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CaftCandles

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Everything posted by CaftCandles

  1. When names are Trade Marked they have to include a list of inclusions and exclusions of what that name will be used for. For example if you TM the name "Trash Can" as a Fragrance name then in your inclusion list would state things like (Fragranced Candles or wax cubes, melts etc. or scented candles, scented wax products in general, etc.). If I was making another type of product like candy for instance, I could use and TM the name "Trash Can" as a flavor without infringing on your TM. Someone could also name their company the same if it is not TM'ed as a company name. To summarize, if you are applying for a Trade Mark then you need to include everything that may apply to your products and accessories to prevent someone else from using them. Also note that just because a name is TM'ed doesn't mean you cannot use it, it only means that you have to give full credit to the TM owner and a disclaimer (Type) on your part that it is only an interpretation of said owners product and it must be clearly located on the main product label, another way would be to get written permission from the owner to use the name. Using a Patent or Trade Mark Attourney is always worth the money because there are always some grey areas and they are always up to date on the do's and dont's of how to apply for a Trade Mark and they will do all of the reasearch necessary to better protect your name and prevent you from being sued in the future. HTH
  2. I have a lot of experience with the performa wicks. I love how they burn and they can handle some really heavy FOs but I never had much luck with the HT. I get perfect posture and trimming with mostly no mushrooming but I could only get good HT with some of the lighter fragrances. I hope you have better luck than I did.
  3. Yes, you can figure it that way if you are only looking for a percentage but she asked how to measure in teaspoons. That is a little more difficult, teaspoons is a liquid or dry measurement where as ounces is a volume or mass measurement and there is no direct conversion for calculating the change over. Several factors have to be known to make that conversion but you can use water as a basis for things that don't need to be 100% precise. 1/2 teaspoon (level) = 2 grams or in this case .08 ounces = 2.25 grams or 1/2 teaspoon and a pinch respectively.
  4. .08 ounce or just a pinch more than 1/2 teaspoon. If you need the conversions let me know.
  5. These figures to be 100% precise is .038% off but for all intents and purposes is more accurate than most people calculate. They are good numbers and to try to get them 100% accurate would be pointless so yes they are right.
  6. Well, Yes you're right. If there is no reference of supporting their cause on your label then you have nothing to worry about. Don't let the out of state thing worry you either, the point of sale is in your state and therefore is not considered "out of state" sales. If you really think about it, the only people that will go to that event will be supporters and even if there was some affiliation between them and your products it will be perceived as being a positive advertisement for your products. Always remember, in order for a business to be successfull you have to accept any and all sales, even from people that do not agree with your opinions which is why I choose not to share them when I do business. I think this a great opportunity and you should be very proud that your products were considered, Congrats!
  7. If I understand this correctly they wish to purchase your products to sell for fund a raising event. I would understand your worries with your company name or support if you were going to donate your products to their organizationand not sell them. I am typically a business minded person meaning that business is always my first thoughts then my personal feelings later so many of you may disagree, but here goes. Business is business and should remain just that, it is always a good idea to keep that separate from your religious and political beliefs. They want to potentially purchase your products for fundraising activities and that does not say to anyone that you are a supporter in any way. They can just as easy purchase your products from one of your wholesalers to do the same or they will buy products from some other company to raise money. The bottom line is they need to raise money by selling other peoples products and if it’s not yours it will be someone else’s. You should be honored that an organization has liked your products enough to request them for an evaluation in their fund raising event; I know several people on here would love an opportunity like that. On a business stand point you should not worry about their politics, that isn’t your problem, focus on growing your business and getting your name and products out to a larger public and this opportunity sounds like it will be a huge boost to your name. To put it in a one line format: There should be a separation between business practices and anything personal.
