Chefmom

Can that printed circle be a thin sheet of metal?

Wow. At least that one isn't as bad as others, but still once you read the comments (crayons AGAIN!!) you roll your eyes. Would essential oils even mix with the wax at that low of a temperature? I don't work with the soy container wax, so I don't know. But I do know that TOO low of a temp and you get blobs of pure oil floating in the wax. And, come ON again with the comment, Oh, most candles are petroleum based and they give you headaches!!! They are so evil, blah blah. These people really do make me laugh. In a sarcastic way of course. I'm sorry, "mostly" centered isn't centered. *faint*

That should be the motto at the top of the welcome page!!! You can read until your eyes fall out, but until you buy it, pour it and burn/heat it, you will never know how it throws in your system AND if you like it. I have read about scents that others love, and I think they are so so. And others HATE something, but I love it. Then you sniff something out of the bottle and think, what are they talking about?? Then you put it in wax and burn it and it comes to life and you just CAN'T believe it. .....it's a way of life.

How can the image stay while burning? It would have to only burn through the little wick hole. It's interesting that there is no "burning" photo. Or feedback. But, come ON, $2.50 EACH with shipping figured in!!!???? Really?? *faint*

Peak's and Candle Science are my two main suppliers, I also purchase soaping supplies from Natures Garden in Ohio and Moonworks Fragrances. I usually order once a month from Peaks and Candle Science, so I can say either one is a fabulous supplier. The Cinnamon and Balsam is a good FO and I really like it. If you are going to order a 2 pound sample of wax, you may as well order at least two 1 ounce samples of fragrance. Usually most fragrances work at a pound of wax to 1 ounce fragrance ratio. Some you can use less, some need more, up to the point that your wax won't hold it anymore. I don't know about soy waxes, but if you read more you will learn the "eco friendly soy" game is quite the lie. It takes a whole lot of petroleum to get that soy to grow and then to process it with chemicals to get the oil out. Paraffin or Soy is a personal choice, both have ups and downs. The soy industry has really kicked the paraffin industry with negative marketing. Do your research and make your choice, there is a world out there for everyone. Good Luck and welcome, it's an addicting way of life.

Yes, I do make ones that would be the last candle I would ever burn, but there are a few that I can't physically pour. Anything coconut will make me vomit instantly without warning, so I stay away. I do some that I pour and then leave a.s.a.p because I don't LIKE the scent, however Nag Champa really threw me and made me nauseous and ill. Then the kicker was after I poured it into testers I went to my daughters band concert. There I was all innocent when a family sat in the row in front of me. One of the teenage daughters was wearing Nag Champa perfume. I mean what are the ODDS on that?? After the first song was played I had to move seats, even though it's considered rude to interrupt the concert. I couldn't take it, that scent was making me sick and then she was bathed in it. Uuuuugh. :tiptoe:

I really love the square Victorian jars, they are so classy. However my candle tests didn't fare well as the small neck seems to trap the scent throw. I do use the small ones for spice jars and the husband promises to make a spice rack to fit them. We'll see on that one, I'm not holding my breath. I love the quilted crystal Ball jelly jar, when the flame burns through the facets it is really pretty, however I don't like the threads at the top. For me the perfect jar would be a quilted crystal jar that is 3-inches in diameter and 3 1/2-inches high with no lid threads. Kind of like a Waterford whiskey tumbler, but considerably cheaper. In the real world I live with the plain tumblers, small and large and when I'm really in the mood I paint them seasonally and then fill with white or light colored wax. Scented of course.

For your failed jars you can just melt the wax out by putting it on a candle warmer plate and when the whole thing is liquid just pour into another jar. Or a quicker way is to put them in a pan with some water on VERY LOW heat until they melt, then pour out and wipe the jar with a paper towel and you can use it again. Then you can just set up another jar/wick and start all over again.

Also, FO doesn't just mix with wax magically. You really need it to be a higher temperature, so if someone had their tart heated and then poured the straight FO into the wax, it may not even combine. I'm all for saving money, but I don't know how the customer would do this with just a tart warmer.

Wow. I mean, really. Wow. And I think that photo is a PhotoShop creation. My daughter is really talented at PhotoShop and she says that it is "shopped up."

Lovely! I have seen bayberry wax here and there, where do you get a whole case? I have a feeling it has a pretty pricetag to go with it. They are lovely.

