coconut

Oy, where do I start, I'll start here... It does not surprise me they use Hexanes, and to assume that if there were no petro-chemicals we would not have soy wax is false. It is not the only way to extract the oil it just so happens to be the cheapest way right now. It won't always be.

The link you provided says that most of the world's soy is produced in America and a lot of soy is exported into china. I don't understand your point when it comes to the article. It doesn't even make sense that they would even want to export soy, it takes a lot of water to produce soy (and other crops) and it is expensive in China to properly get water to farming areas.

Coconut you claim I am a green head and then you talk of overpopulation? That is the biggest myth of all. We're not overpopulated and we have the space to fit a lot more people on our little blue ball, we also have enough farm land to produce the food we need.

Also, when barrel prices are up that high yes, paraffin WILL be affected. Candles are not the only way they use paraffin, they use it to coat food (to feed the "overpopulated" world) and in the production of many other products. The oil prices will go up that high because the supply will be low, and so will paraffin.... supply will be low.

"It could but it's not" YET

I don't understand how it is a "Mute" point? I never said it was BETTER in fact I said above it is essentially the same. What I said was that what is released was trapped from the air by a plant probably less than a year ago. I think you're missing the ultimate point here, plants re-grow... they inhale co2, deconstruct it and breath out oxygen. They use the carbon as building blocks to make the plant material then when we burn it it breaks it down again. It is a cycle.... like building a lego robot, taking it apart, putting it back together, taking it apart, putting it back together. Paraffin is like buying a new lego robot each time, destroying it and then purchasing a new one. Eventually you'll have a house full of legos and no way to get them out.

FSC certified would mean I support sustainable forestry, but even a lot of fiber that is not fsc certified are from plots of land where the crop is on a 30-40 year rotation... Not much old growth forest goes into paper production. The wood is far too valuable for paper production.

I don't use it to bash anyone, I occasionally burn paraffin candles, it is rare but I do. I don't even put on my label they are soy, and I don't really say anything bad about paraffin. I believe that soy is much more sustainable than paraffin or palm, so I use it. It also burns easier in my experience and will be around when there is no petroleum left, be it 50 years from now or 100. That is the definition of sustainable, you can sustain production....

I also take issue with the idea we cannot live without petro-chemicals. We could, we just don't right now. I also think it is INCREDIBLY naive to think that when oil is gone we'll be stuck with candles as light. It doesn't have to be drastic you just have to support sustainable sources- solar, wind, hydro-electric, algae oil, geothermal, the future will be the same if we can switch over to fuel sources produced above the crust like I said. Thanks for proving my point.

I never called you a greenhead. I don't know what that is. I stand by my statement that our planet is overpopulated with humans. Sure this planet can support more people, but it is at the expense of the other species on the planet. Farming destroys habitat for other animals, even organic farming. Some are now extinct and others are on their way. Soy farming is very destructive to the soil, surpassed only by corn and sugar cane farming. Maybe it is generous of me, but I believe other creatures have a right to this planet also. JMO.

Thanks, CaftCandles and Stella, you saved me a lot of typing. Let's not forget all the gallons of petrochemicals that go into producing soybeans in the form of pesticides and fertilizers. In 50 years, I don't think society will have the luxury of burning their food for fuel or candles. The human race is overpopulating this planet and our present lifestyles will not be sustainable without massive amounts of energy. When the oil is gone, people will face a drastic change and burning candles will be for light, not fun, and could very well be back to rushlights dipped in fat.

Remember, crude oil saved the whales.

Sorry to be stupid, but how do you know that the Rooto is the pure stuff?

Found my own answer. I looked it up at the Doitbest hardware site, and it says secondary use is soapmaking.

I'm still at the reading stage, and studying the page at Miller's Homemade Soaps, which I was told is recommended reading, they say Red Devil isn't really lye anymore? Or is that just where they are located?

http://www.millersoap.com/SoapFAQs.html

Does anyone have experience with Florida Soap Supplies? It appears they are in Estero between Fort Myers and Naples. I wonder if they allow local pickup.

Sorry to be stupid, but how do you know that the Rooto is the pure stuff?

Do you want an inkjet or a laser? I buy a lot of printers for work. For inkjet, I go Canon hands down. HP inkjets stink. But for a B&W laser printer you just can't beat HP. Laser toner will last a very long time, up to a year depending on your usage. Laser ink won't smear, inkjet ink will smear if it gets wet unless you buy a special ink and printer and I don't remember what model that was. There was a thread about it on this form a while back.

What part of Ohio are you in? There are a number of suppliers in Ohio.

Go for it. I did a couple of craft shows at work (talk about a small town, 600 employees) and made 200.00 in two hours. If your stuff is good, what do you have to lose? It will be good experience if nothing else.

Not really in most cases, coconut. The only thing about using soft wood is it has a greater tendency to warp due to heat and moisture. Be sure to seal it with a few coats of polyurethane or marine spar varnish. A silicone liner might help protect the wood from the heat of gelling more than the freezer paper lining that I use. You could use lower cost foam (like the foamcore board from office supply places) as an insulator, too. Carriage bolts and wing nuts are great fasteners for quick assembly/disassembly.

