evergreen

I love the Balsam & Citrus! They're all great.

Hi Storm, I'm relatively new to candle making too but I wanted to respond to something you've said. When I introduced myself to this forum, I was given the advice to start with votives. They may appear to be a stand alone candle but they're actually a container candle (using pillar wax) since they should be burned in a tight fitting container. They're a good place to start no matter what wax or type of candle you'd like to make. Also, in my reading of this forum (many hours), I think it's safe to say that a quality container candle is harder to produce than non-candlemakers think. Therefore, I would dare to say that you might want to think of votives as your first project and read lots of threads in this forum. Votives will give you a smaller project to learn to experiment with wick choice, placement, pour temps, cooling rates...it all makes a difference. That said...read and "listen" to the advice from the experienced candlemakers here--and welcome!

Thank you, simplybeelightful, for your help. Unfortunately, I can guarantee that I'm S-O-L in regards to going back to the seller. He was pretty difficult to deal with in the first place and his reaction would be that "wax is wax"....he already said that four or more times when I was there. He asked me if I was happy and I said that I was since I felt like I had some wax that I could work with. I was thinking it would clean up fine. While browsing the beekeeping forums, I found that most people saw that bleaching is best done in the sun with a sheet of wax that's less than an eighth of an inch thick. I'm going to melt down one small brick and pour it on a cookie sheet to see if it will lighten in the sun. Of course, I'm on the East Coast and a lack of sun might be an issue this time of year. Anyway, on the bright side, I can add rendering beeswax to my list of traditional (homesteading) skills now! LOL

Just to clarify, you think that the 2/0 square braided would be too small for tapers and I should get the #2 square braided? I'd like to order some wicks by Monday so I can start pouring and testing. Where would I send the wax to have it bleached? My only test burn was with my first "strained" block and the wick self-extinguished. I started researching right away and discovered what I had to do on Sunday. I finally finished rendering all of the wax today and may just need to remelt some awkward size slabs for storage. I can finally begin the clean up. I found that some of my slabs stuck to the inside of the pot and others pulled away nicely (shrinking from the sides). I'm wondering if I'll have to make furniture polish with the waxes that didn't clean up as well. I kept the different colors in separate batches for processing--so some of them seem to have different qualities. Would I be able to use darker beeswax for body products like soap, massage bars, lip balm and lotion? I'm hoping that the darker beeswax isn't a skin irritant. I've since figured out with the help of some online beekeeping info that this wax came from old combs. I saw a comparison photo of frames from years 1-4, and the stuff I got looked like 4 years old. From what the beekeeper said about not being able to give the hives the attention they deserve, it makes sense. My husband thinks he didn't "screw" me with this sale intentionally. The man didn't even know what kind of bees he has (we asked because we had them for one season) and he's had bees for about 60yrs. Initially, he didn't remember why I was there to meet him or what time! He got irritated when I asked about lighter/yellow blocks of wax and that I didn't want any of honey or the black stuff (slumgum, I know now)...I said it would clog the wick and he acted like I was from outer space..."Wax is wax...you just need to strain it. We can go in the house and wash off the honey." So...I made a bad call from inexperience with raw beeswax. I've bought the good stuff and had to pay $10+/lb from a more local keeper...that is beautiful stuff but it's really high priced. The money I thought I was saving by buying this uncleaned stuff was blown away by the labor, time, and wax soiling my pots, utensils, and tile floor, along with the wasted cheese cloth and pantyhose. Who knows about the electricity. Sorry, I'm ranting... Thank you both, for your help! I hope to be able to use this wax for candles. I've been trying to work through this all week...I don't want to give up and feel like I lost $150 and all that time with nothing to show for it.

Thanks for your reply. I agree, I paid too much. The figures you quoted are about what I would expect to pay if I ever did this again ($1.50lb most likely)...and it would need to be the yellow capping wax. I paid $3/lb. I didn't realize it would need rendering and didn't really know what I was looking at. The wax didn't meet my expectations but I bought it anyway. I was told I would need to strain it with cheese cloth before doing whatever with it. It was far more of a chore than that. I won't misrepresent the wax...I will be declaring it as beeswax...not bayberry. It doesn't have the lovely smell of yellow beeswax and it looks like bayberry, so I thought it might be more appealing with the added fragrance. I would mark it as such...fragranced beeswax. I will be making tapers (I have an old tin mold) and may try dipping. I will also be making pillars and votives. I will be buying tealight cups. I have Eco-2 wicks that I bought for beeswax votives (based on the CS wick calculator) but they don't burn hot enough for commercially clean beeswax. I've been trying to decide what to buy for wicks all week. I came up with square braid 2/0 for the tapers and, I thought 60 ply flat braid for the pillars. I have a 3" ball mold and plus 3" and 4" diameter pillar molds that I would like to use. I will look into your recommendations--thank you. I even joined a beekeeping forum to get information there but I can't post my questions yet (no privileges on account).