For those who don't know: TEOTWAWKI means "The End of the World as We Know It", you know, like the REM song. Well, his tutorial is better than others I've seen, however not centering the wick is going to have issues. AND it just floats my boat to see yet ANOTHER person talking about "wicks" as if there is one out there to choose from. Time and time again, online and in print wicks are written about like there are three sizes to choose from. Simply pick small, medium or large and that's all you need to know. No where does he/she state what KIND and what SIZE of wick. Ggrrrr. And then, the real kicker is in the replys, I absolutely L*O*V*E the one about using 100% crayons as a source of F*R*E*E wax. But WAIT, there's more!!!! All you really need is some cotton "string" soaked in a salt and borax solution. Gee Ladies and Gents!! I guess we are ALL wasting our time and money!!!!! Just head on down to Michaels and pick up some cotton string and then stop off at the market and pick up some salt and borax. That's all you need. DDdduuuhhhhhhh!!:rolleyes2 OMG!!! I am sooo totally rolling around on the floor laughing. People can be so funny, yet so sad at the same time. :whoohoo:

Since I can't get CD's from either Peaks or Candle Science I tend to not even test them. I don't like paying shipping for JUST wicks, they piggy back for free with shipping when you order wax. So I haven't used them since the first wick purchase when I was trying to try EVERYTHING. My original order of CD's came from Lonestar and I haven't ordered from them since. The box was soaked in Moth Ball stink and I couldn't even have the box in the house it smelled so bad, I unloaded everything and then burned it all. I still have the plastic bag of sample wicks I bought there and I had to wrap it in another heavy plastic bag. It STILL stinks almost 14 months later when I open the bag. I am super sensitive to Moth Ball stink, I can't be anywhere near it.

I get mine from Candle Science, they are tiny little things, but you can buy a pack of 5 for $1 for testing until you see what you need. I keep 13, 15, 18 and 21 on hand, most of my colors etc seem to be burning well with 15 or 18 (6006), but I have a few with weak flames that will need to go higher than 21. I only have one or two FO/colors that need a LX-20 in a jelly jar! I would never go that high in a tea light. I think maybe even a LX-8 might be big for a tealight.

I just picked up a sample of TL 13 thru 21 and made a bunch of plain white tealights, then lit them at the same time. Just like container candles I found that the one size is just right and lasts about 6 hours but as soon as there is color or fragrance, then you have to use the next one or two sizes up from your base wick. I like that the TL wicks are already cut to size for the little things.

Wow, I haven't done them by the hundreds, but I don't mind tea lights. I pour the plastic ones with the pre-tabbed little wicks and they work great. I pour sitting down and I elevated them off the table. Also, I don't pour them with my 4 pound pour pot, but a smaller pot that I had from Pastry days. It has a lovely pour spout and doesn't spill the small amount of wax. I just keep the wax in the large pour pot at the temp I want and pour it into the smaller as I need it. I just poured about 50 and it worked pretty well with my small set up, I like to have them on hand for Jack-o-Lantern season because I do LOTS of pumpkins in the yard. It's like dipping the tapers, there's a Zen to it.

A big wick will do one of two things (in my personal experience so far). Either it burns with a strong flame and then consumes the wax so fast that it never reaches a melt pool to the sides of the jar. OR it burns with a HUGE flame that wisps smoke everywhere.

That package amount is probably for basic paraffin wax, the amount of fragrance a wax can hold is determined by the wax, not the oil. Also, Michaels' oils are not very strong, and are probably fragrance cut with carriers oils. If you can wait for the candle science oils I would wait and go ahead and use the 1 ounce per pound of wax to start testing.

Yes, this is a story that runs through the cake decorating world as well..........with the same outcome. Letting someone "see" your space isn't that big of a deal in my opinion. However, I would have all my boxes of type of wax pointing away and the fragrance bottles out of sight etc. Obviously your set up is there, but your supplies would be kept secret. I don't have a problem stating that I have spent years of time and loads of $$ perfecting my system and I really can't just give it away. A real friend would understand, a "friend" would leave in a huff. As for someone helping me "organize" well, that is also a key ticket into what wax you use, what wicks/color and where those FO are coming from. That would be a no no in my book. Even if they never make candles etc, they could have a sister/cousin who wants to, and they could easily feed all that info to them. I've had my personal created recipes stolen right from under my nose, it's a sore subject with me and I tend towards the side of paranoia..........

