naomiheck

Before I give up on this and chalk it up to a big loss, I could use some input from you guys.

I purchased a Tog Mold from Paul through his Etsy store back in October, and knowing that it sometimes takes a long time to get it, I didn't think about it (I also had surgery which was a distraction). After 2 unanswered emails and searching online, I find out Paul had been very ill. Etsy said they couldn't help because his store there in closed. I also heard his store on Artfire is closed. It's been over 45 days since I placed my order so Paypal is of no help in getting my money back.

Does anyone have any other ideas on how to get my $85 back? Thanks!

Naomi

I also use that wax for tarts, with most of my fragrances at 9%. However, 9% of CS's Hansel and Gretel blew everyone in my husband's office away, so I cut back to 6%. I love CS because all the FO's I've tried from there work well for me at 6% in candles. They probably would be fine at that level for tarts too, but I'd have to test.

Naomi

Thank you all for your suggestions (sorry for the delay in responding). I will have to try the needle method with a skewer to tie the wick on since there is no flat surface in my cupcake mold to place a wick pin.

Does anyone here using silicone molds to make candles? I have a silicone cupcake mold that I've used for soapmaking, and was thinking about trying to make a candle with it. How would I go about wicking it? Do I need to pierce a hole in the bottom of the mold (which would be the top of the cupcake "frosting" part) to thread a wick through? How would I secure the wick since nothing sticks to silicone?

Naomi

I also use 464 to blend. I've never tried the 444, but I'm happy with 464 so I've stuck with it.

Naomi

I will try reducing to 3/4 oz pp. Thanks.

I am using a parasoy blend that I make myself, and like using LX wicks for most scents. I don't mind a small mushroom, but with CC's Vanilla Voodoo at 1 oz pp, the wick looks more like a cauliflower (multiple mushroom). The flame size (about 1/2"), melt pool, and scent throw are just right. Do you accept this kind of mushrooming if all other aspects of the candle are good, or do I need to switch wicks?

Naomi

After trying many waxes and blends, I've settled on making my own 30/70 blend of IGI 4630 and GB464. I love it.

Naomi

I am hoping there is someone who has tried this wax, too. I'm surprised that WSP doesn't have any reviews on this wax after a couple of months of selling it.

Naomi

I always used 1 oz pp Peaks Amish Harvest and thought it was perfect. Then I took a few months off from candle making/testing to gain back my sanity. When I lit the candle (10 oz square mason) recently, I couldn't stand how strong it was and had to blow it out. I'm sure it was mostly due to recovering from candle nose, but am wondering if throw continues to improve after the 2 week mark of curing.

Naomi

I generally like CD's for my GB464 wax, but I tested an 8 oz square mason with NG Spiced Cranberry, (1 tsp pp CO, no dye), and the CDN 10 did better than a CD 10. There was less mushrooming. Wish I knew why. I'll be redoing the test with the 2 wicks side by side to compare, just to be certain it's not an anomaly.

Does anyone else find that sometimes the CDN's work better than the CD's? I'd rather use CD's because they are easier for me to get.

Naomi

Do you have to line the sides, too? I am so ready to buy a "real" slab mold instead of using my cardboard box. Has anyone used Soaphutch molds? Do they need to be lined, too?

Naomi

Remember when leg warmers were all the rage many years ago (when the movie Flashdance came out)? That's what it reminds me of!

Naomi

Well, I tried the KY parasoy and had a little soot with the 8 oz jelly jar and vanilla during 3 hour burns. I inadvertently burned for 5 hours and the whole jar was black, like a lot of Y*nk** candle jars I see in people's homes. So I won't be using it straight anymore, and will go back to making my own parasoy blend. *sigh*

Jennyjo, how did your 415/j223 with CO work out? Did the CO help with the HT?

Naomi

Thanks for the suggestions, Top. Yes, it is parasoy. They were wickless for later wick testing. They all had circular cracks, the circle being about an inch in diameter. My guess is the cracks were about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.

I've also had wicked jelly jars do something similar. After hitting with a heat gun to smooth the tops, I get a few little bubbles that form during burning.

If I do the oven technique to smooth out the candles (that would be easiest for me), will the wick burn okay even though the wax coating has melted off?

Naomi

I am finding that even when I cool my 8 oz jelly jars in a preheated oven, I still get sink holes. On the other hand, my 8 oz square masons come out perfectly.

