jonsie

Thought I'd use this thread to vent a little bit. I placed an order with NCS on Monday and it's currently being shipped. But since I forgot to include some other wick sizes, I went to place another order on Wednesday, and they tacked on a $5.00 packaging fee? Any of you know what that is? Is it new? I sent them a message asking what it was for, and I hadn't heard back from them yet. And, I had been holding off on placing a big order with ACS until they got their UV stabilizer in (the original reason Richard started this thread). Last week they said it was in, but not decanted yet. Here it is a week later and it is still not decanted So frustrating.

Oops, I meant to answer earlier that yup, I don't have these yet and I'm waiting to get them. Not sure if the HTPs will be here by Friday rjdaines, I had NO IDEA that the 1212 and 1313 fell between the 105 and the 126. The supplier I ordered these from listed the wicks by number, not by ROC, so I assumed they were for huge diameter candles and that I'd have no use for them. Sooooooo, I didn't order them Thanks for the heads-up.This link had good info on the HTPs ROC: http://www.wicksunlimited.com/atkins_pearce_htp_wicks.php

That is very helpful. I have the 105 and 126 included in my order, hopefully one of those will be just right. I really appreciate your size suggestions. I noticed when I used the CDN wicks in the Patch, not only would it mushroom, but the actual wick wouldn't easily disentegrate but instead turn into a long string of white ash (like a cigarette would do if not tapped). Is there a name for that?

Thanks, this is helpful for me too. All of my status/metro jar candles have been done with wooden wicks, but I want to offer corded wicks for all my fragrances. I've got a lot to learn.

Thank you Jeana. I just need to wait to get the other types of wicks in, and I'm not very good about waiting. Glad to hear Lemongrass wasn't a problem.

I only have CDN wicks handy, and they mushroomed terribly with 464 in the status/metro jars. The only other wicks in stock in Australia are HTP and ACS (local supplier brand), and I just put my order in today. Any other brands I should order? I don't mind ordering from over seas, I just hate the wait! And by the way, any suggestions for wicking Lemongrass EO? Fingers crossed it isn't a tough one.

Bart, Very interesting proposal, lots to consider there. I completely agree that Oz needs and can support a third candle supplier. I have always fantasized about becoming my own supplier, but not just for candle supplies but for American goods that simply aren't carried by the stores here. Perth is getting flooded with American Expats so the market is constantly growing, but only one small operation on the East Coast to service it. Enough of my rambling, I'll focus back on candles, hehe. Wow, sold at cost? It would be fun to see that, lol. But if you could get containers of supplies like that, would that be your plan?I'm having fun imagining a third supplier Susan

Yes, it boggles the mind. My theory is that ACS is limited on stocking space, but that doesn't mean they can't solve that problem with more money. Space is definitely my problem. I'd love to order my own glassware and stock up on packaging but I simply do not have the space. By the way, our work visa here in Oz expires in Dec 2012. My long term goals are getting shorter now, lol. So my stock needs are getting smaller as well. I like the idea of an Aussie co-op... it is definitely needed, but I'm just not sure it is something I can take part in.

Just got off the phone with ACS. They received the UV inhibitor in their last shipment and should be available for purchase in the next couple of days. I was completely out!

Yup, either a competitor, or someone fishing for a freebie. Sounds like you handled it very well. I was doing a market last weekend and one of my early customers was opening my glass container candles to sniff since I hadn't set out the testers yet. He somehow managed to break not one, but TWO of my large containers, lol. I haven't done a lot of markets... maybe 20, but I've never had a customer break a container, let alone two in the same minute. He apologized, and I excused it as a bad batch of glass, and he bought something else. But the thought definitely crossed my mind if he was someone from the only other candle seller at that market, hehe.

Thank you both Kitn and Candybee Since oils usually float on water, I wondered if there was an oil I could add to the M&P that would help the soap float. But it sounds like mixing in air is the simplest solution. Then that's what I'll do

Are there additives I can use with M&P to help make it float in the bathtub? I know we discourage our customers from letting our soaps sit in the water, but I want to make some childrens' soaps, and I'd like for the soaps to float in the tub along side them. I had some success whipping my M&P with a stick blender and it floated very nicely in the water once it solidified. However, the whipping makes the clear M&P opaque, requiring more pigment to achieve the desired color. And if you whip and pour at a hotter temperature, the bubbles in the liquified M&P may have enough time to rise, giving you a color gradient throughout your soap (good or bad, depending on the effect you want). If whipping is my only option, then I'll do it, but I was hoping for something simpler that I could just mix in

I agree with the others that you should try dropping the FO % from 10% to 6-9%. I don't quite understand why this helps, but it sure does seem to make a difference for the better.

