VickiB in CA

This is a 100% vegetable mottling container wax. It looks pretty and would cure the frosting issue. I can't seem to find reviews for this. Maybe there's a reason for this :undecided

I'm not sure if this is possible or not, but if there's something I can add to my CB3 (100% soy/veg) to make it mottle, then I wouldn't have to mess with the frosting. Hey - if you can't beat it, cover it up :smiley2:

I'm wondering if it's not a wick issue?? :undecided I'm using the Premier 700s right now and I love the way they work but maybe the wax they use to coat them cools too quickly and the wax gets stuck to the sides somehow?? I'm testing the Fil Tec Ultra Core samples I have now. What wick do you use? Thanks!

I'm about tested out on the Calsoy CB3. I love everything about this wax except I cannot get the wax to stop separating, cracking and raising up around the wicks. It's very ugly. I've tried bw and it makes the tops smooth and I'm doing ok with the frosting. It's just this one darn thing I mix the ingredients at 180 - 190 and cool to 125 or 130 before pouring. I keep the shop at about 80 degrees when pouring and setting also. I also loved that Calwax is 2 hours from me and the scent throw is great! So is there another blend that is close to this that performs better? Thanks!

I'm not sure how hard the wax is that you're using but before I got the 150 lb wax melter, my sister and I used to cut my wax slabs with a device we made using a guitar string or wire tied between 2 pieces of wood. It cut straight through and was much easier than a knife.

For my type of wax (J223), the blade was too thick and as I was trying to saw through the block with this thick, dull knife, melted wax was dripping all over the place. One try was all it took Did something with that thing - but I don't remember ever seeing that thing again.

I bought one a couple years ago for my J223. Biggest waste of money I ever spent :undecided Maybe it worked for someone else.

I was wondering why you have to get the soy wax temp to 190 - 200 before mixing in the FO and color. I was using J223 (paraffin blend before). Is it the same requirement for the soy/veg blend? I'm using Calsoy CB3. Thanks for any input -

Vicki_CO - I checked out your site. Your candles have beautiful vibrant colors. I am new to soy and am working with the Calsoy CB3 right now and had heard that straight soy only produced a pastel colored candle. How do you dye yours? Drops or flakes? Thanks!

I had a customer ask if my candles were the kind that they could dip in the hot wax and rub into their skin. Now I know what they were talking about. I told them they weren't (I was using J223 at the time) and mentioned that I didn't see any reason to mess up a perfectly good candle anyway. Imagine if you kept dipping into the melt pool? You'd end up with a tunnel no doubt and waste alot of wax?? People are funny - always looking for a gimmick to fall for!

I was just thinking - wouldn't an automatic thermometer be just the thing for pouring soy? If I could just clip in on the side of the bowl and then it would let off an alert when it reached the preset temperature that you choose. Does someone make something like this? Probably wishful thinking . . . :undecided

I was trying to pour hot about 190 because I thought I could. Last tester, I mixed at 190 and then let cool to 135. There was not a dip this time but the wax is still raised and cracked around the wicks. Do I need to go cooler yet? I'm anxious to get in the shop and try the stearic. This cooling the wax stuff is a real pain in the "caboose"! I'm used to the J223 and just mixing and pouring at 170 - so easy! I could put out 100 candles in a day easy. I'll have to figure out a system for this. Maybe buy 10 of my big 10 lb aluminum bowls that I use and just fill them mix and then let them all sit and cool and then, pour - pour - pour

I use the Calsoy CB3 and have gotten a lot of help so far. I think I recall someone saying the with the soy/veg blends you can pour any temp. I notice they do come out beautiful as far as color and smoothness go, but the tops sink a bit in between the wicks and the wax cracks around the wicks. Will I need to cool down a bit to prevent this or can I do something else to prevent that? I think I saw the stearic acid helps with that. Any experience with anyone using it on a soy/veg wax? Thanks!

I ordered a sample of the narrow apothecary jars from Specialty Bottle and they are what I thought they might be. They're the heavy seamed jars like TV Guilfoil sells. I like the thinner glass with no seams. The lids don't seem to fit quite right either. Can anyone recommend who might carry a more narrow apothecary in the seamless? Thanks!

