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Henryk

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Everything posted by Henryk

  1. Get a metal turkey baster with an injector tip, for example http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-stainless-basting/dp/B001E3ZMLY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1256606184&sr=1-6
  2. If anyone has used the BW from Soapers Choice for candles (straight BW) does it wick average or do you have to wick up on it? TIA
  3. Thats neat that they still have astorlite F. The astorlite PQ was my favorite crystal palm wax - RIP PQ.
  4. I've have really noticed that UV can do very strange things in particular to dark shades of greens and browns - repeatedly. At least the type I used to use did. Just a suggestion, but if you have already tried it without your UV and its still not good - try a good block dye like French dye blocks - yes, the hunter green would be my first choice too. "Army" green to me means olive - so maybe the palm you are using is just particularly succeptable to yellowing - and in that case try a different one - or, if you get good results right upon unmolding, but THEN they yellow - try a different UV. I did some large WHITE palm forever pillars many months ago and gave them to someone who kept them by two windows on her mantle - and they are still bright white and I did NOT use UV. Thats why I mention maybe its the palm itself.
  5. Try either of the perfect blends from KY Candle or if you want a bit more paraffin try the perfect blend. The perfect blend colors a bit darker as its slightly more transluscent IMO. Being in PA you should get wax from her in 2 days unless she is behind. (Plus you won't pay tax!).
  6. Sorry, BW is beeswax. If a mold releases beeswax clean - you should have NO problem with paraffin - assuming you aren't trying to use a container paraffin
  7. Actually the Mann Lake ones are all rubber also. They are the best IMO though. I've finally ruined my taper molds from them after years of use so I just buy BW tapers now when I want them. It just too much trouble to do them a couple at a time and I don't have room to do a dipping tank of a decent size. Still use the ML ones for pillars though.
  8. I use these and they look and work really nice. You get a bag of 6 for 4.00 dollars on the site but I think I may have paid less at the store - I can't remember its been a while - however I'm sure the more you buy the cheaper it'll be I guess. They are nice folks to deal with even though I don't buy a ton of supplies. Maybe what you are interested in? http://www.earlyamericancandlesupplies.com/store_supplies_info.cfm?id=748&cat=7⊂=31
  9. If you have used 3134 and/or 4144 - can you tell me if either of them have mottled for you? And if so, is it a good all-over mottle or is it just like a "snowflake" here and there? Thanks!
  10. First I should say that I never particularly liked how votives burned even in tight holders and I'm not familiar with the ones you mentioned. So I tried the 3 oz. ones from Candlewic - I LOVE these things! They are polycarbonate - the same thing as good tea light cups are made out of. I've never had a problem with them melting - and as long as they are wicked properly (so the meltpool doesn't get too deep as it burns down), I feel they get less hot than glass holders. Maybe they dissipate the heat better instead of holding onto it. I've been just burning them in them in the holders, but you can also use them as 3oz. votive molds also - the finish on them is MUCH better than the aluminum ones IMO. I think candlewic is now selling the 3oz votive glasses also for them.
  11. Here's a pic at http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53933#9
  12. I agree that hardening the wax too much can do that - BW, or stearic in my case - use them sparingly if needed. The other times I have seen this is in the case of large tall jars - the top cools too fast while the inside stays warm and top colapses like that. To be honest, the way I solved that is --- I stopped using that type of jar! KY waxes in 8-12oz jars never had that issue unless too much BW. Eco Advanced didn't have it unless too much stearic.
  13. They are fine if I trim them for every burn - but you're right - I could not get away with "light it and forget it". I did another set with ecos - 1 and 2. I can always go back to LXs in the votives - but the flame gets a bit too high for me so I'm just trying something different. I've never been really happy with votives to begin with honestly, and I'm starting to feel the same way with containers in general. Pillars seem so much easier. Thanks again.
  14. Thanks for your posts! Turns out these votives are for tables (food) - so they ARE unscented - wonder if I would have issues if they were scented as you mention Top. (They were made with pillar soy). I also had some unwicked scented and unscented soy (KY125 + 2% BW) containers and so for the heck of it put in 3 largest sizes of zincs - NONE of them burned right.
  15. Just updating this after a process of elimination. Turns out it was the wax but mostly one color (the other wasn't too bad) from one vendor that was giving me issues. Since checking back through notes, turns out the ones that were giving me issues where either made completely with the one color - or where a mix of two or a mix of bayberry wax. Once I eliminated that one variable, everything worked out.
