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Hello from Fl.!


hellkat

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Being a newbie to candle making I've been lurking for a bit trying to soak up as many tips as I can!

 

I've always had some sort of hobby, but then life gets in the way and things get put aside. Now that I have the time to take up a hobby again I figured candles would be great (who doesn't love candles right?!) So I ordered a soy starter kit from CS to make 12 8oz tins and 4 FOs. Vanilla, Lavender, Pineapple Mangosteen and Egyptian Amber. I didn't get to hand pick the FO's but since it was my 1st time I didn't mind. I made the Mangosteen and Egyptian Amber first. I really liked the musky unisex smell.  I followed the directions 1oz FO to 1lb wax at x-temp. waited for it to cool, then poured. I knew right then I'd found my new addiction!  

 

The second night I decided to fool around with the Vanilla and Lavender and mix them to make - well Vanilla Lavender lol. I just did not care for the smell of the Lavender alone. I must have done something really right on that batch because the hot/cold throw was perfect! I let them sit for 2 days until I couldn't stand it anymore and then lit them.  I tested them in my bedroom because it's a small room and I wanted to be sure I could smell them when I walked in. They burned so good! The 2 musky ones I let sit for 4 days before I tested them. They gave a great cold throw but I wasn't impressed by how they burned and had a weak scent. The pool would never quite reach the edge either. It wasn't until it reached near the bottom that I could get a somewhat nice throw. I was bummed but hey try, try again! So I figured I'd let the remaining ones sit until the end of the week to see if that would make a difference. 

 

But I was so excited about having a hobby again I decided to order more. This time I went to the site and ordered the 10lb bag of the GW464 and picked up some Black Sea, Coconut, Vanilla Cedarwood, Birds of Paradise and Sea Salt Orchid. I was making candles like mad! I have enough to make about 6 more tins so I'm trying to control myself and wait since I have a nice stash sitting at the moment. So far I've given some to friends to get their feedback.

 

I'm burning the Black Sea in my dining room now and the Sea Salt Orchid in the bedroom. It hasn't been quite and hour and I'm really pleased with the smell! The coconut alone I'm not too keen on, but my BF loves it. To me I think it would make a good mixer with other scents. I haven't burned the Vanilla Cedarwood, it smells good cold but almost has too much of a wood scent for me. I'll test that one in my bathroom lol. I also haven't burned the Birds of Paradise. I don't know if I like the smell, it seems very sweet so I figured I'd let those sit for a while too before testing.  I've been reading up on curing and how to get a good hot throw - and boy there is so much more to this then melting, mixing and pouring. I had NO IDEA. But that's what I like about it.  I have so much to learn about wicks and how to pick the right ones for the different size containers. I saw the burn test thread with the pans. That was so helpful! 

 

Right now I'm just fooling around and making them for me and a few friends or for gifts. But I figured since I like it so much why not just order the 50lbs and switch to mason jars and pick up some more FO's.....HAHAHAHA! OMG the shipping costs - are you kidding me. I could go broke so fast! I'm trying to justify it in my head, thinking ok do I just bite the bullet and order $300 worth of supplies - BEFORE shipping, just to start a hobby? Take my time and  become this mad scientist in my kitchen a few nights a week? Should I spread it out and buy the wax first then wait for CS to have their spring sale and load up on FO's and wicks and sticks? How long will 50lbs last me as a 'hobby' if I only make a few candles a week for myself? You can tell I'm trying to justify the math lol. But I really enjoy this! So either way I'll figure it out.

 

I love all the tips that other members give, where to order from etc. When I saw the FO stash thread I my mouth hit the floor lol. But I understand there are a lot of sellers so it makes sense - but man was I envy! Anyhow just want to stop and say hello and look forward to learning more!!

 

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Hi! Welcome to Craft Server!

