Just a little update....

[FaithfulScenter]

I haven't been on here in a while, but thought I would post a quick update on my progress. I'm currently burning a 1 ounce melt, in my bulb burner, 4625/4633 50% each and 10% FO, peaks Brown Sugar and fig. I'm on the forth day! I have never ever ever had one throw past 2 days in my large burner!!! I'm sure it will be different with a bakery scent, and if it ever stops throwing I'll put one in to try it out. I've got the 4625 blended 50/50 with 4633, 4630, and the TCS wax. Ive got plenty to keep me busy for a while!!

On the candle front I'm currently testing 4627/415 & 4627/4633 combos(Thanks Dave!), both 10% FO. The first is Banana nut bread from peak and the other is Amish Quilt AH/RE. I poured them in the 1/2 pint mainstays jars, which are hands down the cutest candles I've ever made! I'm using Eco wicks (Thanks Jeanie!). I'm just really getting started on them so I cant say which way its going to go.

So far I've got 2 cases of candles, and about 10 lbs of melts to test. I'm going to pour up as much as I can in the next couple weeks, then it all has to go to storage. The boys last day of school is the 31st, that will also be our last day in our house. We will be staying between my in laws and our camper in my new front yard while our new home is being built!!!! The house should be completed before the boys start school in the fall. I'm so excited!! Its going to be an awesome adventure, and I'm sure with 4 boys we are going to have lots of stories to tell for years to come.

[justajesuschick]

That is great news and glad to hear from you (you know, so I do not need to check up on you through PM!).

I have tested waxes (as you know) consistently ALL WINTER LONG! Finally with the help of a number of kind and honest testers, I decided on my blend and picked up cases yesterday! Thank goodness I landed on waxes I can get from multiple suppliers. You may enjoy a break from the testing. It wore on me and started to make me not enjoy the hobby.

I have never tried Peak's Brown Sugar and Fig. I guess I did not know what it would smell like. I LOVE Peak's Banana Bread. I like more spice than normal people so I blend CS Cinnamon Stick in with it, perhaps 80/20. Amish Quilt and Peak's Amish Harvest (slightly different) are FO's that last me the longest of most I use.

If you ever need someone to help with your melt testing (I found TREMENDOUS value in having others besides me testing my melts), you can count on me to help! Label them up A, B or C and I will report back.

Congrats on the house and all that seems to be going so well for you and your sweet family!

[FaithfulScenter]

My exact thoughts when posting were "better update before Karen whoops me!!" Hubby and the boys are out with the church so I'm just home taking it easy for a while. I will hopefully still be testing while we are in between. I just gave my mil and sil 15 clamshells each to test. I can always count on my sil to be honest, sometimes too much so, but it would be nice to have the opinion of another chandler. I wasn't sure on the brown sugar and fig either, but it is great! Its not a sweet bakery type scent like I was expecting, but more of a cologne type scent, which normally isn't my thing, but I love it. I have not been disappointed in any of the scents I got from peak. The Wild Mountain Honey is amazing!!

[SuzyK]

Sounds like your testing is going really well!! Awesome! I have a friend who is an awesome tester for me and it's priceless. Even if she doesn't like the scent, she will still test it to see how long it lasts. I have not braved trying to wick anything, I am sticking to wax melts.

Congrats on the house!! That's so exciting!

[justajesuschick]

I will have to toss a one ounce bottle of the Fig with my next order. LOVE Peak. Their FO's do indeed work well with paraffin. The Wild Mountain Honey I had in my cart this time but I am not a floral fan (except lavender and laundry scents) so the floral part worried me and I took it out. I should not have.

Sounds like you are good on testers and that is great! I had 3 ladies from here help test, 2 from one of the Facebook groups and a teacher who I met at the Hallmarket fair last year who gets to melt in her classroom. I LOVED having pro/skilled chandlers, heavy users and a casual user all in the testing. SUCH great information. I owe them!

