Pam W

Ya know, square pillars (etc) are a totally different thing compared to a regular round pillar.....those corners are a demon to handle in a a different way from regular round pillars. I'm going to try to retrieve some pics of my square pillars burning and the hugging that makes them burn perfectly.......all the way to the bottom......but no guarantee since those pics were on the computer that crashed...but if you'd like me to test burn one of those pillars and document the hugging process, you could send me a pillar for testing....hint, hint !!!!!!!!!!!

Sharing experience is a '''high'' to most of us.........keep asking questions will keep us on our toes.............I absolutely love the questions from Newbies

There are many experienced candle makers in this forum......just read thru the posting and you will find may helpful hints on making candles whether pillars or containers.

So not twisting the wick, you get a consistant burn on all sides of the candle?

I haven't done the Aloe water yet but did process the CP rebatch I received for BB.....Goat's milk base. I added some coconut oil and emu oil to the base.......of course, not knowing what the he$$ I'm doing but I gotta say this turned out so nice. The lather is so rich and creamy.......not bubbly lather but thick and creamy. I poured DH's shave cup with some of this mixture, let it cure for a couple of days and he was so excited over the foam........the foam is not a bubble type foam but a rich, creamy lather. The more you rub this bar, the thicker the lather becomes. The goats milk base is great as it is without any additives but adding the extra oils to ''superfat'' the mixture just made my day!! Besides pouring DH's shave soap, I made some bars and they are curing. I had a little left over and made a small bar of soap to test...........OMG, the rich, creamy lather is to die for........I scented the bars with Purple Sandlewood but didn't use enough to produce the scent I was hoping for but in the long run, the scent is minor compared to the thick, creamy lather produced. I can't wait to get in the tub tonite and lather up....considering how thick this lather is, I'd have to say that shaving the legs will be a new experience....lol........not being a from-scratch soaping person, I am extremely happy with what I produced. Hey, whatever makes your day and inspires you to do more.......kwim!

Way back when I first started experimenting with candles, I just had to have all the unique/weird shaped molds and soon found that they really didn't give the burn that I wanted to be proud of......decorative candles are so different from the ones that you want to have a good throw. I might go out to the shed and pull out all the ''different'' molds that I have accumulated over the years.........being a Newbie, ya just want to try out everything and that's ok.....because it's all a learning experience that will lead you to your heart's desire as far as creating beautiful pillars. Whatever you have a vision of, go for it......kwim?

Those candles are a perfect example of the excitement you experience when you de-mold your creation.....there is no way that one will find a candle like this on the store shelf.........so whatever comes out of you mold, take pride in the fact that you have created a ''one of a kind'' candle .

When using FB wicks in a square pillar, I'd suggest twisting the wick so that the 'lean' of the wick rotates during burning so that you get an even burn.

Up front disclaimer: I don't do soy!! But I do pour some square pillars on occasion and I have found that they need special attention in regards to hugging the pillar as it burns to get a perfect burn all the way to the bottom. After a few burns when those corners start to stick up, you should gently fold them over after a couple of burns. Just use your thumbs and gently push those corners inward. If the sides between the corners look like they are going to blow-out, then I'd suggest going to a smaller wick or shorter burns. I know I posted some pics of my square pillar burns in the gallery but that was a long time ago and they were paraffin...but I'm guessing that the hugging process would be the same as with soy. (I had progressive pics of the square pillars burning and the hugging process but the computer they were on crashed and I don't have access to them anymore..sucks!) If that candle burned for only 1 1/2 hr then I'd have to agree that it was over wicked. To save the candle and continue testing, just lite the wick long enough to soften the wax so you can pull out that wick and insert a smaller one. Level the top by hugging or just cut off the high peaks...then relight and continue burning. Or if you want to, YES you can remelt and start over.......simple remelting will not burn off your FO if you don't leave it on the heat too long. Ya know, the fun in this addiction is going back and fixing our boo-boos :-)

