leenabug

IF it were me, i would be fine with that test burn. Even with that, by the time you get to the halfway point of the candle, the cd-10 might seems still a little to big. Some even use a cd-8 in their 8oz jj. However, Im like you, I use the cd-10 the most with 464 in an 8oz jj. I recently tried some eco-8 in the same scents, same jar, same wax and it drowned out on the first test burn, but then by the 3rd or 4th test burn, it was "catching up". However, I did NOT consider it a successfull test burn because at no point is a drowned out wick gonna be accepted by a customer. They dont have a problem with hang up as long as its gone by the time they get to the bottom of the jar, but a drowning wick = non useable candle to most people.

The one from Bluegrass smells awesome and is strong in soy!

I called and talked to them and they said it varied per item, could be a scratch, could be the glaze, etc. I think I am gonna try some anyway, if they are real bad, I can use them myself or give to people to use as testers..........I will let you know how my batch looks if I get them...............

they are currently on sale for $4, that added with the shipping would make them about $6 each if you get 25 of them. What exactly does imperfect, 2nd quality mean at levine's? Have you actually seen any in person?

ok, so do any of you that have used Tony's oils, also use Bluegrass or TN? Therefore you could tell me how you compared them in your soy wax?

I was told that if I wanted to test some really good oils, to try Tony's. But wow, I gotta commit to nearly $100 per fragrance because of buying in bulk......However, I am totally willing to do that if it means I would have a really good strong oil. For those of you that use his oils.........is it worth it? Until now the best oils I have tested were from Bluegrass, with TN coming 2nd. ( I am only listing or considering those that I can still order from, so that doesnt include my experience with those gone out of business) Below I compared the price of Pumpkin Spice... Tony's= $18.50 lb (but I gotta buy 5 lbs) Bluegrass= $18.00 for 1lb TN= $17 for 1lb, if I order 5lbs= $15 lb Any advice/suggestions on your experience? send message if you would rather........... BTW, I use GW464 Also, I have tested dozens of oils, now into my 4th yr, from lots of different suppliers on here. I have found some good ones at each place. However, I have never tested more than 10 from one place, so I am not sure if I am qualified to say who's I liked the best.....cause some suppliers have a huge list of scents...........and there is a freak chance I tested 5 "good-ish" ones from one place and 5 "bad-ish" ones from another place. Of course that would prejudice my opinion.....

I have had no troubles with them, they are fast and courteous. I go ever so often and get several boxes or wax and jars. However I have never tried their oils........

I am near Chattanooga, so almost half way in between alabaster and aztec (in knoxville). I"ve picked up at both. Aztec has the 464.

aww phooey.........i really like the smell.......guess I will just use it for melts

yes i did.........maybe just a tidgen stronger.......

best seller for 2010 was Blackeberry Pie from Alabaster

I am testing candles using this scent and I cant get it to have a decent HT. Its REALLY weak, I've tried 435 and 464 and then I mixed the 464 with 6%paraffin......still nothing. MOST of my other FO's have a med to strong HT using these waxes. Using a cd-10 in an 8oz jj. Anyone know what this scent needs to "awaken " it? The only other scent that I've had this much "nothing" with, is the Vanilla Bean from Alabaster.( I have lots of other scents from Alabaster that work fine....... I've got a mixture of 30+ oils on my shelf from about 6 different suppliers and these are the only 2 scents that have almost no HT in my waxes.................................

every time I get something wicked decent with a decent HT, then I get the urge to try a new FO from a new supplier...................... I really like this FO but the 435, nor the 464 works with it........thats why I was trying to mix some paraffin with it.........to see if I could come up with a combo that would "awaken" it!............. Anyone have any experience with this FO? Its called Whiskey SOur, made by Rustic Escentuals..........

