cliklm

I think they look nice.

How much beeswax did you add to the ezsoy? How was the HT?.

I added 1/3 cup of the pellets but it's a bit too much. The wax is a bit harder than I would like. On my next attempt I'll try only a tablespoon per lb. and see if that works better. The beeswax did give it a nice creamy top and no problems with frost or chunky surface. On these testers I didn't let them cure long enough to test the HT. I have one still curing and will be testing it next week after it has sat for a little over a week.

Yes, I noticed that about the LX wick. I have some CD's and ECO's on order--they are supposed to come in today. I definitely will test with them as well so see which one I like the best. I used the raw wick and dipped them in my wax and tabbed them myself before wicking the container. I might just try a raw wick as well to see if there is a difference in burn qualities.

Well, I tried again after taking into consideration everyone's advice and comments.

I went to the store and purchased some jelly jars. I used the wax blend I had produced; ie, EZSoy with beeswax, yellow dye chip, 1 oz. pear. Since I have not received my wick samples yet I used the LX wick I had in stock.

On the first candle I used a 22 LX and that drowned out and left all sorts of wax and frost on the interior of the container. I let it burn for 2 hours the first day and 3 hours the second day and it just kept burning down and not burning off the wax on the side of the container.

The second candle I used a 24 LX and that seems to be working quite well. I have had three sessions of testing so far; first day 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours that evening. When the candle was first lit the flame danced around quite a bit so I clipped the wick shorter and it calmed down. This is the second day and it's been burning since 9AM and it is now 1:30PM. The wick has developed a bit of a mushroom cap--I guess that is to be expected after such a lenghty burn time???

Now I started to test burn the second candle using the same wax and the 24 LX so I'll see if they burn similar.

I took some pictures of them--they can be viewed by following the below link. If anyone has comments good or bad please send them over--I like constructive criticism!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43041387@N04/sets/

Kathy - the newbie

Howard and Jennyjo,

Thanks for the tips. I've been sick for a few days but this weekend I'm taking another stab at container candles. I ordered some tins and jelly jars and decided to start smaller and tiptoe into this instead of making a big spash! :tiptoe: I'm also going to take the good advice on testing.

Kathy

Stella--thanks for the advice and encouragement! Yes, I am having fun Hopefully, I'll be posting some success stories soon!

Kathy

First, you need a scale. Ingredients should be weighed for accuracy. Volume measure just isn't accurate enough.

Okay--I better purchase a scale!

IMHO, a 16 oz. apothecary container is a large size to start. Candles have to be tested all the way down and it takes a long time to burn a 1 pounder! What is the diameter of the jar inside?

Yes, leave it to me to start with the 16 oz The inside diameter is 3 1/4 inches.

How long did you burn your candles before deciding they were tunneling? Generally, candles are tested by burning in stages - 1 hour per inch of inside diameter. It is not at all uncommon to not reach FMP on the first or even second test burn. Soy burns down, then out. Many candles do not catch up with hangup on the side of the container until the last half of the candle because the container heats up more as the candle burns down into it.

I burned them for 4 hours and saw they were not properly burning.

Some FOs & colors cause more frosting than others... dark brown is a frequent froster. You did not mention which FO you were using, but this could have had an effect also. Reducing frosting in EZ Soy (415) can be problematic. If you search the veggie wax forum for tips on using 415 or EZ Soy, you may find some great ideas that have worked well for others.

I used pumpkin souflee on the brown candle and pear on the yellow candle. It's a light color so I thought that would be best.

Did you wash the container before pouring? There is residue left on the glass after manufacturing that can cause the wax not to adhere well to the glass. It also helps to warm the container (~110°F) prior to pouring.

I did wash the jars but did not heat them--good point!

The beeswax hardened the wax slightly and also raised the melt point. It does help to make a smoother top... If the candle cools unevenly, this can also cause circular cracking around the wick.

Is there a reason you switched from the HTP to the LX wick? Generally it's helpful to stick with one type wick in a range of sizes to test so you can ascertain how the different sizes affect the burn. Changing the formula does not help either because additives (the beeswax) affect how the candle burns. When testing, it's good to be very methodical so that you can tell what caused a difficulty. Many folks omit FO & dye until they get the wicking down, then add one thing at a time, adjusting the wicking as needed to arrive at the proper balance.

I had ordered the HTP wick thinking that was the correct size to use but when it tunneled I thought perhaps the wick was burning too fast. So I had several sizes of LX and after checking various websites I thought perhaps the LX 24 would be a good wick size. I think I'll start another test and follow your suggestion leaving out dye and FO and work on the wicking first - and perhaps start with a smaller container

These are just some general hints - I don't use your wax but others will be along to give you more specific info about your wax. HTH

I appreciate your advice! I started making beeswax pillars last year (just for my use and for family and frieds) but I thought I'd like to try some container candles. I should have known not to start so agressively with such a large container!

Kathy

I thought I'd attempt to make some container candles with soy wax but I'm having lots of problems! I am using a 16 oz apthocay jar. I'm adding my dye and fragrance at 185 degrees and I'm pouring at 135 degrees. I cooled it in a covered box.

1) My first attempt was 5 cups of EZSoy. (I don't have a scale so I measured out 5 cups of wax flakes), 1 oz. fragrance, maple dye chips (I had to use several to get the color dark enough) and I used an HTP1212 wick. The color turned out terrible, the wax was severly frosted on the top, wet spots on the side of the container, and they burned down like a tunnel.

2) My second attempt was again using 5 cups of EZSoy but I added 1/3 cup of beeswax pellets, 1 oz. fragrance, 1 yellow dye chip, and size 24 LX wick. The color turned out nice, nice smool top with no frost, still a few wet spots, but these had a thin circular crack about 1" out from the wick. When I test burned it tunneled on me again!

So, I guess I have multiple problems. Can anyone recommend the wick size and how do I eliminate the cracks and wet spots?

Kathy