RobinInOR

If you can't touch the curtains, maybe you could make a standing screen that would go behind your tables - make it out of PVC and elbows, it would come apart, and you could get whatever fabric you wanted to the screen.

I wouldn't write 8 fl oz - your candle isn't liquid. If product is solid, you use weight. If product is mostly liquid, you use fluid. What everyone is doing is taking the shortcut of having customers understand the size you are using from being familiar with the jar in canning or whatnot.

According to the letter of the law, that would be incorrect. But, the whole point of labeling is so customers can compare sizes and understand what they are getting for their money. So if pint/quart or the usual description of the jar can do that, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you have a weight on the label, you're ahead of everyone that doesn't follow the FPLA

Here's the FPLA law that pertains to labeling

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fplact.htm

that's a crying shame, I feel for you totally..

At least your reputation is still intact with your customers, but that's a pretty large chunk of change to miss. You should have gathered up everyone that you could and squatted on the town park

That would be pretty rude of them to not let you back just because of the heat. I know festival owners want to make $$$, but you'd think they'd have a little compassion for their crafters. Word gets around and pretty soon they'll have an empty fair.

I had less trouble finding wicks that didn't smoke with Calwax 30 than I ever did with J50 and J223.

With pillar wax, I don't see much difference between Calwax 10 and IGI 1343 as far as performance.

I've seen differences in how suppliers talk about hex jars, kind of similar. They are the 9 oz hex, but I see them on beekeeping sites as 12 oz. They're the exact same jar, but for honey they hold 12 oz (probably weight). After finding that out, I always ask now for height and width if I'm unsure.

It *is* very frustrating.

Glad everything finally worked out - is the geek helping with the Gimp computer problems you had? Everything looks great!

(Gimp is a free open source program that is very similar to Photoshop.)

If your logs are longer ones (like 18" or so to make it worth the effort), you can cheat and just recalculate your oil amount to pour 1 inch thick. But that's not as fun as buying a real slab

Man, I don't envy you at all Good luck - take plenty of water - and grapes are nice to chew on as well. Thinking nice green bills thoughts atcha

As long as you didn't mismeasure anything, I'd suspect the FO just doesn't like to be CPed..

You *did* recalculate the lye when you made the PKO - AKO substitution, right? Otherwise you've got too much lye - the SAP value of PKO is .176, of AKO is .139. Just checking, just in case

I just put it in the Soapmaking tips/FAQ section so it will be easier to find and remember.

There's instructions for a basic soot chimney test at http://cleanwax.com/soottest.htm

I used it when I was using cleanwax, and I use it occasionally with my other waxes. Maybe something like this? It's hard to do definitive tests, since it's hard to control all the different parameters.

I've collected a few links - a lot are broken on the soy page, but maybe you can find some links that will answer some of your questions.

http://watersgulch.com/CandleScience01.shtml

You're good to question it, there's lots propaganda out there. It's hard to find stuff - all you can find is copy after copy of the same information.

I have too. Used Cleanwax (a natural non soy vegetable blend) for 2 years and then their production went strange - they had a series of bad batches - dark flecks, and strong crayon smell. Finally had to give up and change waxes, and retest everything.

I've heard of formulas changing on both sides - J50 and J223 have gone through changes, some original 100% soys all of a sudden became blends (back a couple of years), companies are sold to someone else. Every time you get a new batch of wax it's a very good idea to do a few tests to make sure it's acting the same.

(And as an aside, sometimes wicks can change on you too - example being a change in the way HTP wicks were made, last year or the year before, can't remember)

Theoretically, yes, you can. But be aware that blue aussie clay doesn't give you blue - it's more gray than anything else, so I don't think you'll get a nice green or purple from it. The green aussie clay is kind of olive. I've found it easier to mix oxides together to get different colors.

Nope, not this Robin. All the conferences I go to are software conferences

Probably the biggest structured conference is through some of the guilds - like The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild http://www.soapguild.org/ I'm a member this year but don't know if I will renew or not.

A lot of the larger candle conferences are adding B&B stuff, like the Chicago Candle & Soap one, but HSG is the only strictly B&B one I can think of off the top of my head.

Edited to add: wait, there was another supplier one in NYC that Alan went to, but I don't remember the name.

You might find something through some of these links http://www.forsoapmakers.com/links.html#assoc

HAPPI might have some references to conferences, or one of the other B&B mags.

Actually, millersoap.com is Kathy Miller's site, not SCMs But that site and the book E mentioned are the standards for learning.

Google for "soaping forums", there are a bunch of them out there - Soapdish, The Whisk, Soapers Asylum, Rational, Latherings... too many to remember . Lots of different vendors have information here and there as well.

Other good information sites are:

http://teachsoap.com

http://soapnuts.com

First I rename them and do them in a different color. If that doesn't work, then family gets them in their holiday presents. Or I put them in a gift basket with something else that is popular.

I find you can also reduce it if you make sure you have a nice hot gel, don't peek and let the cold air touch the surface as it's curing, and pour at a heavier trace.

OK, I'll be good and just list for candles (since my B&B suppliers are completely different)

Peak

Majestic Mountain Sage

Cajun

That's why I stopped using precut rounds and just print on 8x11 plain label and cut them out myself. Takes a bunch of time but at least I don't have that offcenter printing to bother me. Mine was really bad cuz I had printing all around the edge - dumb design

Interesting! I tried UA once in Cleanwax - where vybar did affect that "natural" wax and evened out the color, making it even more opaque, UA didn't do anything at all.

Balmorals do that too me - I really don't like the dancing flame, hurts my eyes in a dark room, but I don't get visible soot. Could be that any taller jar is going to have air currents/hot air convection going on that will make the flames dance.

Good idea to use the shoe box - you shouldn't use metal like aluminum with CP. Only stainless steel. Cardboard and many plastics will be fine, as long as they can stand temps up to 200F.

Lye can be hard to find with all the new drug laws being put in place, so keep looking. Lowe's, super Walmarts, grocery stores, Ace Hardware, restaurant supply stores, janitorial services...

...Do you wave your stirring wand over your melting pot and mumble some sort of chant? ....

OK, I'll fess up, you found my secret

You sound like you're doing everything "right" - frustrating isn't it. In your description you've covered most of what I'd check - temperatures, wax, candle nose, curing, amount of FO, other peoples opinion ...

Just wanted to commiserate with you - personally when I tried J223 I couldn't get a throw and went on to another wax, but lots of people use J223 with great success.

Did you try putting your tongue in your left cheek and stand on your right leg?