  16. I'm wondering if you guys who are in the know think that zinc wicks my go the way of the dodo bird or if you think they will always be around. (I have no idea so I'm not starting a mass panic or anything of the sort so don't anyone read anything into this!) I've never much used them because I've always used soy and BW mostly but have been trying them lately in votives and tealights and find that for these smaller candles the zinc wicks seem to be the way to go - even with soy ones I'm doing. They just seem to be burning really nice. Only thing - I seem to have to trim them more often - at least after the first initial burn - then they seem to limit themselves more after that. I've not tried them in larger containers in soy as most people just say they burn too cool - but then I've been reading a few posts lately that some soy folks use zinc all the time. Anyway, not really a post about soy - just wondering if you think zinc wicks are going to be around - what with some of the paranoia that exists about them and all. Thanks!
  17. Thats the problem. You are using soy - you wick hot like you describe then many times you will have too hot of a jar. Now if you use a parasoy you can get by with cooler wicking to completely clear the sides. What will be left is just an only film - not actual wax. Your other issue is a 4" jar so you usually have to 2x wick. If you don't mind, 2.5 to 2.75" will be much easier to deal with wick-wise in soy. Also apoth jars and others - have a neck so heat is held in - jar gets hotter, etc. It really is going to be your call on what you want to do. Me personally I can't stand hot jars. JMO.
  18. Can't answer about coconut wax, but will give my general opinion. Yes, there are a couple "generators" online - the trouble IMO is that the results have rarely worked for me personally, or you get an extremely wide range of answers. Wick too small - maybe. You can get leftover wax on the container for either too small of a wick (not efficient enough) or too large a wick (burns too fast and tunnels straight down). There is a generally accepted 1" per hour rule with a 1/4" deep meltpool but you can't use that in a couple circumstances off the top of my head - i.e. large, multi-wick candles - meaning it should not take 6 hours to get across a 3-wick 6" pillar, secondly, you have to take into account the container burn in general - meaning it is perfectly acceptable IMO to have some hangup on a jar during a couple initial burns IF deeper into the jar you get a perfect burn that cleans the jar while not sooting and making the glass too hot. HTH.
  19. If its 100% beeswax (is there a bloom on it? - whitish film/powder?) - then yes you can and should be regardless of age, but why bother? By the time you melt it, pour it, find the right wicks (testing and money) - there isn't much safety factor saving in doing all that since at the end you are going to light them anyway. Beeswax burns HOT - so you will have to be careful in wick selection to make it work - plus not melt your tea light cups or get the votive glass too hot so it shatters. You can certainly search the forum here for wick suggestions but since BW is a natural product those suggestions are just that - suggestions. Just mentioning all this since it sounds like you aren't in this for the long haul - and its much more complicated to get a properly burning candle due to the testing involved then just melting and pouring Since this is your first and only post I'm just assuming you don't want to do this as a hobby or business - and in that case, I would just enjoy them as they are. JMO
  20. If anyone is interested I have been testing a lot of different wicks in a parasoy and never really cared for wicks that burned "off center" - but I have to admit that so far the CDs I have (testers from BCN) are the BEST in this wax. I use mostly use plain old cottons now in soy, but for this parasoy that I'm using for darker colors I will stick with the CDs unless I come across something else during testing. If I can ask you CD experts, do the CDNs burn at the same level as the CDs - meaning, if I get my wicking down with CDs will I have much of a headache switching over to CDNs? I know they are the same except the added chemical on the CDNs - but I thought I read someone posted that the CDNs burn a bit hotter than the straight CDs. (I would be asking as someone using container soy or parasoy). The WU site lists them in one grid together, but I'm asking for real-world experience IYKWIM ! TIA EDIT: Found the thread - from just a couple days ago: http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61101. (Wow - four sizes different - does that coating make THAT much of size difference?)
  21. OK, so then you have to eliminate the air pockets: Add stearic and/or pour cooler - try even down to around 135F. See thread: http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3792 (Sorry - try the 2% stearic not 5 as per my above post ... I was thinking about the 5% max for beeswax - totally different). I would also ditch the coconut oil, if you can solve it with pour temp don't even bother with additional time/money of additives). JMO.
  22. Wick down unless you are getting airpockets with that wax - then try adding 5% stearic.
  23. OK - found this thread that relates to the pic suz posted I've had the same issue as Meridith, I just didn't like how things worked out with single wicking large soy conatiners - either a torch, too hot, crappy burn, etc., but hey, if it works for you ...
  24. Hi, I wasn't following what was going on between you and Meredith - but I wanted to ask: What soy is that - and, do you get the same result with a 3.5" jar without such a pronounced neck - meaning, a straight sided container like a tumbler. Thanks!
  25. BCN has formulated new ones that match the old ones - but they don't have all the colors - maybe they will eventually? https://secure.candlesupply.com/catalog_page.cfm?queries_index=index7&ProductCodeID=38&ProductSubCodeID=325
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