jeanie353

If the pot was hot enough to melt the wax, raising it a little more wouldn't change that the wax was already there in liquid form. I think that was coincidental to the build-up hitting a critical level.

Palm wax is more powdery than is soy wax, so it's easier to spread the dry wax around the pouring area. Even though it looks like "dust," it is meltable dust. Soy flakes are a problem, too. When I weigh wax to put in the Presto to melt, I don't just pour the wax from the container in which I weighed it - I "place" it in the Presto, like one would flour in a mixing bowl. If you pour it, it makes dust... if you carefully place it, it doesn't "dust up."

One thing is for sure: It's hard to crank out a lot of candles without making a mess. I do a "clean up" every so often and wipe everything in the candle room down, change the paper which covers my pouring table, vacuum & dust everything, heat up the Prestos and wipe them down well, and generally detail everything so that I can turn around and mess it all up again! LOLOL

You aren't kidding it is more like a powder type than soy. I missed a little one day transferring it from the big bag into the bowl and I had this stuff rolling/floating everywhere. Even the broom couldn't get it all so I had to drag the vacuum out.

Ewwww....I was hoping it was the high melting temp used for Palm. Now I am really concerned my Presto is on its last legs. I really could use another anyway so this might be the perfect time (excuse) to get one just in case. Or, maybe introduce the Nesco to wax.

Jeannie , you metioned you use a soy/para blen shipped to you in Pa , I'm in NJ where do you get this wax? Thanks to everyone for all you comments and suggetions.

Patti

CandleWic. I use CBL-130 and Eco wicks.

Jeanie, if you have other Prestos, try using a different cord (the actual cord & magnetic connector) and thermostat (the part with the dial and rod that inserts into the base of the pot) in the pot that's giving you trouble. If the problem vanishes, see whether it's the cord part or the thermostat part. Once you have isolated which part is giving you problems, you can order a replacement from Presto.

For general info:

There are 4 parts to a standard Presto: the lid, the kettle, the thermostat and the breakaway magnetic cord.

The lid: I don't ever use the lid while heating wax. It should be used only to cover the pot after use for keeping out dust & debris. The reason is because tiny specks and spatters of wax from the rim of the lid melt and seep onto the outside of the pot where they can run into areas of concern if not noticed and completely wiped away.

The kettle: the kettle is completely intact on the inside. It will not leak from inside. I never use a spigot on mine because sooner or later it WILL leak. The only area of concern on the kettle is wax dripped near the handles where it can drip further down to the bottom or into the hole where the heating rod plugs to heat the electric element inside (the raised round thing on the bottom that's encased in the metal of the pot). THAT is a vulnerable area which should be inspected and cleaned often. A Q-tip works. A bamboo skewer wrapped in a paper towel or cotton ball also works.

The thermostat: this is the most vulnerable part of a Presto to wax drips. It cannot be immersed to wash it. You simply must keep all drips off it and wipe any which occur quickly and thoroughly. Remember that a speck of unmelted wax matters because it melts!

The magnetic break-away cord: This is a vulnerable part because it cannot be immersed to clean it and any drips directly on it or from other components (ie. the thermostat) can seep inside it and compromise the connection inside. Keep it wiped and protected from drips.

The problems being reported in this thread are all due to wax accumulation from leaks, little splatters & drips. Even one drop or wax flake will liquefy and find its way into all kinds of locations on the exterior of the pot. The liquid wax can run down into the area where it plugs in and from there, into the encased heating element.

I am fanatic about wiping the exterior of my Prestos often during use and when I finish with them while they are still warm. I do not designate pots for different wax types - they've all melted palm & soy waxes. What matters is MAINTENANCE.

REMEMBER EVERYONE: Prestos were not manufactured to melt wax! They are supposed to be used for home cooking. They were not designed to be used for hours and hours on a daily basis, as with a commercial kitchen appliance. They were not meant to be drilled and have a spigot installed. Having said that, they are very simple appliances which will give years and years of hard service beyond their design if they have careful maintenance. HTH :smiley2:

Thanks Stella for all the good info.....This is the only Presto I have. Unfortunately, I was only fanatic about cleaning out the inside after each use and wiping down the sides only where it might drip on the work surface but nothing else. My bad.

I picked a regular one and had hubby modify it for me. It is strange b/c it was working perfect until I used it for Palm. I do really think I had wax built up in there and the high melting temps for Palm made all that wax liquify and go into all the places it shouldn't of went.

So right in that they were not made for wax. Many, many of my kitchen utensils, pots, double boilers, etc. have become wax utensils over the years but its fine with me since I like whipping up stuff with wax a whole lot more than I like whipping up stuff for food cooking

I just bought my presto pot and seems I have some issues.