I am not familiar with your wax and have never poured a soy candle....that said: I use Eco wicks in paraffin containers and pillars; I have never used an Eco wick larger than a #10. From my experience, if your melt pool gets extremely deep, then you have over-wicked. As far as hangup on the sides of the jar goes, that will catch up later as the candle burns further down. I have a couple odd shaped jars(hour glass shape) that I use and I wick them for the center of the candle. The top being considerably wider does take several burns before it burns down to the smaller middle of the jar, then all that hang up does catch up as the sides of the jar warm up with subsequent burns. As TT mentioned in above post, you may be burning off the FO with the huge wick. One of these days, I'll try using soy so that I can actually speak to what I know :-)

Well, I now have 5 lbs of rebatch soap to play with.......whooooopy :-)

PM me when you are in Prescott...that's doable for a day trip for hubby & I. I am a 67 yr old AZ native so I totally understand the weather....lol

thanks, I'll have to research this,

Being an AZ native, I fully understand the heat issue. Ya know, I have never burned a soy candle......I' ve stayed away from them because they were too time consuming to produce.......... Considering the AZ heat, where do you go from here?

I agree that you have the technique down but to be sure you need to have your candle tested by an experience candle maker like ME...you have mastered the rustic, so all you need now is burning approval of another candler maker...............hint, hint!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sucking up to you for a freebie candle......lol)

Yeah, waiting a little while does give you a better result but some of us just can't wait that long. I tend to burn my candles as soon as they are set.........knowing that a later burn will give a better result. Since I don't sell, I just can't wait to see what I have created and go from there. Yeah, I have a need to know now

Ya never know what method fits your end goal until you try it. IMHO, candle making is a personal journey......if you have an idea, go for it........if it doesn't work out like what you wanted then maybe you can alter the procedure or the formula. AND you will reap the reward of burning that candle yourself......I burn many of my test candles and that's ok.......I love the scent that spreads threw out the house and it gives me inspiration to go forward and create something else..... This whole candle making thing is an obsession to me.......when I burn a candle that was questionable and discover that the FO scent is special, I can't wait to pour another. ETA: whatever your imagination can conceive, you can pour.

Is there such a FO that comes close the smell of a fresh baked cheese cake? My family loves cheese cake and I finally got the nerve to bake my own and it was absolutely delicious.....the DS challenged me to make a candle that smelled the same..........anyone know of a FO that will come close? Plz help if you can because I cannot let a challenge from DS go unanswered!!!

CB: thanks for the tip on adding citric acid. When my order of CP rebatch arrives from BB, I'm gonna try the additives that you have suggested. My only question is: when you add extra oil to the CP, does it require a longer curing time?

You cracked me up!!!! I poured a MJ candle years ago and it smelled so bad....like cheap dirt weed.....Yes, it had a good strong throw but it was not pleasant. I have not tried the cannabis oil that's on the market now in candles; I only use pure cbd oil in lotions to help with muscle aches but there is no smell to it.

Ya know, I have never worried about polishing my pillars. Once they come out of the mold and are wicked. they are what they are. I have never heard of polishing the end product??? I can imagine that the polishing would give a nice smooth surface to the outside of the candle but wonder why the extended effort would be needed when the candles come out of the mold pretty smooth. Am I missing something here? ( If I'm missing something, please message me because I'm totally lost on why the polishing is needec)

Waiting on an order from B&B for some rebatch soap and I can go from there in experimenting.............. Ya know, if any experiment doesn't give you what you want..... you still have a nice soap to shower with.,,,,,,so nothing lost...kwim?

Bumping again to show how jump lines can add some beauty to a pillar candle. I'm issuing a challenge to experienced candle makers(and Newbies that want to participate) to pour a candle that produces jump lines..........Jump lines are my passion ......if you want to participate....go for it, if not then just sit back and watch!!!!!!!!!!

I'd suggest that you go to liquid dyes....it's so much easier than chips and you can get a more consistent coloration. Now the way you worked with the dye chips did give a beautiful result but liquid dyes might make life easier....kwim. FYI: there is nothing that you did wrong and you produced a beautiful candle....so whatever you are comfortable with, keep it up.. You are inspiring me to get back in the game and produce candles that I am proud of........