moonshine

I really hope it was the wrong wax sent-going through all my supplies I noticed I’m getting low and was going to order some more 🤦‍♀️
I don’t use it often but love it for my blend I use for votives and need to make some more soon

If the hardest paraffin pillar wax out there has changed as well I’m going to cry …or scream 😂

Hello and welcome lilfirecracker (love the name) 

I have never used 4794 before, not sure I have even heard of it - lol but then again I’m not super well versed in paraffin - soy and coco girl over here 👋 but I can tell you I’ve had some soy experiments turn out like that as well 

I looked it up and it says it’s a votive blend so I’m shocked they are looking like that- maybe a second pour is needed 🤷‍♀️ I assume you followed the heat and pour temps…sorry I can’t be of any help there but the 4625 I do use occasionally blended with a parasoy for melts and I love it- I think you will be very impressed with it overall - it takes color well, when I do color, and the throw is superb and lasts a good long time 

I used to use lone star fo as well back in 2008 when I started all this and imo the quality just isn’t there- in all fairness I have not tried them in many years but back then they seemed watery if that makes any sense

Maybe try some other suppliers for FO, one of my go to places is wsp and candlescience has some good ones and so does brambleberry  ….but I have been reading about all this reformulation and reports that so many fragrance oils are just not the same any more - everything seems to be different and inconsistent anymore including the waxes 

4630 is a nice wax also - maybe that will help the 4794 by blending at maybe 25% being a container wax 

I took a long hiatus from selling but have been playing here and there in the background with all the coconut waxes and I have a crap ton of fragrance so I haven’t  purchased much in the last couple of years-  I’m kinda feeling like a fish out of water with all these changes to everything and new products on the market 🤷‍♀️
hopefully a seasoned paraffin person can give you more insight! 
Again- welcome 

On 10/19/2020 at 12:20 PM, Kerven said:

I think I have enough to finish testing. Right now, I'm tinkering with additives to try to improve a surface frosting issue (it's perfect otherwise). If it turns out, co92, stearic, and something else will be needed. (I'm almost certain I've managed to recreate the franken-formula from years ago - but better.)

There's another blend I'd like to try in order to get rid of this huge slab of coco83 and it requires SP-486. I'll splurge for testing, but if it's a success I'm probably going to need a bunch of SP-486 and maybe either coco83, coconut-apricot, or coconut apricot creme.

Stocked up on mason jars, so I'll make do with those. Wicks... will have to see about that. ECO worked fine in the original candle but due to the amount of stearic I might need something like CSN.

I'm thinking my problem is that I need a variety of things from a variety of suppliers, causing overall shipping costs to go through the roof.

Hey kerven….how did this go for you with the 486 and coco 83?

I tried it at 25% but did not like how crazy the flames got even with smaller wicks 

I think the 486 has beeswax in it according to a FB group mod 

I tried the 487 and love that one so much better 

Curious what you thought 
 

How is the soymax working out Goldie?

I have been cleaning my candle crap out ….hasn’t been done fully in over 10 years and I found a small bag of soy max from aso …..must of thought I was going to try it on top of the Midwest I still have 

is it a keeper or does it belong in my get rid of pile? Lol 

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Palm blends are probably the most consistent around. Each type is made from a specific fraction of the palm oil. It does not go through inconsistent hydrogenation like veg oils which eliminates a variable. 
 

ht can be amazing or nil depending on the fragrance and wick combo. I have had a suffocatingly strong tea light at 2% FO, so I know strong HT is possible, just need to develop the patience to coax it out by learning the right balance. 
 

I think the first  trick is not flooding with fragrance. 🤷🏻‍♀️  Most palm only holds 3-5% fo. Adding more defeats the strengths of palm. 
 

the biggest issue with palm seems to have been the attack campaign against palm products along side CandleScience dropping it like a hot potato overnight a few years back. People who don’t like palm won’t be your customers. More customers don’t care if it is palm as long as it’s not paraffin than specifically hate palm, so there’s hope. 

