rjdaines

You don't give us much to work with in terms of details. Did the tin have a melt pool?

I use a 1/4 inch all the time, from start to finish.

There are scents that work better in tarts than candles because they are so hard to wick, like patchouli, dragon's blood, nag champa, etc. Because patchouli based scents need to be wicked up so much, I personally only offer them in tarts now. I refuse to drive myself batty wicking up any candle LOL!!

^---- So true. I am not having any trouble with Pink Sugar, burning it right now but, then again, my system is not the same as yours.

Very good to know- 2 sizes down with my jars is what It took with the parasoy I have been playing with so if I decide to do tins with this I will try that and see how it goes

I always had issues with the tins rusting with straight 415- have you run into this with the parasoy?

Have not seen any rust yet. These tins from Candle Science are said to be lacquer coated, which should help.

When you test the 4 ouncers with straight 415 the CDN8 or CD7 were always winners for me- not sure about the paraffin in there how much to wick downs but it's a good starting point for you....and I love soyaffin! I just may call my parasoy I am playing with that!

For the 4 inch tins I tried CD-5 and CD-6, the 5 was a clear winner when using Lavender FO. Both tins are great, now to find more FOs to use with them.

When I was using this wax, CD wicks worked the best for me. For a unscented votive, a CD5 would work.

Prices change all the time depending on the cost of the raw materials. At this point in time, soy wax is cheaper than paraffin, which makes parasoy blends a good value. If the soy bean crop is poor this year or there is a disruption in the oil supply, prices will change again.

If it is just a few droplets then it sounds normal to me. Container candles will sweat when heated.

I use 4625 for melts and 4794 for votives.

Unless you live in Arizona (like me) or Florida and ship in the heat of the summer, I think you don't need to worry. Besides, anything you add will mean retesting. What I have found is that shipping is so expensive these days that people don't want to order and ship; it doubles the price of the order.

The obvious answer is when your largest wick still tunnels but there is more to it. A large wick may not look good, whereas, two smaller ones may be more aesthetically pleasing.

I need MOTIVATION to get something in my pot this weekend- tons of ideas....just no energy to get started

I've got some 4 oz tins I need to start working on, come on over and I'll put you to work.

Indeed, there is not a huge difference between the HTP 104 and 105 but you have to decide which is best for your system and this may change depending on the FO used.

Nothing this weekend, I got everything made for the Feb craft show this week. Will be enjoying the lovely weather here in AZ.

IGI 4630 is a great wax, it is a true single pour wax, works with most FOs and has great CT and HT. It is, however, prone to smoking. One solution that people do is to use 4630 as a base wax for mixing in a soy wax. This helps a lot with the smoking as well as choosing the right wick and not overloading the wax with additional oil (FO). There is also a chance that a different wick will help, one that I don't know about, just depends on how much searching you want to do. I use 4630 a lot.

LX wicks tend to make tall flames so I am not sure that these are the best choice for ths wax.

Most people call the combo parasoy.

I've made thousands of 8 oz tins. I double wicked. Mostly with HTP 41s, but some oils required 52s. On very rare occasions, such as B&L Peppercorn, I triple wicked. I long ago abandoned parasoy in favor of Comfort Blend, but still double wicked.

Very interesting, I may have to try that. My wax is mostly 415 but the HTPs should work in it. But for now, the CD-8 wick seems to work well.

Is this an alcohol-liquid thermometer? If so, try flicking the thermometer like you would do with an oral or rectal one. Hold the top in hand and flick to apply a downward force to push the liquid down into the bulb.

Wet spots (like frosting in soy) can occur at any time. This is a bad time of year because of the huge temperature differences. I don't worry about it as customers don't seem to care. I just focus on the burn and throw (CT and HT).

I have a long list of Spring fragrance candles and melts to make for the upcoming craft shows. The challenge is always "how much" to make.

I'm not sure that anyone will have the definitive answer but will will say that I use Blue Spruce and don't see that. One observation is that HTP 126 is a huge wick, you don't mention the diameter of the container say maybe it is a good choice. A lot of people use CD wicks with soy waxes. Though HTP and CD are similar in construction, I do notice a difference in side-by-side tests, the CDs work better.

I would treat those recommendations as "guideline" suggestions to get you in the general area. You need to test the wick in your container, with your wax, and with the FO you plan on using. Only then will you know which is the right wick.

The tins are 8 oz and hold about 5 oz of wax. I showed them at my booth this weekend and most people liked them but I had a few requests for smaller ones (which means more testing). So, I guess I will order some 4 oz times and wick test those. It never ends.

I think you already found the site I was going to suggest cheesemaking.com

While sometimes is fun to re-invent the wheel (pun intended), buying something ready made for the process can be a good kick starter. Depending on how much cheese you are making, the small investment of $6 or $12 may go a long way and gives you time to research.

I agree with using container wax, just a question as to whether you want to go soy or paraffin or a blend of each. Some waxes to consider would be 464, 444, or 415 on the soy side and 4630 on the paraffin side. There are many more choices, of course.

My Christmas gift bags of wax melts didn't sell at all, people preferred the clam shell 6-packs probably because they were cheaper without the bag, tie and stamped label. Was disappointed but it's not about what looks good to me but what looks good to the customer.