Is there anyone on this board who works in beeswax primarily? Perhaps a beekeeper? One week ago I bought a 50lb lot of beeswax from an old-time beekeeper. I had to render it myself (we're not talking just straining through a cheese cloth here.) The colors of the bricks varied from dark olive to brick red. There were only about four bricks of mustard yellow wax. According to the seller the colors varied because of what he put in the solar extractor. We saw his honey and it looked like the darkest molasses I've ever seen. He has 80 hives and is starting to wrap them up for retirement. Now I know I didn't get pure cappings wax...it was brood wax for the most part with the bits of larvae and slumgum to prove it. A lot of it had honey oozing from it. I weighed all of the blocks before melting and I had 51lbs...it looks like I'm going to have 45lbs of finished wax. My questions relating to the background info is this: will this wax burn effectively? Will people want to buy candles made in these colors or will I have to dye it? Should I do a blend of this wax with another...like paraffin? Due to a week's worth of work for this, I already feel like I overpaid for this wax...so please be gentle with your comments. Much of it looks like bayberry wax, so I'm thinking I could buy bayberry fragrance to add to it. It doesn't have a strong honey smell so that shouldn't be a problem.

Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to candlemaking and, so far, want to focus on beeswax and palm waxes. I have feather palm and crystal palm, as well as beeswax, and a pound or so of soy 125. (I also have two pounds of a Yaley paraffin blend for pillars.) The extent of my candlemaking (plus online research and exposure to a couple of books) is this: I've made a pound of feather palm votives that came out great. I did learn not to make the little top edge over the lip of the votive mold because of the brittle nature of the palm wax. I've also made a few sets of beeswax votives and a ball candle. (My first two candles were beeswax and soy blend votives (it's what I had on hand) but I had trouble with the wicks since they were for paraffin.) I currently have a palm pillar kit from Candlewic and a bunch of supplies I've picked up...including Eco-2 and CSN-9 wicks from CS for votives. I was wondering if all palm wax has the fracture effect? I was interested in a pillar veggie blend wax through Candlewic but it costs more than the pure palm waxes. If I blend palm and beeswax, will it have any mottling/fracturing qualities? If I blend a little beeswax with palm will the resulting blend be less brittle and still have some crystal effects? Can you use palm oil to blend into palm wax to increase the fragrance load or make a mottling blend the way some people use coconut oil?

You could have a small display card explaining that your tarts are scented all the way through--not sprayed or coated with FO. Have a tart that's cut in half so people can pick it up and smell it...no oil coating, but perfectly scented. Emphasize handcrafting...professionally made with safety AND quality in mind. Superior products, not a FLASH in the pan...ready for a FLASH-OFF of scent or flash point fire.

I bought a cheap creme brulee torch at Kitchen Collection last night. It's a pistol grip butane torch. I haven't used it yet. It was $12.99 and they're running a promotion at my local shop--if you contribute a dollar to Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser, they give you 25% off your purchase. With the dollar donation, I got it for $10.74.

Essential Depot has tallow. It seems a little expensive but the shipping is included in the price: http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-Beef-Tallow-for-Soap-Making/Categories I buy lye from them--service was very good.

Hi everyone, I just received my first order of palm waxes...5lbs feathering wax in a Country Lane starter pillar kit and an additional 5lbs of crystallizing palm (palm-2). (All from Candlewic.) The kit I ordered was supposed to come with aluminum votive molds and a polycarbonate pillar mold. I received the plastic 17 hr votive molds and a 3" ball polycarbonate mold (as the pillar) in the kit. I went back to the website and it states on the designer polycarbonate mold listings that they are not recommended with palm-2 or palm-3. I received palm-3 with the kit, so I don't understand. Why set up a kit with molds you're not supposed to pair with the wax in the kit? Can anyone tell me why I'm not supposed to use the polycarbonate molds for palm wax? (Is it the pouring temp?) The instructions state that you shouldn't pour the wax at 200 degrees...since it will melt the mold. I've also read that the feathering will be better in metal molds. Is this a matter of heat retention or something else? I can't wait to get started but I just wanted to check with some experienced candle makers before I destroy my ball mold! I wrote to Candlewic and asked this question about the polycarbonate mold in the palm pillar kit but I didn't get an answer and placed my order anyway. I also ordered a palm additive but I don't know if I need it for this. I thought it might be helpful for my taper mold (have a vintage one). Thanks, Renee

