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The problem I see here is that you are only going to be able to make two small batches at a time and the wax will need pretty constant attention. Seriously, been making candles 25 years, a Presto Kitchen Kettle will be MUCH more time efficient for you. Just melt the wax (up to 7-8 lbs at a time) then pour into (weigh) the pour pots, scent, color and pour. This likely heats much slower, and thus 2 lbs could take far too long to be effective. You are spending way too much time overthinking this.

Bitter Creek used to have them but I am pretty sure they do not anymore. I also know that Steve used to carry them. The Candlemakers Store. Other than that I am not sure.

I was waiting for this. Ecosoya just can't stick to a formula. I started with buckets of this back around 2001. Eco 120 then they came out with Eco 135, then they went to flakes and since have reformulated almost every wax at least once and added and discontinued others. It was frustrating as a business owner and it made me change to a different wax eventually. Bummer though, I wonder why all waxes are changing? Must be an expensive component in them all???

After nearly 25 years in this business I think you are making this way more expensive and far more complicated than it needs to be. I worked from 2000-2016 for Bitter Creek, doing their tech support. I worked with very small vendors, just starting out to very large companies that have a very large internet/store presence. I can tell you that if you plan to make a lot of candles, the best long term solution is to buy a commercial wax melter. I strongly recommend water jacketed as they can be left on. It sounds like you are pretty new, and for that reason the best and probably cheapest way to melt was is simply using a Presto Kitchen Kettle from one of the major stores like Walmart. They cost in the range of $30 and will melt 7-8 lbs of wax in about 15 minutes. The idea of an induction top or this really aren't feasible for the long term and probably cost a lot more. Just my quarter as someone who has been in this business for a really long time.

Sure it is. There are plenty of direct heat melters, people use presto pots which are direct heat. It would not be safe to put directly on a standard electric/gas burner...because they can not be controlled, however this can be and would be perfectly safe to do so.

the actual diameter that the candle will burn...so inside to inside.

Since this has not been asked, what jar are you using? If not a common jar, what is the exact diameter where the jar is widest from side to side? How much scent are you adding to what amount of wax? Is that by weight or liquid measure? What wick are you using? Size and series? Are you adding anything other than the 4627? How long did you cure the candles? All of this can make a big difference. I worked with this wax for nearly 15 years in my prior job. Maybe I can help

No additive will increase scent throw. You can get optimal throw only by using the right combination of wax, wicks and additives along with testing.

I think if you measure that jar on the diagonal you will find in reality it is closer to 4" from corner to corner. In IGI 4627 I have always found that zinc core wicks do well. If I were using that jar, I would space two 44-24-18 so that the wick tabs are almost touching in the bottom of the container and spaced so they are going corner to corner versus side to side. Anything that wide really will either need to be burned a very long time (not realistic) or use two wicks to properly burn for most folks. This method has been one I have found to work well really in all the single pour waxes over the past 20 years.

4627 is a blended wax. It requires no additives at all. Very easy to work with. Just follow the instructions and you will be fine. If you plan to color and sell this wax, I'd likely recommend a UV protectant as I would with most any wax.

This is interesting. When I worked for Bitter Creek, we had a location in TX that would have bought from the Baytown IGI plant and the wax was identical to that which came from OshKosh, WI. There is no reason there should be this much variant between lots of this wax. It should be hard and slabbed. Sometimes water does get in wax when the cooling lines break...and since water and wax don't mix, just melting it will solve the problem. I'd call Lonestar and complain. This does not sound like any 4786 I've ever used and I have personally used this wax for almost twenty years!

This is interesting. When I worked for Bitter Creek, we had a location in TX that would have bought from the Baytown IGI plant and the wax was identical to that which came from OshKosh, WI. There is no reason there should be this much variant between lots of this wax. It should be hard and slabbed. Sometimes water does get in wax when the cooling lines break...and since water and wax don't mix, just melting it will solve the problem. I'd call Lonestar and complain. This does not sound like any 4786 I've ever used and I have personally used this wax for almost twenty years!

I have always used the original from KY...Rustic Essentuals sells it. It's amazing and only lightly discolors. Has a beautiful scent and was one of my top sellers for years!

We tested this years ago and it did....NOTHING. It did create soot, it did create an initial massive flame but other than that, nothing. There is absolutely no reason to do this. You actually don't even need to prime a wick for it to burn. Scent comes from the melted wax, not the wick, so this would be nothing more than a messy waste of time, energy and resources.