I melted 1lbs. soy wax KY125 with 1teaspoon coconut oil. Heat to 165 remove from pot - poured into another pot with FO of 1.5 ozs. Poured at 100. Its been 5 days went to check on the candles and it seems part of the FO is sitting on top of the wax. Seems I have been having so many issue ever since I started the presto pot. Does it not get hot enough? Can I re melt the wax and repour these?

crazzie....I can tell you only from my own experience for quite a few years using the same Presto pot that it does get hot enough. I usually have to have mine on warm or just above for my soy/paraffin blend container wax and that keeps the temp of the wax at about 180-185ish. Sometimes I have to go up a notch or two. I recently just did 50 lbs of palm wax in there where I had it heat up over 200 degrees without any problems in the heating aspect. I now have other problems tho' which is another story.

Possibly you have a defective Presto? I don't see any reason why you cannot remelt and repour the ones that did not heat up enough to blend the fragrance oil with the wax unless your wax won't take 1.5 oz.

I haven't the slightest clue if this is related but there is another post where a member was having a terrible time getting her new fragrance oils (from a new supplier) to blend with the wax. She did end up returning them.

I realize the oils were already ordered by now but if you put in another and want to know of a strong one, I just poured Cranberry Sauce (bought off classies). I poured at 1.5 oz pp because I did have some of her oils in the past that were a bit weak. Well, I had to open the doors and windows even tho' it is 89 degrees outside. That is one strong oil. I have not burned it yet and sometimes that can change things. If so, I'll post about it. Poured with CBL 130.

Edit: Weak CT and HT on JS Cranberry Sauce after normal cure time I use with my wax and other scents of 24-36 hrs.

Each of my pour pots are designated for a particular wax type. Depending on what I am making, I heat the entire pot so it is all liquid and replace wax as I go. Usually I immediately replace whatever wax I use.

I noticed on one of my pots (this one does not have a spigot) that wax is leaking through slowwwwly where the handles are attached... also seems to be leaking through to where the cord connects!!

Anyone had this happen? Is this particular pot a gonner?!?!

I have been having problems with my pot the last month or so for the first time in years. First it began leaking around where the pour spout was put in. That was fixed with removing and adding some new JB Weld.

Then it began leaking wax out of where the black square thing plugs into the pot. That got repaired by cleaning out all the wax that had accumulated in there. Two days ago I was making 5 testers and I had problems again where the black thing plugs in not working. It stopped heating, was doing a little sizzling and when I would plug it back in, I would get it to heat a bit and stop again. Well, it once again got a build up of wax in there causing the prongs to not get proper contact.

I am wondering if my pot wasn't on it's last legs but I didn't realize it. It seemed to all begin when I began melting Palm wax in the same Presto I had used previously for soy and then to the soy/para blend I've stayed with. I suspect the wax was already built up in there but the high temp of heating Palm caused it to begin melting and leaking around different places.

I don't know if it will have to be replaced yet or not until I begin working with it again this coming week on finishing up my fall scent line. Luckily, a quick run into the store for a new pot and spout would only set me back about 24-36 hours while the pot is modified to add the spout and the JB Weld sets up.

Yep real close about 30 mins south of Brook Field. I work in the one in Somers/Kenosha it's a little over a year old. I transfered from the one in Burlington. And your right WalMart treats their people real good they take care of us. And the insurance Blue Cross Blue Shield is awesome. I've been with WalMart now for over 4 years. It's hard when the shoppers treat you like crap but you just have to try and suck it. I just try and laugh to myself and tell myself their all helping pay my pay check & my "my share" we get every 3 months.

What a small world is that? I grew up in Big Bend/Mukwonago....moved to New Berlin and finally landed here. Both of my brothers are down your way. One is in Wind Lake and the other in Racine. My brother in Wind Lake goes to the Walmart in Mukwonago and think it is one of the nicest. I have been the to one in Burlington but I've not been to Kenosha.

One things that impressed me so much about how Walmart operates with its employees is that when the roads get bad in the winter they tell the guys as soon as they are uncomfortable they WANT them to park the truck and they pay for the motel. I won't name any other big companies he has drove for and my husband used to drive semi as well who also drove for one very well known..huge company. They were not allowed to stop driving unless the roads became impassable. There are a lot of other little things my brother has mentioned that I was impressed about but that one stands out.

This is kinda funny....my sister-in-law wouldn't go in to a Walmart until after her husband started driving there and they got a discount. It took once to go there and now she may even be there more often than I am...lol.

