the triangle and a few other odd shapes. I buy a couple of molds a month, when I need to place an order or when someone is selling them cheap (WSP was selling off their 3x6 for $1 each last month!). My goal is to have around 100 pillars molds - I only have about 45 right now. With that many molds I can make more batches of different scents/colors per day than I can make right now. DanaE

TopofHillMurray, you may be right that they're all straight paraffins, but their descriptions are misleading. Even on the Candlescience site it says that 1274 is a preblended wax, not a straight paraffin. I'm no chemist (leave that to my husband, he's the one with the Ph.D!), I just know the differences I personally found and what worked best for me. My work room is the basement, which obviously can affect the cooling temps of all my pillars, and therefore 1343A may just be a little fussier about being kept warm. Or I could have gotten a wonky box, who knows? I've gotten my share of cases of OK6228 that acted very differently from previous batches. But like I said, I honestly don't need a 'do everything' wax, since I use OK6228 for my opaque, smooth pillars. I wanted something that would give me a mottle every single time without worrying. I don't have to wrap the molds or keep them warm; I just pour and walk off. They've obviously tweaked the wax to get the best mottle, which is all I need. I do believe that 1343A is great for someone looking for one wax to do it all - but I could never give up my OK6228, so I just want something that'll always be consistent (mottled or rustic) and holds a good percentage of FO DanaE

It probably comes down to the way the case you ordered worked...when I ordered a case of 1343A and used it, I couldn't get a consistent mottle. I got some pretty neat effects, but the mottle was sometimes these huge snowflakes, sometimes I had large ares of translucent wax with no mottle, etc. When I bought my first case of 1274, it mottled consistently, with very small mottles (not large snowflakes). I decided I liked that particular look better, which is why I chose it. I already carry a pillar wax that gives me a creamy, smooth , opaque look, so I didn't need an all purpose wax; I needed a mottling wax. Then I couldn't find 1274 close by anymore, so decided to try the 4045H, which also gives the small mottles. There must be a something just a little different between the 4045H and 1274 (not just straight paraffin) since I have to wick them so differently. There's also, to me, some difference in the 1343 and 1274, since they performed so differently for me. I usually make my first test candle the exact same scent every time, just for comparison, so I don't think it's a difference in the FO. The best part of candlemaking is testing waxes and playing with different qualities of the wax. I don't find it frustrating - I find it fun, which is why I have bags of additives sitting on my work table. Some days I just start throwing handfuls of stuff into a wax mix to see what happens. Some days I mix 4 or 5 waxes together just to see what happens. I have ADD when it comes to candle making. DanaE

Faerydust, does it actually say "mottling wax" so I'll know which one to look for? I do get the 4045H from candlewic because the shipping rate is outstanding, but I'm always up to trying new waxes . I've ordered from C&S on several occasions and I've checked their waxes out recently, but missed the mottling wax. If you can find the exact name/number of the wax could you post it here or PM me? I'll order it tomorrow and give it a shot (I've tried all the other mottling waxes, might as well try this one!). And if you'll PM me with your address I'll send you some low smoke 21s and low smoke 19s to try in your pillars. I just ordered 500 of the LS 19's so I have plenty of wicks! Henry, to answer your question, I've occasionally had pillars where it had mottling and rustic on the same layer. I've never purposely tried to do it though and it usually happens when I'm trying to do mottles but don't have the wax hot enough, or I let the mold get too cool and don't zap it with the heat gun first. I'll pour at 170 into a slightly cool mold and what I get is some of the white stuff, but you can see the mottling through it. Pretty neat. DanaE

I Pm'ed you... DanaE

Yeah, my corners always kind of stay there....eventually they'll bend over and melt some, but it's better to have the corners than to wick too high and have it blow out the sides (which I've done too many times). I make them so that they have a perfect circle in the middle...where the melt pool isn't busting off on either side. I use the same wick that I use in the 3" round pillars. DanaE

When I use 1274, I use low smoke 21 wicks and they work perfectly! They're close to a 60Z regular zinc wick (half way between a 51Z and a 60Z). I miss 1274 *sigh*. I had the perfect wick for it, but I can't get it locally and shipping was killing me. I'm now using 4045H mottling wax, but I have to wick up at least one size and sometimes 2 sizes. Now I have like 300 of the low smoke 21s and nothing to use them on right now! lol One day someone will get smart and carry the 1274 close to me, darn it! DanaE

Thanks Henry. I thought I'd burn one of the lighter colored pillars and one of the very dark pillars with a heavy cinnamon oil and see if the wicks are acting differently. So far I don't see a change (on my 3rd burn). I'm really impressed with the Gloss poly and I'm glad I purchased it. Now when I unmold my pillars I almost hate to touch them because they're so shiny! I'm trying to unmold and shrinkwrap them without actually touching them-LOL! DanaE

My pleasure. I didn't know that NG's was OK6228 for quite a while because I wasn't buying a case at a time. I always just bought a few slabs. The first time I bought a case I saw the OK6228/1 on the box. It was great, for me, to know what type of wax it was so I could purchase it other places if I had to. I still buy cases of wax from them when I need some FO's at the same time. The shipping is a little cheaper than WSPs, although I've found that for me, TriState was definitely cheaper when purchasing 2 cases. (and NG's container wax is J50, in case anyone didn't know ) And yeah, I'd pour hotter. You'll definitely get the compression lines if the mold is cold and the wax isn't hot enough. I just ignore what they say the pouring temp should be, and pour at the temp that gives me smooth pillars. I've poured it as hot as 200 without any problems (in fact, did that with 8 pillars yesterday and they are beautifully smooth). If you pour it into the mold and it immediately starts to set up, take a heat gun and heat the outside of the mold all the way around and it'll keep you from getting compression lines. You picked a great wax to start experimenting with. Although it doesn't mottle or make rustics, it's a wonderful pillar, votive and tart wax that gives deep colors and a shiny smooth surface. I can use up to 1-1/2 ounces of FO per lb with this wax, although they don't say it'll hold that much. HTH DanaE

Man, I hate to break the news to you, but NG's 145 MP wax IS OK 6228! I've purchased it from them on and off for years by the case, and the name is on the outside of the box. If you want the OK6228 to be smoother, try pouring at around 185 into preheated molds. Make sure the molds are wiped out and clean of dust. I use this wax every day and get beautiful pillars DanaE

Yeah, I'm loving the Gloss poly, but I'm only using it in OK6228, which is very opaque to start with. Man, I pulled out pillars yesterday that were so shiny I could see myself in them - LOL! Henry, has the Gloss poly changed the way your candles are burning? I'm burning 1 candle from the batch, but wondering if I should burn one of each color/fragrance to make sure my wicks are right.... DanaE

I've been wanting to buy one of these forever but never wanted to give up the money. I have 4 cases of container candles that have to be double wicked so I may break down and get the double wick tool. I do buy their other wick centering tools and have for a couple of years. I love them and use them on many of my molds. I've also shipped funny shaped molds directly to them, they made wick centering tools for me and then shipped my molds and the tools back. That's great customer service right there (they made the tools for my cinnamon bun molds, a silicone mold that makes 4 grubby votives, my pumpkin silicone mold, my rose silicone mold and several other molds). That's not counting buying the standard 3", 4" and 6" 3-wick centering tools. They're a life saver to me. DanaE