moonshine

15 hours ago, pughaus said:

@moonshine 

I don't have much in cotton core- I only have these:  (from Northstar): 

44-20-18
44-32-18
44-36-18

I've never tried any cotton cores.  In fact, I didn't even order these; they were shipped to me by mistake.  No idea about sizing on those. 

 

I  have these paper cores (bittercreek) 
44-32-18
51-32-18   
60-44-18

 

Am I missing a size in either that you'd like me to test?

 

 

That’s perfect you have the same size in both so if you don’t mind sticking the 

44-32-18’s in there for both 

cotton is supposed to be hotter than paper but same size so this will be a good test in that wax to see how much difference there is 

Thank You 

I would love to see you Test paper core and cotton core along with eco....if you can, curious to see how the paraffin in there does vs non paraffin cocos with those wicks 

I can send you cottons and papers if you don’t have any 

16 hours ago, kandlekrazy said:

I know there are many different mfg's blends of this wax so results may vary some.  My question is, do all the coconut waxes smoke or is it just the wick chosen?  I'm hoping it's the wicks they are using and that it's horribly overwicked.  I received a high end coconut wax blend candle in Fresh Linen and the candle is putting off black smoke even though I trimmed the wick way down before lighting it.  I don't remember getting smoke when I added a small % of coconut wax or coconut oil but this is probably 50% or more coconut wax since that's how it's marketed.

Asking because I literally just melted my turkey fryer with a blend of C3 and coconut wax so now I'm afraid to even make anything with it!  Although I used just 10% coconut wax as it's so dang soft!

Which coconut wax are you using?

I found the C3 is very hard and will harden more over time so with using only 10% coconut wax you shouldn’t have an issue with deep pools and soot if you wick it properly 

straight coconut is very sooty if you wick even the slightest to big from what I have found, the balance is tricky and like TT stated it’s all in the wick- size and series 

isn’t it amazing how awful some of these big brand expensive candles burn and throw.....it makes me sometimes think I’m crazy to keep trying for perfection 🤪

I really like the daffodil and did chunk votives with that and fresh grass from SC- love them together 

I like the name a lot who cut the grass and as always....labels are beautiful!

15 minutes ago, olives said:

 

Ah, got it...but still, months to cure is not going to work for any of us! It's funny...C&S told me 24 hrs cure time...I have no idea how they are coming up with that as a recommendation!

It didn’t work for me with several wick series and I tested with CS mistletoe because it’s always been a proven strong thrower in any wax I ever used and it is now in coco slabs....6-7 months later 😂

15 hours ago, olives said:

 

I'm still using 464 soy wax, and I blend in a bit of the coconut slab wax from Candles & Supplies. I have found that the addition of coconut wax has given me maybe a slightly better hot throw, and a nicer, creamier look to the candle. (It has not, however, solved my wet spot issues...)

 

Soy has given me huge, huge problems lately, so I'm about to start testing with various coconut waxes, and maybe blending a just bit of soy in with them. It's going to be a long process, I think, given that there are so many factors that are going to affect what wick type/size work best for whatever blend I decide to go with: jar size, fragrance oil, % of soy wax used, type of coconut wax used, etc. Honestly - it's daunting! But that thread link I sent you has been my bible. I would suggest reading every single post and you'll get a good sense of what's worked for people and what hasn't, and it should give you a bit of a starting point. Ultimately, there are so many variables, that you will end up having to do quite a bit of testing to see what wax blends and what wicks work for you. This board is a GREAT resource!

Coconut is notorious for wet spots in glass you won’t be able to get away from that at all 

I have not tried the paracoco one but being it has paraffin I would guess it will also produce wet spots - I have come to embrace them and not have a care in the world so long as I get a good clean burn and throw 

1 hour ago, moonshine said:

Yes - they were very weak after a weeks cure so I put them aside and moved on

now they are throwing like crazy and I made 5 jars with 5 different wick series....but who has that kind of time for cure 

I did light them a month ago and they still were weak and yesterday they were not filling the offices like mad - made them last fall before the holidays 🤷‍♀️

That was supposed to be they WERE filling the offices like mad after months of making them 

13 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Coconut slab from candles and supplies did not perform for me. I could have chosen the totally wrong wick series and fragrances. It could be that it needs a really, really long cure time. @moonshinemade some last fall that after this amount of time have begun to perform. 

