Lightning Bug

Hi Tootie. I have mixed it with 415 on a 60/40 and a 50/50 mix and actually liked it pretty well. My 415 is old and really hard to burn and this mix worked better than any other I tried. I think I will just have to put the 415 into scented thiings (fire starters) etc. But the regular 415 or the 464 with 4630 might actually be close. Can't remember, the 464 has the cottonseed in it and burns a bit easier? Not sure this helps, but I also tried and liked the 6036 and had planned on changing. Maybe anything with soy will go sky high? The 4630 blend looked good and my only problem was a bit of soot...maybe just my difficult soy or that I needed more testing and possibly a smaller wick. I do think it is worth a shot. Beth

Sorry. Hurricane shells. Beth

Why do you dip canes in a different wax than what you made them out of? TIA. BEth

Hi Holly. Yes, that is what the box said. Loved it the first candles, then the "horrible" lot. Just couldn't get myself to go back to it after that. Ah well. Beth

Five (I think) questions. Read the search posts and just wanted to make sure before ordering...that Hobby Lobby's tacky wax is the same stuff and about how much does it take to say add leaves to a shell hurricane? (they are selling it in oz. amounts). Also, When you over dip, a 6" diameter shell, the pot just needs to be bigger than the cane, right? Seems a 10 lb. slab should work for several? Fifth and last (till I try it, lol) If you have colored your cane and overdip clear, does color get in the overdip? Still a bit fuzzy on how to do this with all the info about waterbaths or not. I like my cane so far and don't want to wreck it. So, thanks for all the help. Beth

I just went down and heat gunned it around to expose shells and the wax did run down and coat the sand so it is ok. Next time I will heat the sand and try to pour hotter. Maybe the wax cooled as I ran it from the presto into the pour pot as the basement is still cool. The walls are a tad over 5/8" and I would like them thinner, but don't want to lose the shells. I think I can heat the upper part some as it does look a bit tapered. Guess I need to quit being so cautious with the ole heat gun. The inside has a heavy coat (guess I let it go to long but thought I shouldn't have any shells showing as maybe they'd burn?). So maybe I could heat gun it and pour out the excess? Thoughts on that? Now to try leaves and overdip. And, better get some wax ordered! Once I finish, I'll post a pict in the gallery unless I melt it away! lol. Beth

Hadn't thought about that. Next one I'll try that. After looking at the mold, I do see a bit of sand waxed to the bottom of the mold so maybe the problem is in that end too. It is an old mold, so maybe it won't release so well...that and then without full wax coverage the problem is born. Thanks for the idea. Beth

Not sure how to title this. Here is the problem. Wax 160 plain paraffin. Added micro and heated to 210. Added uv and color. Shells were in mold and just a small amount of gravel and fine rock on the bottom since the first one I tried left about 3/8" sand around the outside edge which the the wax didn't penetrate. Retried and used less sand, but still have a bit of bottom gravel around the edge that isn't coated with wax. So what is the trick to this? Thanks. Beth

Yes, the zinc does hold it in place, but for some reason, (possibly just a snicker off center?) it was burning just a tad to one side more than the other. I've tried the twist and maybe didn't get it quite right as usually the pool was usually fairly off center. Maybe I didn't have enough patience to see if it would catch up. These picts make it look crooked, but it is just camera angle. This is after about 3 1/2 hours on the third burn. Beth

Hi. I made a 3" pillar of mottling wax with 5% FO and some stearic. It was weepy for a bit but looks rather neat now (I think). Haven't ever used a zinc wick, but put one in this and found one good thing about them...you can just give it a slight push if the melt pool is off center and it will stay. Most of the other wicks would give me an uneven pool and would always go back to uneven no matter how much I tried to man handle it. On the third burn and did trim, but not a big shroom and only smoked when I moved it across the room. Do any of you use zinc in pillars? TIA. Beth

Hi Stella. Just happened to read the blurb and ordered it when I ordered some 6036 cuz it sounded sort of neat. It just said crystalline, but now realize it must be palm. Right? I'll try a cd 12. This is for fun only, though after seeing some of the palm patterns, it had crossed my mind to try it once...so once is now. I think I'll have to burn it if I want my container back! Not at all like soy for sure. Thanks. Beth

Hi. Just wondering how you wick a 3" wide tumbler with palm...at least I think it is palm....it is 6010 from Let it Shine. Apparently it has been discontinued but she has a bunch. I hate testing something I may not be able to get in the future, but it is really great smelling at 6.3% FO, pretty and is crystally (spelling/word?) when set up. It is very hard...it this normal for palm? I tried a htp 105 and after 3 hours, it burned a 1 1/2-2" area down. Didn't realize that palm is different melting so put a bigger wick in and it smoked some so stopped. On search, I saw that palm does burn differently, so maybe I should go back and try again with the 105 htp? It is so hard, I may need a drill to make the wick hole anew! If the cold throw wasn't so very good, I'd put it away with all the other rejected waxes. But, it is pretty and smells really great. I swear it would make votives, but it is a container wax and doesn't shrink. Any palm suggestions? TIA. Beth

