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Lindaikinhill

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    I am new to candlemaking. About three months ago I started to make soywax container candles and sell them at farmers' markets and craft shows. I really enjoy the candlemaking experience but am ready to branch out into other types of natural wax candles.

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  1. Tony--Thanks. I know I've seen a coupl of FO suppliers who include in their FO description when it is soy-based, I guess it's back to google. There is so much to know about candles--who'd have thunk? Upwards and Onwards :tiptoe: Linda--still confused in her own private Idaho
  2. I just read an article on candle soot that stated that most synthetic fragrance oils are petroleum-based. I like making soy candles to get away from the paraffin/petroleum-carbon soot issue, and am wondering where I can go to find specific info about the makeup of synthetic fragrance oils? Could a carrier oil for essential oils also be petroleum-based? Linda--confused in my own private Idaho
  3. I'm wondering if I'm doing this all wrong, now. Why wouldn't you want the melt pool all the way across? I work for that because otherwise I get wax still clinging to the side of my container:confused: Linda in Idaho
  4. I just e-mailed Ron a few days ago about pallet pricing. He e-mailed back to say he had had an accident and he probably wouldn't be up and running again until August. I ordered metros from him last summer and they were fine. The Jar Store seemed to have the best prices. But yes, shipping is high from anywhere to me, and I'm in Idaho. It just kills me too Linda in Idaho
  5. Hi, everyone. I joined this forum a couple of months back, but was so busy making soy candles through the Christmas season, didn't have time to visit. I really learn a lot from all your posts. My question. I have a request to make a "beer" glass candle, with a frothy "head" on it. My customer had a sample, looks like a paraffin candle, in a pint beer glass. The froth was glossy and spilled over the edge. Now, I know I've seen "Margarita" soy candles with a frothy top, but where do I go to find out how to do it. Also, I'm worried that if I make the froth spill over the top of the glass, then when the candle burns, the heat from the melt pool will melt the wax on the outside of the glass. Any suggestions about where to look, or if my worry about the wax melt is correct, would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks...
  6. Like I said in previous posts, I'm just new to this, started with Candlewealth, and am starting to move on from Candlewealth supplies. Yes, they are on the high side on their wax, but 3 times is not what I've found. I'm very interested, where do you buy your wax so cheaply? Do you have to purchase and add anything to it to make a good pour?
  7. I'm so new to this, I don't even know what all these acronyms stand for--CD, LX, HTP, etc. Are they brand names or names of the materials used? I use cotton wicks from Candlewealth (okay, everyone, don't laugh, they seem to work very well) as that's where I got started, but am anxious to expand my options. Looks like from what everyone says, CD and HTP are the losers, LX and RRDs the winners?
  8. Wookie--Thanks for responding positively. After reading the thread, I was beginning to feel a little like a soot mark on a candle among all you expert chandlers! Now I feel more like one of you! Re: profit margins. This is something I am constantly working on with regards to retail/wholesale/cost of goods ratios. I'm not sure what you would call a decent profit, I'm making about 100-200% over my cost of goods, depending of course on the containers. I find these the most frustrating variable, as prices seem to be all over the place, and shipping is also so variable. I'm still looking for a "signature" container, too. If anyone else wants to share info, that would be great. Of course, I'm sure geography makes a difference. I'm in Idaho. Shows are really fun, and I'm getting a ton of good feedback, which I need at this point, but unless they are relatively close, (and inexpensive) the cost of getting there and RV space, etc., make a big dent in the overall profit. I'm thinking more and more about the wholesale market, and would welcome any insights that anyone has to share about that. On a different note, Wookie, you seem very experienced, is there a candlemaking book that you or anyone else reading this would recommend as the candlemaker's "bible." I have more questions than a rat has fleas at this point!
  9. Papermart sells tubes that hold 5 tealights, if that helps any. They're in Los Angeles.
  10. I've been reading with interest the threads on Candlewealth. Now, I'm very new to candlemaking, and I am so impressed by this forum with all the experience, dedication and creativity that exists in the candlemaking world. That being said, I'd just like to share my experience with regard to candle-making and Candlewealth. I first purchased a soy candle about a year ago at a farmer's market. Not a huge candle-burner, had never heard of soy (like so many folks, I'm finding). Burned it all that fall, and loved it, clean-burning, great scent throw, long-lasting. This spring I was looking for another creative business for my husband and myself, and came across the same vendor. She was a Candlewealth member. I was extremely leary of the networking aspect, but when I did the research, I found that I could get started very easily, for a competitive price, with help both local and from the company, and best of all without reinventing the wheel. And all the supplies were guaranteed. I did start the business. I haven't wanted to invest time or energy in the network marketing side of things, and as I progress in making candles and find other sources (like this great site), I'm using other fragrances, dyes, etc., and just like everyone of you I have to test, test and test again. Making a soy candle in a microwave was indeed as easy as the company claimed. And of course if one wants to make more than one small candle one is taught all about double boilers and pour pots. I don't have a lot of problems with bloom or wet spots so far--at least not more so than it seems most folks do. so it really didn't seem that hard to get started. So, my bottom line is that I did not have to reinvent the wheel to get started making candles. A few specific items that others have brought up in this thread. My literature all told me that the soy is 100% natural soy wax. I have not seen anything that says it is 85%. Also, I've done my own burn tests with Candlewealth soy and paraffin side-by-side, same size, same burn time, same conditions, and indeed the soy did outlast the paraffin and with less soot. There are indeed different wick sizes, and a simple method for determining which to use. Some of the fragrances, although limited in number, have an awesome throw, and are my best-sellers so far. Others are much less strong in the throw. I learned very quickly that there are so many variables in this "art" of candlemaking that all claims are somewhat subjective. It's the old "to each his own" theory, I guess. The sites I researched online did include an EPA study showed some levels of formaldehyde and benzine emitted from paraffin candles, which isn't present with soy, and the petroleum-carbon soot that does seem to be a problem with paraffin doesn't seem to be present in my soy candles. Personally, I love the idea of non-petroleum products, and am anxious to get into trying my hand at palm wax pillar candles. But that's my personal preference only. My thought on bashing paraffin candles is that one can just share one's own experience and let people know where to go to find out for themselves what they feel comfortable with. Hope this sheds a little light on the Candlewealth thing. Look forward to comments and possible enlightenment.
  11. Hello, there, This is my very first post to this board/forum. I am brand-new to candle-making, just started this summer, so am a newbie to both candle-making and to Candletec forum. Want to say hello to everyone, I love this site, it has already answered quite a few questions that have been puzzling me. It's good to know that other people have issues, too. I guess we're all in this together. Keeping in mind that my experience is next-to-nil, I also was using the 8 oz. metro, and also found the Fancycandle site before the Jar Store brought out their new jar. I ordered 8 oz frosted metros from them, and have received them. I've only inspected and washed one case, but they seem fine. Now I'm worried about cracking. I talked to a "wholesale and bulk" candlemaker locally who orders these jars from the Jar Store, and he told me the following:That the Jar Store had to stop ordering from their Chinese supplier because they were having too much trouble with the lids on the old style versions. Apparently, they ended up buying the company, in order to get the quality they wanted. So that is why the new jar type and the new pricing! This is just hearsay, but thought it might make you feel better to know they're not simply jacking up the prices. Hope this helps. Linda
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