And the attack campaign had nothing to do with toxicity of palm like the paraffin attack correct?  It was all about the tree hugging save the rainforest protests 

dont get me wrong I care about the environment very much but palm is supposed to be responsibly sourced now….well thats what they say anyways….well let’s see here 🤔 suppliers statements….can we trust them anymore 🤷‍♀️🙈🤦‍♀️😂🥺😵‍💫

3 hours ago, NightLight said:

Agree with additives helping the waxes, but it’s insane. First fragrances. Candle Science going nuts changing fragrances all the time. Wax blends changing, and I got sent the wrong wax and had to fight to get it corrected.

Gah! Had a great blend with special order additive from Cargill, then they stopped producing it back to the beginning.

 

When you find something good these days you almost need to buy it by the pallets same lot if possible 

I don’t candle make to sell anymore I candle make to test- test- test because by the time I have a winner I can’t replicate it if I don’t have the exact same material 

3 hours ago, lovelyscents said:

Exactly what I was afraid to hear.  I may venture back into considering mottling or palm.  I love the appearance of both, how it takes color, and the hardness for warmer temps.  However, I am not used to repours or too good at convincing customers mine are not toxic compared to the abundance of soy that surrounds my town.  Even my melts get questioned and I continuously have to repeat myself that a "natural" soy bean is no longer natural once processed, a fruit loop scent is not natural, and essential oils aren't good to burn with direct flame.  🤦‍♀️

 

As far as palm, did not have too much luck in the HT department but may have not given enough time to cure, etc.  I was underwhelmed by the palm melts I tested as well.  Also, may have a hard time selling palm candles when I am working on a palm free CP soap recipe. 🤦‍♀️

Put on your label you didn’t chop a rainforest down 😂

depending on your container you shouldn’t have to do a repour with palm if you learn the flip method for air pockets - it’s scary at first but you learn when it’s too early….ask me how I know

the limited palm experience I have is excellent throw with either csn or rrd wicks- now the rrd are directional so you have to pay attention when wicking from a spool- ask me how I know that 😂

I’m burning 2 palm pillars right now and they are under wicked but there is no getting these wicks out now- they are several years old, that wick is stuck with the hardness of palm but I’m smelling them nice and don’t have to worry about a blow out 🤷‍♀️😂

I know csn is no longer available but if you have an interest in pillars at all or tall 3” diameter jars I have a ton of csn 11 to sell off 

Okay this is one my absolute favorites of all time -I stocked up before the announcement of changing over to all Phthalate free-  has it changed that much really?…..

back in the day Moonworks pinion pine was exactly the same to my nose, not sure if PFO Carries that one since the buyout but I will have to check 

This exactly! 
I have been on hiatus since the changes in soy I don’t even know many years ago now….went to coco and LOVED what I came up with all excited to start selling again to find out that particular coco doesn’t exist anymore 🤷‍♀️
ok….back to another coco and some apricot and some soy blends - many additives and every single time I get something I like or even love it comes in different next time around 

All these pre-sales that went on with this covid issue I stocked up - but it’s not enough to run with for more than a year or 2 and even less if I do start selling again…. it totally blows, I feel the pain to

If 1 single supplier could accomplish consistency in what they sell it would be a miracle - I’ve often wondered about candlewic blends seeing they make their own and the sad thing is I bought them all when soy took a crap but then fell in love with easy beads and gave all that CW away 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Never tested or tried it 

I was so excited when cal candle announced pre sale of coconut beads limit 2 cases…..only to be shocked once again- this stuff is absolutely NOTHING like the original easy beads….it’s awful, yes I made it work in a couple different blends but it’s disgusting to work with, serious sink holes no matter the temp you pour and I find it kinda odd they haven’t ever offered this form again that I’m aware of…🤷‍♀️
 

If your a coco person definitely look into this s&p 487 to blend - like TT said Midwest and bees is a nice blend also of you like soy and don’t mind a long cure time

palms seem to be the most consistent out there imo ….I’m thinking  about just trying it straight up again if I can get around the wicking issues in slightly wider jars that I have (palm likes tall and skinny) ….another issue that is never ending - finding glass in stock 

apricot had been pretty consistent in my tests except I think I just read somewhere on here that is now coming in different 

Palm stearic- beeswax- 487- universal soy additive can all be your friend right now to help slap some waxes into decent behavior along with wicking completely different from what you would normally think 

Elements toasted marshmallow is very good- I don’t use it often not liking sweet/food scents much and I wish I could tell you they were the same but I’m not sure on that either ….it’s been a long time since I tried the ah/re version, I settled on elements for some reason 

8 hours ago, Fauxsticks said:

What a bunch of candle snobs. I make candles for personal use and OMG I don't own a thermometer. Lol ya'll think too highly of yourselves 

Hey now- those are my people your calling snobs 

thermometer IS essential - sure some things you can get a feel for and gauge like when to pour but your not doing yourself any favors not using one to heat your wax and adding the fragrance oil - it has nothing to do with thinking “highly” of ourselves and everything to do with making a proper candle that is safe 🙄🤦‍♀️
 

F…..FFFF……F!!!

how hard is it for 1 supplier to just be consistent and transparent!