Well, anything with soy in it is going to go up, up, up. Saw in the papers that soybeans were higher than ever due to the flooding and other weather conditions in the midwest, etc...same with corn and wheat. Probably all will go up as they replace their present stock. Maybe I'll have to look into palm or coconut! All they in short supply also? Beth

Still looking around. Had basically decided that a soy/para blend was what I wanted. After testing a bunch of waxes, I decided to try this after reading Tootie's test notes. Had been sort of leaning toward a 50/50 mix, but not sure whose. And, I really do like it. I think it smells better than some of the soys and blends. I know that sounds weird, but some have almost an unpleasant odor. Haven't seen any soot with all my wick changes either. I've also been trying paraffin pillars and canes. I'm sold on the canes, like the pillars (like digging potatoes, can't wait to see what you get!), and still want a nice apoth./or something as a container. Will need to pour more to see if this is finally my pick, but it sure seems possible. I thnk you might like this wax. Beth

Hi Holly. I double wicked down to cd 8s in a 10 oz. apoth. but the melt pool just got to deep even though the burn was ok. I meant to try smaller, but it just got to hot in the house to burn anything! I will probably try the single wick since the smallest cds I have are 7s. Could try smaller htps. Tried two htps 73 and was deep also. I really do like the looks of this wax. Cooler weather might help. Both hot and cold throw seems pretty good also. Beth

I have looked and just can't find it but quite a bit ago Jason gave me the name of a place in Calif. (pretty sure). He's super nice and would be able to tell you. Hth. Beth

Jason Glaser

1-800-622-3055 ext 101.

Had to order! Poured a 10 oz. apoth. jar and tried to double wick. Started with CD 10s and the first burn was only for two hours but good. Second was to deep (1" or so after 3+ hours). So today went to two cd 8s. Still to deep so will go to 7s as that is the smallest I have. Throw was good. Burn was good as I didn't see any soot and very very small mushroom. Candle is pretty. Used 6.7% Raspberry Guava. May try a larger single wick too. Beth

Doughnuts, hey. Maybe that is why I haven't lost weight while testing all this soy! lol. But really, maybe that is why bakery FOs do so well in soy. Do you mind saying which blend are you using Jeannie? Thanks. Beth

Hi. Both 415 and 402 are stated to be pure soy with the 402 having a 115-120 melt temp and the 415 having 120-125 melt temp. Most people use the 402 if your 415 is on the upper melt range and your usual wicking isn't cutting it. They say the 415 can have 9-10% FO while the 402 can carry 6-8%. Both can have wet spots and frosting depending on temp, color and FO variety. And, Coffeebean, you might have to wick down a size in the straight 402. hth. Beth

My older soy has a distinct odor...not rancid or anything, but you can smell it before adding FO. Just wondered if you soy/para blend users note any odor from your wax? Thanks. Beth

"When the wax melts faster, it replaces what's being consumed and keeps the level of the melt pool higher, so the wick doesn't get longer and the flame doesn't get bigger.''

Top, I am almost computer illiterate, also...can't figure how to insert quote. But, this makes sense to me. As far as lower MP wax, I saw a wax with a 138 or 139 MP (1343) and then the only other waxes with a lower melts were the votive ones. Would the one or two degrees make a difference? I believe you when you say it gets really complicated. I tried more FO and they got sort of oily on the outside of the top when burning, so cut back. And, I thought stearic made the wax harder. So you give me lots to think about. Thanks. Beth

Thanks Jeana. I will also try going down in wick size. That may be true about the height and the spread of the melt pool. Need a new notebook and one just for pillars. Hard to find my last notes. Beth

I love the Citrus&Teakwood. Has anyone used their soy/para blends and is the JW-9900 the the same as GL 70/30? Beth

Thanks Top. I had thrown away all my first ones from several months ago and started fresh hoping to see an improvement right away. Guess the best thing to do is keep trying the wicks...if not happy, change just one item at a time such as drop the vybar, less FO, add/sub stearic etc. When I get one I'm happy with, start with a different FO and do the same thing. I may just order wax with a bit lower melt point. Your information is alway helpful to me. Thanks. Beth

It seems like maybe 2" or so. It just looked big and my dh mentioned it also...and he doesn't pay much attention unless I'm in the middle of a disaster! This was on the first burn using a 27 flat ply, and it started out fine and then just got taller and taller. 3" diameter. The shell had 1/2" left on one side and 1/4" on the other after about 4 hours. Pulled it out and just relit a #2 square braid that I had trimmed to 1/4" and it was flickering, so I just cut it maybe 1/8" and seems fine right this minute. The crater (what would you call the burned down center? lol) is about 1 1/4" deep. Maybe I just do need to go down in wick sizes. Used 3 Tbsp. stearic and 1/2 tsp vybar and 4.4% FO. Pillars are still new to me and I haven't really burned many purchased ones either so maybe I just need to wick down and maybe the sides would catch up? If this doesn't work, I guess I'll try the 24 flat ply. Hadn't primed any of that size yet, so just used what I had already done. Love pouring them...hopefully someday wicking will be easier. Thanks. Beth