  8. Using Beeswax as an additive will aid in many ways. It can extend the burn time and raise the melt point, by doing that it can also regulate the flow of wax through your wick and sometimes stabilize an unruly flame. Beeswax does not expand when hot or contract when cooled so it can also be used to counteract shrinkage issues that cause wet spots although it will not completly eliminate them, it is much easier to achieve a spot free candle with optimum pouring conditions. I don't know of any increase in HT by using Beeswax but other benefits are undeniable. If used as an additive you have to do it in small percentages between 1% to 10% depending on your wax type or problems you're trying to correct or else you will start getting new problems caused by the properties of the Beeswax. Keep in mind whether you are using Soy, Paraffin or a combination of the two, Beeswax should be used as an additive like other additives (Stearine, Vybar) and should be added in small percentages, 20% is way to much and is going to cause a number of problems, besides it is just to expensive to use that much.
  9. I've never had any problem glueing the wick in before heating the jar. If you are using hot glue just make sure it is the High Temp kind.
  10. If a company pings your account to verify identity then they will reverse the charges as soon as they are done. Those transactions should not appear on your CC statement and I have never seen any company ping my or anyone I know account with $1.00 exactly, it is usually less, something very unique (I think the last time it was .72 cents).
  11. It apperas that your problem is not that the wax pulls upward around the wick it is that the wax is shrinking a little and when it shrinks it does not release from the wick causing the cracks. You stated that you've made some candles with cotton wick and did not have this problem, this is because with the smaller round wick the wax is better able to shrink around the smaller surface area of the wick. Because wood wicks are larger and have a greater surface area the bond between the wax and wick is stronger and can not flex enough to compensate for the amount of shrinkage. I've never had this problem and I'm not exactly sure what you can do to prevent it from happening but I have a couple of ideas. First try to wiggle the wick just a little while the wax is still slushy, just enough to break the bond between the wax and wick. Second you can try to add something to counteract the contraction of the wax when it cools like a little beeswax or a hardening agent like stearine in a small percentage. One of these methods should work and I wish you sucessful testing.
  12. No, I wasn't applying for a CC, it was simply a purchase. I felt something wasn't right and maybe someone was trying to run a scam which is why I called them but they confirmed the email and told me that without sending them copies of my CC / DL they would not process the order. I had that happen with another website that deals with RC cars but when I called them they said that in lieu of sending copies they could ping my account with a small charge and I could tell them how much the charge was, then that would confirm that I am who I say I am. Amazon would not do that and insisted I send copies of my CC and DL. No way! Never going to happen! I use my cards all over the world and sometimes in countries that specialize in CC theft and have never had any trouble but the "All Mighty Amazon" wouldn't do it. Sounds to me like one of their employees is collecting information either to sell or use for themselves to make unlawful pruchases.
  13. I tried to make a purchase with Amazon a few years ago, they emailed me an information form to fill out that requested very personal information that sounded a little strange to me. I called them and was told that they need that information before they could process the order, really! They wanted me to email them a copy of my credit card, front and back along with a copy of my driver's license. Well after hearing that I think I taught the operator some new words, I canceled my order and refuse to buy anything from them ever again. There is no reason for any internet based company to request copies of your CC and especially your driver's license and I would advise you to be careful when purchasing from them.
  14. My guess would be a lot more than you can handle. Personally I would never deal directly with a foreign company in the first place. There are so many things that can go wrong and it would cost you thousands of dollars just to hunt them down not to mention what it would cost in litigation. Here is a link to their site: http://integratedfortune.com/index.php?lang=en , a lot of wax information for those of you that use Palm wax. Here is another link to their RSPO Company Profile: http://www.rspo.org/?q=om/1438, if anyone is interested in their commentment to sustainability.
  15. Thanks OCcandles for that website, that is a lot of information that will take a little time to read through. BTW, IGI requires an anual purchase quantity of 24k lbs and a minimum of 1 pallet per purchase .
  16. FO Manufactures can dupe anything that they can fit into their analyzers. Things like FO's and Perfumes are easy for them to work with and they can get a better match usually the first time. If you sent them a food item or maybe a chunk of scented wax from a competitor it will take them much longer and may take several tries to get it right. All of the manufactures that I deal with have every perfume or cologne known to man already duped, is there something special that you are looking for?