I have always soaped using Bitter Creeks Lavender or using Lavandin Grosso EO from Camden Grey. Both hold up great for me long term. The BC lavender is one of my top selling soaps.

To even begin to guess, we'd need to now what waxes you are blending specifically and what percentage of each. Otherwise it's a total crap shoot!

Is the rest of the candle gel or paraffin? If it is gel I recommend 160-165 mp paraffin for the embeds but toppers are fine to use a much lower melt point on, with gel I normally would use a basic pillar paraffin with a mp range between 138-145. Now if the candle itself is made from soy or container paraffin, then I'd recommend actually using the IGI 4794 votive blend. It's plenty hard enough and yet has a low enough melt point to burn fairly consistently to the container waxes. Hope this helps you decide!

Years back this one was rampant: http://lead.org.au/lanv7n4/L74-4.html Then there was the soy industry bashing paraffin. And true lead wicks were voluntarily banned in the US in 1978. In 2003 they banned Tin wicks (which I still love and have a stash of for my personal use) because of small, yet detectable levels of lead. Any soft metal will marl paper. Doctor OZ is an idiot. This isn't the first controversial thing I've heard from his show. The dude is a whackadoodle!

I actually work for Bitter Creek and was the one that posted that on our Facebook page. All of the Mica's and glitters WE sell are safe to use on candle tops and in gel candles. I can't speak for those from other companies but ours were originally designed to be used in gel candles and cosmetics and are perfectly safe. They are ultrafine glitters. So to answer your question in part, I have been using the ones we sell on my own candles for about 15 years with no issues, you don't want to "load" a candle but with an ultra fine glitter such as the ones we carry just put a bit on a cosmetic brush and dust over the candle or use in a fine shaker Here is the original posting, as you can see from the photo, there isn't much glitter or mica, just a fine dusting

To make why weight versus measurements make more sense look at full 1 lb bottles of fragrance. Note how each is filled to a different point (this is true only if the supplier sells by weight, not volume) Example, from the supplier I work for, a 1 lb bottle of Drakkar is about 1/3 empty in a 16 fluid oz bottle, but the weight of the contents is a pound. Likewise the weight of one of our orange scents isn't even a full lb, it's only about 15 weight oz. but that 16 oz bottle is full to the top... Because of this you may be using a lot more ( not less) scent than you assume you are. In the world of candles and body care always weigh wax, oils, butters and fragrances on a digital scale for accuracy. Very few things (vybar and steric acid are fine to measure in tsp and tbsp as an example) should be measured in spoons and cups. Scales are for making candles, spoons and cups are for cooking.

You would need to know the neck finish on the bottles to get that answer. I'd guess about a 28/400 which isn't real common I am afraid. Is it the same cap size on each? I'd call one of the suppliers, they would either know or could find out for you. This is a cool idea.

If you look at the bottom of the jars, the center rises a bit from the edges, and that combined with a long wick tab prevents it from burning all the way down. If you read the warning label it says to discontinue burning with 1/2" wax remaining. With that being noted, I think what you are seeing is not only reasonable from a safety standard but also expected by most experienced candle burners. I do however wonder if the wick you are using may be a bit on the small side based on the side hang up... but I also don't know how long it had been burning when this photo was taken either. That can change everything.

Those companies are likely small enough yet that the legal eagles haven't either found them or they will get a cease and desist soon. The problem is, there are existing patents on wood wicks. I know Dayna Decker is one of the patent owners. The company we got our wicks from had to legally stop production of them because of the patent. Trust me, they burned great and sold awesome for us, we wanted to keep carrying them but for legal reasons it's not possible. It will trickle down... it always does. The thing is, everyone making and selling the finished product is a violation of the patent, so I'd be cautious knowing they are coming after people. I got a C&D from a large, well known candle company back in about 2000 when candle makers were a dime a dozen. If they could find little ole me back then, they will find the rest of us now. I am guessing that once these companies gets that letter from the lawyers representing the patent holder suing to cease selling or pay up, the wicks will disappear from the market. I wish it wasn't so too.

The problem will be melt point. The 4625 has a 145* melt point which isn't good for melts. Most soy is around 125. Melts should not have a melt point over about 128*...so, If you use it, I wouldn't use much and honestly I wouldn't really recommend it.

Give me specific jar diameter (where they are widest, not generally the opening unless they are straight up and down) for each and I can make recommendations based both on 4630 and 1343. Keep in mind some mushrooming is normal and will never be eliminated entirely though, just a byproduct of anything that burns.