burnt_fingers

I am considering getting a Presto pot. For those of you who use one, do you use it as is or modify it with a spigot? If you use it as is, what is the best method for pouring out the melted wax? TIA

51-32-18... Jesus, I am losing MY mind. lol. Sorry for all the confusion. It is as Brighter Scents listed it .. 51-32-18 ..

Don't feel bad, I lost mine.

Just a quick question, to keep me from losing my mind. On brighter scents website, they list the 51-32-18 cotton wick. Is this the wick that you have? I had checked when you first posted, but it seems everyone keeps referring to it as the 52 whatever.

carol k, my bad for not checking my wick and just copying from the original post. The wick I am testing and refered to is a 51-32-18 cotton core.

My test burn so far using 52-32-18 cotton wick with EcoSoya CB Advance, Wild Cherry FO and Reddi-Glo Red Dye Chip is working great. The container I am using an 8 oz. Ball Quilted Crystal Jelly Jar. While this is not the same chemistry as you are working with, I hope it helps. Best thing to do is give it a try.

Skane2009,

Welcome to the darkside (addiction, madness, etc).

I am currently testing 52-32-18 cotton wick for a different soy brand after 4 sizes of square braid failed me. Not much help I know, but did want to welcome you.

I made 12 jelly jar container candle using 3 types of FOs and 4 sizes (#1, #2, #3 and #5) of square braid wicks. The glass containers are 2.5" diameter. With the initial lighting, the flame is perfect for the first two hours with a 1/4" to 3/8" deep melt pool. By hour 3 the pool is a 1/2" deep and the flame is more like a glowing ember. This happens with each of the four sizes of wicks I used. For the heck of it I poured out the pool and trimmed the wick to just under a 1/2". This worked great for about an hour then the flame dwindles down to a faint ember once again, but the wick itself is 3/8" above the melt pool that is 1/8" deep. Any ideas on why this is happening?

I have yet to use a container wax that has not pulled away at one time or another from the glass. Be sure to clean your glass containers in Dawn dishwashing liquid. To get rid of any residue left behind from washing with Dawn I wipe the inside of the glass with white vinegar and wait about 5 minutes before a hot water rinse. I then either air dry or use a heat gun to spead up the drying. I also use a heat gun to heat the container just before pouring.

Lost another to the darkside.

Welcome to the addiction.

The only thing I can think of in your case was that when you lit the candle it was not hot enough to start the wax to melt and be drawn up to feed the flame. Next time try lighting the wick at the base where it meets with the wax and see if that makes a difference. If so, probably best if you primed the wick especially if you are making them to sell.

For beeswax candles I have never primed my wicks and have had no problems. I have also not primed many times while making soy candles and again no problem. I think the reason for this is because in essence you are priming the wick when you add the melted wax to your container.

Are you trimming the wick to about a 1/4"? I make container beeswax candles in Ball jelly jars that are 2.5" dia using either #2 or #3 square braided wicks. I have tried other wicks, but found they did not burn well and several went out within a minute of lighting the wick. I think it is due to the wicks inability to draw the melted wax effeciently.

My wife did open the sliding glass door in our kitchen to remove some of the scent. Wild Cherry was really strong! Which cooled down our working area a few degrees.

Thanks for the link to the wax manufacturer.

If i want to smooth the tops of the 415, will a hairdryer do, or should I use a heat gun? If a heat gun is recommended, who has the best prices (I'm just a beginner, so I don't think I need the cadillac of heat guns).:smiley2: Thank you!

I would not recommend a hair dryer. I did that and the force of the air splattered the wax everywhere. I went with a heat gun from Wally World (Walmart) for under $20 with two settings. (700 and 1000 watts). The other alternative is to save some wax from your pouring, reheat to 5 to 10 degrees above your first pour temp and fill just enough to smooth out the top.

I Finally got around to trying liquid dye. I bought several 1 once bottles that came with a glass pipet dropper (eye dropper). I would like to know what you all do to store your bottles? I mean do you store them with with the glass pipet dropper or use the original cap? If you use the original cap, what do you do with the pipet?

Saturday I tried EcoSoya Container Blend Advanced Soy Wax for the first time. I followed the guidelines at Peak Candles for preparing the wax. After cooling for about 3 hours I noticed cracks at the top surface so I hit it with a heat gun. After several repeats I am still getting hairline cracks. Is this to be expected with this wax? Below are the guidelines I followed.

• When using liquid, chip and block dyes or no dye at all, heat the wax to about 175 deg. F.

• Working/pouring temperatures should be in the range of 100 to 155 deg. F. 130 deg. F is a good starting point for

larger containers. For taller and more narrow jars, 155 deg. F is a good starting point.

• Given the same size container, EcoSoya soy waxes require larger wick sizes than paraffin.

• Preheating glassware is not necessary.

I have been trying to find that piece of information for a few days now. I read it somewhere, I think the internet, probably 3 or more years ago. The thought came to mind when I recently purchased an FO with a low FP of 90 and somehow it reminded me of what I had read.

I recall reading somewhere that when selecting FOs that it's FP be within a certain perentage of a wax's working temp or risk vaporizing off a significant amount of the scent.

Given an FO has a specific flash point what should the temperature of your wax be in relationship to the flash point?

The foam comes as squares or in a roll the same width as Scotch tape. One type of place where you can buy it is an office supplies store. Something like Staples, OfficeMax or anyplace that carries that sort of stuff.

It's definitely removable. I heat the bottom of the container well with a heat gun, then pry off the wick tab with a butter knife and scrape the remaining foam off the glass. High heat does loosen it, but it's stubborn enough that I'm sure it would hold fine at palm pouring temperatures.

Again, this is the same thing as wick stickums but higher performance and more consistent than what the candle suppliers sell. It will come loose when you make it do so, but I've never had it just pop off under any circumstances.

You got to love those heat guns. Thanks for the info. I did not know they came in rolls.

I just picked up a pack of the 3M Mounting Squares which is perforated so you can have 4 squares. Anyway, I am going to give it a try. The back of the package says they are a permenant fix so removing them may be a pain if removal is possibloe at all.

Besides Wally World, does anyone know where the 3M adhesive pads can be bought? I can go to Wally World, but it's 25 miles away.

I think I'll look for some of those 3M adhesive sheets. I like the idea of not having to wait a few hours or more for the silicon to cure before pouring.

Thanks Stella1952 for the link.

I see from doing a search that it approximately 24 hours for the silicon to cure. So it looks like setup on day and pour the next.

Good thing the glue dots were cheap on ebay. How long does it take the silicon to dry before pouring in the wax?

This is NOT true. Wax weighs different than water. Please do not use this suggestion

Okay, back to the calculator link given by RedLady.