Lightning Bug

For what it's worth...maybe two cents? LOL...If you got a melt pool to reach 175, your whole candle would be melted as I see it. I've tried to measure mine and when I blow out the wick and take the MP temp, I have a hard time getting to 140. Anyone else ever try and take the temp? Just wondering as someone on another forum said it takes about 150 in soy to get a real good throw. So far, I've never gotton that high. Beth

I've given up adding at a low (140) temp. I think the throw is much better when added at 175. Just personal opinion, but I have tried both ways in various soys. Beth

Thanks all. It makes sense to me now. Beth

So are you saying soyawax and phytowax are the same? Beth

I know I am slow...now I am up to what to figure in for the end number, but I guess now I wonder what you do with it. Say I have $1200 worth of wax, wicks, supplies etc. and I have not sold anything yet...do you pay tax on this amount or does it cancel out the supplies cost and just is what you have left? I know this probably doesn't make much sense. I do love Piglet though! Thanks for all your explanations. Beth

What is Phytowax and are any of the brands usually listed actually this? The blurbs on sites selling it sound so good but it is sort of expensive. Info? TIA Beth

Hi Diane. No I haven't added palm though I've wondered what would happen when mixing the two. I have tried the natural soy wax additives, the coconut stearic, and beeswax. Now I am trying a soy blend with cottonseed in it. They seem to burn ok for the first 1-2 burns, but then flame gets smaller, MP gets smaller, and it looks like they are trying to die. Bigger wicks flare, flicker and smoke. I am missing something, but not sure what. I do think the jelly jars and sq. masons are harder to wick as the opening is smaller. Adding a candle cap seems to help, but I want them to burn well by themselves. I have thought of going over just to apothecary and wide mouth jars but love the country look of the sq. masons so I keep plugging away for now. Beth

Hi all! Ashleigh, I just went to the irs.gov site and went for the c form and any small business related publications. They will send them out to your home. I can figure the amounts, etc. but I still am unclear on what this is used for. Do you have to pay taxes on it to the feds? Or, is it used as an expense you get to subtact? Maybe this doesn't make sense, but I would hate to have to pay more on something I haven't made any money on yet. Also, where does the cost of goods used in testing come in...like wax, FO, wicks etc. that you used up. Maybe just following the form will answer these questions, but I like to understand ahead of time if possible. Thanks for the ideas on the spreadsheets. I keep my accounting on one and could make another to cover goods and usage. Thanks again, Beth

Sorry, not an answer...Just wondered what kind of wax you are using? If my math is right, you are using about 3% beeswax? When I tried the beeswax, it made my soy harder to burn, but when I used stearic (coconut), I seemed to have better luck. Maybe just a fluke, but eco 12s wouldn't even clear the edges on my 8 oz. jellies with 2-3% beeswax. I know others have very good luck with it, so maybe it depends on your wax. Hope someone has some good solid answers as I would like to know the answer also. Beth

Can anyone give me a simple description of what a year end inventory includes and how it shows on the taxes. I have ordered some info from the IRS, but it hasn't arrived yet, and usually much of that still leaves questions. I have not sold anything this year, but have been testing etc. and have a fair amount of supplies on hand. I do want to file a tax on this business as to be able to deduct costs so far. If this isn't easily answered, I may have to go to a CPA, but have done our taxes for my greenhouse business without too much problem and had hoped this wouldn't be too much harder. TIA. Beth

You got it there, Bev! My almost whole box remains unused as they kept letting go as I poured. What a pain. It was a really poor choice on my part. Beth

Hi Cheryl, That sounds good, but how do you clean it between batches or do you have one for each scent? I suppose one could melt it off in the oven or? Since most are wire, couldn't use the microwave. Just wondering as it sounds like it would work well. Thanks for the suggestion. Beth

Hi. What do you use to stir your FO into your soy wax? I've been using craft sticks, but wondered if they could be absorbing some of the FO? So, even though it seems so fundamental, wanted to know what you all use. TIA. Beth

Hi Holly, I think I added about 2% to BG's soy/cottonseed blend. I melted it in the soy to about 175 or so and poured as usual. Maybe it is something else I did. Concentration lately has been divided in many directions. I will give it a try again as it could be the scent, heat, color, soy or???? Actually, it didn't frost, so it does have that good point. And thanks Daniedb, apparently, I had it hot enough at the beginning...wasn't too sure about that. Just didn't want to mess with it if this was something normally happening. Right now it's clean house, babysit, cook and finish up on Christmas. By the way, have a great one! New Year's Day, starts a whole new year of candles! Beth

