Newbie here Needs help

[Cetacea]

My point is a simple one. What I'm asking for is YOUR OPINION. This is not a science, it's an art, so, it goes without saying that I'm only asking for your opinion, as opposed to fact, so I don't see the need to clarify that what works for you, might not work for me.

It's simple, give me your opinions (not fact, and not MY opinions...YOUR OPINIONS)

I'm asking for starting points, advice, help, and opinions. That's all. It goes without saying that those are only starting points, and that I will need to test for myself.

OK my 3 opinions:

1. Candlemaking IS a science, and an art. So its both.
   
2. Environmental conditions MUST be taken into consideration when making a candle, as conditions change so will your candle. So blindly saying that you don't want to hear what works for someone else won't work for you is ignorant and foolish.
   
3. You've ostracized every informative person on this board with your gimme, gimme, gimme attitude. This isn't a buffet.

I consider your posts insulting to the point of rudeness. Show some initiative and do a frigging search. Every question you've asked so far can be easily found on this board or Google.

[Donita]

OK my 3 opinions:

1. Candlemaking IS a science, and an art. So its both.
   
2. Environmental conditions MUST be taken into consideration when making a candle, as conditions change so will your candle. So blindly saying that you don't want to hear what works for someone else won't work for you is ignorant and foolish.
   
3. You've ostracized every informative person on this board with your gimme, gimme, gimme attitude. This isn't a buffet.

I consider your posts insulting to the point of rudeness. Show some initiative and do a frigging search. Every question you've asked so far can be easily found on this board or Google.

Are we forming a gang now?.....lol..... I think I should get off this puter and pour some wax. You know....practice what I preach.... Donita

[Cetacea]

Are we forming a gang now?.....lol..... I think I should get off this puter and pour some wax. You know....practice what I preach.... Donita

How bout the NON-SPOONFED BRIGADE..... LMAO. j/k

[Tess]

Japes:

1. Why do our "opinions" matter so much? Aren't you trying to make your own candle.

2. I keep hearing gimmie, gimmie, gimme, that is NOT how you get answers, I unless you are 5. Well even my toddler doesn't do that.

3. Candlemaking is VERY much a science, you have obviously done no research.

4. You HAVE actually been given some pretty helpful answers, why is it so hard for you to take them and start? Heck you have 90% more to go on than when I first started. You asked for opinions and you got them, so why are you so pissy? If you are going to get pissy about answers that aren't good enough for you, DONT ASK THEM!

JMO

[Mei-Mei]

My point is a simple one. What I'm asking for is YOUR OPINION. This is not a science, it's an art, so, it goes without saying that I'm only asking for your opinion, as opposed to fact, so I don't see the need to clarify that what works for you, might not work for me.

I'm not sure why this is so difficult to understand, or why my simple request to stay out of the thread, if you don't have something of a useful nature to input, is not being heeded. It's simple, give me your opinions (not fact, and not MY opinions...YOUR OPINIONS), or please, simply don't post in my thread.

I'm asking for starting points, advice, help, and opinions. That's all. It goes without saying that those are only starting points, and that I will need to test for myself.

Again, I will kindly ask that you simply not post, if my questions bother you, or you have nothing better than "Please test for yourself" (paraphrased) to say.

As someone has already said, candlemaking is both a science and an art. As for your specific questions, what I'm trying to get you to see is that they are USELESS to ask, save the question about the opinions on WYW. Ask a forum full of 100 chandlers what paraffin wax they like and you'll get 100 different answers. Same with soy wax. Same with fragrances. Same with wicks.

In addition, since you're new to candlemaking you may not be aware of the fact that chandlers guard their exact formulas as closely as the KFC secret recipe. No one will say, "I get a perfect candle if I use blank wax, blank wick and blank amount of fragrance oil." It's just not the done thing to ask.

I admire your desire to learn. I think you probably have potential to have a lot of fun with candlemaking. But before you go further I'd advise you to do a search on this site. Pick a wax, any wax, and search for info about it. Or do wicks first. Or fragrance oil. Whatever.

eta--Once you make one candle with your kit, then go from there with your questions. For instance, if you don't like the scent throw on your candle you can ask, "I made a candle with XXX wax, and added FO at XXX degrees. It smells like crud. Why?" You'll get a lot better response once you sound like you are a working chandler, rather than someone who is trying to cut corners.