I had no idea what I was doing. I started 3 years ago this month. I bought some J223, jumped around on candle forums, found some good FOs and a month later was doing a fundraiser for my teenage sons band. I was actually taking orders for candles that I had not even ordered the FOs or tested yet! I just maxed the FOs out at 10% started with 51z wicks (double) and a few color blocks from Candewic. If I could see one of those candles I poured back then, I'd probably be so embarrassed! :embarasse I mean I even maxed out pineapple and those ones that would burn your nose hairs off! :undecided Funny thing is I still have some of those original customers. We don't bring up those first candles I made

I'm so sorry Elly for what you are going through right now. I took care of my terminally ill son who passed away when he was 10. I had him at 17 and then had 3 boys in diapers all at the same time with one in a wheelchair by the time I was 21. Life is never easy. Hang in there. Prayers are going up for both of you. Just wanted to encourage you in your candle business because it will give you a creative outlet to balance the difficult times. It is so therapeutic and can be a real time to just shut the world out and create and you get so much joy with every milestone along the way. Each scent you add to your line is such an accomplishment - like a "new baby" to show off to everyone Hope to see ya around here sharing what you find

I've only been making candles for 3 years so can't offer the best of advice, but having worked with a Paraffin blend (J223), soy/paraffin blend (Joy Wax) and now working with a 100% soy/veg blend I can share a little bit. On another candle forum, there was a poll and the majority of candle makers use a soy/paraffin blend (best of both worlds ) and there must be a reason for it - so for a new candle maker it might be the best way to start and you will likely get lots of advice. I saw on the site you linked that they do have one - maybe start there?? I wouldn't rush though, and buy a bunch of one type of wax and expect that you'll love it and wah-lah - beautiful perfect candles. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. You've got many, many hours of testing ahead of you before you make a profit. And then as soon as you get everything just right, something inside you will say - I must change everything now! And it starts all over again! At least for me it worked that way :undecided Sorry I didn't help much - maybe someone else uses one of the waxes that the store you're going to carries and they can give you more specific advice. Hope it all works out well for you

How funny - I just used the Brick Red from BCN for the first time a few hours ago. It's my first experience using the flakes. I added them to a soy blend at 190 to 200 degrees and they melted fine but left some little dark particles at the bottom. The color is dark and smooth though which I love. Maybe you could set a couple ozs of wax aside and melt it with the flakes in the micro if you don't normally heat that high and then just stir it into the rest. Maybe more trouble than your wanting though?? :undecided

I'm considering switching to frosted jars. Would anyone happen to know if they hold fingerprints easily? It seems like even just the natural oils in people's hands would cause spots on these jars?? It seems like they would get dirty quickly. Any responses would be appreciated. Thanks!

Wow - thanks! These are exactly what I'm looking for for. Would anyone know if these are seamless and if they aren't are they pretty smooth or are they heavy and somewhat rough looking like the TVGuilfoil jars are? The Lonestar ones look seamless online anyways and the Specialty Bottle looks thick and seamed. Maybe it's just the pictures. I'm guessing they hold about and oz or so less wax too?? Thanks for the help -

Thanks! I'll try not cooling and see what happens. The Calsoy CB3 is a natural Soy/Veg blend. I'm not sure what they they miss with the soy but with the testing I've done so far, it almost seems to throw better than my J223, if you can believe that?!

I was wondering if anyone has used an "apothecary type" jar for their candles that was not quite as wide as a regular apothecary - like say 3.5" instead of 4"?? If you have, can you tell me where you got them. Thanks!

When I re-melt a candle, I set it in a pan with a few inches of water and heat it that way - don't boil though. I'm not sure I would do it in the oven. Sounds like a catastrophe in the making! Besides, the scent may stick to the walls of your oven and make your food taste weird?? :undecided I remember when I first started in my kitchen, everything tasted like fragrance oils! I remember sending my daughter to school one day with a Patchouli Raspberry sandwich! She wasn't too happy with that.

Another question before I dart out the door. I ordered my beeswax from The Sage, but while I'm waiting is there anywhere I might pick up some beeswax locally. I hate waiting! I was thinking maybe Walmart or Michaels?? Thanks!

Thanks for sharing that. Myself, I'm not really so concerned whether there is paraffin or not. It's basically a marketing type of deal. I was using J223 (paraffin blend) in the past and my customers loved it. So I guess for anyone claiming there is no paraffin in their soy candle, they better not use it - my claim is that my candles are "Crafted from a 100% Natural Soy/Vegetable Wax" so as long as I stay within those boundaries I guess I'll be ok. It's all in the wording