evergreen

I have melted down some beeswax candles to re-render the wax (to get a cleaner burn) and have unburned cotton wicking that came out of the pot very clean. Once it has dried completely, would you use the wicking or toss it? It was raw to begin with but I realize that cotton wicking is chemically treated with flame retardant (a mordant). These were my own candles, and not some that I bought from an unknown source; so I can identify the sizes of square braid wick.

Hi Donita, thanks for your input. I will look into some of Candlewic's waxes. I got my first supplies from them and was happy but they have a longer lag time before shipping--that's why I order more from CS. I was not particularly impressed with the mottling on this IGI wax. I did insulate the poured molds in a styrofoam cooler. Yes, I cleaned my molds well before pouring--with a heat gun and paper towel. Then I sprayed with ReleaseGen and reheated before pouring. I think the money I've spent on wicks is about to rival the money I've spent on FO's! That's what I get for trying to learn three different waxes...palm, beeswax, and paraffin.

Thank you, homecomfort. I ordered some flat braid wicks yesterday from Peak. They didn't have size 27 fb, so I got 18, 24, and 30. (I'll try the 18 for tapers--and maybe tealights?) I also added some of the sizes of square braid that I didn't have. (I currently have #2/0 and #2 and neither of those seemed like the right size for a 3" diameter paraffin candle.)

I wouldn't do that if the OP has a septic system...it would probably destroy the flora in the septic tank to have that much lye disposed of at once. Besides, there may be restrictions in regards to flushing large amounts of lye into the local sewer system too. (She lives in Australia.) I would call the local government recycling/disposal center and inquire about hazardous waste disposal. They may have an amnesty day in the near future in which it would be free to drop off the lye for proper disposal.

Hi, I made my first candle with IGI 1274 -- 3" diameter pillar. I used one pound of wax, .5 oz of Cranberry Marmalade FO from CS, liquid dyes from CW, and LX18 wick. The first burn on this candle is going strong but I'm wondering if it's too strong. The wick was trimmed before lighting and the flame height after 45 minutes was 1 3/4". I trimmed it back and the height returned to an inch. The hot throw is not great so I'm thinking the wick is too big. I used what was recommended in the CS wick guide for this wax but I'm learning I can't trust that. I chose the wick for the 2.5" - 3" candle diameter. The candle was poured about 18hrs ago and came out of the mold this morning. Should I have let it cure for a while before burning as you do with soy? There are pock marks on the top (concave mold, bottom pour is top of candle). I used ReleaseGen to condition the mold and I'm wondering if air bubbles got trapped on the bottom. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

I prefer food grade. The lye dissipates faster (less impurities) and you can handle the soap without chemical irritation sooner. You still have to wait the typical cure time for best hardness and product results. Hot process soap definitely benefited by using it because it cooks faster and the texture of my soap is better if I don't have to cook it to death. I don't get zapped when doing tongue tests--which means a lot to me. I do use pH strips as well.

I really think this is a lesson in proper safety practices for dealing with hot wax and oil and NOT about the Presto brand pot. As it is, we are all committing "operator errors" by melting wax in the Presto pot since it states clearly in the instruction booklet that it is not to be used for that. I'm sure the thermostat on the newer ones is more sensitive to temperature changes so that by pouring fluid out of the pot and revealing the bottom, it cools quickly and reheats. My point is that there is probably nothing wrong with this piece of cooking equipment. We all must use common sense and proper cautionary measures while using a cooking appliance as a wax melter. I learned to make soap before venturing into candle making...lye is a caustic chemical that's essential to making soap from scratch. Therefore, I had to learn to respect it and what it might do if I handled it incorrectly. It's the same thing here...handle wax and heat sources with caution, respect, and focus at all times.

It sounds to me like candles4ever is not turning off the thermostat or disconnecting the presto pot before pouring. I have had the thin layer leftover from pouring or the small amounts from a previous session start to smoke on the inside of the pot. Because of this, I take care to cover the bottom of the pot when reheating with plenty of wax when starting a new batch; clean it between sessions if I have no leftover wax or will be using a different wax; and I turn off the thermostat, unplug, and disconnect the power adapter before pouring wax. My presto pot is only two months old (bought new) and I believe the issue is related to "operator error."

What diameter pillars are you working with? I'm currently trying to find the best wick for 3" diameter feather and crystal palm wax. I ordered CSN 11 raw wicking from CS and it just came in so I haven't used it yet. For 2" diameter pillars made with feather palm, FO, and a dye block, I used CSN 9 primed wick. (This was a wick assembly with the wick tab but I hung it upside down and weighted the wick with a locking washer. The wick tab was cut off the top after the candle set.) The CSN 9 worked great for the 2" and left a thin shell around the outside of the pillar. I wouldn't use 60 ply flat braid. I have that for beeswax but think it's too big for palm wax pillars unless they're over 4" in diameter. You could try a square braid wicking but check out the CSN's since they were developed for palm wax.

I've been trying to determine what type of wax I'd like to focus on for pillars and novelty shape candles. I've read all the posts in the veggie wax forum about Palm wax being discontinued at Candle Science. Candle Science is already my main supplier since I'm on my fourth order with them. My paraffin order came in yesterday. One of the waxes that I bought is IGI 1274--I love mottled affects. (Palm wax is my other favorite and, that's being discontinued at CS...) So--I just thought I'd look up the data sheet at CS and must not have noticed last week that IGI 1274 is being discontinued. I must say that I'm pretty frustrated by this since I checked the shipping on a case through Peak to my east coast location and it was $50 while CS was $33. (I'm trying to plan for the future since buying in ten pound sample sizes is getting expensive.) I really like CS but the fact that the two waxes I wanted to work with are being discontinued is really irritating me right now. Can anyone tell me if IGI is discontinuing 1274 mottling wax or is this just a product buyer choice at CS? Is there another mottling wax available on the market that people can suggest? If I should just make my own mottling wax with a carrier oil and base paraffin, which wax would you suggest?

Hi, I was wondering if anyone uses a product called, Candle Sheen? Or similar products referred to as candle shine or gloss? I've also seen a DIY recipe for this coating that's 2 parts denatured alcohol to one part Mop 'n Glo. I'm considering ordering or making some of the DIY recipe for wax ornaments and large pillars. Does anyone have experience with it on candles? Thanks!

I don't know where they are in CO, but I checked the CO Springs weather and it was sunny today. I don't know if they've had any significant storms and power outages. That being said, I'm sure that their server is down and either no one is attending it (hosted remotely) or they host it themselves and someone dropped the ball as far as maintaining the server, or there was an intrusion and files were corrupted. Computer equipment fails and sometimes replacement parts can't be picked up at the local Staples or Best Buy. Who knows...the best thing to do is call on Monday. I did just get a custom error page from Peak...

I tried to access it yesterday too. Thanks for posting this.

Really? I just ordered that scent because the reviews said it was really potent! Damn...

I was wondering if IGI 4625 would be okay for a typical cylindrical or ball hurricane with a tea light? Ideally, I would probably choose a 155MP wax but I will have the IGI 4625 on hand soon. Beeswax has a MP of 145 and I intend to use that for hurricanes too... Can anyone give me some comments from experience with this MP type of wax for hurricanes?