SonShine

Newbie with more questions, once again (sheesh!)

I really like the appearance of this wax but wonder what I'm doing wrong? I can't get a good throw, hot or cold at all. How long does it take to cure?

I melt to 185-ish, cool to 165 ish, add FO, stir, stir, stir, and pour into votives/tarts. I then let it cool slowly in slightly warm oven.

I'm wondering if pouring from the melting pot into the pour pot is making it drop temp too fast? It's like the temp drops from 185 to 165 really fast once I pour to the pouring pot.

Any suggestions or help for this totally confused newbie?

Thanks so much for listening to my rant and to any suggestions offered!

Suzy

I can't remember when my first post was...maybe a month ago? I've been testing daily and read, read, read as much as I can. I'm sooooo far from even giving away product! lol

Ughhh...drives me nuts and has taught me something valuable: Candlemaking is truly an art and I have so much respect for all of you whom have been doing this for a year, two years and more. I'm hoping someday to get there...one teeny, tiny step at a time.

Suzy

One scent per container makes total sense...lol. Yeah, it's the brain here...definately the brain that makes this a challenge!

Thanks,

Suzy

Yep, I'm with the 6006 for now...lol. I swear, I'm doing everything right, but I'm just not getting a good cold or hot throw. Grrr...

So, when storing the tarts, do you use one container per scent? I forgot to ask that one...sorry!

Thanks again,

Suzy

Thanks everyone for the suggestions....I didn't think the bags were working very well. Go figure...if it's going to be done wrong, I'll do it. :embarasse

I'll see what else I can find in our area, and then order online if necessary.

I am following the manufacturer's recommendation for FO, so that part I don't get. Hmmm...

Thanks again,

Suzy

Newbie here again...another question....

Once I finally figure out this tart thing ( ) ,then how do I store them? I have made a few (hundred) that weren't all good, but some are slowly starting to 'come together' once I received some great advice from you guys. However, when I put them in ziplock bags, they rub together and then look yucky. Am I maybe taking them out of the molds to soon? I usually wait 24 hours and then put them in a ziplock back, details written on the bag of what I did (as well as in the notebook) and then put them in a cool place (my now cool sunroom...lol). It's around 65-68 degree's out there.

Oh, one more thing (sorry), but some of them feel oily, yet I followed what you all do. (warming to the right temp, warming the oil a bit, adding warmed oid, stirring two minutes, and then pouring at 170). Is this the way they should feel or am I still doing something wrong?

Thanks so much for your patience and help!

Suzy

I haven't had a good belly laugh for a while....thanks for that! (I'll be at Target tommorrow with bells on...okay forget the darn bells... )

Yep...starting fresh sounds good to me!

Thanks all,

Suzy

170 is the pour temp. I heat mine to 180, add dye and then my FO. I then remove from heat and stir until its around 170, then pour. I always buy the 1 oz FO samples since I only make them for me. If you wanted to make it with 9% with a 1 oz sample. You need 10 to 11 oz of wax and 1 oz FO. Do you have a good scale? Not sure if it can be a fire hazard with to much FO. But basically it is just wasting it, as it can only hold so much.

Ahhh....I did NOT know that pour temp and melting temp were different things...grrrr...what was I thinking? I was afraid that I'd start a fire if I went over 170...LOLOL. THANK YOU so much for listing the steps you take...sure does help soooo much!

What type of scale are you using. Are you sure it's accurate? Five quarters should be an ounce. Are you weighing your FO or using a measuring cup. Make sure you are weighing it. I used to make tarts and votives with 6006. I had to freeze them to get them out of the molds but I loved the look and burn.

Okay, ignore my embarrassment here :embarasse ...but I'm using a scale I bought from Bed, Bath and Beyond and it isn't digital. Oops!! I told hubby I thought I might need to buy a different scale and he gave me 'the look'. LOL I am weighing everything and then writing it down and then remelting and re-writing...I'm ready to bang my head into the wall, which isn't a good thing over here! (my family really does need me, they just don't always realize it! )

I've spent so much money on this for ONE Christmas gift and in the meantime I have become addicted. You all have no idea what this has done for my spirit...being sick myself, and then getting the word that my son might need brain surgery has had me incredibly down this Christmas season. Just Thursday I spent the entire day crying...into my melting wax!! (I'm sorry, I don't mean to moan, it honestly isn't in my heart to cry to everyone....)

Since practicing this tart making thing, my husband says he see's a new glow in my face (literally..hehe), and he loves what it has done for me, by making me think of other things. =)

I love the 6006...and I haven't had a problem getting it to release at all! Hmmm...I must be doing at least ONE thing right...finally!

Thanks everyone...sincerely!

Suzy

Ughh....I'm afraid to ask stupid questions, but this is how we learn, eh?

1. If you add to much FO, it could be dangerous and cause a fire, right?

2. If you're not getting a good scent throw, hot or cold, then do you up the melting temp? On the 6006 it says to melt to 170 +/- 5 degrees.

Please, please bare with me....I want to give a good tart out as a Christmas gift and don't want to cause myself more harm than good...you all are the best in experience, so I'm coming to the experts.

I mistakenly thought that if I didn't smell anything, I was not adding enough FO, even though I was measuring it out exactly as the directions stated.

Geesh...will I ever get this?

Thanks for the patience!

Suzy

Jill,

I bought the 6006 from Candle Science since you recommended it because of the smoothness to it. I love it....it's so soft and shiney looking! lol

I'm not sure if I'm adding enough scent to it, though. I read that you add up to 9% FO?

Thanks for the help!