 

I know how impatient it can be to wait for your candles to cure. But you really need to wait a minimum of 2 weeks for soy candles to cure. Think of candles as fine wine. The older it gets the better it tastes. With candles the longer they cure the better they smell and even truer with soy. Soy is the most finicky of all waxes and you just can't rush it. Plus, some fragrances take longer while others will need less time.Eg., I found scents like cinnamon and cedar to take up to 4 weeks to cure in soy.

 

Good luck on your new hobby! Welcome to the addiction!

 

 

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As far as costs go, there are many more expensive hobbies- golfing, for example.  And unlike golfers, we actually have something that is usable and gift-able at the end of our weekend. (no disrespect to golfers..lovely people.) 


The way I went about it is, I picked a wax that was available locally-that I can drive to.  My wax dealer is right down the street from my donut dealer, a renowned donut shop, so..well, I was going there anyway.
 
But even if I swear off donuts (every January 2nd for about 6 days ) and have it shipped, freight is minimal.
  
Once I had my wax nailed down I picked a container: the humble tumbler with a roughly 3" diameter. 
 
 A nicely burning candle in a 3" straight sided container.  That's all I had to do. (hahahaha)

Then came the "wick quest" which, from what I can tell, is a sisyphean cycle of testing and retesting and imperfect outcomes that will probably drive me to golfing.  I've already fallen down a rabbit hole of wax blending and fatty acids research. I've joined a cosmetics chemistry forum.  This can only end in heartbreak or triumph.
 
Anyway... welcome!  50 lbs seems like a whole lotta wax for a hobbyist. Maybe start with 20?
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10 hours ago, Candybee said:

The older it gets the better it tastes.

 

CANDY! :eek2:

 

DON'T EAT THE CANDLES! 
NO! 

[wanders off muttering] Oh...My-LANTA... I fall off radar for a couple of weeks and Candy's talk'n 'bout how good candles taste after they've sat around... LORD Only KNOWS what Trapp's been up to... 


;)

Sponiebr
The Executor of Bad Ideas and Sundry Services

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Thank you for the welcome! 

 

I've taken your advise and will wait the 2 weeks before lighting my next one. It will be really interesting to see how they smell once lit.  And as someone mentioned 50lbs is probably over reaching for a hobby and to go with the 20lbs on the next order. 

 

Now I need to search thru some posts to figure out which wick I need to use. So far I've use the ECO 12 and ECO 10 6". On the Lavender Vanilla I get a nice even pool. On the muskier smelling scents it seems to want to melt more 2 once side. I've also noticed that they tend to curl when the burn. I centered them as best I could and made sure I pulled tight so it would set straight and even. 

 

So much to learn!

 

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Smellywax I'm in Jacksonville. 

 

Scented - I've just started my quest on FO's. I had 5 that arrived today and another 5 that should be here Monday :rolleyes:.

 

I was going to order 20lbs of wax this time but under estimated how much 10lbs will make since it's just for personal use. I assumed I had maybe 3lbs left but turns out I had 5lbs left! So I made 4 batches of 8oz tins. I had to stop myself so when the other FO's arrive I'll at least be able to make a batch. And now I'll let those sit for a few weeks (if I can stop myself). 

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On 2/16/2018 at 10:25 AM, Scented said:

Welcome to your new addiction! Get ready for more addictions like fragrances :)

Shame on you for mentioning the addiction ...lol.  Personally I use only paraffin wax because I can not wait for soy to cure..I'm into instant gratification :-)

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On ‎2‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 2:35 PM, Pam W said:

Shame on you for mentioning the addiction ...lol.  Personally I use only paraffin wax because I can not wait for soy to cure..I'm into instant gratification :-)

 

I have 7 FO's just sitting here staring at me, begging me to use them....but I used my what was left of the wax last night to make a mixed batch. I had just enough to make the last 3 tins plus a small jelly jar. Definitely switching to the jars! I was going  to put in an order for 20lbs until I peeked in the soap forum.....that was a huge mistake lol. So this time I just ordered 10lbs of the wax and a starter kit for the soap so I could give that a try. No reason I cant alternate both right! ;)

 

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