I have to give Boston Store a little plug. I had to run there yesterday for cosmetics. Anyway, I spied these 85% off racks and scored two really nice tops + 3 Godiva chocolate candy bars and my total was either $13 or $17 (forgot) using a coupon they handed out at the door.

Being closer to the IL border probably gives you more options for wax buying for shipping costs? I'm like smack in the middle of BCN and Morris. Well, probably a little closer to Morris.

That's why the people on the hill need to hear your displeasure. The bill can't pass as written. AT least it's still in committee, but if your reps don't hear your concerns then they don't know any better. If your competition doesn't know about the bill and won't step in to voice their concerns then no wonder Washington is deaf, dumb and blind. It's up to those who do know to get the word out and not hope someone else will do it.

I do have a FB page linked off my blog that has a tad over a thousand followers but has nothing to do with B&B. However, reminding me we all need to speak....I'm thinking why not...I'll head on over in a bit and post about this including the info you put in the OP (if that is ok w/you). If I can get the attention of only a few people it is better than sitting on my hands doing nothing.

Wow! I am surely not as educated on this as the rest of you seeing I am/was just entering into B&B but I can't help but get pissy that the people making this decision probably haven't the slightest clue of how cautious the majority of small B&B product makers are to make sure they are putting out a safe product not to mention in most cases....a better product.

I won't even get started on the double standard of our country needing small businesses to help the economy and our pocketbooks. To turn around and put such stringent ruling out there that it would be next to impossible to adhere to unless it is a big conglomerate of a company is just wrong.

Jeanie - you are correct, kmart is the worse on customer service. I want to explain my earlier comment about hating Walmart. There are two Walmarts in my area that has terrible customer service. They have long lines due to only opening two to four lanes when they need eight open. The people who work there are obviously not happy to be there - no smiles, not helpful, even the buildings are dirty. I am a big believer that s--t runs down hill and so does bad management. Bad customer service comes down hill from bad management. Now on the other hand, there is a third Walmart a little further away that is clean. It has smiling employees who have stepped up to the plate with good customer service and seem to take pride in their jobs. I was so impressed with them, I actually requested to speak to the store manager and complimented him on his store and his employees. I guess in my original comments, I should have said I hate MY Walmarts. Hope your Walmarts are good ones!,

Oh sure...that makes perfect sense. We were lucky enough to get one of the good ones and I'm glad of the three, you have one clean, happy one to visit.

I hate Wally World!!! BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I work so hard to take care of my customers and then go to walmart and get treated badly. Walmart has killed a lot of ma and pa stores and that is sad. IMHO

Personally, I don't get treated any better or worse at Walmart that I do at Target, Kohl's Dept Store or even Macy's when I go in to get cosmetics or a set of decorator towels or something. Of all of them, I have found Kmart to be the most lacking in the customer service area. But that is only my experience.

I work for Wal Mart and there is nothing worse than having to deal with the rude mean customer's that treat you like

they are so much better than you and think were suppose to be kissing their butts... yet their shopping there, lol I see so much stuff coming though my line that I end up having to try/buy just b/c I didn't know we had. Today wax black grapes and they

are really good

lol Cindy....I know I'd be spending way too much of my paycheck if I worked there. I see you are here in WI. Are you anywhere near the Brookfield area? That is where we are at. I go to the new Walmart in Waukesha. It is huge! Aww...try not to let those mean shoppers get to you. Who the heck is anyone treating anyone else like they are better than them, ya know?

My brother drives semi for Walmart. Walmart treats their drivers very well...much better than the other big name company he drove for in the past.

Good He described it perfectly I thought, better than I would have! I think it's going to really bloom in wax, i am pretty excited to get it in some. I will be playing this weekend and let you know!

I realize the oils were already ordered by now but if you put in another and want to know of a strong one, I just poured Cranberry Sauce (bought off classies). I poured at 1.5 oz pp because I did have some of her oils in the past that were a bit weak. Well, I had to open the doors and windows even tho' it is 89 degrees outside. That is one strong oil. I have not burned it yet and sometimes that can change things. If so, I'll post about it. Poured with CBL 130.

I've been using paraffin for over 15 years,recently I've been experimenting with soy not to happy with its performance in containers.I tried eco soy advanced, straight. Can anyone suggest a parrafin to soy ratio?I'm hoping to have the best of both worlds. thanks for all you suggestions

Patti

I have read where some on the board have made their own blends which work for them. Personally, I tried it with every combo I could imagine and drove myself crazy. Either they didn't throw, they wouldn't wick right or something. Finally, I found a soy/para blend from a supplier that gave me everything I was looking for and more. I am so pleased with it, I pay a lot of extra shipping to get it here from PA but for me it is personally worth it. Some get their waxes close by, save shipping costs and can produce a kick butt candle. I couldn't do it.

