Fiery_WA

Mmmmmmmm yes but I want one with an alarm, so I know when the wax has reached the desired pour temp. I know fussy, but that's just me

The ones I used to buy from the markets were Palm Wax, and they never tunneled, they burnt evenly all the way down to the very bottom

My bad was reading the F side of my candy thermometer so it should have read 200F not 200C. Stella I have a candy thermometer, but I would like a digital one with an alarm. To Tribalvixen, I considered getting a Sunbeam multi cooker to melt my wax in, however a) I only live in a little house, all my cupboard space is taken, I had already purchased a 4 lb pot for melting the wax in, and I was given and old aluminum pot to use as a double boiler, so I could not justify the $80.00 for the Sunbeam. That $80.00 I can put towards my next shipment of wax, I live in the ass end of Australia (Tas), so all of my wax I have to get shipped from the mainland. The digital thermometer you got from NCS I see from the pic on there site it has a pan clip, how adjustable is the clip? i.e. 5.5" (14.0 cm) probe, I need it to reach down a little further by a maximum of 5cm.

While the server upgrade was being done, in the temporary forum a discussion on digital thermometers came up. I have been looking for one that will withstand the heat of Palm Wax 200C+/392F+, I have found several, however I use a 4 lb wax melt pot, 20cm/8inch deep, and am having trouble finding one that has a clip on the side that will reach a depth of 18 - 19 cm. If anyone knows where I might be able to pick one up, and that delivers to Australia please respond. Cheers Susan

These have been taken after three 3 hour burns, I am still getting the tunnel effect I have to cut back the wax in order to relight the candle. The wick used is a CDN 18, the one the Mould supplier suggested I use. On there webpage they suggest either CDN 16 or CDN 18 for Palm Wax. I rang the supplier of the mould, and told him of the tunnel my candles were getting, and that I wanted a wick that would burn basically right to the edge of the candle. CDN 18 he said.

Gday Eric That's why I am here :smiley2: is to learn, I have used Paraffin and for me personally it has been one the easiest waxes to use ( I bought the additives ), however the wall in which my candle was sitting in front of turned black from the soot. Hence the change to Palm Wax, I have found even with tunneling ( a sore spot but I will get there ), has a better scent throw off than the Paraffin ....... AND MY WALLS ARE NOT GOING BLACK!! But I am a stubborn redhead who refuses to give up, so I will keep on asking questions when I am about anything. And I will persevere with the Palm Wax until I figure it out. So that one day if a newbie like myself joins the forum and needs help with Palm Wax, I may be able to help them Cheers Susan

The burn started ok now its tunneling again *sigh*

An update on the burning, using a CDN 18 atm, wax has almost melted to the edge of candle, Overall a much better burn Also made a candle with the CDN 16, will give you a progress report

Are you a redhead too? lolz I am but my pressure point is very high i.e. I am for all intents and purposes a mild redhead ....... unless you push all my buttons at once ....... then head for the hills lolz I did manage to find Top of Murryhill ..... the secret is no spacing so topofmurryhill . So the fragrance can also play a part in the burn? I didn't know that. I found out about the tabs the hard way, (isn't that always the way). My first candle I made was pre tabbed, I didn't know that with the pillar I didn't need the tab. So I used the pre tabbed wick some blu tack (extra heavy), poured the wax into my pillar and it IMMEDIATELY went into MAJOR leakage, the whole pour ended up all over my benchtop, and onto the floor, it was Paraffin wax too. Panic stations were hit immediately, I ran to my PC to find out how to remove it from everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Lesson learnt though, now I use a baking dish to sit my mould in and paper towel under it. I now keep a jug with a little cold water in it too, so even if it LOOKS like its going to leak, I plonk the pillar straight into the jug of water let it sit for a bit. I have only been making candles since November of last year, so it is a learning curve, but boy it's fun So where in oz are you? I used to live in WA now I live just north of Antartica (Tasmania), the weather and the shopping are woeful here . I so miss the big island shopping. While I think of it what is your wax of choice? I am liking the Palm Wax because it throws off a good scent. I am thinking of trying the Crystallizing Palm Wax next, I saw some pictures in the gallery of the two mixed together looked great . Have you seen the Aura Palm Wax at www.candlemaking.com.au , very reminiscent of the Paraffin finish.

Oh Tammy if I have offended you I apologise, I don't know that is why I am here May I ask what size your mould is? and what type of wick do you use?

Top of Murryhill did some very informative guides on wicking Feather wax, do you have a URL?

www.candlemaking.com.au is where I bought my wax and the 30 ply wick and www.naturalcandlesupply.com.au is where I bought my pillar mould from www.aussiecandlesupplies.com.au is the cheapest place I have for the scent What is FO?, as for the wick packs, I have looked but no one has the range for my pillar. Wax quantity: Approx 640 grams Wick Recommendation: Palm Wax - Cdn 16 or Cdn 18 (Can only use the 30cm range with this mould) <--- I rang up the supplier of the mould suggested I use this, so, I have ordered 20 of each http://www.naturalcandlesupply.com.au/Candle-Making/Moulds/Pillar/?pid=10386 "Palm wax does tunnel that is just what it does. It will start to melt the top as it burns down.", why do the Palm Wax candles I buy do an even burn then?

Gday from down under :smiley2: I decided to start making my own candles, as the rate I was going through them was starting to cost me limbs. So I went and purchased (all online as my location in Australia is remote) 1 x 76mm x 165mm - Concave (3" x 6.5") Mould a Pack of 20 CDN 18 wicks from memory. and 200ml (6.5oz) of Honeysuckles/Jasmine Scent a handful of dye chips. a wick center tool 4lb melting pot To begin with I was re using the left over wax from all of the bought candles, this taught me about re pours and the like. Then it came time to buy wax, I didn't have a clue, so I opted for the cheapest wax Paraffin, I also bought Finishing Beads and Wax Improver my success with that wax was outstanding, a good burn. Not an awful lot of scent throw. However I burn my candles on a silver based glass surround candle burner, I noticed not only was the glass getting sooty, but my walls ended up turning black from the soot also. Time to change waxes, the next cheapest was Palm Wax, as it costs me as much to get it freighted to my home as the actual wax itself, cost is an issue. I chose Feather Palm Wax, this is where I have been running into strife. The candle making supplier I purchased the wax from suggested a cotton twisted medium 30 ply wick, I had a half dozen CDN wicks left over, and here my tales of woe begin. With the Paraffin Wax came weights and measurements and instructions on how to pour and re pour. With the Palm Wax nothing except the wax. My first candle after it had been poured and left to set had a bump on what would be the base, so I had to up end it and burn from the base rather than what should have been the top of the mould. No biggy or so I thought. What I didn't realise because of the bump, was that I still needed to put in relief holes. Has taken me a few candles, but I think I now have the relief holes down pat. Next and I find this the most distressing part of using my new wax, is that even after putting in relief holes doing a re pour, when I burn my candle, it tunnels straight down the middle. So I blow it out, let it cool then have to cut back the rather thick walls of unburnt wax. And start the burn again. I am now waiting on the arrival on some different wicks CDN 16 and CDN 18, and I am crossing fingers and touching wood this will help the burn to form an even pool of wax, rather than the tunnel. Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong to get this tunneling would be greatly appreciated I have been reading various posts, and I gather that most of you are American, so a lot of the terms you use I do not understand, such as FO and CD. It also seems quite a few use and prefer Paraffin. Oh on a good note the scent throw from the Palm Wax is awesome