JacquiO

Now if they could only come up with a decent soy pillar wax.

I have two right now. One with and without the spigot. My stepfather modified my first one going by the direction here on CT. I tape a piece of wax paper to the floor to catch the occasional drips. The one without a spigot I put my 4lb pour pot right into it to mix my color and scent and keep it melted between pours. One of these days I'm going to get a presto griddle for that but the presto I got for $1 at a yard sale works fine for now.

I've used food colorants in MP, lotions, and salts and they've never stained my skin when used in those applications. However my shades are generally light. I made a medium shade orange bath salt that turned the bath water orange but it didn't stain my skin or tub.

If you have any tabbed votive wicks handy I would start with them. Baby jar is about the same width as a votive candle.

Does anyone know of an online tutorial or video that demonstrates how to do this loaf swirl effect? I really want to try it.

Lowes stopped carrying the Roebic lye a while back. I've heard and Ace and True Value may still carry Red Devil. I broke down and ordered a 25lb bucket online after I ran out of Roebic's

Ditto here that is one kick-butt recipe. You have the shea and the PKO and they rest you can get at the grocery store.

I looked at that recipe and I think she got her chemical names mixed up. If you want to make a liquid soap you need KOH (i.e. potassium hydroxide). Buy some KOH from an online supplier and find a good liquid soap recipe and run it through the soap calc. I don't think you could get lye from potassium chloride and distilled water any more than you could get sodium hydroxide from table salt (i.e. sodium chloride) and water. At least not in your crockpot lol! Both have to go through a process of electrolysis. As for producing chlorine gas I can't find any reference to boiling potassium chloride in water to create chlorine gas. Chlorine gas can be produce by mixing bleach with ammonia. Not something I recommend unless you want to die a gruesome death.

Trust me you'll want a heat gun. You don't want to use brand new cooking equipment. Before my presto I used an old spaghetti pot the kind with the strainer pot inside a large stew pot for my double boiler. You can check out your local thrift shops for old pots to use. But for around $20 a presto pot is the best. The double boiler tends to steam up your work area. I modified my with a spigot and it makes a great melter but even without the spigot you can melt and pour into your pour pots or just place the pour pot in the presto and melt it that way.

I love to give newbies some advices because I made some pretty big blunders and I know these tips would have helped me out. If you have a question post it in the veggie wax section. It's easier to get a direct answer than sort through hundreds of old posts. Don't worry if your questions been asked a hundred times before. In addition to the supplies you listed invest in a heat gun. Every chandler should have one but especial those who work with soy. Soy tends to bubble, crack and sometime cauliflower on top. A heat gun is a simple stress free fix for a smooth top soy candle. Heat guns are also great for cleaning wax off your molds and equipment and for warming your jars or molds before pouring. Never melt your wax over direct heat or in a microwave. Use the double boiler method or buy a presto pot. Or you can melt them in a pour pot over a electric griddle. Whatever electric device you use it has to have a temperature control. I usually set my to 200 to melt my wax. Have plenty of paper towels on hand. Wipe your supplies clean. You can heat them in your oven set at warm to wipe clean. Never pour wax down your drain. In fact avoid your sink altogehter when cleaning your candle making equipment. (With the exception of your measuring glass for measuring your FOs. That you need soap and water to clean.) Don't make food with candle making equipment. You may use your kitchen bowls, spoons, wisks, measuring spoons and cups etc. but once you use them for candle making don't go back to cooking with them. Designate certain tools for candle making and store them separate. Here's a shopping list of things you may want to have on hand before you start: Heat gun A digital scale that weighs to the tenth of an ounce and has a tare function (a must have item!) A thermometer. The cheapest is a glass candy one but I think the digital ones are best and you can get one under $10. However I love my themometer gun. It rocks! But it's about a $30 investment on ebay. Paper towels Bamboo skewers (you can get a bag of 100 for $1 they make great stir sticks) Cookie sheet or baking pan with at least a inch lip on it. (Place your jars or molds in it before pouring and let the baking sheet and not your counters and floors catch your drips and spills. I learned that one the hard way) An apron A glass measuring cup that weighs liquid ounces. A chemical wax remover for those uh oh moments. A putty knife is great for scraping wax off any smooth surface (another must have) Wax paper, kraft paper or foil to protect you work surface or floors (optional). No. 1 rule of advice - Don't make candles in a room that's carpeted. Cheers and have fun, Jacqui

What do you call it? Christmas in Key West Looks good.