  17. Wow! Where do I begin? Contrary to popular belief, The First Amendment is not a blank check for someone to say whatever stupid thought comes to their mind. It gives citizens the right to publically speak and or have a public voice. The First Amendment does not give ANYONE the right to defame, slander or spread false information about any person or business. The First Amendments Constitutional objections, intentions, definitions or changes made by the Supreme Court is not something I care to debate on but there are a lot of information out there about more than you ever wanted to know for your leisure reading. There are some links to the FTC Laws pertaining to what we are allowed to say as advertisements for our business in this very thread that one of our very informative members posted for everyone to use as a reference. It is good reading and if you plan to be successful in your business it would be a good idea to read and learn it. Below is an excerpt from Wiki and a Topic you may want to research before you just throw the “First Amendment” thing out there.
  18. The heat from the candle flame will cause the crack to grow or if you get a sudden major difference in temp it will probably shatter. I wouldn't do it!
  19. I think you misunderstood my point. Yes, if everyone stopped using it then it would ultimately go away as would anything. My point was simply that Palm Oil is primarily produced like Soybean oil for food additives, oils, lubricants, if you, me or us as candle makers stopped using it wouldn’t go away therefore you, me or we have no impact on the production. There are things that many people in this country think they can affect on a global level by supporting or disapproving of something in other countries. People in Third World Countries do not have the luxuries that you and I have and I’m not referring to fancy homes, cars or yachts, I’m referring to electricity, medicine or steady income. If the Palm Oil or any other industry could be stopped by any means they would just find another crop or reason to cut down the Rain Forest. They like us have to earn an income but they unlike us do not have the options that you and I take for granted. If you lost your income today you have at your disposal many government programs too at least maintain some of the things you own and keep food on your table, if you had to you would be able to retrain yourself and find another source of income, they do not. I remember back in the 70’s or 80’s, there was a lot of talk and protest about sweat shops in Third World Countries, Cathy Lee Gifford was att he center of all that due to her clothing line being manufactured in countries that used child labor and because I was still young I really didn’t understand much about the problem. Since I’ve gotten older and started traveling I now understand the what’s, how’s and whys. Although I am not a fan of child labor, I’ve seen in some countries that if it wasn’t for them working in sweat shops they would have had to resort to more horrendous methods to aid in the survival of their families. We thought back then that be shutting down the sweat shops that the children would return to school to get an education and ultimately benefit them, their families and their countries, fast forward to today and the reality is very different. They did not return to school and the only other options for them were becoming a thief, working for a drug lord or in prostitution. I recently returned from a country in Central America where you could find any of those on any street corner, crime was amongst the highest in the world and I had to have an armed guard with an armored vehicle at all times. We have to be very careful of how we approach things like stopping industries in other countries, the long term effects are sometimes hard to live with. I am not saying that I do not support it; we just need to be very smart on how and when we do it. 001, I commend you for your enthusiastic and conservative nature but unfortunately the world is not as simple as not eating a Kit Kat orSkippy Peanut Butter as an attempt to stop deforestation. It takes world leaders to agree, commit to providing resources for enforcement and workers have to be educatedon how to be conservationist and teach them other methods of earning money to make the changes that you desire. I personally have seen the suffering and slaughtering in some of these countries, of people of all ages and I hope that you will never have to experience the same, but sometimes we have to weigh the cost, and many times the price that others pays for our crusades are very high. The candle industry just does not have the influence on the Palm Oil or Soybean Oil industries to make a difference either way. My sincere apologies to the OP for getting off topic.