I've found out with 464 that its choosy about its FO's. (my opinion) Order a few oils from Bluegrass, Kentucky and TN Supply. (maybe someone can jump in there with the actual names/links.) Those oils always seemed to work better in the 464 than others. 1.25oz per pound of wax, cd wicks...............LET cure for 5 to 10 days before testing. IF thats not strong smelling something has got to be wrong!:smiley2: ps......the bakery smells always smell stronger........blueberry muffin , orange chiffon cake, etc

lol. your right, that was much simpler! why do I complicate things?

no, this was a scent that has never thrown well..thats why I was mixing .........trying to find a combo that made it work. I have to admit that I have never understood about wicks.................Its sounds like I test backwards from the way you do.......... Its hard for me to believe that a different wick can change the whole scent throw of a candle???? I guess I always thought of wicks as a thing to adjust concerning the depth of the melt pool or how long the candle burned............So you think I should look at it different? that they affect the HT?

I have used several hundred pounds of 435 and 464 both. 464= LOVE the way you can pour hot (140 to 155), seems to pour up smoother .........HOWEVER it seems to be picky about finding FO's that have a good HT in it. (I seem to use bigger wicks) 435= HATED having to wait until cool (110) to pour, had alot of trouble with frosting and rough tops. HOWEVER, if you let the candles cure for a week, even up to a month, almost any FO from any supplier would have a HT . Yes it varied from soft to strong but rarely did I get one that wouldnt do anything. (I seems to use smaller wicks) WIth 464 alot of scents I cant get to throw at all. But when I did find a FO that worked with it..........how easy and fast to pour one up and it looked great! Results= I have no ideal which one I like better! lol!

so is this just a thing with paraffin...wick up if the hot throw is not great? I always wicked down cause I thought the hotter the wick the more of the FO it was "burning off". Im gonna try that........let me make sure I understand............(i am using soy) ....if you have a candle that the HT is not the greatest, try wicking UP , therefore a hotter flame?

so....if I add 1.5oz of paraffin to 15oz of 464, I now have 16.5oz of wax to which I add my 1.25oz of FO......hmm now I have 17.75oz to pour..... I think I will add 1.5oz to 16oz of 464, by the time I add my FO I will have almost 19 oz which will fill 3 of the 8oz jj. .....So would this still be roughly 9%?

just realized that I said this backwards...............Its should have been.....I tried it with 464 and 6% PARAFFIN..........

thanks all. Wouldnt you know it, the one I tested yesterday,( whiskey sour)had almost no HT. I was so disgusted that I left it burning just to use up the wax in jar. Hours later I start smelling something......so I go looking thru my house and its that candle!??? No scent throw for the first 3 hrs, then on hour 4 and 5 it puts out a med HT? :confused:I am so NOT understanding whats going on! Am I the only crazy on this board?! lol!

good to find this thread since its what I've been doing thru the holidays. I tried Berts "green tea" using the 464 and 6% soy with a cd-10. That one turned out pretty good but I havent had as much luck with the others. Gonna up to the 15% and see what happens..........

okay with the holidays, snow, birthdays and sickness............I am just now getting back to this problem! ..............The last batch that I tested did not seem to improve the scent throw at all............If adding that paraffin is not helping scent throw...........why am I changing my formula??????lol! Does anyone else add paraffin, in that small of an amount, to their soy?

I added 10% paraffin to my 464 soy wax and used the same wick when all soy (cd-10 in 8oz jj). I was testing for stronger scent throw and less frosting. The scent throw did seem a little stronger and the frosting was 50% better. To my surprise the texture totally changed, the tops were very smooth and the melt pool was deeper than normal. So my actual question is......Since the candle with paraffin has a deeper melt pool than the candle without paraffin (same wick) does that mean its burning hotter or the melt point is lower? Im a little confused here.......should I wick down to a cd-8 or will that lower the "heat" therefore decreasing the scent throw? YOu know I'm gonna try it anyway,lol:smiley2:, but I was just kinda wondering if my thoughts were going in the right direction?

okay, well that makes more sense that some seem to last longer than others. i had some from this one company that lasted for 2 years (were even getting "crunchy") but still made good candles to the last drop. Then I got a chocolate from this one company and it got "weak" after 6 months! I was shocked, i didnt expect to have any trouble from a chocolate......................