[emilyspoppy]

Glad to hear you are doing well Mellissa. I remember as a little boy how much "fun" we had roughing it in our summer home while it was being built. My two brothers were'nt fishermen so it didn't matter as much to them as it did to me that I could sit on the porch and catch fish fresh from the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. We all did swim, however! It wasn't as much fun for mom and dad, but I don't thing any of us ever regretted the experience.

Peak's WMH is my favorite Peak fragrance. All of Alan's fragrances are strong and close to true, but finding WMH was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow for me. My dad was a beekeeper. I often helped him when I managed a visit home. I know what his honey smelled like and I wanted to duplicate it for some of my own fragrance recipes. My decade long search ended when I took the cap off of the bottle.

[pita4294]

Thank you for the update! Now I must try 4625. I've been doing blends of all else I think but that! Lol

I absolutely adore my little mainstays jar and I am so happy I found them and shared my findings on the board! They burn excellent so far..no hang ups and a nice clean burn all the way down. I use 46274633 blend with 51z. I would have never thought of a Eco wick...and I just got rid of all the ones I had! Dang. I have to admit I'm not thrilled with the 4633 in there. Think I'm going back to 4630 with my 4627. I only 25% though just to harden up the 4627 a bit.

Congratulations on your home! Good luck in the move!

[pita4294]

Oh duh .. is ur large burner ceramic or bulb?

[justajesuschick]

Thank you for the update! Now I must try 4625. I've been doing blends of all else I think but that! Lol

I absolutely adore my little mainstays jar and I am so happy I found them and shared my findings on the board! They burn excellent so far..no hang ups and a nice clean burn all the way down. I use 46274633 blend with 51z. I would have never thought of a Eco wick...and I just got rid of all the ones I had! Dang. I have to admit I'm not thrilled with the 4633 in there. Think I'm going back to 4630 with my 4627. I only 25% though just to harden up the 4627 a bit.

Congratulations on your home! Good luck in the move!

4625 is some good stuff. 4633 seemed similar to 4630 to me yet so many suppliers do not carry it and all I use carry the 4630.

[FaithfulScenter]

My large burner is a punched tin bulb burner, I believe it has a 25 watt bulb in it. The CT in the candles is amazing!! I made the mistake of sleeping with the Banana Nut Bread candle on my nightstand, I was up at 5 this morning starving!! But at least I can get another 3 hour burn in before church this morning.

Yes 4625 is great! I only wish I had tried it sooner!!

Edited May 5, 2013 by FaithfulScenter

[jeanie353]

Am very happy to hear of your success on the four day HT of that melt combo. Also, have told you but have to say it again...Congrats on your new home!!

I've been working with 4627/415 in amounts from 10-25% on the 415 side of it. 20% seems to be the one I keep going back to but wicking is a bit of a challenge. HT is great using Ecos but the hangup seems to not want to leave until 6th(ish) burn. Still working on that.

Of all the blends I've tried for containers, 4627/4633 was not one of them. Time to place that order for more 4627.

Agree with the rest that 4625 is great for the pillar/tart half of the blend.

[se2653]

So good to hear from you again and congrats on your house!! I've been testing some blends too- having some friends and MIL test- but I think I need to be more organized with my testing, and how I want others to test. (my MIL is very picky, and I think the airflow in her home is a lot different in ours, one fo that was SO strong in our home, she got little to no scent, so it leaves me a little confused). I've been liking the PB/Excel blend a lot, but it tends to frost and kinda of "bloom" a little, also testing 3022/4794 and the EL wax which has been good with some scents. Good luck with all of your testing and with the move!!

[FaithfulScenter]

Thank you both so much! SE- are you using the same type of warmer?

[se2653]

yes- same warmer, as I had given it to her.... will have to investigate a little more how long she had the melts going and how many days. I find sometimes that I have to have it melting all day to really get a sense if it is a winner, and then again the next day. I've had some that I didn't think threw very well the first day, but the second day they threw really well, and then test a 3rd day. I try to test 3 days, not sure if it is the correct way, but mine are lasting several days and that is my goal...

