Fern-Marie

Brilliant marketing ploy...congrats!

Can the wax still be considered "organic" after it has been heated and FO added? If it helps at all, many of the soys I have are clearly marked K on the box... they're Kosher. So, not being Jewish but understanding what that all entails, tell her that you answer to 'An even higher authority", and if it's good enough for God...! ok, I'm tryingto be helpful. lol

Lin, a beautiful centerpiece. Very well done. ....and what a memory you've made along with it. Fern-Marie

Yes. It is an absolute must for wickless. You want the wax to melt completely and throw the scent in a reasonable amount of time. You can only achieve that with the short squatty containers, like those I mentioned. I love the tureens from CS because they are attractive, they work well with the warmers, and they are a good and consistent grade of glassware. You can achieve a full melt in about a 30-45 minutes. Don't worry about the fragrances diminishing too quickly either...trust me, they don't. I should have mentioned also, I use soys. Lots of different ones too - all with the same results. They are very long lasting in wickless. But I don't see why a paraffin would not behave the same as soy in a wickless format. You'll be fine with this. It is a great way to start off, not as scary or problematic as dealing with wicks. It's a cinch. It is not overwhelming at all. Honestly, when I put wickless side-by-side with wicked candles, the wickless outsells the wicked every time. There are a lot of ppl here to help and guide you, you are not alone. Best Wishes, Fern-Marie

I'm going to jump in here. I have made and sold hundreds of wickless. The warmers will warm the wax and oil just fine. 1.5 oz is more than enough for wickless. It carries all through the house. More than that can be suffocating. Remember that all of the fragrance is warmed in a huge melt pool, it isn't the same as a burning candle with a small percentage of a meltpool Just make sure that you use a short container, like an eight ounce tureen - Candle Science has them, or the Ball Platinum Elite - available at Wal-Mart, some hardware stores, and some grocery stores have them as well. Good Luck to you.

Hillary, I have no idea. I do know that the kit that I tried first worked like a charm. It is the case that I bought, my first, that has me running circles. I'm going back to the beginning. The kit had hemp wicks, so, I'll start there. Thank you, Fern-Marie

Hi, FOs are from Candle Science, Nature's Garden, and Just Scent. Cinnamon, Hot Apple Pie, Cin. Nugmeg Clove, Banana Nut Bread, Carmalized Pralines, Pumpkin Crunch Cake...well that's what I can remember anyway. None of the zincs produce without a fuel scent. Unfortunately, not having any luck with the LXs either. I thought that leaving out dyes altogether would solve the problem...nada. Just as bad without dyes. This is turning into a nightmare.

Friends, I have batched this wax with several fragrances from different suppliers, used every zinc size, 6% - 9% FO, dyes, no dyes.....no matter what I do I cannot stop the fuel smell. Some wicks and scents throw well with the wick used, but there is a strong fuel smell mixed in with it. It's bizarre. I finally got the smell out of the tarts and teas by eliminating the dyes, and I thought that would be the cure, but after testing the jar today with several wicks, it is not working. I am trying to wick a bail wire jar, with a 2.5" opening, about 4.5" tall. I have zincs, LXs, and some CDs, and I think an HTP or two. I will keep trying them in hope of getting to the bottom of the problem...in the meantime.... What do I do? Any suggestions? What am I doing wrongly? I am following NGs directions to the letter. Thanks for any help or input, it's all appreciated. Fern-Marie

Hey, hey, someone to share my misery with! I'm working on it too. I triple wicked with zinc, can't remember size. Melted fully in, oh, about 15 minutes. Not good. But, hey, maybe two would work, or three tea light wicks? Ok, I said I'm working on it. Be happy to share if I have any new discoveries. Definitely not a single wick job, though. I tried all of the LX and a few CD as well. Looks like the zincs may be my best bet, at least I got a good melt and throw, surprisingly.

Thanks for that great idea Jane. I'd forgotten that little trick was even in the world. DH found me a piece of steel that is the width of my wicks...ought to make nice holes! I poured last night the way you suggested. I also poured without dyes, and guess what, the no scent thing, and the fuel smelling thing....gone! I am going to test different wicks tomorrow in that non wicked jar and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed for me. The teas and tarts were fantastic. Man, was I getting nervous. New wax for me, thought I'd sunk myself. I finally noticed that everything that I had done that failed testing were darker colored. I'm hoping that I'm back on track. Fern-Marie

Well, after much fretting over the smell myself, I ran some tests and discovered that other than the over heated tart the dyes were the bigger problem. No dyes, or very light will have to do for me. Darn. I really wanted to make heavy seasonal colors. Well, at least I figured it out.

