flightoffancy

Ecosoya Pillar Blend

LOL @ tootie! I just couldn't resist the urge any longer. I poured the 2 testers about 4 hours ago and so far they have set up BEAUTIFULLY. I poured cooler than what CS recommends, they say 170 and I poured @ 155. The jar and tin are both still slightly warm to the touch but so far no sink holes. My biggest fear is that when I light them I'll get smoke/soot which I can't stand. If they stay as pretty as they are now once completely set and have a good throw then I'll keep playing as long as my sanity holds out.

How short do you trim wicks on paraffin candles? I've been a stictly soy / parasoy pourer for 4 years and have just poured my first 2 ALL paraffin candles using 4630. :embarasse

The wick tabs didn't shoot off sparks in the microwave?

My SIL is an Avon rep and I just put in an order for some of these through her. I'll let you know what I think when I get them.

I think that ECO 14 should be fine. That hangup you have should start to melt, or be completely melted, by the 2nd or 3rd burn.

The thing with tins (any container in reality but especially metal) is that if you don't wick them JUST right they can end up getting EXTREMELY hot. As that wick burns down it is going to get closer to the bottom of the tin and that is going to cause more heat, that extra heat should take care of any hangup you may have at the top of the tin.

So far, from looking at the pics, it looks like you're on the right track as far as wick size. My personal preference is the ECO wicks because of the example you gave here, little or no smoke when extinguished and, less mushrooming. If I can wick something with an ECO you can bet that's the wick I'll use over all the others.

In the 3 1/3 tumblers I've tested I found that a CDN 14 works well. I'm also testing this jar with ECO wicks and in the fragrances I've poured I'm liking these better than the CDNs. An ECO 14 is doing the job and I'm not getting mushrooms like I did with the CDN wicks.

The difference between what and what? LOL I can tell you that I'm getting very minimal frosting with the 75/25 mix, and then it's only rearing its head on darkly colored candles. The candles I've poured have set up beautifully with smooth tops and very few wet spots. This mix also sets up relatively smooth after burning, I see a few rough spots in some candles right around the wick but not enough to make me want to bump the paraffin amount any higher. I don't do any prep work to my jars other than the initial dishwasher run when I get a shipment in. No preheating or covering before or after I pour which is one of the features I'm after. I just want to put my wicks in, pour, and leave them alone until ready for labeling and I can do that with this blend. Right now I'm testing after 48 hours cure and the scent throw is amazing even in that little amount of time. I am sitting on my matches trying to let this last batch of testers cure for at least 4 days to compare. LOL

I've been testing a 75/25 mix of the 464 and 4630. I think you will be extremely impressed with the combination of these 2 waxes.

Personally I'd cut back on the FO and try it at 6% with the ECO 12. The 464 typically has an excellent scent throw at 6% if you are using quality oils. I'd go for the longer, cooler burn if it's doing the job and producing a good scent throw.

Have you tried the Cinnamon Bun from JS? I use both her Cinnamon Bun and Orange Chiffon cake because they were dead on to my nose.

If you are just starting out I highly recommend the e-Start book for Zen Cart. I've been using Zen Cart for several years and when the book came out I purchased it and find myself using it all of the time. http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=16

I use the Paraben Free base from Essentials by Catalina and my customers love it. It stays clear and thick even with the FO and color added which is what I was looking for when choosing a base.

A lot of sites will use a splash page as basically a keyword page. They'll put tons of keywords in the meta information and try to bring traffic in through that page. Personally, I find splash pages annoying as it's just an extra step I have to take to get to the actual website. If you focus on SEO optimization for the actual site then splash pages are unnecessary.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Orange Chiffon from JS! That's the one I use and it is one of my best sellers year round.

I do as Debbie does. I put my jars and pour pot (pyrex cup) in the oven on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for about 10 - 15 mins. I just leave my jars on the cookie sheet and pour at about 200 - 210 degrees and then cover with a box.

Did you heat your jars before pouring? If I miss that step I lose all crystalization everywhere except for the top.

I'd say continue test burning but all of those wicks seem a bit large to me. With that jar you are going to end up with a chimney effect once it starts getting toward the middle, it's going to heat up the top and if wicked properly it should catch up further down in the burn. Are you putting in additives that would make the melt point of the 464 higher? I'm only asking because 464 is generally a pretty easy to wick wax and doesn't require overwicking.

I don't cut mine down and I use the tall ones. Just make sure when you pour that you are doing it somewhere that you can leave it until it sets up. I've never tried to pick one up while still liquid but me thinks the lid wouldn't hold that much weight. Just pour and leave it sit until it's firm, then transfer to the freezer for about 5 minutes before you unmold it.

You sure can! What I do is use my can opener to open the end that's sealed and then put the plastic cap on one end and pour. Once it's set up I put it in the freezer for about 5 minutes, take the top off and it pushes right out. I do my chunk soaps in the pringles cans and they turn out great.

I have a hard time pouring any of my cherry scents at the same time as others. It's just something about cherry that does it to me I guess.

Andes Thin Mint Redwood & Cedar Vanilla Latte

Either snug fitting individual boxes or bubble wrap...bubble side out. For my bare pillars I'll usually wrap 2 or 3 times around with the bubble wrap. I'm of the mind better safe than sorry after watching my UPS driver toss things around inside his truck!