Yes - they were very weak after a weeks cure so I put them aside and moved on

now they are throwing like crazy and I made 5 jars with 5 different wick series....but who has that kind of time for cure 

I did light them a month ago and they still were weak and yesterday they were not filling the offices like mad - made them last fall before the holidays 🤷‍♀️

http://www.craftserver.com/forum/68-wax-and-wick-tests/

here are the tests 

The best way to get an idea of which wick series is going to be best in your wax is to do a pan test 

there is a thread on this with many Talltayl has done and one I did with 444

use a old cake pan and space out and tab different series of wicks within the same size tour thinking you need to start with for your container - pour your wax naked and let it set at least 48 hours longer for soy 

light them up and burn for an hour for each inch diameter jar your using - mine was 3 so I burned for 3 hours taking notes at each hour - after the third 3 hour burn I could see which one seemed more appropriate for size and had less carbon etc

that was the series I went with and adjusted the sizes accordingly with FO or dye or additives added to the finished product 

I believe the link is in general candkemaking to show you how this done and what a difference it makes rather than testing like 5 different series and sizes, it can get overwhelming and I wish I had learned this in the beginning because not all charts or opinions work the way you want them to 

when soy was good I used Cd wicks - they worked best and I always was within 3 sizes going to a CDN which is the same wick different coating of one was to big and the other to small  

464 many on here like premier wicks and CD wicks - eco is worth trying again also in the correct size 

if I can find that link I will paste it here for you - it will save you so much time doing a pan test 

On 4/8/2018 at 11:39 AM, kfintoni said:

Like many that have already posted I hated floral scents. They give me such a headache but most of all Baby powder and Jasmine they are the worst. I had to pour 100 baby powder shower favors and I had to leave the house while making them as it was just so bad with all that scent. 

 

Karen in MA

 

Respirator respirator respirator 

then open all the windows and doors 

This could be one of the ones they reformulated to phthalate free

I haven't tried in this years, love the scent but could never get it to burn in any soy without wicking up 3-4 sizes 

Soy wax in general has serious issues this year - all bets are off on what "used" to be 

So unfortunately a lot of the older  information on the forum doesn't really apply anymore although can still be useful in some ways 

wood wicks are nice but other than for personal use I wouldn't recommend selling them until you know your wax inside and out with normal wicking as they can flare and get out of control very fast 

I don't use 464 but if you search it I believe people are having to wick down with this wax now so as Kerven suggested 4 or 6 for that diameter would probably be about right 

soy is harder to get throw so you may have to bump up your FO load to 8% or just use the oils that 6% does  work  but keep in mind going up in FO load will change your burn so re-testing is very important

There are people dead set in what they "think" they want in a candle 

they want soy, they want coconut, they refuse palm, they refuse paraffin, they like paraffin, they like palm or they just don't care so long as it smells good and burns good 

some people want color some people prefer it not colored 

I suggest you do some research in your area of what other chandlers offer so you can maybe do something different to attract a different crowd , ask as many people as you can what they like in a candle, if they even know, or post a poll on Facebook to get a feel for what people are looking for and wanting 

your at a huge advantage just starting out being able to decide what your going to sell and start learning and testing that wax - many of us on here have made soy candles for years and all the changes and issues are a serious problem working through them and now my customers expect soy from me, I have been at a stand still going on a year trying to figure out a new wax to introduce and I'm not really sure what my regular customers are going to think but if I stand behind I'm confident they will as well 

I'm not a fan of NG at all

all their scents smell cheap chemically to me .... the only one I ever stuck with of theirs was cracklin birch

but thank you for letting me know 👍 

Blueberry verbena is a mix of blueberry and lemon with a touch of herb 

I mix woodsmoke with any pine scent and pops pipe and marshmallow and pumpkin you don't need much as its heavy and don't judge harshly OOB it needs to mellow in wax 

adding 4630 to your blend should help improve your throw so keep us posted how they do for you 

just Scent has some pretty good ones also - one of my favorites ever they discontinued and I bought out their stock and hoard it for myself - wild currant sandalwood 

their lilac is also really good but seems to discolor fast in the bottle causing the candles to have a tint even though it smells fine - pink sugar is really good but I switched to TallTayls she offers in co-ops its sooo good 

my mamas blueberry cobbler is really good, cactus and sea salt and avacodo and sea salt, beckys ultimate vanilla was good I switched to WSP vanilla bean Noel only because it threw better in soy 

I got a small bottle last time I ordered and need to put it in wax as I love the scent - wood Sage and sea salt ....can you tell I like my salts 😂

There is more but that's what I remember off the top of my head 

Your very welcome 

Red currant votivo is out of this world but I love those type scents 

Blueberry verbena is nice 

Eucalyptus is okay...I prefer the EO smell and this one has more herbal notes added not a straight up euc

honey is nice for a mixer but lighter alone - again in soy that is 

Milk and honey again light but nice

molton brown  black pepper I loved but it did not throw for me - maybe if your using a parasoy or paraffin it will 

Pearberry is nice I just didn't stick with it not being a fruity lover and felt I had enough to choose from - imo 😂

Sweet yellow pear is another amazing one it seriously smells jist like ripe pears 

woodsmoke is a staple of mine for mixers it's very heavy and kinda sweet but changes in wax 

I haven't tried many more that I can see...I had to go down the list -lol

I have to limit myself having more than I need or sell already and I love WSP also so they all add up 

Whar wax do you use?

