dixiegal

IMO the ECO 12 is definitely too big for that jar. I'm currently testing 8s vs. 10s and I find that I'm wishing there was a size 9!

:laugh2:me too it would be perfect.

Thanks for the suggestions Ill give it a try. What does TKB Trading stand for? I'll check it out.

lol never mind I found it, I looked right at it about 3 times before I saw it in the coop:embarasse

You can wear latex gloves while unmolding/cutting and wrapping to prevent fingerprints.

You can also use a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to smooth out the fingerprints on the soap you've already made.

Thanks I dont know why I never thought about gloves:D

Sounds like some of the pigment has seperated. That can happen with liquids. And you may not be able to fix that. Try shaking the bottle vigorously before using. Make sure the top is screwed on tight before you do. If that doesn't work personally I would just buy some new dyes. Unless someone else posts some ideas on it.

There is a TKB Trading coop going on if you are interested. There have great soap dyes. I have the POP sampler and love it.

Thanks for the suggestions Ill give it a try. What does TKB Trading stand for? I'll check it out.

I have that problem with a few of my liquids from C&S but only in MP soap, they are fine in lotion and sanitizers. I just purchased some from elsewhere for MP but you could try mixing it with your FO or glycerin then mixing it into the base. Because I do chunk soaps I usually just end up remelting the "spotted" base and recooling it before cutting my chunks and it is fine.

I did the same thikng just remelted it. Thanks for the info Ill try mixing it with fo.

Does tempering change the way a candle burns or just the appearance?

Forgot to add, the reason I'm asking is I had some test candles that burned right. Then made wicked candles and they didn't,in going over my notes the only difference I can find is for the new candles I added more wax to the pot and melted it. and poured. With the first candles it was wax that had been heated, and cooled a few times. I'm not sure if this made the change. From what I can find tempering is for appearance I'm not finding info on it helping with burn or throw.

If I'm using a large turkey fyer to melt wax and reheating it everyday wouldn't that be tempering the wax? Or does dye and fo have to be added before it's tempered?

Are you using a powdered dye like mica? It helps to mix it with a little glycerin first before adding to your base. I also find that putting my base in the microwave for a short burst after I have added the mica dye helps to get rid of some of the specks.

Don't know if dye can go bad but I am sure there might be some that do. I have mostly dispursable liquid dyes and some micas from TKB Trading. I have trouble with the mica but after trying out these methods mentioned I can get the dye to disolve and blend into my base.

Its liquid.

Just so I understand, with every batch of FO your poured, the first candle would burn and throw very well, and the second would be bad?

My only thoughts are that maybe some additives are rising/settling between the two pours, and to try stirring before and during the pours. And depending on how you are heating your wax, you can have a 10*+ temp difference between the beginning of the first candle pour and the end of the second candle pour, and that can create a problem too.

Chances are you are already considering those things, but worth mentioning anyway. Best of luck to you.

The one thing I didn't think about keeping track of was which candle was poured 1st of 2nd. After the candles cooled I put lids on them and set them on a shelf. Odds are I didn't burn them in the order poured but I could have. I'll have to be sure and keep track of that.

How long after you make the candle are you test burning the first one? Soy needs 48 hours to allow for proper crystalization. Testing prior to that may cause you test results that are not accurate.

The first candles I started burning after 2 days. The 2nd ones a week. How long should it take to burn an 8 oz candle? I don't have my notes in front of me right now but the first candles burned about 40 hrs. Maybe the eco 8 is too small? Its seems from what I've read most people use a 10 or 12 in that wick but the 10 made such a deep mp so fast I didn't even try the 12. Could humidity make the process take longer than 48 hrs?

I think you have candlenose.

:Dcould be, I have been having problems not smelling things as strong lately but I can smell when I'm mixing fo's in the pot so I don't know. I can smell the tarts I made for my brother though. Plus the flame in the 2nd candles is are not burning as well either.

