Call me naive

[Lora]

I was sitting here thinking about supplies I need to get started.  I've looked at a million websites, read through some of the categories here.  I have a question about wax.  A few years ago when I was making candles, I bought all my supplies from Hobby Lobby.  I know, I know I wanted to play around at the time.  The wax was 10 pounds of paraffin.  I remember making some container candles, in jars, and also some melts.  All with the same wax.  The CT was amazing and the HT was good only when you were near the warmer.  The candle HT was a bit better.  So, the question is this.  Why can't you use the same wax for both?  Seems they have wax for each individual type product one would want to make?  

 

I am going to start with paraffin jar candles (pint sized) with wooden wicks.

[kandlekrazy]

I don't use paraffin just soy and I do use the exact same wax for both.  Pretty sure many do but probably just as many use different for melts.

[Lora]

Thank you so much!  I am going to try using the same wax again and see what happens.  Test Test and Test!

[birdcharm]

What's the melt point of your paraffin, Lora?

[Lora]

Oh dear.  I have no idea.  I want to get the 4786 that people have been talking about if that helps any.  I know I read it on the website, but I don't remember now

[Jcandleattic]

With paraffin, the reason you use different waxes for different applications is how they burn. You can't use a container wax for free standing votives or pillars, because if you tried, you would end up with a puddle of wax and a horrible burn. In theory, you could use a pillar wax for your containers, but when wicked correctly for the pillar wax, you could end up with your jar being way too hot, being a hazard. 

One of my favorite idioms in life is - "Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it". 

 

4786 is a great wax for containers and melts because it's hard enough to hold it's shape for the melts, but soft enough to burn correctly in a container. I've not used that wax other than a few tests here and there, but it does have a good hot and cold throw. 

 

Some container waxes are just too soft for melts and you wouldn't be able to get them out of the packaging, and pillar waxes are so hard with a melt point so high you wouldn't get a very good hot throw in a melt. 

HTH

Edited October 20, 2016 by Jcandleattic

[Lora]

Thank you so much.  I get it now.  So you are saying that I might be ok with the 4786 for containers and melts and if I venture into something else I will need to use a different wax.  

[Jcandleattic]

Just now, Lora said:

Thank you so much.  I get it now.  So you are saying that I might be ok with the 4786 for containers and melts and if I venture into something else I will need to use a different wax.  

It's a little more complicated than that, but in a nutshell, yes, that's correct. 

 

4786 is a good wax for the applications you want to get started with. 

[Lora]

Perfect!  Thank you so much for your help everyone!  I know that it will take testing and more testing to see what wax will work with this or that, I just try to get everything into the simplest terms I can, that way I don't misinterpret anything   Thank you all again!  I appreciate your time!