[megandgarr]

Karen, I am glad you mentioned that the 4633 is similar to the 4630 because for a few seconds there, I was thinking that I was going to need to order some 4633. For now I am still sticking with my 4630/4625 (50/50) blend in melts. I am still considering swapping out the 4630 with 4627 to test at some point but I have a lot of 4630 left to burn through. Once I get low again, I may try it out, but I am also toying with the idea of increasing the percentage of the 4630 to see if that increases the throw. Now that I am pouring in portion cups instead of in molds, I dont have to worry so much about the melts being a little on the softer side. Hmmm, decisions decisions. When does it ever end?!

[Ravens]

When does it end? Never, that's when, never!

Now testing 4633 and 4625(combined) for tarts/clamshells.

[emilyspoppy]

When does it end? Never, that's when, never!

Now testing 4633 and 4625(combined) for tarts/clamshells.

I hope it will end for me at least when I finally test CBL-129.

All of these numbers are giving me a headache and making me dizzy! I want off of this merry-go-round! (lol)

[FaithfulScenter]

Dessa- 4633 and 4630 are very close, I haven't noticed any difference in the throw. I've still got 1/2 a case of 4633 so for the time being I'm sticking with it!

Dave, your not allowed!!

[FaithfulScenter]

Updating again***

Still testing between 4625/4633 and 4630, not noticing much of a difference on the tart front.

Candles have been a little more exciting. I have decided 4627 is not worth the mess it provides. I'm sticking with my 4633/415 blend!!

[jeanie353]

Updating again***

Still testing between 4625/4633 and 4630, not noticing much of a difference on the tart front.

Candles have been a little more exciting. I have decided 4627 is not worth the mess it provides. I'm sticking with my 4633/415 blend!!

Oh my! A blend I have not tried Am messing with 4633 right now and can't find a wick that wants to play well with it. Ecos are doing OK but not quite what I want. HT is really good but am also using a FO to test that I think would throw in anything.

Happy you found a good blend....and you know I'm going to be copying it as soon as I can get up to Presto.

Edited May 14, 2013 by jeanie353
typo

[FaithfulScenter]

I keep going back and forth between HTP and CD wicks. The blend is 80% 4633 and 20% 415.

[jeanie353]

I keep going back and forth between HTP and CD wicks. The blend is 80% 4633 and 20% 415.

Thank you for sharing your blend and wicks.

I did not get it poured today. Hoping for tomorrow. 80/20 is the same ratio I've been using with 4627. Just enough soy to opaque it up a little and tame the burn maybe a bit. Trying to get it wicked right is about driving me to drink.

I'll try HTP wicks and Eco in your blend. Not fond of the flame on CDs but like HTPs a lot.

[megandgarr]

I am so glad that to this day I still have zero interest (or maybe just the lack of energy and patience) to try my hand at making candles. The journey of trying to find the best wax combo (for me at least) for making tarts was enough to make me want to drink (and I dont like alcohol in the slightest). The thought of adding a wick and a jar into the equation would send me a on the express train to crazytown! Come to think of it, I am probably already half way as a result of all my other hobbies/crafts/home decorating that I have spent a gazillion hours on. I give you all a lot of credit for forging ahead and not giving up the quest!

[SCOFFEE]

After some research on what was a good wax for melts, I decided on IGI 4794 mixed with IGI 4633 (J223).

I've tried 2 different ratios: Both 1 ounce per pound.

4794/4633

70/30%

And

50/50%

Here's the problem, both end up having a cheap, petroleum jelly smell! 

Any input would be great!

I see your using 4625, maybe that's where I went wrong??

[Guest OldGlory]

SCoffee, the blends we use are varied. There's not one 'right' blend - we all think what we use is 'right', lol.

You just have to try different waxes to find the blend that works for you. In the wickless section of the message board you will find tons of suggestions on what we think works. You can order small amounts of wax and work thru the different variations until you find one that doesn't have the odor you are finding so far. Keep good notes!