Suzy

Tea light burner for tarts...checked temp and it was around 175, per my husbands eyes. lol

I'll be sending some to the neighbor for more opinions... =)

Thanks for taking the time to help me nail this down.

Suzy

Ughh....I'm sooo confused. :undecided

I bought the 6006 wax from Candle Science. I talked to the kind gentleman there on the phone and he said that it was fine to use this blend for tarts and for votives/containers. Other than that, he said it would be too soft for say, pillars. Please forgive my lack of memory, since I don't have my note book in front of me, and I have sooo many lesions on my brain due to MS (lol...seriously I do! lol)

I have tried many different companies FO's....BC, AH, Peaks, and one more I can't remember at the moment (FOH? maybe?).

I'm just confused because the nice man at C Science said to add 1 2/3 oz per lb of wax. He said to let it cure at least 24 hours, 48 is best, and then it will smell fine. hehe...I'm not getting a smell from a tart...so something is wrong. Could it be the wax being too soft? I wanted to use a blend wax but maybe I need to keep trying different waxes?

I started with BC soy and it was too much of a pain for me to get it down right.

Thanks so much for putting up with my lack of knowledge and for listening....

Suzy

I am keeping pretty good notes and weighing all the tarts that I put into the pot....one lb per batch, and then I weigh out a little more scent and add it after they are melted.

Does this sound like the way to do this?

Thanks so much for your reply and help....like I said, this is much more challenging than I originally thought it would be, so with those words I must say, I think you all who make these wonderful candles are just soooo awesome. Thanks again,

Suzy

hello everyone,

Once again, a newbie here with a question....

I have found that my beginning batches of tarts do not produce a good hot throw when I'm burning them.

Is it bad to remelt them and re-do the batch and add more FO?

I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong...I'm using 6006, melting to 170, adding scent right out of pot, stirring for a couple minutes and then pour. Set for two days and then try to burn one and it just doesn't smell strong at all.

I am using one in my tart burner this morning...I can't smell it, and my daughter just got home from an overnight away and I asked her if she could smell it and she said no as well.

This is much more challenging than I originall thought!

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Suzy

Hmmm....maybe I'm using the wrong soy wax (BC, ezsoy)? I'll have to do some more searches.

Thanks!! =)

Hi everyone...

The gal that doesn't like bothering you all with questions is back once again!

I recently started playing with colors. (liquid) I added it to my melted wax after the FO and then cooled a bit and poured into tarts and votives. My tarts have the appearance of frosting on them, and they even have some bumping on the top.

Sorry to bother ya'll, but this has me stumped. (I did a search and couldn't find anything....)

Thanks so much for any suggestions,

Suzy

Wow...thanks Candle Makin' Momma...so far mine don't look like that, but I can tell you that I've bought my fair share of those. Hmmmm....

Thanks so much,

Suzy

Thanks so much everyone....I think most of my problem is impatience! lol I hate waiting out that 'curing time'.

Next time I order I think I'll try a soy blend. Until then, I'm so addicted to doing these tarts that I've moved up to votives. At first my votives left alot to be desired but now they are soooo pretty and smooth on top! (imagine if I could learn to do a pillar! )

I'll try the higher temp when adding the FO, and maybe the wait will be worth it?

Oh one more thing...what is a sweaty tart? Now I'm a bit worried...I would never want to hand out something dangerous! Ugh!

Thanks again,

Suzy

I use EZSoy from BC and most times I have a hard time with a good hot/cold throw. I find that I add more scent than is supposed to be added and now I'm wondering if that might be the problem as well.

Is all soy the same? And what might I be doing wrong?

I've just started playing around with this to give tarts as gifts for Christmas. I want a 'divine' smell...lol and don't want to embarrass myself.

Thanks in advance! =)

Suzy

Thanks for that tip....I get so excited that I want to test them out right away!:embarasse

Nope, I didn't burn the votive candle in a tight votive type jar...I guess it was a little bigger than the votive itself. BUT it's still burning, an hour later! LOL Yayyy!

Now I'm putting them in plastic bags in the freezer, is that a good place to store them?

Thanks so much for the awesome help!

Suzy

I can't believe how much help you all are! Thank you sooooo much!

The funny thing now is this: poured a few votives today and am now burning one. It cracks me up!! It's burning hollow from the top to the bottom with the outside wax still staying hard! Oh my goodness...I have SO MUCH to learn!

Wish me well....looks like this will take lots of practice!!

Suzy

Thanks so much everyone for all your help!

I guess it's all trial end error, eh? hehe

I read somewhere about Crisco and I was saying Hmmm....to myself. I couldn't figure out what that was all about! lol

As far as scents go, I'm using my neighbor's smeller...and she's been telling me what is working in her home. =) She's a candle freak, so she's happy that she's my guinea pig!

I guess it's off to do more reading!

Thanks again, everyone!

Suzy

Hello everyone,

I am really new at all of this, and have always loved candles. I was diagnosed with MS last year and have some yucky health problems, so I can't work anymore. I've started trying to make some things I love, with the spare time I have. Candles is one of those things I love. :smiley2:

I've been reading and reading for what seems like weeks now. You are all so knowledgeable and a great source of information and the more I read, the more confused I get....LOL.

I'm practicing with a soy wax I got at BCN. I am working on tarts to start with. It just seems like my scent isn't strong enough...even though I'm adding 1 to 1 1/2 ounces.

Now for the silly questions...when I measure out a lb of wax, is that a lb of unmelted wax? lol Also, how do you make a candle that doesn't show so much soot? And is it preferable to do a mixture, like soy and parrafin?

My husband is tired of hearing me complain, so he forced me to ask....lol...if my questions are really silly, it's all HIS FAULT!

Thanks for any help....

Suzy