  20. Bees are very intelligent creatures much like we used to be. They spend all spring and summer collecting pollen and nectar from flowers to make honey to consume while doing so and to stock pile for the winter. Because the severity and duration of winter is never certain they make much more Honey than they need. The Bee Keepers (Farmers) know how much honey bees consume during the winter and leave them enough to survive and the rest is harvested and sold as Honey, Royal Jelly and Beeswax. No harm comes to bees while harvesting the honey and they exhibit no bereavement from losing their stock piles. Beeswax is, besides your own ear wax, one of the few if not the only wax that would be hard to speak poorly of. Bees are declining for several reasons, the largest being our own fault. Farmers want a pest free (insect and weeds) crop and use a lot of chemical pesticides which harm bees as well. Worldwide we lost interest in Beekeeping also contributing to the decline and what was believed to be a disease but now scientist think they found the actual culprit. Here is a link to an article about that if you’re bored or interested in that topic. http://www.oneidadispatch.com/articles/2012/01/05/news/doc4f04fab83bb16023465092.txt The Department of Agriculture in my area has been offering for several years to anyone that wishes to become a Beekeeper a great deal of incentives and assistance to do so. I think they will practically set you up and train you for free. Below is an excerpt from an article I recently read, sad. Now for Palm Wax! Sounds sustainable to me, in reality! Palm Oil is produced in many countries and done responsibly, why should the industry take a bad rap for the few that are doing wrong? Yes, Palm Oil is mostly produced in Indonesia and Malaysia and is where the concern over deforestation is focused but like with Soy Wax coming from ONLY “American Farmers”, can you honestly say that the wax sold at your local supplier is coming from there? Do you honestly believe that by using or not using 10 to 20 pounds of Palm Wax a week or a month is threatening the orangutans? You, me or anyone else on this forum, even if all of the members are all included as a whole DO NOT HAVE a positive or negative impact on the production of Palm Oil or the deforestation to produce it. I personally have traveled all around South America and have been in and flown over (by Helicopter) the Amazon Rain Forest for the past 18 years and I have seen some deforestation and have seen thousands of parrots that you speak of and I can say this; deforestation in the Amazon has been highly over sold and over dramatized and even if parrots are killed in Oil Palm Plantations it would represent an extreamly small percentage of the overall population and would be shadowed by the amount of the ones exported to be sold as pets. Well enough about that! I agree with the OP, use whatever wax you want and STOP bad mouthing everyone else’s choices. Stop being so infantile too think that because you use or don’t use a particular kind of wax that you are contributing too or fighting against any global issues. Can’t we all just make candles and Be Happy?
  21. Sorry about that Judy, I travel a lot Internationaly so I guess I've gotten used to their units.
  22. I wouldn't recommend it especially if there is wax in the bowl. One just never knows what might happen and if you are sleeping you wont be there to immediatly correct and problems if any. Those warmers are very different from one manufacturer to another and even with the exact same warmers, one will get very hot while another will only get hot enough to melt the wax. IMO it's just not worth taking a chance.
  23. People seem to forget that most of the cities and farm land here in the U.S. was once forest and was cleared for the same reasons that forest are still being cut down in other countries today (Timber & Agriculture). It’s pretty arrogant of us to condemn others for something that we have already done and had to put laws in place to prevent continued destruction. I do not in any way condone deforestation but it will continue to happen until the laws in other countries are enforced to prevent it and whether or not you, here in the U.S. buy Palm Wax will not have an impact on the Global Palm Oil production. Palm Oil like Soy and other Vegetable Oils are primarily produced for use in food products and lubricants, wax represents a very small percentage of oil consumption. That is the same thought people have about supporting Foreign Oil Companies by buying Paraffin Wax and supporting American Farmers by buying Soy Wax, that’s just absurd! I wonder if the Palm Boycotters know that when they eat movie or microwaveable popcorn that it is cooked with PALM OIL? The best thing to do is to make your candles using whatever kind of wax you want and stop worrying about remedial things that you have no impact on one way or the other and stop bad mouthing others wax choices to make yours look better. By definition, Palm Oil is sustainable in fact more so than Soybean Oil. Palm fruit can be harvested twice annually (from the same tree) in tropical climates whereas soybeans must be replanted every year. I don’t think anyone said Paraffin is sustainable but it is renewable, undeniable! .
  24. That’s a shame! Most people read to learn and by reading that information you would have learned a different perspective of Vegie vs. Vegie as opposed to the “Great Soy vs. Paraffin Debate” and the effects of negative PR campaigns on everyone. Just because someone reads something that they don’t agree with doesn’t mean they have to believe what was written. Sometimes what appears to be redundant information is actually very informative and often offers facts or incite from different resources that can be helpful or eye opening, even if they feel like it’s beating a dead horse! I must say these people have done their homework and their site and provided information are congruent with FTC regulations unlike a site we were discussing recently in another thread. A lot of good information with the resources to back it up.
  25. It's nice too see that someone from the other side has taken a stance and is providing good and non-slanderous information.
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