back2basics Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Last week I posted about my frustrations in selecting a wax and moving forward. I have completely eliminated the EcoSoya XCel. I found a candle from last May that I made and decided to burn it. It was made with EZSoy wax, 1 oz per lb, no dye, Very Vanilla Scent from BC added in at 175 degrees with a CD 12 wick. While it threw ok, I decided to continue to pursue the C3 wax. The following scents that I have made so far are as follows: Butt Naked - TN Candle Supplies - 2 drops coral and peach dye which came out a little darker than I had planned. Perfect color for Mango Papaya though. :-) 8% fragrance oil added at 185. I did not wick this container yet. will poke a hole with a skewer when the two week cure time is up. Tarroco Orange from Flaming Candle - 2 orange dye chips per lb 8% frag oil added at 185. No wick - see above MacIntosh Apple from Flaming Candle - 2 red dye chips per lb 8% frag oil added at 185. No wick see above. Cranberry Citrus - peak candle - 2 cranberry dye chips per lb - 8% frag oil added at 185. No wick see above. I will provide updates on these scents and what wicks were successful after these candles have cured. The MacApple and Tarroco Orange I made on Friday, April 1, 2016. The Butt Naked Candle I made, Saturday, April 2, 2016. The Cranberry Citrus candle I made today, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. I will tell you this: The Cranberry Citrus from Peak is stronger in the bottle and the wax it seems than Fillmore Container Cranberry Citrus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I am not surprised you are having trouble selecting a wax you are happy with. Might I suggest you pick one wax and work with learning how to wick it first before using any additives, dyes, FOs, etc. You need to first learn the basics of the wax you are working with before the addition of any additives. Once you get the wicking down then try testing out one additive at a time. You will need a lot of patience working with whatever wax you select and are learning how to use. But if you want a really great candle that is both safe to burn and smells great you need to work one step at a time until you really understand and know all about that particular wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 Yes, Yes, Yes as Candy suggested. Eliminate all but necessary until you get a good result, then add 1 at a time so you know what is causing your problem or what you don't need. Personally, I don't color C3 or any soy I've used in the past, but that's a personal preference. I love the creamy color and the fact that it looks soft. I really hope you have good luck with the ones you've tested with so far. Also, unless the mfg has changed things, the max fo load for C3 was 6%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonstar Posted April 7, 2016 Share Posted April 7, 2016 interesting on the citrus cranberry ... what other fillmore FO have you tried that you liked/disliked. Im ready to place another order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back2basics Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 Moonstar - the Iced Lemon Biscotti is great. I did not like the Japanese Cherry Blossom but many people do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back2basics Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 Ok I am testing the Tarroco Orange from Flaming Candle at an 8 day cure... I am testing with a CDN 12 wick. The picture is the two hour mark into the burn. The melt pool is not even 1/4 to 1/2" deep just in the process of melting....I am thinking that this is a little underwicked. It is not throwing any scent at all. Please help. The wick is not attached to the bottom of the jar. Therefore I am thinking of pulling this wick out and putting in either a cdn 14 next burn or a Premier 765 or even a cd 12...maybe even an eco wick....Any suggestions??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 What size is that jar? Looks like a small jelly? that burn does not concern me at all at this point. My money is on it being extremely hot by the bottom wicked as-is. By then it will likely begin to soot pretty noticeably at this rate. I use cd12 in short (by comparison) tin containers a little over 3" diameter for most scents. Tins lose heat much more quickly than glass and yet those tins are spic and span of wax by the end. Fragrances change the the burn of wax. Every fragrance burns differently. They just do. So do colors. Experimenting all over with fragrances and colors really mess up your learning curve. Unpopular as it has been, I always advocate making Unscented, uncolored candles to fully understand your wax before adding in unpredictable variables. It really saves a LOT of time and money in the end. I mean A LOT of time AND money. Once I figured that out my successful candle making journey ramped up lightening speed. BTW: Why do people obsess over full melt pools early in a candle's life? All of the candles I have bought and burned over the decades that reached FMP on the first burn were really sooty and poor burners by the middle. By the end some were downright dangerous. Some I had to burn in my direct line of sight to trim the wick every 15 minutes to prevent fires. I wanted to test those to the bitter end to see for myself what would happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back2basics Posted April 9, 2016 Author Share Posted April 9, 2016 (edited) TallTayl - I am not concerned that it hasn't reached a full melt pool but what concerns me is that the melt pool depth is not even 1/4 to 1/2' deep....it's barely got the layer melted where there is melted wax...it's not throwing scent at all which is why I am concerned. Maybe it's just not a scent that is going to throw in this combination....I don't know....I was just asking for suggestions and for help not to be made to feel bad about why I am concerned over the candle reaching a full melt pool or as Candybee did in her post....that I am just all over the place with my combinations...don't you think I realize that? I am now just pulling at straws and trying different combinations to see if one is a winner....I'm really sorry I asked anyone on this board for help.... I just thought if I could find a winning combination of any sort I would be overjoyed and happy and be willing to share my results since I have been so frustrated for so long.....I just don't want another candle maker to go through what I have and to have an easier road although we all get different results....I just wanted to let people know what has worked for me and ultimately what hasn't so that they don't waste their time and hard earned money. I know what it is like to be frustrated and ready to give up...I'm about there...but I cannot let myself throw in the towel on something that I want so badly. I want to make candles because I want to be successful. I love candles and think that candle making is the hardest thing that I have ever done besides parenting but I will get to where I need to be and be ready to share my success story and what has worked for me with others.... Edited April 9, 2016 by back2basics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 My question about the full melt pool concern is asked for the general public. I am on facebook groups that honestly believe if you don't reach FMP within 20-30 minutes the candle is a dud. Truly. This misinformation perpetuates from there as an internet rule. Add on to that they preach your MP needs to be an inch or more deep to be a "good" candle and it totally explains the questions all frustrated newbys to chandling have. Reading around the forum here seasoned chandlers all tend to recommend the same thing - burn it til the end to see for sure. Start simple. Learn one step at a time. Burn it text book 1 hr per inch of diameter. extingish. repeat til the end. If that burn is good, make another and power burn. It is a proven process. We have all been at the frustrating early stages. All of us. The answer ends up being the same for those who stick with it. COntrol one variable at a time. Build from there. Nothing to take personally. Without knowing your fragrance it is impossible to know if the throw is not to your liking because of any of many variables. off the top of my head here's a short list: - candle nose - incompatible wax with that particular bottle of FO - wrong wick - color interfering - too much color - color chips not optimal for your wax - bad batch of color chips - dud of a fragrance - room air current - improper candle-making technique for the wax - measurements - too much FO - not enough FO - candle container material - candle container dimensions - wick trimmed too long - wick trimmed too short The answer is not simple. It takes a lot of step by step elimination to know. The *very first step* if you want to master your new craft is dialing in the right wick for your naked wax in your chosen container. That could take 1 try or 50. Once you know your wax the rest becomes a piece of cake. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I highly recommend Clarus 3022. This is a parasoy that will at least end your frustration with pure soy. Its better to find a wax that will work for you in the mean time and continue to search for a soy. Go to the Clarus web site and ask for a sample and use cd or cdn wicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.