Nitewing

Actually, if I don't screw up, they cannot be easily removed. However I do screw up once in a while.

The accents are all made of metal.

Thank you for the compliment. It is appreciated. Nobody burns our candles which makes it a bit difficult of finding repeat customers. Most are placed in china cupboards and book cases. The purchases after the first usually are intended as gifts but never get to the recipient. On these candles, we place the accents low enough that the accents usually don't fall off but then again, only we burn them. We don't have a store or website but we are thinking about it. We only have about 150 candles right now so it is not enough to set up a website and I really don't have time to go at it full time right now. These are 7 inches tall and weigh about 2 pounds. Because wax and shipping is so expensive, we only sell locally through ladies who need a little extra income. There is only one place in the country right now to get that particular palm wax but hopefully at the end of the month, there will be a second which will cut our costs quite a bit. The Lion is my personal pride and joy but the Lion iteself has to be ordered at 144 at a time. I like the bee also too. I really am proud of them and I really do appreciate your accolades.

We use the accents on our palm wax candles. Hope you like them. They are 7 inches tall.

I used liquid until I ended up looking like a Smurf. I hate dye blocks because I like to make my colors consistent for what I sell. Liquid dye can screw up a whole pot. I prefer the dye chips, ie diamond chips. I get consistent colors even if I make 20 candles at one sitting. They are not that difficult to mix if you have a color wheel and a razor blade to get colors you might think of buying but want to see it first. We have about 20 different colored diamonds and can do all sorts of tricks with them.

I used Yaley Premium for several years. I only stopped because shipping became so expensive from California. I now use IGI 4625 which is similar but shipping is 1/2 the price. We used to have to get Yaley from our local stores with 1/2 off coupons. I still remember when it was $40 for a 10 pound block. I was very satisfied with Yaley Premium. I get my wax now shipped from Tennesse for $2 a pound including shipping. It is about a 2 day turnaround from order to my front door. There is nothing wrong with Yaley Premium and I would recommend it. I usually added Vybar to get the finish I wanted. I do the same with IGI 4625. I am very happy with both and still order other supplies from Yaley. They have been around since the hippies started burning candles. They are well known. I actually called IGI and found my supplier through them in Tennessee now. If Yaley was only 2 states away, I might still be using them. I still have candles I made two years ago in plastic bags that are still beautiful and still hold the fragrance as if they were made yesterday.

You have to order 300 pounds at one time to get discount on shipping and price. That is a hefty sum, over $500 for someone just getting restarted.

What is a kitchen? We used to have one but it disappeared along with my garage. We used to have one of those also. Whereever you do it, make sure you have a couple of fire extinguishers very close. I know from experience.

Ha! No spill=no thrill. What's the fun without that?

Ebay is a good source of melting pots. Generally the better ones which we have are older conversions. It is a large aluminum pot with a spigot and heated with the Presto heater mounted underneath. We have two. They hold 18 pounds of wax and melts it in about 15 minutes. It has quadrupled our candle output. We have one for paraffin and one for palm. I couldn't do without them now. I use wax so fast, keeping it a constant temperature is difficult so I use the stove to put in my chemicals, dyes and fragrances. Best to keep a pan under the spigot because it tends to drip a little right after a pour. I have tried to put all in the pot with a ready to pour in the mold temperature but one mistake can ruin 18 pounds of wax. I can measure because 1 inch equals 2 lbs of wax. They also are hot and may raise a few blisters when changing colors.

I get 60 lbs of wax per week from Aztec. I have it UPS'd and since it is only 2 states away, If I order before 3:00, it is on my door 2 days later. They will also go far out of their way to assist, including sending my candles to the wax manufacturer to assist in solving a problem. Great people and good wax.

It could be moisture accumulated on the wax and may hit a boiling point in your melting pot. That would bubble away the moisture. Have that problem in this hot humid environment I live in.

If it is engraged, you can use acrylic paint mixed with candle painting medium. The paint will fill the engraving and a small squegee will remove the paint outside the letters. That easily washes off before it is dry.

I will soon. Right now I think I got a case of different wax than I ordered. I has become a major pain. However, we sell every candle we make witht the stampings. That is why it is important to us so any help would be appreciated.

It is Candle Making but thanks. I will post there also. Thanks

For a long time, we used the Accent Factory for our metalic animals. As most companies do, they downsized their stock. Does anyone know of a store similar to the Accent Factory where I can browse their catalogs? I have checked Google, Yahoo, and Ebay and found nothing similar. I am looking for stamped animals of 1 to 3 inches. Thanks

Krylon crystal clear. 2-3 light coats over decals or stickers. The inket ink is water soluble. Krylon covers cmpoletely.

I think you would be better off trying to build ships in bottles.

The easiest way to control your small melts is with a stand alone rheostat. A simple box can be built for about $12. I have a nightlight installed in one on the sockets so that I can tell when it is on. Once you find the temperature you want, simply mark it on the rheostat. You will get the same temperature all the time. You can control temperatures easily. Just make sure all accessories are 120 Volts.

I use a steam iron held upside down. The wax flows into the steam holes and does not accumulate on the sides. The steam holes empty nicely into a drip pan as long as the iron is hot. You might want to wear gloves.

I use Yaley large flat braid for my 5 inch balls and medium for my 3 inch. They burn down the center and glow nicely.

I use a steam iron, one with holes in the bottom. I set the iron at a low setting and and hold the iron upside down. The extra wax flows into the steamholes and pours out easily. I usually do this over an aluminum throw away pan and toss it in the freezer when the wax gets excessive in the pan. To much heat on the iron will build up on the corner of the candle so keep the heat low. Set it on a piece of parchment paper while it is cooling.

I would like to add another issue that causes pitting. I almost quit making candles because of it but I love to make them. I have read causes such as dust storms, pouring too cold and pouring too hot as well as the phases of the moon or the stage of the eclipse. Recently I made two identical candles out of the same pot in the same molds at the same time. One came out perfect and the other pitted terribly. I knew then it wasn't my wax or FO because they came out of the same pot. There were only two issues not accounted for. The first was the amount of mold release I used. I made another candle without mold release and it still pitted. As I remelted the candle the wick was still in the pot. As the pot reached 200 degrees, the wick started fizzing like Root Beer. What I have noticed is that in humid climates like where I live, the cotton wicks absorb moisture. This moisture is slowly released into the mold as the candle hardens (paraffin). The moisture bubbles do not rise to the top and dissipate as I would expect. They continue to float in the mold and are drawn to the cooler sides. I watched this until the candle hardened on the sides with untinted wax. Dippiing and coating the wick does not work if you have this issue. Dipping merely traps the moisture until released over a long period of time as the wax cools. I now keep a small pot of wax and heat it to 212F or around there to get my wicks hot enough to release the moisture and air trapped in the cotton wick. When they stop fizzing, I remove them. I now get candles without pitting due to moisture. Hope I helped.