10 hours ago, Miss Mise said:

Did this issue ever get resolved? Because I have had nothing but trouble with the ceda serica for the past two weeks. I’ve been exclusively pouring this wax for a year, and it’s been perfect. For the past two weeks, however, every single candle sinks down in the center. I usually pour around 190, but I’ve now tried every temp from 180-200, and nothing helps. I can’t even pour a wickless test candle (no scent, no color), without it looking like the shape of a funnel. I know there aren’t sinkholes- it’s just this awful shape. It’s so pronounced that it is almost too difficult to fix with a heat gun.  I’m starting to get worried, as I have to start ramping up production for the holidays this week, and all of my product is not the quality I like to put out to my customers. 
If anyone has any advice, I would very much appreciate it. As I’ve said, I’ve been making candles almost 3 yrs now, and working with this wax exclusively for a year without any problems, so I don’t know if this is a supply side issue, or something else. I know this thread was from April, but I saw it tonight while I was banging my head against the wall (from another failed test), and I was wondering whatever became of the issue. Thanks so much for any feedback!

Ummmm I don’t like hearing this - where have you bought your apricot?

I stocked up when it was impossible to get and pre-sales were going on - the majority of mine came from hive and honey 

I haven’t been following any threads on coconut or apricot waxes lately so am I understanding there is another issue here? I had to give up 415 years ago because of this same Crap and started a blend with coco beads and then that went to Crap and then you couldn’t get those original beads anymore and I started playing with apricot blends …..if this is going to be an issue when I run out  I’m going to scream - ceda serica is the the only one affected? 😵‍💫😡😵‍💫

I suggest not NG….I couldn’t get the stench out of my house for weeks - it was a long time ago but it was awful 🙈🙈

23 hours ago, Waxmermaid562 said:

I’ve been thinking the same thing. In my opinion, just dye & no mica looks a lot more chic & classy. I think I’ll just start using liquid dye to color my wax melts only. I just felt like I’d be left out in the wax melt World in a weird way if I didn’t use mica. Thanks again! 

Do that many people use mica to color wax?  I haven’t heard about that other than maybe to dust them for a little sparkle or shine but then again I have been living in a cave taking a very long hiatus from wax….trying to  get back going again but for what it’s worth I would go with liquid dye as TT suggested 

13 minutes ago, Cross-stitch said:

Only problem there is I don't make any one scent often enough to keep one on hand. Otherwise, that would be a great idea!!!

Ya if your not pouring a ton and just trying to get a little out for blends these kind of tops will probably work you 👍

It won’t let me paste the link but another place to check out that I have not personally used but heard for most suppliers bottles are Midwest bottles with this product ID

On 9/30/2021 at 8:06 AM, Sanderson3 said:

Seems like foods are pretty easy to replicate, but here are some things from my wishlist:

• All types of WOOD (cedar, pine, palo santo, oud, mahogany, sandalwood, juniper, cypress, teak, walnut, oak etc)
• All HERBS (clove, basil, thyme, pepper, bay leaf, rosemary, lavender, cardamom)
• Real LEATHER (not like mens cologne!)
• The scent of a leaf from of a TOMATO PLANT would be incredible 
• RAIN (petrichor) 
• Terra Cotta pot / CLAY
• CITRUSY (bergamot, ginger, lemongrass, grapefruit)
• NEROLI (the closer to a real orange grove the better) 
• FLORAL (peony, jasmine, lotus, gardenia, geranium, honeysuckle) 
• DANDELION (like your fingers smell after picking one)
• HAY (like stacked in a barn)
• ART SUPPLIES A new box of crayons, pencil shavings, play dough, paper or finger-paints 
• Dry LEAVES off of a forest floor (not like BBW leaves)

