Jeffman65 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I am blending 80% feather palm wax with either 20% Beeswax or Soy Wax 415, and after the candles burn for say 4 - 8 hours for pyramid candles and a couple hours for a small pillar candles, the candle starts to crack in half and all the wax pours out, pretty much ruining the candle. If I make 100% palm or 100% beeswax I don't see this happening, so definitely blending the waxes. Do I need an additive, or do I need to melt the waxes at different temperatures...? I am trying for different patterns in the candles, not just 100% palm so I blend them. Should I be blending waxes like this? Thank you for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 4 minutes ago, Jeffman65 said: I am blending 80% feather palm wax with either 20% Beeswax or Soy Wax 415, and after the candles burn for say 4 - 8 hours for pyramid candles and a couple hours for a small pillar candles, the candle starts to crack in half and all the wax pours out, pretty much ruining the candle. If I make 100% palm or 100% beeswax I don't see this happening, so definitely blending the waxes. Do I need an additive, or do I need to melt the waxes at different temperatures...? I am trying for different patterns in the candles, not just 100% palm so I blend them. Should I be blending waxes like this? Thank you for any help. My experience adding beeswax to soy ended with my candle cracking. this happened anytime I went over 5% beeswax. Palm wax is already a hard wax and doesn't need beeswax so I am not sure why you are adding it to your palm candles. Definitely 20% beeswax is way too much and I am certain is why your candles are cracking. Beeswax by itself makes a fine candle. But added to even a soft soy can still result in cracking at over %5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffman65 Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 Thank you for the insight and I believe that is what's happening. That is a really good question, why am I blending waxes? I see that people do blend different waxes and honestly I'm not sure why. I am making pillar, pyramid, and taper candles. I see that there are blended waxes for sale at all the major suppliers, and I see candle makers selling candles that are a blend of different premium waxes. One supplier has a blend of Palm, Bees, Soy, and Coconut, why? Is there certain properties in each wax that makes a blend better? I like the design of a palm candle but was thinking of mixing it to perhaps not appear that it is 100% palm. I'll search around here, but appreciate any input as I go along in my candle making... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Hi there To blend waxes the best way to make a perfect candle, you have to know the properties of each wax type. How it burns, what it adds to the end product. You can make a beautiful candle with just the palm wax that won’t split. Beeswax is tricky to use. Start with just palm, then make other candles with addition of 5 per cent increments. Look at the properties each candle has. Visual, burn characteristics, scent throw. Test test test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 19 hours ago, Jeffman65 said: Thank you for the insight and I believe that is what's happening. That is a really good question, why am I blending waxes? I see that people do blend different waxes and honestly I'm not sure why. I am making pillar, pyramid, and taper candles. I see that there are blended waxes for sale at all the major suppliers, and I see candle makers selling candles that are a blend of different premium waxes. One supplier has a blend of Palm, Bees, Soy, and Coconut, why? Is there certain properties in each wax that makes a blend better? I like the design of a palm candle but was thinking of mixing it to perhaps not appear that it is 100% palm. I'll search around here, but appreciate any input as I go along in my candle making... Many waxes sold today are already preblended by the manufacturer. Another thing to remember is that the majority of waxes sold already have additives in them so you don't need to do anything except add fragrance and color and UVI. Trying to find a straight wax with no additives is getting harder to find. We live in a society with fast food, drive thru service, and high speed internet and people tend to get impatient dealing with something that is not ready made or delivered, etc. Manufacturers understand this and produce ready made waxes so their consumers don't have to do anything but heat it and add fragrance and pour into a mold or jar. My point is you should not have to add anything or blend waxes to get one of today's wax blends to perform. Work with it inside and out until you know how it behaves and what to expect of it in all conditions and year round. How else would you be able to fix any problems with a blend you make with different waxes if you first don't understand each wax you are working with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Every wax has a strength in a given category. No one wax is a perfect wax for every application. For your shaped pillars, I would stick to plain old beeswax. The pyramid shape will make every candle a major challenge to wick well, but it can be wicked to not split like in the pictures. Beeswax can remain elastic enough to just burn right down into itself. Pillar palm can do that also, but needs more careful and precise wicking. adding soy to beeswax changes the elasticity and leads to mushing and cracking when burned. Palm does similarly with beeswax . for pillar candles, typical cylinders 3” wide, again beeswax is my perfect wax, but feather palm is a very close second. They burn differently but within their lanes each is excellent. I would not blend them together. in my opinion soy has no place in pillar candles. The nature of soy just struggles to be what people want in a containerless candle. It softens and turns mushy and sludgy which is not what we desire in a pillar. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinz40 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 What is the benefit of blending some coconut wax with 464 and how will that effect your wick choice up or down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffman65 Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share Posted June 28, 2020 Thanks everyone, this is all great advice. I believe I got started on the wrong foot by thinking I could blend waxes on my own without considering the different properties and quantities. At this time I think I'm going to stick with beeswax and palm for pillars and may use coconut and soy for container candles. I'll be checking into some of those blends also, thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 13 hours ago, Jeffman65 said: Thanks everyone, this is all great advice. I believe I got started on the wrong foot by thinking I could blend waxes on my own without considering the different properties and quantities. At this time I think I'm going to stick with beeswax and palm for pillars and may use coconut and soy for container candles. I'll be checking into some of those blends also, thanks! Sounds like a perfect plan. Learn each wax inside and out, then you will have a great foundation for mixing if needed later. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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