Yea, I'd hit the molds with Pam spray. Just be sure NOT to use one of the ones that have flour or things other than oil in them. Since you are already using a soy wax, the soy and cottonseed oil sprays are pretty much the same thing! If it pools in the bottom, just dab with a trusty paper towel. If you have gunk in the bottom from them sticking, turn them upsidedown on a paper towel in a low oven to melt everything out, then one by one give them a good paper towel wipe, then spray and try your tarts again.

Back in my pre-candle making days, long, long ago I burned my tealight burner. I would put a little olive oil in the top with essential oils and the scent would last about as long as 2 tealights, so 8 hours is my best guess. I was using the cheapy cheapy tealights from Michael's. Then, again before candles, I started melting some of the wax that was left over in the tealights, then adding the EO to THAT instead of olive oil. Again, the scent was lucky to last through 2 tealights of burning time. Now I officially make scented tarties and I have two warmers, both electric. They last for a very long time, about 2 to 2 1/2 days in the smaller electric burner, but even the heaviest scented ones only last several hours in the tealight burner. I think the high heat of the tealight is burning off the fragrance faster than the warmer. I can't even think of touching the tealight burner (soapstone) it is so hot, but I can handle the little tray of the electric warmer without a problem. It's warm, but it doesn't burn me.

What's your name? Tami How old are you? Soon to be 45 Where do you live? North and East of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania How long have you been making candles/soap/whatever? Soap, 10 years, Candles about 18 months How did you get started making candles/soap/whatever? I got into making soap by reading, reading, reading. Before we moved from Eastern Pa to Western Pa my Aunt took a soap making class. I missed the cut off date for the class, so I didn't get in, but she gave me her class notes and recipe and then invited me over to watch her and some friends make soap. It was another 2 years before I took the plunge and made it myself, but now my soap is all I use. Candles? Well, I always bought scented candles, but I could never see paying the price for the large ones, so I only bought small ones. I quit my job about 3 years ago and I was very depressed. I loved that job, I mean really loved that job, but my boss was and still is a nightmare. She treats people like dog s*** on her shoe!! Anyway, I had had kidney surgery that year as well, and the doctor was a nightmare and I ended up with "simple" surgery leaving me ill for 6 months and in a tortured pain (doctor only cared about the money, not my health/well being). So I left my job, I just couldn't do it anymore and in my state of depression I was burning candles for peace, and for the scent as well. Well, I burned a LOT of crappy candles. I bought one that I loved the scent, but then the company stopped making it and I couldn't find another one like it. So, I decided to try to make my own, and the rest is history. Are you married? Any kids? Married, 21 years, My son is 20, my daughter is 16 If candle making isn't your primary job, what do you do? I spent my life with animals and studied Animal Behaviorism and Equestrian Education in my college years, then burned out in the Horse World and went back to college for Accounting. After that I flaked and realized that putting on panty hose and working in an office is a Torture Nightmare for me (I'm an artist), Once I stepped into the kitchens at Culinary School I knew I was home, that was the life for me. I am a Professional Pastry Chef and Baker, but I no longer work in the industry. I can't afford to travel for work, and my husband travels, so my work has to be local. I have exhausted my local opportunities and am now moving on. My other love is Pottery, and I'm an Intermediate Potter, sitting at the wheel and working clay is one of the most Zen experiences and I recommend it to everyone!! I am also an accomplished Cake Designer/Decorator and Textile Artist. My problem is I love doing it all, I can't just sit down and "do" one Art form, so I now call myself a "Process Artist". Anything else we should know? UUUmmmm, I keep chickens, read, A LOT, make herbal concoctions from my garden, I love my gardens, I have two dogs, two cats, and I'm a deep thinker and have a dark and twisted sense of humor, which is why I love British Tv over American Tv.

I forget which fragrance it was, but I had it in the tart warmer and the dog would walk through the dining room and just stop. He would lift is nose in the air, then turn around and leave. I couldn't even get him to walk through to the kitchen to eat his dinner, he just stayed at the far corner of the living room!! I do remember it wasn't a favorite of mine, but his reaction was funny.

Never judge a wick until AFTER the third full burn. So say us all?

You will learn, that phrase does not exist in our world grasshopper!!! :whistle: