TallTayl

@CandleCocoon is the one I think might be able to help. They are in WI also, and use BW waxes. I’ll call to make sure they see this. 🤞🏻

Sounds like a browser issue. I’ve been trying on phone, iPad and pc with no weirdness so far.

I bought it too. Worth the $ to me though for testing. If something goes wrong with a candle in the wild, at least I can prove I test correctly and that I chose proper containers! Not combustible materials of any sort. And I know how to test tea light holders. Lots of good info in there. i have a bone to pick with those who profess to the 175*F temp though. The quote came from somewhere, and like a questionable opinion blog post, was copied and pasted far and wide as fact. Where I do see temps to consider is the UL testing documents I have posted about before. 125*f for metal and 150-145* for glass or ceramic depending on the test version used. Google around for those PDF results.

The difference could be as simple as heat loss from the proportionally larger surface of the bigger jar compared to the smaller. There’s not enough thermal mass in the big one to offset the much larger surface area on top, causing the solidifying of the surface. The inside shrinks as it cools and has no place to go but to create a hole. got distracted before adding to try a little tent, like a paper towel or box inverted over the top to see if it helps. Small drafts over the top cool the surface down very quickly. The tent often helps prevent that, or at least slow it down enough to not be as big of an issue.

Is that little hanging bit on the top center attached to the wick holder? It’s hard to see on my small screen. the wick holding device may be altering how the larger mass of wax cools just enough to cause new issues.

I feel so relieved… I met my cut off date and time for Christmas delivery and am ready to put my feet up and rest a bit before clearing the “crafermath” that is my work shop. Round the clock production and shipping is exhausting, but the kind words from pleased customers has been worth it all. onward to a new and different 2023.

Sounds like the batch contains too much of the binder. Bummer. His is not the first time or the first supplier that flubbed a wax lot. I’m soooooo tired of inconsistencies. Soooo irked b the wide range of “acceptable” batches released to unsuspecting consumers.

Please use caution when putting flammable or combustible materials on any candle as decoration. People WILL light them as-is despite any stickers or warning labels and you as the maker will easily be held liable for the fire damages.

Welcome back. 😊 rustic Escentuals calls it Diamond Dust / Dazzle Dust or something like that. (If this is similar to what you remember) https://www.rusticescentuals.com/candle-making-supplies/glitter-diamonds-dust.aspx

That will definitely help short term. temp fluctuation during the life of the product will eventually cause grains to form. It’s the nature of the beast with butters high in stearic.

The uneven surface is likely due to the components and additives in your wax blend. Every additive in commercial wax has a purpose driven by consumer demand (better glass adhesion, less shrink, higher fragrance load, etc). Each of those additives has different melt and drop temps., and they coalesce at different rates (causing uneven surfaces as they stretch and shrink during cooling). Adding that much fragrance does several things, such as diluting the additives, or wetting the wax crystals for longer in the candle. As the candle ages sometimes those additives continue to shrink along with the recrustallization of the wax crystals the,mselves and cause tiny, inconspicuous voids where fragrance begins to seep and pool. Process improvement potential: often heating the wax to reach the melt point of the component with the highest melt temp, followed by thorough and complete blending as the wax cools improves the finish. adding more fo% is a viscous cycle. As fragrance retailers stretch the dollar with more and different diluents to keep the price point profitable, the wax manufacturers are tasked with making normal wax hold more of those diluents. I have moved away from most FO retailers for that reason. It should not take 10%-15% to have a wonderful candle that burns safely, cleanly and throws hard. I may pay more per lb for my FO custom from the lab than most are willing to pay from a retailer, but I use a fraction of the % and end up with better candles (and soap, shampoo, melts, etc)..

There used to be a miracle product for controlling stearic grains called ButterEz. There may be new offsets on the market by now.

this may help figure out how to measure/calculate how much wax you need.

Pastry bags 😊

Any wax can be used as a melt. Packaging becomes the tricky issue. Anyone remember the squeeze melt gel wax?

Hi! An awful lot depends on the consistency of your product as you package it. If it is a thinnish liquid, a funnel (especially with a "stopper" like a chocolate or pancake funnel) helps. If it needs a squish, a pastry bag (or ziploc bag with the corner cut out).

At my big summer event I would use Muslin drawstring bags. They became part of my overall branding and people always knew where candles were from as they walked around the venue. Brought a lot of business my way. A few times I used the Kraft bags with a rolled jute paper handles.

I'm so happy you found a great solution! Stearic acid isn't going anywhere, so you're SET!

From a super quick search I looks to be manufactured by NuCera. (https://www.nucerasolutions.com/candles). maybe they have an offset or solution? Possibly clarus wax has a similar offset product in their PolyBoost product line? “Vybar™ 343 polymer Technical Datasheet | Supplied by NuCera Solutions Vybar™ 343 polymer by NuCera Solutions is a hyperbranched polymer. It is distinctive and depends largely on the amount and length of branching. It is typically harder than other polymers or waxes of similar melting points. Enhances the hardness of soft waxes and possesses mold release for polyurethane foam. Has formulation flexibility, enhanced solubility in solvents, pour point depressant, lower congeal point and modify cool rate. It is crystal modifier and offers oil binding, opacification, increase hardness, solubility as well as control melt point. It is insoluble (18% EVA.

If it has been stored well, and does not smell “off” it should work. Sometimes the older formulations are premium as they predate a lot of the awful changes.

IF the discoloration is forming in the layer of the melt pool, then often it is just too hot of a wick for that particular container, fo, etc. sometimes the fragrance oil discolors too. As long as the container does not get to the “too hot” range I consider discoloration to be a minor flaw versus a safety hazard. UL has published acceptable Temp limits for various companies of 120-125*F max for metal to 140-145*F max for glass. carbon heading suggests it is not the ideal wick for the wax/fo/container. The wick just can’t fully combust for one of several reasons.

Does anyone have an ounce or two of the original? We can send it out and have it made.

Wet spots: IMO cosmetic issue only. Many container waxes shrink with time and pull away from the sides. Heating to try to fix creates other issues. Soy, in particular, will begin to form really ugly frosting if heated and cooled to try to fix a wet spot. I would not spend too much time or energy fighting them as they will appear with time with that wax. Some container waxes adhere much better, but create other issues. Some shrink away so much that they begin to rattle in the glass. pour temps. Most low temp advice I see on forums and Facebook are kind of junky. Without knowing the a,end,ents to the wax (trade secrets), you don’t know the temp of the highest melting additive. For instance, stearic advice and palm wax need to hit close to 200*F to fully melt and thoroughly mix. Some soy blends contain palm and or stearic, so not reaching the full melt point causes weird frosting and stability issues. Soy wax itself is nearly 90% stearic acid by nature, so playing with temps at the beginning messes up the candles at the end. I heat all of my soy and soy blends to 185*F ish, cool to about 160*F and add fragrance. Stir well as it cools to cloudy or slushy stage and 99% of the typical soy problems are prevented. Each time you handle a candle it costs money and creates risk of making small problems big problems. melt pools. A full melt pool at 1/4” deep is a limit, not a goal. Once the candle hits the mid point and issues will be magnified,and may turn out of control. I wish to the candle gods and goddesses that the full melt pool on the first burn myth would die, be buried and stay buried. Too many new candle makers try to hit that first burn pool and create hazardous candles that should never be out in the wild. Many think that good HT comes from a full melt pool. I hate to break it to them, but great HT comes from great fragrances coupled with the right wick and wax choice for the chosen container. Everything is a balance. Typical retail fragrance sold as “professional” is just not that great. If you need 10%-12%+ to get HT then it’s not a super duper fragrance. It wasn’t too long ago that we had access to fragrances that would quickly and easily fill a large room at 3-6% with a tiny wick.

Any roughness on the mold surface will trap air as wax is poured. You can try silicone spray or other candle release agent to help but a smooth surface will be your better bet.

Looks like a surface tension issue. this happens in silicone molds with wax, plaster, etc. A release agent / mold prep product often helps. With plaster and concrete a soap spray, ammonia spray, or pro product applied before pouring does the trick. I always use silicone spray in candle molds to help break surface tension as the wax pours. Wax cools rapidly as it hits colder mold surfaces and does not give time for those bubbles to move. We need to prevent the air entrapment to begin with, and let the pouring wax just slip onto the mold surfaces. You can still experiment with pour temps, and different waxes to achieve the look you love, but will likely still have some pitting issues without a surface prep of some sort. for free-standing candles, my go to is usually beeswax. It’s the most forgiving for surfaces, but is not without its own issues. Paraffin pillar blends I’ve seen can be stunningly beautiful, I’ve just not had any time to play with any.