PurpleHippie

Congratulations! Glad to see Stella posting. After reading another post I thought you had decided to leave us forever!

I know the feeling;) ! The container I tested was actually larger than 3 inches. I think it is 3.5, never could get a single wick to burn correctly. That's why I tried the double wicking but that produced a full melt pool too quickly with very tall flames and the glass was far too hot. May not produce the same results in other glass. Seems to have worked well for some people.

KandleKrazy is right, with wax, wicks, FO it's always a trade off and that changes from one person to the next. RRD's are nice but they are like a little pac man. They consume wax at such a high rate that my candles don't last as long as they do with other wicks. That's just my opinion, may not be the same for others. I also have more soot with them when using higher than 6% FO. I am using high quality FO's and normally only need 5-6%. There are two other wicks that produce a very attractive flame but I get a stream of black smoke with them. Using the same FO at 6% I don't have the black smoke problem but when using another wick the scent throw isn't as good. I finally decided to go with a wick that had some mushrooming but didn't produce black smoke. It's good to be in search of perfection but so far there seems to always be a trade off. Correct one problem and you might create a different one in another area. Change wicks to avoid mushrooming and that wick might not give you the best scent throw. It's always a challenge!

I tested a small sample of this wax and I also got the really tall flames. I double wicked with two CSN 7 wicks and my container was very hot! I got a full melt pool in a 3 inch container in a very short time...1 hour, maybe. I think Top was correct about high MP possibly being part of the problem.

Vickey is right about additives possibly changing your wicking. I also wanted to add that stearic will harden your wax and if too much is used it will lessen your scent throw just like vybar. I discovered that the amount of what would lessen my scent throw changed with whatever FO I was using. It was never the same for all. The wax tends to harden over the course of several weeks. When I tested after 1 week and got the wick sizes to work correctly they didn't perform the same when I re-tested a few weeks later. Same weather conditions and storing temperatures. When re-tested several weeks later the wicks barely remained lit. Worse of all it really increased wet spots:tongue2: I've had better luck with just adding beeswax.

I just tested some CD and CDN wicks tonight. I had used them several years ago and thought I would give them another try. So far I haven't had a soot problem but the bend drives me nuts!!! Plus, no matter what size I use the flame constantly dances around and bounces. I like a straight pretty flame but the wicks that give me a constant non-bouncing flame either produce a lot of soot or mushroom. There seems to always be a trade off when it comes to wicks. I'm sure Stella will have some good advise.

SS reminds me a lot of Comfort Blend. I think that's the one that is really sticky, you have to scoop it out. Sorta like vaseline. I've added just a bit of paraffin to the GL and it works just like the SS.

I understand how upsetting this must be to you. Wet spots are ugly! I've used the GL wax in the past and I had the least amount of wet spots that I have ever had with it. However, I did have other problems if I poured too cool. Have you double checked your thermometer? I was very surprised to learn that mine was not accurate. I compared 3 thermometers and all 3 gave different readings. Some as much as 20 degrees! For sink holes around the wick my guess would be that there is something different about GL's current batch or that the candles are cooling too quickly. I also have more problems with wet spots at this time of the year. I checked on my display last week and I was very upset to see that ALL of my candles had the ugliest wet spots, not just one or two but all over the candle! They were beautiful for the first 4 weeks. It's colder now and the electricity is turned off at night, then the heat is on during the day. So the darn wet spots appear. It bothers me because I always wonder if someone else that makes candles takes a look at mine will they be unfair with their criticism. Then again, anyone that has experience in candle making knows that wet spots are not the sign of a poorly made candle. Are you getting a good throw from your candle, cold and hot?

I thought I was the only one that thinks Rachel and her "EVOO" are annoying! That's what I was thinking but I was trying not to say it. How about I admire your tenacity, courage, intestinal fortitude! Your right about the vanillas and soy. It may be a witch to wick but they really do work well together. I've worked with soy for so long that I no longer smell anything just from the wax. However, I know it's there because I remember noticing it when I first started testing soy. I smelled a very light something from the coconut. Not really a coconut scent but something. I've been working with so much FO over the last few weeks that I think my sniffer is defective! Now I am with ya there!!! Let's all make a date, after everyone gets their wax and has time to test and get the wicking down just right. Then order more wax when the supplier has moved on to selling from another batch or two. Inevitably that's when the headaches usually begin. So instead of pulling our hair out over it we can just gather here with some Appletini's or Strawberry Daquri and chalk it all up to a learning experience. In the mean time, I am just going to invest my money in a new blender and wait on you ladies to join me! :whistle:

Good idea, it may work very well with herbal FO's. I can use herbal FO's with my current wax so it isn't worth the time or cost to start all over with another wax. I've been making candles for many years now and one of the most difficult lessons I have had to learn is self-control. I actually think more beginners are usually the ones that are product and wax jumpers, I know I was. At first, I purchased everything I read about. If it was new, I ordered it. If one or two people mentioned a wax they loved I jumped right in and gave it a try. With more testing time under my belt I learned that every wax has an issue that keeps it from being perfect. I just don't want to deal with the inevitable inconsistencies that a new 'natural' wax will have. From what I have seen it just isn't any better than what's already out there. Not enough to change just for change sake. I've got the kinks worked out and all of my testing complete with my current wax and FO's. Which took many months of testing to complete. If it ain't broke don't fix it . If the supplier is near you and it won't cost a lot for shipping have at it!!! You ladies seem to like adventure so it might be a fun process for you!

