I need some help please!!!

[cybersix]

I read through this board but i didn't find something similar to what's happened!

Yesterday I did for the first time a soy pillar.

Instructions tell to heat to 200* and pour at 167*.

I used a 5% FO and a little bit of dye block.

Well, i didn' have a pillar but a mass of grains.

When I tried to unmold it the wick slipped out so easily I couldn't believe it.

And no way to take out that mass of grains out of the mold.

I had to melt it down in the pot using the heat gun.

What's happend?

It's a matter of temps?

Can I reuse that wax or is damaged?

TIA

[realmarcha]

First off, what soy pillar wax are you trying to work with? You can reheat the wax, but will have to add a bit more fragrance since some of it will be burned off in the reheating process. Also, keep in mind, the wax that is reheated may, and I say may, not burn the same as wax that has not been, but is worth a try. We need a bit more information to help you! Specifically, the wax used.

[cybersix]

You know, I live in italy, we don't have the same waxes you have there.

Anyhow, I bought it from a local supplier. He says it's vegetable wax. I asked him what type of veg. and he said soy.

Instructions say to heat it at 200*, add color and fragrance at 167*, let it sit some minutes then pour in the mold.

The first time I let it cool at room temp and I got that mass of grains.

Yesterday after remelt I put the pot outside of the window (here it's cold) and it's ok, no more grains but a compact wax.

The other thing I noticed is that is much oily.

This wax comes in flakes.

I know these are poor information, but that's what I have to deal with.

TIA

[siberia]

Any chance you can post pictures?

[cybersix]

of an angle. sorry pic is blurry I hope you can see how wax cracks.

Both pics were taken after cooling outside of the window.

[cybersix]

I try to show you wick hole and the wick wich is slipped through like it was not "attached" to wax.

Plus I can't unmold it.

TIA

[siberia]

I would bet that you have container wax there...not pillar wax.

[cybersix]

It's what I'm starting to think.

I have to call the supplier and tell him he says a lot of b*lls**t.

Once I bought a paraffin wax with a low MP and when it arrived it was a very high MP.

and now this.

How can I be sure it's a container wax?

And why when I cooled it at room temp (it took forever to cool) it did grains?

I want to cry.

thanks Siberia, you helped me a lot.

[siberia]

Nothing more frustrating than misinformation from a supplier. Sorry for your troubles.

The graining is puzzling to me. I'll think on it and see what I can come up with. My first thought is some sort of additive in the wax that is fractionating in the cool-down process.

Soy pillar wax will pull away from the sides of your mold. Soy container wax will adhere to the side of your mold as it should when poured into a container.

[cybersix]

Thanks Kimberly.

I appreciate your help

The worts thing is that there is only ONE supplier who carries ONLY that type of wax. And I have to call him and tell him.

So I have to do only paraffin pillars!!

Thank you very much.

[guppygirl]

So sorry for you that you don't have our suppliers there

My first thought after seeing the pics was that it has to be a container wax since it's adhearing so nicely to the mold even after setting out in the cold. As for the graininess, I've run into that with using higher %'s of heavier FO's & also not mixing the FO's well enough. 5% doesn't sound like too much though. Hope you find some good wax soon!

[cybersix]

thanks guppygirl.

Ok, I have a container wax.

But why is cracking near the side of the mold?

Like we say in italy "I have a devil for every hair on my head" (this means I'm very angry now)

[guppygirl]

thanks guppygirl.

Ok, I have a container wax.

But why is cracking near the side of the mold?

Like we say in italy "I have a devil for every hair on my head" (this means I'm very angry now)

Pouring too hot... pouring too cold, letting it cool to quickly or not quickly enough...

Hope that answers it LOL! Usually in a container, that would be taken care of with a second pour or a heatgun.

[cybersix]

Thanks again.

Tomorrow I'll write an email to the supplier.

I'm tired of loosing my money.

Containers are cute, but I'm not interested in them.

I want to ear what he says.

Thanks again to all.

[Gypsyjen]

Sabrina,

I am sorry you have to deal with this. I know you must be very frustrated!

Soy container wax is prone to make cracks, so that is not unusual if it is really a container wax. As for the graininess, I am thinking if your supplier is not very honest, he might have added something to the container wax to try to turn it into pillar wax. You never know for sure. From what I have read on the board, it is more difficult to make pillars out of soy than with paraffin.

Good Luck!

[topofmurrayhill]

Sabrina,

I am sorry you have to deal with this. I know you must be very frustrated!

Soy container wax is prone to make cracks, so that is not unusual if it is really a container wax. As for the graininess, I am thinking if your supplier is not very honest, he might have added something to the container wax to try to turn it into pillar wax. You never know for sure. From what I have read on the board, it is more difficult to make pillars out of soy than with paraffin.

Good Luck!

I saw a fine-grained crystallization effect when I tried testing straight Candlewic Soy 125 (along with a host of other effects that produced a profoundly repulsive-looking candle). I suspect the graininess might be that.

[hotmama]

I am a little late in getting in on this post but I gotta tell you that your wax doesn't look like any soy I've ever seen. I have always worked with nothing other than soy or palm and that wax looks like parraffin to me. Also, soy wax has a MUCH lower melting point and pillar should be poured at around 165 and container should be poured at around 155 and lower. Soy wax does come in chip form generally and IS very oily especially the container blend, but when it cools it has a very creamy look and texture and your wax looks a bit transluscent. Soy is NEVER transluscent.

MAMA

[cybersix]

Alex

I don't know if it is exactly the same, anyway the "grains" I was talking about were like wet sand (in this case greasy sand) running out of the mold.

thanks to all for your support.

It's not good knowing I can't have a soy or a palm wax, but anyway I love making candles!

Ciao

I saw a fine-grained crystallization effect when I tried testing straight Candlewic Soy 125 (along with a host of other effects that produced a profoundly repulsive-looking candle). I suspect the graininess might be that.

[cybersix]

Hi Hotmama

I work only with paraffin and this doesn't appear to me as paraffin.

I think it is some mixture of unknown vegetable waxes.

If I have to say it all, supplier says that if you make it coll rapidly in the freezer it does snowflakes.

That's even more confusing.

I give up.

Ah once I made a small very small pillar (an egg) withs wax, without any FO.

It was creamy as you say, not translucent at all. It came out of the mold, not so easily but I was able to take it out.

Something tells me that problem could be the FO, not the FO itself, but maybe the wax could not be loaded so much with FOs.

But what the hell, I'm 32, I have paraffin.. who makes me want to go mad with this wax!!!

Cheers

I am a little late in getting in on this post but I gotta tell you that your wax doesn't look like any soy I've ever seen. I have always worked with nothing other than soy or palm and that wax looks like parraffin to me. Also, soy wax has a MUCH lower melting point and pillar should be poured at around 165 and container should be poured at around 155 and lower. Soy wax does come in chip form generally and IS very oily especially the container blend, but when it cools it has a very creamy look and texture and your wax looks a bit transluscent. Soy is NEVER transluscent.

MAMA