Lizzy

I tried the Dreamy Summer Nights from TCMS and it's quite nice. I can't say if it's the exact dupe to YC but it is nice.

I ship Priority only and the last few orders that went out took 8-16 days to get to their destinations. It's crazy!! Trying to explain to customers that it's literally out of my hands once a package leaves here is even crazier. LOL

15 hours ago, bfroberts said:

I’ve been testing that wax and you shouldn’t have any problem single wicking up to 3.5”, maybe even larger. I just haven’t tried anything larger than that yet.  It’s actually been surprisingly easy to wick this wax, in my limited experience.

I agree with it being easy to wick. I was pleasantly surprised. 

16 hours ago, lilo said:

Great info! Thanks Lizzy. I always use ECO wicks, maybe I should give zinc wicks a try.

Zinc wicks are great. They do tend to mushroom a bit more but it's worth it IMO.
 

I've had good luck with Eco wicks in Candlewic's CBL 130 so they may work in the PB600 too. I just haven't tried them yet.
 

I'm currently playing with the ProBlend 600 and I'm having great results with Zinc wicks and large Salsa Jars which are 3" in diameter. I single wick with a 51Z and use a 8-9% FO load.

They brought in EcoSoya and are charging almost double 

10 hours ago, ErronB said:

Did they just send you more? or make you jump through hoops and do other stuff? I emailed Bill back a week ago and he never replied.

Yes, they did....after I contacted Bill directly he made sure I was sent the right oil. He let me keep other too. 

16 hours ago, TallTayl said:

You mean like this?

Yup, that's exactly what I mean. lol
Sad but true....they're out there

I knew this was coming. Same with the dried rose petals catching fire or crystals exploding. I noticed that the makers don't really care as long as it looks good and sells. 30$ for a 8oz tin. Ok. I hope they are well insured. I tried to pass knowledge but fell on deaf ears. Ignorance at it's best.

12 hours ago, friendlysoutherner said:

 

 

Most of mine have holes/craters/air pockets ("snot bubbles" 🤪 whatever you want to call them!) on the surface as well - but the heat gun doesn't seem to get rid of it! Driving me crazy! I also have some cracking and can't seem to make the surface "perfect" (I have had a fair bit of bloom or frosting as well). I've started to try doing a second pour on every candle and that seems to help... but the perfectionist in me won't let it go!

 

And the sweating!! I can't manage to figure it out. What temp are you adding FO and then pouring at? I've tried just about every option and can't seem to get rid of surface air bubbles and sweating. It hasn't been nearly as bad of puddles as my first photos, but even just a day or two into curing I get little beads of sweat. I'm down to a 7-7.5% FL. Starting to realize this is much more soy than coconut and isn't exactly the smoothest transition from coco-83 by comparison..

I heated this wax to 200. By time it was in my pour pot it was 187. I added my FO and dye right away, stirred for 2 minutes and poured into room temp jars.
The reason I heated to 200 is that I read this wax does better when heated to 200. I am guessing bc of the palm wax that's in this blend. I did get some frosting on the second burn yesterday on top...but haven't had any sweat beads whatsoever. 

6 hours ago, jmspgh said:

Most of my testing so far with the coco brew has been without FO but a little over a month ago i poured a few candles (various scents) at 8% FO.  I started burning them after curing just over a week and the HT was mediocre.  However, each time I burn one since then the HT has improved.

Since it is mostly soy I can see that happening  I am doing my second test burn today. 

Ok here are the pictures.

For reference I used 8% FO + Hot Buttered Rum) with liquid dye (4 drops Honey) and a CD8 wick.

The first 2 pictures is after the initial pour. As you can see there's a huge snot bubble...lol...I took the heat gun to it and it took care of it but left me with cracks.

The third and fourth pictures are 1.5 hours in. 

The fifth and sixth pictures are 2.5 hours in.

The seventh and eighth pictures are after the initial test burn. Some mushrooming but I can live with that.

I do like the way it burns. The hot throw was ok for a 24 hr cure. The cold throw didn't and still doesn't impress me however. I will definitely pour more testers with other fragrances as Hot Buttered Rum isn't the strongest to begin with.

I used a CD 8 in the JJ with Hot Buttered Rum bc I knew the vanillin would try and be a PITA. It did very well. Got FMP in 2.5 hrs.
I did take some pics...they're on my phone. I'll upload them shortly
 

1 hour ago, ErronB said:

 

Bill did contact me finally with a bunch of questions, we'll see what happens.

