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To blend, or not to blend, that is the question. But what is the answer?


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So... I'm looking for some advice on blending or modifying soys altogether or should I not bother and just blend with paraffin.

 

I’ve been playing with 464 for about a year and a half.  Scaling back from 10% to 8% to 6%.  I don’t have an issue with the looks of it.  Smooth tops when poured at 135 and at 6%.  The more FO % added, the bumpier / grainier the tops look.  Not too concerned with the looks of it... for now.

 

I currently have –

2+ cases of 464 (same lot # from 2020)
20 lbs of 444
30 lbs of 415
20 lbs or 4627

 

Bottom line is I have a little over 100 lbs of this stuff and would like to give it a better throw.  8% seems to be a pretty good throw for a couple of scents that I’ve tested that I like. And 6% is decent but doesn't really cut it... for me.   

 

Also, during that time, I had made 2 blends with 415 and 4627 at 7.5% earlier last year and broke those out recently for the fun of it to burn.

 

The blend ratios are 50/50 and 70/30 - 415/4627.  I tested with 2 scents that I could hardly smell when using 464 at 10%. 

 

I am now getting a really good HT with the 70/30, at 7.5%, using HTP.  The 50/50 I have to dial in a better wick to see where it lands.

 

With all that being said...Out of 464, 444 and 415 which wax would I be better off blending with 4627 OR… could I blend and or modify the other soys (without 4627) to give it that extra OOMPH that I’m looking for with straight soy at 8% or under?  

 

Also, what difference will the additives in 464/444 make as opposed to the 415 when blended with 4627 in relation to HT or anything else for that matter? 

 

I have a supplier nearby and would rather stick with these waxes to avoid shipping fees.  

 

TLDR: Will 464/444 work just as good/better/worse than the 415 with 4627 or can I tweak the soy to give it the kick that I'm looking for?

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I think you answered yourself. Pour 464 and 415 testers with 4627 with same fragrances. Compare look, cold and hot throw. Not all waxes are compatible blenders so you have to definitely test each blend.

I would do several testers and different ratios.

Regarding soys, you could try different wick series to see if they help throw. Cure time etc.

 

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The 4 series, 415, 464, 444 are very similar with the degree of additives increasing. 415 is essentially their base “naked” wax. 464 has and 444 have soy additives (I’ve read it described as monoglycerides) with 444 having the higher amount. 
 

Blending 444 with 415 would dilute the 444. Since 444 and 464 have varied so much since 2016 it’s impossible to say how much you would need of either to achieve a 464 like blend. 
 

one thought on the improved burn of the 415 blends you noted may have simply been because they were well cured. Paraffin can fix some soy shortcomings but create others. What I found about pretty much all retail soy blends is that they dry out a LOT over time. There’s a peak performance time window before they burn for crap again. Paraffins can help lube those grainy soy molecules so they age a bit better. For the engineering types reading, paraffin and coconut sometimes act like a flux to improve the melt behavior.
 

your specific fragrances play a role too.  Some are just not ideal in soy. Sometimes you just need to swap wick series for some FO. For soy, cd and eco are usually where I land between fragrances. 

if your goal is to use up what you have, I would try blending the 4 waxes in a proportion to use them 100% up.

 

100 lbs - 2 +cases of 464 (same lot # from 2020)
20 lbs of 444
30 lbs of 415
20 lbs or 4627

total of 170 lbs. 
 

blend (I rounded up for simple math) 

59% 464

12% 444

18% 415

12% 4627

 

for a lb to test that would be:

9.45 oz 464

1.9 oz 444

2.8 oz 415

1.9 oz 4627

 

 

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Thanks @NightLight .  I was planning on doing that but wanted to throw it out here to see what experience others had.  I've went through CD, CDN, ECO, HTP, Premier, RRD and Cotton Core.  With the mixes I have, CD works the best with my batch of 464.  With the 70/30 blend I made, I landed at HTP. 

 

The soy testers I have had been curing since Janurary 2021 and another batch on April 2021.

 

Are there any other additives that I can use in 464/444 to help with the HT?  

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Thanks @TallTayl I will definitely try that ratio!  I'm also going to try each soy with the 4627 and do a comparison like @NightLighthad mentioned.  

 

The bakery scents play nice with the soy so I am going to stick with them.  The one that I could not get to throw much even at 10% in soy was Black Cherry Merlot.   And now that it is throwing really well in that blend... I don't like it that much.  Ha!  It's a tad too perfumey for me.  🤢     

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1 hour ago, TallTayl said:



if your goal is to use up what you have, I would try blending the 4 waxes in a proportion to use them 100% up.

 

 

 

 

It's not so much using up what I have, but more like trying to find the best candle that I can make with what I can readily get my hands on.  I'm hooked.   

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