Pam W

12 hours ago, somaye1957 said:

I use parrafin wax with 1%fat. and I use metal mold for pillar candle. Isn't suitable?

I am totally confused by the ''''1% fat"""....can you explain?????????

You are doing nothing wrong.......I live in AZ where the average temps are HIGH...no matter what temp I pour my 4630 candles at, I still get some wet spots...more in the winter than the summer.  I have tried pouring at various temps, cooling in various ways, (box over candles) and initially the candles come out perfect but after they have been stored for a few days, those friggin wet spots appear.  So I have decided to NOT worry about the wet spots....if I pull a candle out of storage that has wet spots, I hit it with the heat gun and eliminate them........the wet spots DO NOT effect the burn of the candle and should not be an embarrassment to the candle maker.

So, my advise to you is to NOT worry about the wet spots but focus on the HT of the candle......after all, that is what the general public is interested in.........the scent throw.

4630 is a quality wax for containers......wet spots or not...it is the best that I have used.

I can't even begin to count how many candles (pillars & containers)that I have forced on my friends.....but ya know, that's ok because I get my pleasure from pouring them....and I know, without a doubt that the person who burns the candle will enjoy it.  Of course it is nice when someone does respond with some positive feedback on the candle but ya know, I have found that so much of the public really doesn't know what a quality candle is...they are so used to the store-bought candles that they don't know a candle is supposed to fill the room with scent and burn down to the bottom....but then how many of them have been educated on the ''hugging'' process to maximize the burning of the candle.

Ramr:  when wanting to know how differenr scents blend try making some melts instead of a full candle.  I have found that making and burning melts does give me an idea of how the particular scents blend and throw..........heck, if a blend doesn't meet your expectations, you have not lost anything and expended very little time and product 

be on the safe side and store them in separate bags.

I don't do a lot of wax melts but have noticed that different scents last longer than others depending on the FO used.  Sorry, I'm not really any help!!!

Never got into the griddle thing....but I do heat my wax in a presto, pull out what I want to work with into a pour pot...I set the pour pot in a pan of hot water (temp regulated to what I need) scent and color in the pour pots........all that said, I do not sell so anything I pour is usually on a small basis...........I can see the reason for using griddles........more than one pour pot can be kept warm at any given time

Going back to my 'early days' I can't even begin to explain the stupid stuff I did because I thought maybe that was the '''answer'''...but that said, it was because I was a Newbie and trying so hard to make everything right.......well, that just doesn't happen as easily as I thought.

13yrs later I'm still learning and thanks to this forum I can still move forward....learning new stuff every day without having daggers thrown at me for being confused on particular issues.

Love this forum 

Sometimes it is good to bring Mom into the issue....other times NOT.  If you want to make a product that impresses MOM then go for it...using the FO scents that you think will rock her boat..............if you have other interests  as is making a product to market then we'll have to leave MOM out of the picture.  I make a shaving soap that my Hubby like so I make that for him but that does not stop  me from make soaps with other scents.  If MOM's opinion tends to stop your future  experiments, then do not give into that..........continue to experiment with other scents.

As much as we appreciate the opinions of those around us, it is not always something that we can take to the open market or the bank....whatever blends you come up with should be tested.(MOM totally out of the pic)...if it is a blend that you are proud of then go for it.

Ya know, you'll just have to try it out to decide if it will work............Once you get the ''burn'' down to a science then you could eliminate the cat-food label.  I"ve never been into burning this type of candle(tines) .

As a related topic, I do recycle various jars for container candles.....like a jar of chopped pickle relish makes a perfect candle using 4630 with a #6  ECO wick.

But all that said, I do not like burning tins any size or FO....for me, they just get too hot for the amt of throw...but that's just me.

On 8/22/2018 at 3:50 AM, Forrest said:

I spent the first half of this year testing to get my wicks right and lately I've just been testing FOs. I mostly do tureens with 6006, wicking those things is a bear. Below is one I made for my granddaughter in Jelly doughnut. I ink the containers using alcohol ink.

 

 

That is one pretty candle.................

On 8/22/2018 at 11:07 AM, DoubleDee said:

Greetings!  Brand new to this forum and to making candles.  I have never made a candle other than melted crayons  in a can with a piece of string for a wick as a kid.  I hope to soak up lots of knowledge from this forum as I delve into another hobby.   Y'all were recommended by one of the friendly folks over at the SoapMakingForum.   I can only stash so much soap but candles can be enjoyed all day every day.    Lovely wife, mother of my children, keeper of the peace and counter of the coin loves candles and may join me in this endeavor.   I have no supplies and will probably start off with buying a kit of some kind.  

We have so much to share with you.......melted crayons in a can do not even come close to producing a quality candle....but it is one of those experiences that lead you to this forum and hopefully, the true nature and procedure for making a quality candle....