I want to get away from zapping with a heat gun because by the time I get enough of the top melted, liquid wax is splashing out onto me.

If I do relief holes, should I take them out of the oven after an hour or two, poke holes, then do a second pour right then? Is it OK that opening the oven at this time will cool the oven down significantly? Or do I not need to cool them in the oven if I'm doing relief holes? I just want to make sure I understand the poking-repour concept correctly.

Naomi

Yeah, I'm going to wait for others to try it out and read their comments. I have more than enough waxes and wicks with which to torture myself!

Naomi

Ecosoya CB Xcel. I don't know how long this has been out, but I just found it while surfing. From NGI's site:

EcoSoya® CB-XceLtm is 100% soy and molecularly blueprinted to control polymorphism. It has extreme resistance to bloom (white frosting) and “wet spots,” while producing an excellent scent throw with fragrances. It maintains an even burn pool with consistent color retention. CB-XceLtm requires one pour and new technology allows for top surface re-melting. CB-XceLtm has the highest melt point of all our container waxes, enabling shipment to all climates.

Has anyone tried it yet? I saw it on WSP as "coming soon". Don't know if there is another place that is already selling it. Dang, I don't need another wax to wonder about.

Naomi

Hmmm, I didn't think to try zincs in the parasoy, but that makes sense since there seems to be a lot of paraffin in it. I'm going to pour some jelly jars of the KY parasoy tonight and test my zinc wicks that are collecting dust. I'm with you, Jennyjo. I'm getting really tired of mixing waxes and wasting time going nowhere. I've got too many fragrance oils waiting to be tested as it is. :smiley2:

Naomi

I am getting similar sooting results as JennyJo with my parasoys - SP and Victory (is that the same as 4627?). Just a slight black film around the rim after a normal 3 hour burn, even when the wick is the right size. I've gone to blending parasoy at 25 or 30 % with 75 or 70% 464, and really like it. I like the appearance of the 30/70 better, but I'm being cheap and testing 25/75 more, just cause I have less parasoy on hand. I've got a box of KY parasoy waiting to be tested, but I can't seem to find the time right now due to my other job.

Can anyone tell me what type of wick works best with the KY parasoy straight? I've got some weak FO's from Candles and Supplies (compared to Peak's) that I'm hoping will throw better in the parasoy. Thanks.

Naomi

I'm glad you posted this. I am having the same difficulty, and decided earlier today to leave these jars for awhile and concentrate on my other jars because I'm tired of the frustration. I think the shape of the jar does funky things to the oxygen content when the wax gets toward the bottom. I am currently testing Peak's Amish Harvest (1 oz pp) with double C-70 wicks in parasoy (mostly soy). I like it so far, but it will be awhile before it reaches the "sticking point". I can't wait to see what happens. I had poor results with vanilla and LX wicks.

I recently bought a double wicked apothecary candle for half price at Yank** just to see it burn since I've never bought anything that size from them before. The flames are absolute torches. I even trimmed the wicks to less than the 1/8" that they recommend before each burn. Before an hour is up, I have a full deep melt pool and the wicks are long again. I have not been able to burn this candle for 3 or 4 hours because I'm uncomfortable with how it burns. I can't wait to see how it burns further down the in jar. I don't like seeing black soot rising from the flames, either.

If I have to wick an apothecary this way to get a decent burn in the last half of my candle, I'd rather not give it to anyone, let alone sell it. I will be moving on to straight sided tumblers and 16 oz wide masons.

Naomi

Good idea, Fiesta! I can sure make a huge ugly candle with all the used wax from my failed testers. It will probably smell awful, too, but I'll add a little citronella fragrance just for good measure.

Naomi

I don't like them; it's too hit-or-miss. You can't fine tune the wicking like you can with other wicks that are offered in many more sizes. I have a bunch left over that I need to get rid of.

Naomi

25% parasoy and 75% GB464. In this colder weather, I need to pour slushy into preheated jars and cool in a preheated oven overnight. And then cross my fingers.

Naomi

I have found that the parasoys I've tried (WSP's SP wax and IGI Victory Blend) soot too much for my liking and have crummy scent throw. I am now blending with GB 464 at a ratio of 25% to 75% and I get little to no frosting or sooting and better scent throw after a few days of curing. I use CD's and HTP wicks. I'm starting to lean toward the HTP's with this blend. I recently got KY's parasoy but haven't tried it yet.

Naomi