Hi, Recently I became intrigued by bayberry wax. I don't own any yet and it's a bit expensive for me to make the leap so soon. I was wondering if anyone here works with it? Does it react like beeswax and do you wick it the same? Do people actually appreciate candles made from it (gifts and sales)? The prices I've seen for wax have been high--does anyone have a reasonable source?

What type of wicks are you using in your own candles? Do they have a metal core? The Yankee candles I have appear to use cotton wicks---at least I can't see a metal core. I do have reactions to candles and FOs. My ears ring and I may get sinus headache and/or asthmatic symptoms. Yankee Candles do bother me and I could barely breathe in their local store in my town because the FO's were so strong. If that doesn't bother your wife, I'd definitely look at the soy. I'm surprised no one suggested making beeswax candles. What about trying beeswax without added FOs? (You noted you're a vegetarian but you didn't say vegan--so I don't know if you'd find beeswax acceptable.) Are you paying attention to the temperature of the melting wax and using indirect heat? I'm wondering if an over-heated soy wax might out-gas a chemical that triggers allergies?

Hi, I'm starting with beeswax and palm votives to learn candle making. I ordered eco 2 votive wicks from CS for yellow beeswax. I have some white beeswax on the way to me but I noticed that the wick calculator has eco 4 as the choice for white beeswax. Why do white and yellow beeswax use two different wicks? Thanks...

Thanks--that was the website I found too. I think I will post this to the fragrance forum to see if anyone has used this line of product. Thanks to both of you for responding!

I have a large heart ornament made from yellow beeswax and probably made with a candy mold. I have had it hanging in my kitchen for five years. It has developed white crystals or frosting. There is an ornate design that I don't want to ruin by trying to rub off the white powder/crystals. What can I do to salvage it? I did not make it and don't have the original mold? What causes this? I have beeswax Christmas ornaments from 1986 that don't have this problem but they only come out once a year. I also have a white beeswax candle from the same age as the Christmas ornaments that's in the same kitchen and all it has on it is dust.

I don't have a specific FO to suggest, but what came to mind for me was a perfume I wore ages ago: Does anyone remember Casmir by Chopard? http://www.amazon.com/Casmir-Chopard-Women-Parfum-Ounces/dp/B000C210MI

I received 4- 1oz bottles of fragrances from someone today and the labels have no information other than scent name, date, and 1oz. They're packaged under Cosmo International Fragrances. I did a search and only found corporate information--no online store. Can anyone direct me to an online store that might have more info on the product? I'm looking for usage rates, whether these are only candle scents or if they are soap-safe...and if they may be used in cosmetics. I also received a vanilla in the lot, so information on browning in soap would be a plus. Also, I'm new to candle making and if these fragrances are for a particular kind a wax, please let me know.

OK--thank you very much for the quick reply. I'll buy candle dyes as advised. When you say you can't use pigments--Does this also apply to micas and oxides? I have those for soap making and I wondered if I could use those?

Hi everyone, I'm a candle newbie and I'm just getting some supplies together. I used to do a lot of hand dyeing (fabric) and I have some Jacquard liquid silk acid dyes as well as a lot of powdered Procion MX (cold process) fabric dyes. Can I use these for candle making--particularly veggie based waxes like Palm and Soy? Thanks!

Wouldn't a coffee filter absorb superfatting oil or fragrance/essential oils?

I think the unbleached wax paper would be more flexible than the parchment and should be a good choice.

kyme1911, Those look very nice. It should look great with a brand on the cover. Do you plan to wrap the shaving soap? I think parchment paper would be a nice touch.

As a follow-up question, will you be listing it as "goat's milk" or "powdered goat's milk"? I have been wondering this lately since I recently bought some powdered buttermilk and powdered honey. Can you leave it as x-milk on the label rather than listing it as "powdered"?

Perhaps, you should place an order someplace else for the scent you need for the bazaar. It would relieve you of any stress you'd experience in waiting for your SS order. Plus, they might be out of stock once your order is next in line. I wouldn't cancel what you ordered with them--I'm sure it's a good discount and you'll make up the aggravation with the eventual savings.