DoubleDee, please tell us what kind of candle you are interested in producing (container or pillar) and we can go from there.  If you are a """"""""soaper"""""""""""""then you will understand the procedures for making a quality product.....whether soap or candles. 

Please tell us what your main interest is, i.e. pillars or containers and we can go from there.........ya know, helping a newbie is really a """high""" that cannot be explained.   :-)

On 9/6/2018 at 12:52 PM, Quentin said:

I'm the master of overthinking things.

Hey, I have a degree in overthinking....the CPA I worked with for 20+ yrs always told me that I was overthinking an issue......but I have to say that over-thinking is far more productive than under-thinking..kwim?

On 9/7/2018 at 1:18 PM, Hopie said:

 

YES, it's a compulsive addiction! I made a few more molded candles lately, and my saguaro cactus simply "bent over" from the heat when we left and had the air off in here, LOL! I should post it here, it's all too funny! Had to order vybar and UV stuff to change the way this basic paraffin I bought behaves, so we'll see how that goes.  Back to dipping incense, it's all I can do in this extreme heat.

Hopie, go easy on the vybar because it can lock up the FO throw....just saying :-)

Extreme heat....the AZ heat should be subsiding soon.......the monsoons are past for the most part so all we AZ Natives have to do is wait for the weather to stabilize.....  

On 9/6/2018 at 4:16 PM, Quentin said:

That's the way I'm trying to approach it. I have times that I walk away mad to another room, plop down in front of the TV or the computer, pout and beat myself up. After about 10 minutes or so of that, I'm right back out there in the shop. It's a compulsion or something.

Heck, if it only takes 10 minutes or so to get a grip........then you are ahead of me....lol.

As a consumer, I really don't pay any attention to the ''''seasonal"" scents..........if I like the soap/smell then I buy it, if I don't, then I move on.  The same with candles,,,,,,the season's scents don't mean that much to me...if I like it, ok, whether it is represents the season or not but then I'm probably not one that you want to hear from........lol

Not being familiar with your particular type of wax(and it really doesn't matter),,,,,,,as a general rule, if you get that hole around the wick it is because there was an air bubble there.  While the candle is cooling, poke holes around the wick...this will allow for any captured air bubbles to escape.  I tend to poke holes around the wick and with my fingers, move the wick around in circular motion..this does release any captured air bubbles.

This is one of the most common defects in Newbie candles.........not a real issue and one that can be overcome by simply poking relief holes as the candle cools.....after you poke the relief holes and wiggle the wick around, after some cooling you will start to see the shrinkage around the wick....this tells you that you will need to do a 2nd pour to fill in that cavity

So don't overthink the situation.......you have done everything right up to the point of pouring the  wax

You have done nothing WRONG...........it is all a learning experience.

Now something that I want to add as a safety feature:  If a candle is burned and reaches this type of cavity, the wick flame could become a fire danger.... that is why we candle makers take extra precautions to make sure there are no '''''''holes'''''' down and around the wick 

Quentin;  if you stay with us, we will help you to become a Master Candle Maker..which I do believe is in your future.    A little hit here and there and you will be on your way and we all will be proud that we contributed to your success.    

HOPEFULLY.............. our suppliers will realize that our accounts are being hacked and they will work with us to eliminate the threat.

Whether they do or don't, I will not leave myself and my bank account open to hackers.  If I want to place an order, I will call the supplier directly..........if this is a problem for the supplier then they will be eliminated from my supplier list.   I'm 68yrs old., living on SS income and refuse to be scammed by anyone.......................period.

Mr. Dan,  they look great and I am looking foward to your next adventure.........aka.........keep them coming

23 hours ago, katmeltswax said:

I know right ,such a shame . I am even scared to use PayPal now with this supplier .

If they can hack into our personal bank account ,who's to say they can't get into our PayPal account .

 

I have actually heard of PayPal accounts getting hacked years ago ,not so much lately . It's just a scary feeling & I cannot risk it any more . Its sad  that Aztecs has a open road to hackers . It's happened once to often to me ,as my bank has started to question me kwim.

It's just absolutely uncalled for . I know it will not happen to me ever again . I go prepaid for all my future transactions kwim .

Paypal may seem to be safe....for the moment but we all know .... if there is a way someone will find it......I guess that is the negative of online purchases.

On my situation, between my bank and BB, all monies have been handled appropriately...no one lost anything except time and stress...kwim.  But I'm still baffled by the actions on my acct.......I can understand someone hacking my card to purchase items for themselves but in my case, the items were sent directly to my home.  So, I can't help but think that this was a glitch on the part of BB.  Like maybe someone at BB made a typo when processing an order and it pulled up my #........but then that brings up another question:  how did BB get that particular debit card number when I had never used it for online or in store purchases.