Thanks, Stella. This is pine, but it is not soft. It is old heart pine, hard as a rock. You can't buy it anywhere except in salvage yards. Almost impossible to put a nail into. Around here it is called Dade County Pine. We bought an old house and had to change out the floor joists, and this is the salvage. But I'll remember about sealing it. Thanks again!

well, as far as wax, here's my issue...right now I'm working with paraffin and there is no one in Indianapolis that sells it wholesale, so since I'm just starting I have been going to Hobby Lobby and buying wax there b/c I can't really afford to pay for the shipping to order it online...but if I decide to go to soy, I do have someone in town that sells wholesale...I've been doing container candles and just made a couple votives the other day but again I'm just playing around right now and trying to get the feel of things:)

I wouldn't waste my time testing wax that I am not going to continue to use, because your results will be different when you buy good wax. You have to decide if you want the extra challenge of working with soy to save shipping costs. Might be worth it for you. JMO

Sorry you had a bad experience with barn wood. My home as well as my old barn are made of cypress and I have made many projects with the barn wood and salvaged pieces from the house - no problem with cutting, creepy crawlies, cat pee or poop. If there are knot holes that detract from the strength of the piece, or a warped or split area, of course one should not use that section. Personally, I love the "distressed" appearance of recycled wood. People here actually make a good living hauling old "sinker" cypress out of the rivers, curing and milling it to sell to others for use in their home construction projects or cabinet making. I have several friends with countertops made from sinker cypress logs that are breathtakingly beautiful, not to mention the china closets, gun cabinets, etc. that it's used for by craftspeople. Ya can't get that kind of beauty and quality at Lowe's... BUT THAT'S not the point here...

I DO understand your aggravation about the business deal - I would be peeved, too. I hope you get your money back and can get molds from another supplier if you don't have time to make them. Just curious, what was the appearance of the molds on the website? Did they mention using recycled materials in the description? If not, perhaps this company isn't very "on the ball", KWIM?

Sometimes dealing with woodworkers can be frustrating because they are an independent lot... that's one reason I just make my own stuff so I can avoid the aggravation and having to pay big bucks for something I can make for a couple of bucks worth of hardware. While I wouldn't even SUGGEST that I am any kind of woodworker (wood butcher comes closer to the truth), a few weenie power tools and some sandpaper yield a sturdy mold which can be lined any way one pleases. The soap isn't in contact with the wood, so I don't really care what the mold looks like - only that it's strong, straight and easy to assemble & disassemble.

I completely understand that you may not have the time nor inclination to make your own, but I hope that others on a budget will not hesitate to undertake this project - nearly anyone can make an open box out of wood. Until I get around to making mine (procrastination queen here), sturdy cardboard boxes and other "found" plastic molds work very well. It's the soap inside that counts.

Good luck, Steve! Hope sales are brisk for you this season! :-)

Stella, does it matter what kind of wood you use? I'm not making soap yet, but when I do, I have a bunch of old growth pine from the house we are rebuilding that I could use. TX

Well I'm sorry to say that it starts at the candles, then somewhere along the way you start thinking... soap! bath & body!... then the cost goes through the roof...lol :rolleyes2:shocked2::tiptoe:

I am in trouble, just started thinking about soap...

I have a bunch of aluminum funnels I picked up at antique malls. I also use a high temp silicone ladle for heavy pots. Still get some drips, but not too bad.

I use little one ounce glasses with measuring marks and a spout. I found them at an antique mall. I put it on the scale, tare it, pour into it. After I pour into the wax, I let it rest a few minutes and the extra FO gathers in the bottom of the glass. Pour that in the wax too. I wash it out with dish soap and warm water and it is ready to go!

Evidently a big risk is using mineral oil for constipation...

http://www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/103/2/e19.full

I appreciate your years of expertise and I TRY to remember to say 212°F at sea level, but I assume that people who live at higher elevations know these rules for their areas. Since I live 19' above sea level (gotta watch out for nosebleeds when I get on the elevated highways!), I don't think about making adjustments for everyone else.

However, unless the pressure increases (as in a pressure cooker), the temp of boiling water does NOT rise above 212°F according to this nifty slide show below:

http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ELE2107

Here's a link to a table for different boiling temps at different elevations:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/boilpoint.htm

Again - since most of us do not have laboratory grade equipment nor access to calibration equipment, the suggestion to test at boiling and at freezing is the best we can do and better than not testing at all.

What she said. Thank you for the correction and additional information. I live at 11 feet above sea level, so I know just what you are talking about!

Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that when you buy a thermometer, don't automatically assume it is accurate, especially if it is an inexpensive one you picked up locally. Calibrate it based on the elevation and the means at your disposal. I would trust boiling water over body temperature which also varies a lot, especially depending on where you stick that thermometer. :lipsrseal

It depends on where you live, as shipping is the largest part of the expense. If you are in the US on the East Coast, Candlescience is a good supplier.

Thank you both. I had no idea. I'm so out of touch!

Certain wax and certain FOs throw better....depends what you use.

Thanks, Kitn!

Didn't this happen a while back with Glass Glow from CS and shortly afterwards they dropped it?

If it helps I used to use zincs in my paraffin and parasoy candles. I liked the wicks for the reason that they did burn cooler than all cotton wicks for my particular candle application. By cooler I mean the jar candles were much cooler to the touch after burning them for several hours.

When I used all cotton wicks the jars would get too hot to pick up after an hour or two of burning. This was important to me as I am aware that some customers (including myself) will pick a candle up from time to time when its been burning.

On the other hand, I am now using all cotton wicks for my palm wax candles because zincs won't work in them. The important thing to learn is which wick series and size works best for your candle application.

Candybee, was the flame height the same size when you compared the zinc and cottons?

Creme Brulee, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Hansel & Gretel's House. Yum.

I have one and it works fine. I don't use it much because I use heavy glass bowls on a flat warmer, but no issues with the Yankee.