I would look on WSP -  pricey yes but worth every penny of it IMO

 98% of the time I have not been let down on how realistic they are - their tomato plant is dead on along with most herbs and woods I use 

for the geranium I love rose geranium at AH/RE

ginger elements has a wonderful ginger lime 

I haven’t found a rain yet I like - most are to floral but wsp black salt and cypress is a very nice water scent  

Looks great Candybee!  Love the whole mermaid and treasure box theme you got going on 👍

Wow- a lot has changed since 2014

that was certainly has changed- it’s nothing like it was....but typically the 10 and 12 worked in that jar and wax 

now keep In mind when the wax changed a few years back those sizes were torches and I honestly haven’t touched 415 in a few years so use caution and I would start with a 8 and see 

This exactly!!!
 I thought I was going crazy- I use colored jars so didn’t notice the frost but the cavities are unreal - the stench is unreal- it stays cloudy at 200* and I’m wicking up up up 

I saw when cooling a few start to sink at the wick so I heat gunned right away - did it again after almost set - lit it a few days later as all appeared ok and I hit the mother load of cavities!!

I haven’t been around on here much lately, life got busy with wedding planning for my daughter that ended up being postponed until this December (thank you Covid), work stuff getting crazy with the pandemic (again, thank you covid) and all the new rules and guidelines to keep our employees and our customers safe and a house remodel we had to push forward with before covid and it’s still in progress....I just got busy 

I have not been selling candles for a very long time, since the soy industry went to hell in a handbag but I have still been enjoying making candles for myself and family, testing waxes and relearning everything I thought I knew over 12 years time in this craft playing with coconut waxes -I had been a soy girl from the very start so it was a whole new world for me with fail after fail until I finally got it together!

Thought I was ready to plunge forward and start selling again only to find out my wax was gone....poof 💨 just gone!

Come to find out it was a manufacturing equipment issue and the Ez beads was actually coconut 83 and comes in 2 other forms- well now 3 forms  .....slab- cube and the new beads which are nothing like the old breads and it’s become a serious online bidding war to even get it when suppliers have it in stock 

I had purchased some cube form and it seems to be okay as far as not completely different from my old original ez beads from candles and supplies and then I heard about the presale cal candle was having on the bead form - I was so excited 

I did end up getting the cal candle 2 case limit presale, guess I got lucky because it all sold out within minutes and I was so happy to have what I thought was my new beloved wax back .....but boy was I so wrong 

This stuff is what nightmares are made of - totally not the same in any shape or form, the little pastilles are cute and all but a mess to deal with sticking everywhere and the odor.... 😷 yuck! and it stays cloudy and yellow in the melter no matter the temp and to top it off I never ever ever had sink holes or cavities with this wax and now I’m blessed with multiple ones in every....single....candle....I poured 

Now to top all that off I have had to ditch many fragrance oils that used to work and now they don’t with the “clean” reformulating and now I’m learning I have to fight for wicks if I need them, stalking suppliers and now some are not even the same anymore because suppliers are trying to make their own or something to that effect....really?

It’s a good thing I am a hoarder to a certain extent, I do have enough for awhile and I did stock up my jars along with my toilet paper 🧻😂 and paper towel- and Lysol- and hand sanitizer- and masks!

I WILL figure this wax out like I always do but I wanted to pop in and share my frustrations because I can’t be the only one...right?

I guess I need to come out of my cave and find out what’s going on in the candle world before all these surprises hit me all at once again- lol 

So many new waxes I never heard of and so many suppliers changing the wax names so you can’t keep track of what is really what - it’s craZy out there 🙈

I hope everyone is well- healthy- happy- safe and now I’m going to try and catch up on all the threads I’ve missed out on  😂

I came across this thread- That was so much fun who is ready for round 2 with all the new changes AGAIN to coconut 83, ez beads or whatever the suppliers decides to call it?? 😂😂

ummmm....it is totally not the same and it is definitely not burning the same

Mine was cloudy yellow in the melt pot, the odor is awful and I thought the little pastilles would be so cool to work with and they are a hot mess - messy messy messy🤣

I am not happy with this situation right now at all-  throw is still good but I am having to wick up, well at least in blends I am - I have to be honest I have not tested them straight yet....broke my own rule