12 hours ago, Sunday said:

I'm looking at adding some new fragrances from sweetcakes...as anyone tried any of these and could you give me your opinion on them please

 

SWEETCAKES

acacia berry and magnolia

aliage Estee Lauder type

aloe vera

angel type- VERY NICE AND SPOT ON TO THE PERFUME 

aquaflore

aria

bergamot & coriander

bitter almond

black current rose

black raspberry

brown sugar

calamus

champaca & bamboo- ONE OF MY FAVORITES- STRONG AND EARTHY

chocolate-VERY STRONG AND SWEET

cinnamon

citron et figue

coconut 

coconut lemongrass

cucumber melon BBW type

dewy green cactus-DIFFERENT, A LITTLE FLOWERY 

flowerbomb type-HATED IT BUT I HATE THAR SCENT IN GENERAL

fracas

freesia plumeria

fresh grass -EXCELLENT, A KEY INGREDIENT IN MANY BLENDS 

fresh laundry

fresh lemon sugar-VERY NICE BUT A LIGHTER THROW

ginger essence

green Irish tweed type- VERY NICE BUT I DID NOT SELL MUCH OF IT

guava 

hermes eau des merveilles

hotel costes- THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SCENT EVER VERY MYSTERIOUS AND HAUNTING 

hyacinth

l'occitane Verbena type

lilac- VERY TRUE LILAC

lily of the valley

lime margarita- I LOVE THIS ONE AND SELL QUITE A FEW IN THE SUMMER 

magnolia- I THINK I TESTED THIS AND IT WAS WAY TO FLORAL FOR ME

nectarine blossom

new mown hay- VERY NICE, A LITTLE SWEETER THAN NG 

northwoods

oceania

orange blossom

original clairol herbal essence

sage sweetgrass & cedar

sapmoss type

strawberry- NICE BUT WEAKER IN SOY 

true rose

woodlands type- VERY WEAK IN SOY BUT A NICE SCENT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used soy in the ones I commented on 

great supplier with great scents 

Which one are you using 

I went through a case of 444 just fine and into my second one I starting getting cracks - same lot number 

then I went back and looked at some of the containers I tested from previous lot and they all have surface cracks 

This soy world is BS these days 

Have you tested any of this years lots of 6006?  if you haven't had any problems then minor issues lot to lot IF they pop up shouldn't be to problematic to work through but if you haven't then I would say no....just get a case and work with it for awhile 

7 minutes ago, Candybee said:

Wow! That is a lot of nerve. The label should read "hand poured for our shop name" or simply "hand poured". I hope you are still doing your warning label with your name on it. I would put on my warning label under the warning a statement like "handpoured for shop name by your biz name". If they complain about that let them know if they take credit for manufacturing your candles they also take the legal responsibility in case their is a problem. That should put them straight.

 

But honestly I think you should bring the matter up with them because they are taking on legal ramifications by claiming they made the candle. It would be the responsible thing to do IMO.

This is exactly what I was thinking 

most private labeled candles I have ever seen have the manufacturers name listed and contact info somewhere on the jar 

I would insist they redo their labels 

I used to despise florals but find I really like them now - weird 

sweet bakery makes me nauseous-especially gingerbread - I don't have many sweet foods in my line at all....I just can't do it except for a few basics 

I love patchouli but my people don't  dragons blood is okay but I could see how too much pouring of it could make you sick of it - it's got some deep heavy scents to it 

My favorites are herbs and woods - could pour them all day long every day 

Candlescience is 48 a pound - or is that with shipping on top of it?

Depending on what warehouse it's coming from that shipping can be a shocker but I haven't found another that smells and performs as good IMO

Could you post a step by step tutorial?? 😂

All wicks and sizes have different ROC's- rate of consumption 

wicks unlimited has charts you can look at to get an idea of which sizes for container diameters and it lists the ROC and flame height and melt pool I believe 

You have to find your wick series and click on the size to see the info 

Alot will depend on your wax also- I believe these charts are based on paraffin so soy would be different in having to wick up but it will explain all that