Tweek, Take the temperature of your melt pool. The tarts are too hot, Top is right. I do soy, but when I check the mp temp, it should be around 160-170 for my soys. I always get a good throw with all of them around that temp. I'm not sure what temp your wax should be at, but take the temp of a melted tart that is successfully burning and let that be your guide. I've had that smell too. Sometimes one FO will differ from another, I do not know why, and cause a hotter or cooler burn, as can dyes. It is a pita, I know. Sorry for your troubles, Fern-Marie

Hi Theresa, I'm just curious if you tried a smaller wick with this jar. I tried those wicks in a jar similar in size and found them to be just a bit too big. JJs narrow as they go down. I'm wondering if that is the problem. I have some curing now with the 44-24-18 and 44-28-18. I am itching to light them, but want to go the three days cure time. Fern-Marie

What a coincidence. I just got done testing some Joy in a tea and votive. After the tea, I fired off a note to NG. The suggested wick size, and the only tea wick they sell for the Joy is hideously too big. Smoked, fumed, and generally dangerous. The melt pool of the tart was over 200* !! This is so not even close. I am disappointed, to say the least. If they are going to suggest and sell a wick for their exclusive product, then the suggested wicks ought to damn well work, especially when they sell just the one t-wick. So, my suggestion to you Malibu, is a smaller wick, which they do not sell. Candle Science has two smaller tea wicks and a wider variety of the zincs. I did have better luck in burning properties with the TL 25 (tealight wicks), and Joy. However, the CDs and Zincs are the wicks NG advises for this particular wax. I did not have any luck with LXs with this wax, and frankly, I do not like the way the CDs burn. Hence, my jumping in with both feet and purchasing all of their zinc sizes. Can you hear the names that I am calling myself right now? Also, tested a votive, 2 oz size, second attempt, second sized wick, no scent throw. Again, the suggested zinc wick is clearly too big. I knew when I opened the package that it looked wrong, but went ahead because it is a suggested wick for the application. I have two jars with two different sized wicks curing. I will be testing those tomorrow. I will gladly let you know the outcome. Also, I am keeping the FOs at 6%. I have other buddies here who have tested at higher %s and the lower seems to work better. So, don't add more FO. I like NG, and I have a good deal of respect for them. Excellent products and Customer Service. This is not typical of them. But, boy, they need to re-think the wicks that they offer. I'll be back at ya soon, hopefully, with positive news. Fern-Marie

They always smell better than they look..lol..that is the nature fo soy. Tealights for EZ soy...I use TL 25s..I get them at Candle Science. They give a nice, even, consistent burn, self trimming...and last really long. I have had a few freaks that burned 12 hours. I have no idea why! But I usually get a consistent burn of 6-8 hours, then there's the occasional 10-12. When I first started out I got a lot of dye chip samples. Well, the reds, again, do not fully dissolve! I even experimented with putting a chip in a little wax and heating the b'jeebers out of it in the microwave...nothing worked. Advice: Stay away. Now, I use dyes. I do use some cips for lighter colors and they are fine. Greens for instance like Sage are nice. I have a couple of the color blocks...same thing with the red, it will not dissolve. Paraffin wax teas burn hot. So, IMO, do soy teas. Did you melt any yet? Can't wait to hear of your progress. You're doing fine.

Concur 100% I am allergic to a lot and ya know what...I use discretion. Either she's a moron or she's playing you. If the kid has allergies...fragrance of any kind is not advisable, especially if she feels that she has to voice such a concern about it. Gimme a break.

I saw those jars online and at Wal-Mart...only there I think they were called..ummm...canisters or cookie jars. There's a sucker born every minute...do you know how long that's been on there?? I wonder if it's because she can't sell the set, or if she keeps selling them.

I'm glad you posted, I have been wondering all day how you made out. Yes, EZ really is better when poured at a cloudy stage. Some of the others work best at the slushy stage...not EZ. Watch out for the red colors, especially with the Black Cherry FO..I did straight Black Cherry.. Always a nightmare. Always. A lot of ppl do not color their soy because of the frosting problems. So, don't feel pressed to do so. You could use a heat gun, or maybe try a hair dryer if you don't have the gun, and warm the tops a bit to get out the lumps. You can pick up a decent heat gun for around $20 at Wal-Mart. I've never used the hair dryer, but lots do, I can't honestly tell you how it works. I'm really glad that you took the plunge, Congrats! You're on your way! Are you going to do tea lights?

Ok, I put mine in last night around 10...forgot about it until 4 this afternoon! No frosting. Well, that's good to know!

Welcome, Sheesh! No such thing as a silly question, how ya gonna learn if you don't ask....we don't bite! Well, most of us don't bite. You know, now that you mention it, a gas stove is probably the only thing that I would worry about. Presto Pots are great, especially for larger batches. I don't know that I'll ever get passed the pyrex in the microwave oven though. It is just too convenient. I'm working on a spot in my house to work from, so I need to re-introduce myself to the presto. Good luck to you!

It is truly a horrifying experience to see tarts with sink holes!! lol Live and learn, right? May as well save someone else from the experience. I was shocked, never, never, saw that before. 4 trays of tarts...sink holes! Good Luck to you!

If anyone has a blend like this made...put it in the fridge and see what happens. That would answer the question. I have a Joy Wax candle, colored in red...I'll put in fridge and we'll see. I think it's predominantly soy. Fern-Marie

I would imagine that the layers have to set up fairly well to do that... How do you get each layer to bind to the other, or doesn't it need to? Thanks!

I'm a huge CS fan. I am about to order the new FO's...I'd bet dollars to donuts that the Apple Maple Bourbon is outstanding...I can't wait to get it!

OH CRAP!!! Darn it!! I ordered from the wrong place then. Crap, crap, crap!!! And now I remember that it was you who wrote it and I read it quite awhile ago. Darn. I wish I had double checked. Thanks, Chris. I do appreciate your letting me know.