Oh well, the world of fraud is above my pay grade and I will be hesitant to purchase ANYTHING online unless with a prepaid card...of course with an understanding with my bank that if anything is charged to the pre-paid card over and above the purchase amt that it will be rejected totally.  I have seen where some prepaid cards allow for over drafting:

I worked for a marketing/research firm where all of our payroll was direct deposit (to bank accts or pre-paid cards) and there were times when an employees bank would allow charges to go thru on their pre-paid card when the funds were not available and when their next paycheck was deposited, the bank would suck it up for the amts of overdrafting.  So as far as pre-paid cards go, I am still hesitant to think that it is secure.

Maybe when I make a purchase for candle supplies, I should call the supplier directly to place the order...God forbid that I have to go back to the old way of doing things.......lol

I have total respect for BB and the FOs that they offer.......that said, there are many scents that I do not like but the ones that I do like, I use repeatedly.  BB is a quality supplier and I never hesitate to order from them.

On 8/15/2018 at 12:48 PM, Jcandleattic said:

I'm starting to get a bit tired of the mermaid tails. I LOVE them, and they sell so well, but I don't want that to be my only stock! LOL 

(my granddaughter wants me to make another batch, so I probably will make at least one small batch for her.) 

 

I need inspiration for something new. Anything new. Anyone have any ideas of what they would like to see me make? 

I need to make up at least 3 batches of - something - this weekend, so need to start thinking about it now.

 

So, give me ideas!! 

If we are working toward making a soap that entices the granddaughter then let's discuss..............what fo's does she like....bring her into the process........let her sniff fos and go from there.........like a totally bonding experience here.  Between the two of you, you can come up with a formula (or two) that highlights your combined efforts...............

On 7/2/2018 at 9:04 AM, TallTayl said:

Oh, and using a debit card for internet purchases is always super risky. Add a layer of protection using either PayPal or a credit card.

Paypal can be instructed at time of purchase to pull funds from a credit (or debit account) adding an additional layer of protection. 

 

Prepaid credit cards are probably the safest, since they have a limited amount of money tied to them. Add money to it as you purchase to only cover the immediate purchase. 

I want to expand on this...I had some recurring charges go thru my bank account using a debit card # that had been cancelled and replaced...when inquiring as to why the bank paid a particular debit on a card number that had never been given to the vendor, but the bank just went ahead a paid the charges under the new card number....they really didn't have an answer other than maybe I should use a credit card instead.........now, I do have a couple of bills that debit my account monthly and when I changed cards, they contacted me for a new number.  But when I was scammed in June, Best Buy debited my account with a debit card number that they had never been give......but the bank paid it anyway.

I've been thinking about getting a pre-paid card....if the money isn't there, then the charge will be declined but I do need to have a sit-down with my contact at my bank.  If a particular vendor does not have my current debit card number then why the hell does my bank authorize the transaction...........sometimes the internet is a blessing and other times it is a curse....................

Patch is my #1 blender for soaps and candles.........there is nothing better IMHO to mellow out a floral or fruity scent and it doesn't have to be used to the extent that you smell it when a person enters the room...if Mom likes it strong, then make it that way for her but hold back on the % of patch if you plan on making it for the market.  Your nose will tell you what's good....

I have never noticed any difference in HT depending on the current temp of the house.......my concerns came from WHERE I placed  the candle for testing and the draft effect.......if I'm running my A/C then burning a candle in my bedroom it should draft down the hallway to the living room where the A/C return is located.  If I'm running my evap cooler, then I can expect a good amount of the scent to be drafted out the bedroom window. (and yeah, going outside my bedroom window, I do smell the wonderful throw of the candle)

So, my understanding of HT is the scent that fills the room when the candle is burning with no influence from the actual room temp........since the HT comes from the melt pool around the wick, pls tell me how the room temp has anything to do with the throw???

I am totally open to learning something new,,,,,kwim?

Well, I'm a little confused by the added work involved with the kitchenmaide mixer & adding FO to heated wax.  Personally, I heat my wax in a presto pot, dip out what I want to work with into a 2 or 4 lb pour pot....set that in a pan of hot water and bring it to the appropriate temp for adding my FO...stir and swirl for a couple of minutes and go from there in adding color and then pouring.

You mention that you heat your wax to 140*,,,,,,,,,,can you tell us what type of wax you are using.

I have also seen a video made by candle cocoon and they use a HEAT GUN while swirling the wax/FO in mixing containers. They hold the heat gun beneath the container, as they swirl the container around and make a little whirlpool of the mixture inside.

There is absolutely no reason to go to this extent if you put your wax in the pour pot and set in a pan of water and heat to the desired temp.....kinda like heating a baby bottle,,,,,kwim.  there is no reason a heat gun should be involved in heating candle wax....IMHO

There are sooooo many videos on the internet on how to make candles and many of them involve so much unneeded extra work and so many of them really don't know what they are doing to begin with.

Hang out with use and we can make your venture into candle making a much better experience with out all the added work and confusion.