Hi and happy holidays to all! I had decided not to color my candles and then read about Frostop earlier in this forum and ordered some. No directions except the % to use. So I added it to soy/cottonseed blend and colored. Good results as far as frosting, but when burned, there was "goopy stuff" floating in the melt pool. Just wondering if this was due to this additive or something else? I put the color away for a bit but started thinking (probably a mistake, LOL) about it. Not sure what it's melt temp is. I may have to email Barn loft and ask, but thought if anyone else has had this happen, they would chime in too. TIA. Beth

Hey Top, what are BHT crystals? Just wondering for us illiterate candle makers. Somebody should write a book on wicks and abbreviations. I'd buy it! Beth

I hadn't thought about the FO being the culprit. I guess I always blamed the wick. I'll have to check this out. Also, I do have Eco wicks from several places including Northstar, so maybe keeping track of which ones I use might be enlightning also. Thanks. Beth

If I don't color my soy candles, sometimes, some wicks (Eco for one) turn the wax sort of a gray color after burning. I just wondering, for those of you that don't color, if anyone has tried the UV inhib. and if that would stop the change? I know it is not due to UV rays, but wondered if any additivie would help as in some candles the eco do the best for me, but the color they turn is sort of ugly. TIA. Beth

Hi jason. Thanks for the clarification. I agree, except several times I have ordered 5 pound samples, liked the wax, reordered 50 to 200 lbs. and for some reason it doesn't seem to work as good as the sample. Maybe it is just I am taking more time with the sample? Mainly, it is a wicking issue. For instance, the sample takes an eco 6 in a jj. Next candle from the larger pkg. takes a 10? I guess I want to have the perfect blend that is consistant from one batch to another. I know...the perfect candle! I do understand that soy is peculiar, I guess, I just don't want to buy a bunch more wax thinking it is something different, and find out it is the same that I already have. By the way, I like how the 444 burns. It did have the crack and sink hole, but poke and repour cured that. Seems to be throwing good. Couldn't wait more than almost 24 hrs for curing, I'm too impatient! Thanks again. Beth

Good morning. It is snowing and so more inside time...meaning more candle time! What is EZsoy? The seller won't tell you what it is, but usually when you order a 50 lb. box, it is written on the side. Just wondered if it is a GF product and which one. Any help is appreciated. TIA. Beth

I like the eco wicks in that they don't get those big mushrooms. As far as I can see, they usually don't smoke. I do think they burn less hot than HTPs as right now I am burning two jj. One with Cinnamon Roll and the other with med fig in 435 (soy with cottonseed). Granted the Cinnamon may be heavier, but the eco 8 isn't making the full melt pool until the third burn and the HTP 105 is doing better. The batch of wax makes a difference, too. A year ago, an eco 6 worked well in my jj. Now, it is taking an 8 or 10. But, on a scale of 1-10, they get about a 7-8. Just my opinion. Beth

Hi Jennifer! Let us know how that burns. I have never been able to single wick an apothecary but if this wax burns that easily, it may become my wax of choice. I haven't received my samples, so can't do my own tests yet. All of you that have poured and burned, let us know how well it burns and wick sizes in various jars. It will help us testers when our wax comes. Beth

Good Morning and thanks Henry. Should have looked in google. Yahoo search gave me a variety of results and now today, it is the first on the list. Maybe I just missed it being so full and all...or maybe I spelled it wrong as some of the hits were shall we say, unsusal. Dah! So easy. :rolleyes2 Thanks. Beth

Hi again. Happy Thanksgiving to all! Can hardly move, too full...so thought I'd sit at the computer for a minute. What I wondered is: awhile back there was a question about who you would like to buy scents from for soy. One mentioned alot was Sweetcakes. Do they have another name or? I tried a general search but couldn't find them. Just wanted to take a look. Any help would be appreciated. TIA. Beth

Hi. They are so neat. Are the embeds soy and will just melt into wax, too? I will have to go to the site you mentioned. Would answer all my questions, I'm sure. Anyhow, Great job! Beth