Good luck to you. I hope you find your perfect blend too

I wish I coud stay away from Wally World. lol I'm in there every other day. I've been asked a few time by employees if I work there.I reply no I'm just in here too much.

Too funny....I love Wally World too. I will actually have to go there for regular necessary stuff but I'll need the blinders to keep away from the other goodies

Went to order a few scents from CC but that darn addiction took control of my keyboard. Totally made me forget I still need to order a case of wax + wicks + jars yet. Guess I won't be visiting Wally's World this payday but it was sooo worth it

I love this craft...I am so happy I tried it. Have fun...you will be an addict as well

Oh what the heck....I'll just add another addiction to my growing list of anything that carries FO or EO

Relax and enjoy it. I used to hate soaping but it's ok when the fairies are out playing somewhere else. Before I soaped my first batches, I used to say there'd be a slight mushroom cloud reported on the news that no one could understand where it came from, but I haven't blown up anything yet.

Well, I will be starting out mixing the lye outside that much I know. I'm sure once I get comfortable and the weather turns cold I'll probably be doing it in my kitchen or work area just like so many other. My new soap mold has been calling me from inside its mailing box.

Don't be afraid of the lye. With a little common sense it can be handled very safely. I always mix my lye and water outside, averting my face, and then bring the mixture inside when my oils get melted. I use a glass beer pitcher to mix the lye in. It's heavy enough glass not to melt and very easy to pour out of. I used to wear gloves but rarely do anymore. If you are careful and don't move too fast... Once you get past the initial fear soap making is very rewarding.

I just finished making a citrus pumice soap for my husband's greasy hands, a lavender bath soap and my latest, a beer soap that I'm going to use as a shampoo bar.

I have thought that once I do it a couple times and get the fear out - as you said - then I should be ok and hope like heck I can produce not only an appealing bar of soap but a kick butt moisturizing one too.

I have seen where people use plastic to mix the lye and that worried me. Why, I don't know b/c they know what they are doing. Now that you mentioned glass and the beer pitchers that is what I will do. I have a couple here and believe I will be more comfortable with it.

Thank you for the advice

You can also try pouring the gel over the back of a spoon, this helps cut down on the bubbles.

I had not hear or thought of that....great idea.

Jeannie, your pillar is BEAUTIFUL!! A perfect example of a feathering palm wax pillar. The darker color is so showy in that pattern!!

Folks have posted some photos of mixed fathering & starburst palm wax pillars that are just outta sight!! That's the beauty of palm wax - it's very hard to make an uggababy candle with it!!

Oh, something new to play with. I am going to get a sample of starburst in a month or so to give it a try in the pattern vs feather and also to see if it wicks as nicely as feather palm did. Then I'll just have to try mixing them and see what happens. The fun never ends in this hobby/business does it?

LOL, I like things that work both brain halves. Some of this is pure science and requires exacting formulas. Some of this is art and art needs to be intuitive.

Ok, some dolphin moulds arrived today and I'm waiting on the high MP wax.

Totally! Now I can support my habit with the excuse I am keeping my brain sharp

Good luck on the new project

jeanie, thanks, I guess I'm on the right track. Thanks for the tip on toothpicks. I was thinking that a full drop of liquid dye would be way too much for small amounts of melted gel. I ordered some 160MP from General Wax and I might order a slab of 1260 just to compare.

You are so right on a full drop being too much for a small amount of gel. It never crossed my mind to tell you one drop is for a good sized amount of the stuff. Glad one of us is on our toes

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ok...I could not figure out how to type on my attachment....I take such horrible pics and the candle is not narrower at the bottom. It is much darker but I hear ya...gotta love cranberry. Now after seeing yours, I think I like the starburst better. I have no fireworks Does it wick the same as feather?

I am hoping beyond hope that The Candlemaker's Store palm works like CS did. CSN 14 so far has been perfect on these. Or...if the wax is better I will pay shipping to get it elsewhere. I get my container wax imported all the way to WI from PA just because it is so worth it.

I did do the upside down thing with the container palm I did. I did not have CSN wicks at the time but CDN did flare a bit. Not bad but enough that I was not comfortable with it quite yet. Most likely little pockets and not the wick so when I do go back to those over winter when things slow back down, I will try one with each wick to see if there is a difference. First time my daughter walked through seeing a candle cooling upside down she said....just when she thought she had seen it all opening the refrig to see more wax stuff than food. I have more kitchen utensils used for wax and B&B than cooking these days too.