 

I guess when you're making 40,000lb's of wax at a time there are bound to be some dodgy lots now and again lol.

I'm glad. Yes, I imagine so. I had issues with their 129 (ripples) but the next lot was fine. 

HP laptop for me too. Windows 10.

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

The more I think about identical photos, the more I think it is not really 100% necessary. As long as the photos are cohesive in a thematic way they can be successful.
 

For instance, this Etsy shop has 29,000 sales and every photo is pretty much different, but fits well with the shop. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisanWitchcrafts?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=806809120&section_id=7034138

 

This one has 30,000 and also has similar styling but not identical. 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheShabbyWitch?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=187727799

 

another icon with 37,000 sales also has the same styling but different product photo settings for each

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ForStrangeWomen

 

overall styling seems much more effective than identical settings, or stark backgrounds. 

 

well hot diggidy dog...thx for the witchy links ....love them!!!! LOL

30 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Just so that I’m clear of what to ask the forum programmers for, it’s only when you click on the specific thread on the right hand side of the main menu?

 

If you click on the form itself from the main menu everything works OK?

 

 When did this start?

for me it's on specific threads/topics....the link to the thread/topic should be clickable but isn't. It seems that it's mostly new threads/topics.
Started about a month ago.

I've had that happen a few times too. 🤔 Usually in the Classifieds

22 hours ago, ErronB said:

 

Still heard nothing from them. It's definitely the same wax because I know the color and feel of it I've used it quite a lot recently. The first couple times I melted some it had some weird oily looking droplets sitting in the bottom of the pitcher and it had a lot of weird air bubbles, it's not doing it now, but still really annoying since I spent the time to cut it all up and seal it into buckets for storing. 

 

I made a triple wick candle which has managed to coax out the HT better, but even HTP52's are burning with flames big enough to have 1 in a 8oz tin, it's ridiculous.

 Did you email Bill directly? I usually email him directly when I have a question or issue. I just had to again bc they sent me the wrong FO. 

I poured these this morning around 5 am.

Same method as I stated above.

464 Soy wax. Heated to 190. Poured out into pour pot. Added FO. Stirred for 2 minutes. Checked temp and it was 165. Poured into room temp jars.

These are my tops. From top to bottom

4 oz Jelly Jar

8 oz Square Mason

17 oz Tumbler

I can smell them from here....they're behind me on one of my pour tables. CT absolutely stunning!

oh that's frustrating  have you tried the Eco wicks?
I hope you find a solution

I have been testing 464 off and on for 3 years now and I do as I do with every wax I have used over the years. I heat my wax to 190 then add my FO (I don't use dye in soy) and stir for a minute or two and pour into room temp containers/jars immediately. By that time the temp has dropped to 160-170. I get mostly smooth tops. When I don't I heat gun the tops.

The throw (cold and hot) is hit and miss as it is with every wax out there...I firmly believe that quality FO will give you quality results. There's a few suppliers I won't order from bc their FO's (to me) are subpar.

I never understood the whole "adding FO at a lower temp". I started in 2004 with soy wax and even then it was recommended that FO be added at 175, temps be dropped to 110 and poured slushy ( I was using EzSoy) I have tested a lot of waxes over the years and I have never added FO below 170. I was going to try it (not gonna lie) but I honestly don't see how it would thoroughly mix with the wax and it just goes against everything I have learned over the years. LOL

I have seen (in FB groups) that people do add the FO at 120 and then wonder why they have FO pockets throughout their candles. 

I got the bubbles (not champagne bubbles....more like snot bubbles...LOLOL) and cracking too... but the cracking didn't happen until AFTER I heat gunned the tops...plus some frosting on one of the two I poured. Kinda odd being they're the same FO, dye and pour temp.
I did my first test burn 24 hrs after the initial pour. Hot throw was there but being it's a natural wax I will give it more time. Wasn't impressed with cold throw at all. I sniff it every day to see if it's improved and it hasn't. Will test again on Wednesday (7 days after initial pour) 
 

10 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

Even Candlewic did away with their "shipped pricing" but all the way across country is 55. shipping. Unfortunately, they don't carry palm waxes.

I noticed they did do away with the "shipped" option but they do carry Palm waxes

https://candlewic.com/c/candle-making/wax/palm/

Same wax...50 lb case...21.12 for shipping from CW. Both C&S and CW are in PA.