I beginning to think I don't have enough sense to figure this candle burning out. If anyone can give me some advice Id be grateful. Here's where I'm at now. Made some test candles. For each scent I used

8 oz sq mason jar no wicks

1 lb of wax 464 heated to 195

Added 1 tsp co to pot before pouring measuring wax

Added 1.5 oz @ 185 of the following fos

vineyard

monkey farts

cornbread muffins

kudzu

I was pouring @ 165 but found I got cracks and @ 150 I didn't have this problem

I made notes on everything including the temp and humidity of my shop and the weather outside.

Made 2 jars of each scent for testing

Let the candles cure.. started with eco 10 wick

ended up having to go to eco 8 on all of them as my fmp was very fast.. sometimes as little as 30 minutes.

With eco 8 they all burned great had amazing throw, I could smell them all through the house. A few had a bit of hang up at first but caught up nicely on 2nd and third burns.

Started testing the 2nd candle and without fail all of them didn't burn or throw as well.

Thought it was just a fluke and tried making some more the exact same way and none of them are burning as good with some the flame was so low I thought it would sputter out, I can hardly smell them at all. Since eco 10 was too big I tried some cd wicks, not much throw

Switched to LX 16 wicks and while they are burning better the throw isn't near as strong.

I just cant understand how the first candles did so well and the 2nd one flopped and now, maybe one scent yes, but all of them??

I had bought some about 1-2 years ago from soap silly I think. Anyway I'm playing around with m&p and no matter how well I stir when using the clear base I cant get the dye to mix, when I pour it always had darker specks in it. Im using the dye before the fo not sure if that the right order.

I have seen I usually find those in sporting good stores also the one with fishing lures and a few other hunter fishing themes. I even have some silicone molds that are shot gun shells I was planning to make some and then never got around to it.

Vicky do you remember where you bought those molds?

thanks for all the ideas. I did a search trying to find a photo to show them to y'all, funny thing is I cant find one photo online but I have seen them several times in a few stores around here, mostly in the fall and recently I saw them in a western wear store in Texas. I bought some a few years back and burned them. I do remember they didnt burn all the way down and wish I had taken a photo of them. One had shotgun shells in it and they other had 22 shells.

I have never made gel candles but would love to make some like Iv seen with shotgun shells in them for my 7 brother in laws. No shortage of emptied shells around here but I dont understand how used shells could be safe in something that has fire in it. Have any of y'all made these.

a dear friends asked for some clear soap and I tried making it today. Smelled great and looked great until I cut it, now its covered with fingerprints. How can I avoid this happening? TIA

thx, I also tried pouring at a cooler temp today and didnt get any cracks.

I started adding co 1 tsp pp to my 464 to help with throw and it has. Now I'm having issues with cracks and sunken tops, Something that has never happened before with this wax. Could it be from the co?

thanks so much Judy I never thought about doing that kind of search for it

its a 25 lb bag of palm wax that I have no idea where I bought it from. All it says on it is palm wax 5301A. Any ideas where it might have come from? I have never used palm and have no idea what I can do with it, or why I bought it in the first place,lol

I guess I'm just amazed that one can have so much confidence in their ability. I don't think I'll ever get to that point, even after testing and testing I still feel mine are not good enough. It doesn't matter how many other people love them I'm too afraid to even think about selling them even in the far off future. I wish I could get past that, I don't feel that way about my bath products just candles. I have a fear that something will be wrong with them so I just give them away.

My sil used to pour candles and has started back up again. Shes been calling me telling me how its going for her but I'm a bit confused listening to her.

She hasnt poured for about 2 years, decided to start pouring again last week, poured over 150 candles last weekend in about 10 scents and started selling again, the very next day. No testing even though her wax, fo's and wicks are old. As a person that worries over each candle I pour and even after testing each scent still worry myself crazy that the candles wont burn right even though testing has went well, even though at this point Im not selling, I dont get it. I wish I had that much faith in myself but at the same time I cant help but wonder how she can be sure they will burn right. Is this a common practice with people who have been making candles awhile?

Its by far my favorite scent I have poured yet. I'm naming it after my dmil since shes famous around these parts for her cornbread:cheesy2:

DH made me log molds a few years back and I like them but would really like some slab molds with dividers so I can swirl. My swirls in logs never look right. TIA