I use the cheapest 100% olive oil I can find in the grocery store. I always check the sales flyers because I can get the big 101 fl oz cans for $9-10 each.

I'm no chemist either but that doesn't sound right. IMHO just buy the KOH online. The Chemistry Store carries it and so does AAA Chemical I think. I know that soap in the ol' days was made with potash. You can find plenty of info online on how to make potash by running rain water through wood ash but I wouldn't know how to calculate the potash to fat ratios to make soap.

To pour into small molds and tealight cups I have two kitchen tools that come in handy. One is a small stainless steel tea pot. Like the ones that hold hot water in restaurants when you order tea. I got a couple at a local restaurant supply store. The other is a stainless steel creamer. I find them usually at yard sales or flea markets. Both can be wiped clean after being placed on a hot plate.

What a fabulous first time quilt! And of your own original design? Wow! Where do you find these swaps?

Scottcrew candle supply has a lot of inexpensive plastic molds for under $2. http://www.scottcrewcandlesupply.com/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=1225504.3290

The 135 has the better throw but I prefer the overall look and performance of the advanced.

How wide is the jar? The amount of ounces doesn't tell me much when I need to know the diameter of the candle you want to wick. There's a few wicking guides on the net that can help you figure what wicks are recommended based on the diameter of candle. Here's one I often refer too http://www.candlewic.com/candle-wicks/pop-spools.asp. Candlescience also has a wicking calculator where you put in the size and type of wax. The only bummer thing is it has to be one of the waxes they sell. Since I don't order wax from them I don't find much use in it. They do carry IGI 6006 so you might find it helpful. http://www.candlescience.com/learning/wick-guide.php

You might also have candle nose. Especially the next day since your work area and even your whole house may be inundated with that scent or a combo of scents. I know that with some fragrances it's takes a day or two for the smell to dissipate meanwhile your olfactory sense has gotten numb to it. I wouldn't scrap your candles and redo them before taking one out of the house and getting a second opinion. P.S. A couple tbsp of coconut oil per lb of soy wax or a USA (universal soy additive) may help with the frosting.

Air pockets are common in candle making. One of the things I learned is to gently tap my molds or jars just after pouring to get all the air bubbles out before it starts to cool. I use my pairing knife that I use to shave dye blocks. Once the candle has cooled however I use the heat gun too to try to get them out. If the air pockets are real bad it's best to poke holes and do a second pour.

Yeah I just checked out Van Yulay's site. She's got some really nice molds. http://www.vanyulay.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=2 We're not really helping Michele avoid a new addiction are we? :whistle:

This candy mold might work. It say's the ribbons are 3-1/4" x 2" and 1/2" deep. They might fit right into your oval soaps. http://www.scottcrewcandlesupply.com/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=1225504.3290&p_id=CK90-9230&xm=on&ppinc=detail&hdr=mMisc

The hydrosol you can't use in candles. It's basically a flower water. A fragrant by-product of chamomile EO extraction. It can be used for making soap and other B&B products. You can sub it for water in your soap or B&B applications. The pepperming EO can be used in candles, soaps or B&B. It's an essential oil so candles made with it the scent could dissipate over time. But some of the "all natural" candle makers like to use EOs for their candle scents and peppermint is moderately priced and strong smelling enough that you could.

Silicon molds can get really expensive but there are some sources on eBay that are reasonable and also on eBay are candle-makers selling their used silicon molds. Also you can find some on the classie here on craftserver. Over time you can build up a really good collection of molds without losing your shirt. LOL This is one of my favorite eBay sellers of silicon molds. Such a cute assortment of really unique stuff and a lot under $10 and $20. http://stores.ebay.com/Scorpio-Innovations Scottcrew's silicon molds are pricier but he's got a great selection especially if you like doing bakery candles. http://www.scottcrewcandlesupply.com/store/agora.cgi?page=mscottcrew.html&hdr=mscottcrew I usually buy plastic molds from scottscrew. They're really inexpensive but the silicon holds up wayyyyy better than plastic and worth the investment if you're serious about making and selling candles.

That is so cute! I'd pay $12 for that. I've never seen wax dipped animals done that way but at long as it holds up after being warmed I think it's a really neat idea.