I forgot to mention in my post that the Olive Oil wax has an odor that is not pleasant and I find difficult to mask. Maybe the coconut wax would be of better use in some B&B formulas. I'll have to look into that. Since these are new waxes I bet a lot of people will try it just because it is new and different. I find it interesting to read the comments that appear right way when there is a new wax. In the begining it's the best thing since slice bread(much like what was seen with the GG). Then 3-6 months later all of the problem post appear. I am keeping a bit of the coconut wax I have left and I might consider comparing my current results with a future batch. If there is going to be a lot of inconsistencies it's not worth the hassle of starting all over with a new wax.

Wicking is a major issue with this wax! I would rank it more difficult than soy and palm. JMO here...it's nice but not so much so that I would rate it higher than soy. Nothing that makes it superior in any way. I can get soy cheaper and from suppliers and the shipping would not be as costly. Like any "natural" product there can be inconsistencies from batch to batch with the wax. So I am going to stick with the wax I use since I am already familiar with it and how to manage any problems I occasionally encounter.

Stella you are right! I know everything has a risk and I have just had a fustrating weekend after calculating my out of pocket cost. So I think I am just being a grouch and maybe a little stir crazy from standing over a pot of hot wax for the last few days. Do you guys think we should add this information about temperature changes to the warning label? I am glad all issues are discussed, it's just that sometimes when I finally feel like I've got all my bases covered some new issue turns up. Always a problem. Now this old grouch is going to go enjoy a few Apple Martini, turn on some holiday music and start decorating!

Good advise from Stella! Be careful, depending on the container double wicking can sometimes make the container VERY hot. Then again one very large wick can do the same thing.

I recently purchase very thick glass from Libbey and Anchor Hocking because I thought this would be safer. So even if it is from a reliable manufacture the thick glass isn't as safe as thinner glass? I am just venting here because it has been a fustrating weekend...I stopped using tin because of reports that the tin was burning too hot and the entire candle turned into one big fire ball. I read that there were problems with thin glass and some suggested that foreign manufactured glass might be a problem. Ok, I switch to a thick glass from Libbey. Now there might be a problem with thick glass? So do we now need to add to the warning lable that the container must remain at the same temperature? There isn't any more room to add to the warning lable, at this point we would have to write a small book of instructions. I can't take it anymore. After doing this for many years I think I need to go back to knitting and forget candles! :tiptoe:

I don't like wet spots and I use to drive myself crazy trying to prevent them. I do all of the steps above and that's ok with me but beyond that I am not going to worry about them. I made a batch of candles that had not one wet spot but after 3 weeks guess what appeared? I think wet spots are annoying but it certainly isn't a sign of a poorly made candle. I think they bother us more than the customer. I have never had one person refuse to purchase a candle simply because it has wet spots. Most of the time no one even notices them.

It's not a candle but one of the best things I have used for this type of odor has been vinegar. Get several jars(baby food jars and Mason jars work great)and fill them with vinegar. Place them all around the cabin but make sure to keep them away from pets and small children. Add more jars if needed. Over a day or two they will start to absorb the odor.

I use zinc wicks only and I haven't had a problem. I normally do not have huge mushroom problems unless I use 8% FO. My normal range is 5-7% with 6% being the average. Curling wicks also bug me because I always seem to have an uneven melt pool.

I tried that same container!!! Be careful if you triple wick. IMO it made the container too hot.

Ain't that the truth!I recently tested a new wax, new for me anyway. Every single FO I tested produced black soot on the jar. I used 5-6% FO and tested three different types of wicks. These same FO's do not produce black soot in my usual wax at the same % and the same wicks. So IMO the wax was the problem and I am sticking with my usual wax. With some of my last orders for the year I have really had to take a second look at my out of pocket cost. I order every single item I need to produce my products. The quality of what is available locally is poor so I have no choice. Shipping charges add a significant amount to the over all cost. I find that my cost is usually several dollars more per item to produce verses someone that can purchase quality materials locally. With yet another shipping cost increase by UPS announced I am really having to take stock in if I can continue to offer products at a price that customers will be willing to pay. To keep within the selling price average for my area I am only able to sell my items at 1x my cost. After completing an all nighter in the kitchen, I am really wondering if that little profit is worth it to continue. So definitely consider your shipping into your out of pocket!

They do have great customer service and I love their oils for B&B but not so much for candles. I have a few that worked well in candles.

I am glad you like it. I never could bring myself to pour it, didn't care for it out of bottle. For some reason it reminds me of patchouli and nag champa. I dislike both of those sooooo much. I know there is nothing in that FO like those two but for reason that's what it reminds me of. I just might have to go ahead and pour it into some wax and give it a try.

I am just wondering how long do most of you test a new wax before moving on to another if you don't like it? Also, I've spoken to several newbies and I am always surprised that people forget to add in their out of pocket cost for shipping charges. If you don't get your supplies locally those shipping charges really make a difference in your final cost.

SnowTop, A Scent Shop.

Broke and 7 years. LOL. Actually I've been doing it off and on for over 20 but I've put in the most time within the past 7. 3 years before I started sharing my candles with anyone.