Thanks for the tip. I have plenty of RBO for making soaps but I have never blended it with soy wax for candles. I'll have to give it a try. Very interesting info, Deena, thanks for the post. I probably contact them by phone and ask them if they use alcohol or water in their vanilla. And we'll have to compare experiences with our eo supplier, pm on its way

Thanks for the responses. I'm not positive there is something out there that will mix with soy, but I had been googling this a bit and I keep hearing about Vanilla CO2 distillation. I wasn't sure if this is the one that will mix ok with soy. .... edited to add: I see what y'all are saying that Vanilla doesn't come as an essential oil. Seems I am looking for something Vanilla to scent the soy wax that is not a synthetic oil like the usual fragrances oils. Most of my local market is requesting soy candles scented with anything besides FO, and they will pay whatever. And I don't mind trying to make, and just when I think I've got something nailed down, I realize there is so much more to learn!

I bought "vanilla oil" at the local essential oil supplier and it simply sank to the bottom of my pot and wouldn't blend. I called the supplier and he said since it had water and alcohol then, yup, it wouldn't work with soy. He didn't have any other vanilla oils that would work, except for FOs (which is not what I am looking for). I don't want to make another costly mistake like that. What type of Vanilla I should look for?

Hi Richard, yup, I haven't been around much and thank you for noticing During the Summer I was participating randomly at our neighborhood farmer's market until we hit a scorcher of a Saturday. The heat alone about killed me, not to mention how it ravaged my candles. To add insult to injury, I made only enough money to pay for the stall rent. Yeah, I was a bit discouraged. So I took a break and didn't pour a single candle for six weeks. I returned the weekend before Mother's Day and was surprised when the regular market shoppers were glad to see me back With the cooler weather I have made a commitment to myself to try to go every Saturday now. So far it is going well, knock on wood. I'm offering the Maxi Lights and those are a huge hit, and I use them to introduce fragrances before committing to the R&D process of making it into a wooden wick candle. I also need to take a hard look at my product prices and make some adjustments. But now I'm rambling, lol. Hope all is going well for you and you are taking full advantage of the strong Aussie $. I'm considering ordering some more packaging supplies from the U.S. so let me know if you are looking for anything in particular. Take care Susan

Welcome, Fiery, this is a great place to talk candles. If you are looking for a perfect candle, but your funds are limited, making candles here in Australia will drain your finances fast. But I think you can see that now. What kind of candle are you looking for? And I enjoyed your comment of "'hey Susan my PC is broken', I could walk in and fix it no sweat" because not only did I used to help people with their computers, my name is Susan too. Then I heard the siren call of candle-making. Oh the vacations we could have taken with the money I spent on candle supplies!

Thanks for the heads up on the UV, Richard, and glad to hear you got yours sorted out. I was just at ACS today but I didn't think to check my UV stock.

Those strawberries look beautiful! And the apple still looks pretty tasty to me I would like to try it one day. I've got a stack of other projects on my list so it will have to wait, but I do appreciate you sharing your results.

I admire you for undertaking such a huge challenge. I would consider myself a logical person too, and I have also recently become very interested in the flash points of different FOs. However, it may be difficult to establish a pattern here based on the data points you are requesting. One variable with FOs that changes the outcome of the candle burn is % used. I may use 6% of Lovespell in one candle, but I may use 8% of Christmas Tree in another candle. This changes the overall composition of the wax, and my wicking needs vary as well. The use of dye in the candles also affects wicking. Not all of us color our candles, but in my case I do. The amount of dye, the type of dye, the medium of the dye (powder, liquid, chip, block), can change from one of my candles to another. Not all chandlers stick with one brand of wick. They may find that not only do they need to wick up or wick down, they may need to switch to a different brand because maybe it can better handle the dye or vanillin (or whatever) better. It would be wonderful to have a reference like what you are suggesting, but the number of variables, the volume of data, and, most importantly, the subjectivity of each individual's results, may yield too wide of a range of patterns to be useful. I really do not like to discourage anyone on any kind of project such as this. I love collecting data and twisting and turning it around to find helpful information from it. But I felt I needed to speak up to say that a lot of other factors are involved, and since the results are based on a matter of opinion, you probably wouldn't get the reliable patterns you originally hoped to get. Best of luck to you.

Thank you Lovemylabs!

I need a little help, please. I'd like to order one of these from the U.S. but I'll need it to work with Aussie power. Can you tell me if the Cricut Expression power adapter uses the same kind of cord (the part with the actual wall plug on it) that is used with some laptop adapters? Or better yet, does it look like the picture below? Thanks!

I used 10% USA, 10% CO, and 80% 464 with standard amount of UV, heavy liquid dye, and 6% FO. Frosted like crazy and had wet spots, but burned well with my wooden wick and didn't have any pitting after burn. No residual wax clinging to the side of the jar as it burned. It would make for a nice blend in a tin, but for a glass container... not so much.

WSP is Wholesale Supplies Plus I looked for wooden lids on there and only found this: http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?CategoryID=1855&ProductID=4818 And here is a link to a list of abbreviations to suppliers and common terms here: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5492