[geekrunner]

Dude (or dudette), you should feel verrrry special. Someone just like you about a week ago did the same thing as you, and believe me, you got much better treatment than he/she did. Dat gave you the absolute best advice in the fewest number of words. We like to help others, and I am probably more guilty than many here of giving up proprietary information, but when you come in with a bazillion questions right out of the chute, with no evidence of even making one candle, it tries even the most patient chandler.

My advice:

Find a close supplier that sells GW415, like Millcreek.

Buy the starter kit.

Follow instructions to make your candle.

If something goes wrong, or something doesn't look right, then ask.

Regardless of you getting flamed pretty badly (and deservedly) we do like to have fun. Now get to work!

geek

[geekrunner]

Dat answered with the best intentions.

Dat is right.

Dat is dat.

geek

[prairieannie]

Wow, PrairieJean, thanks for the advice, mom. Do I need to go to my room now?

My goodness, if you have no desire to help, just don't post to the thread. Why is that so tough to understand?

It's too bad that you are missing the point.. I WAS helping you. But now it's clear that you don't want help, you want us to save you time, money and hassle... you want what we worked for handed to you on a silver spoon. So, so, sorry. It doesn't work that way. To answer your question to me.. YES! go to your room, put your big girl panties on, and come out when you feel capable of doing some reading and researching... whenever that may be, you might start by clicking HERE

[Kaybee23]

We sure seem to have a rash of this stuff going on lately.....It really makes you not even want to waste your energy replying to these people. :undecided

[hewells]

We sure seem to have a rash of this stuff going on lately.....It really makes you not even want to waste your energy replying to these people. :undecided

Please don't let these rashes itch you into not helping the ones that truly are paying attention and learning from what you tell them. It is people like this that make it hard for the "newbies" to get answers already. I am always trying to absorb more information and very much respect and value the information that is given from the more experienced chandlers on this board. It is a shame that a few nasty rashes have to ruin things for others.

[Kaybee23]

I am only talking about the ones that come in here with a 'tude. I don't personally mind at all helping people. But when you start copping an attitude when experienced candlemakers are only trying to help, sheesh. I have only been making candles for 2 years myself, so I am still sorta new as well. But I can tell you that I read and read till I almost fell asleep some nights, and printed off pages and pages of information to read. Then I bought supplies, and poured candles and tested and tested. Then I asked questions about the things I didn't understand or had problems with. It really is a process, and there is no substitute for experience.

[mizbizzyb]

What are you, eleven years old? Wow. Some of these responses (certainly not all of them) are bordering on the absurd.

Girl pleeeeeze. You are absurd. Take help how and when you can get it. You are making people not want to help you.

You are really crabby for no dayum reason. People are trying to assist you and you don't even realize it. Sit on your attitude and take a chill pill.

But once again, you'll probably call yourself going off on us in your next post.

[DatCandleMaker]

Wow I feel like Andy Warhol. I have never been misquoted and so many extra words attributed to me. I am actually the least "wordy" person on this board.

JAPES- I did not say or mean "shut up" or "leave us alone". I meant - "GO try it for yourself." Asking all these questions and multitude of answers you will get will only confuse you. When I started making candles I read about 30 supplier's instructions and 4 message boards from beginning to end. I was so confused. I finally turned the computer off and just poured some candles.

I have tried 4 different waxes and settled on blending my own. I don't like any of the preblends. Go find some straight low melt paraffin and mix in the additives. You will truly learn a lot about chemistry and what not to do.

So I say again. JUMP IN! Get you feet waxed. Quit waiting from someone to tell you what you want to hear.

And you are ARE being rude and abusive to members on this board.

Dat

[Tess]

You will truly learn a lot about chemistry and what not to do.

and she says no science is involved..

[Vicky_CO]

We all need to calm down here and try to get back on topic please.

[Cabin Creek Candles]

This is a msg board.

Yes Japes you are correct. It is a message board not a gimme gimme gimme my name is Jimmy board. People have tried to help you out here, but your attitude leaves something to be desired. There's not one person here that is going to give you their exact formula. You've received some wonderful advice. Take it! If you don't like it do what most of us have done, RESEARCH! Buy different wax, try different suppliers, test, spend money until you come up with what works for you.

One thing you need to learn straight up, When you ask questions on a message board, it becomes the business of everyone that posts here. Don't expect the answers to be sugar coated. At some point, you've got to be willing to help yourself.

[Deb]

Japes,

When I first found this board, I had many of the same questions you do. In fact, I probably had more! Each question was answered fully by the members of this board and it was done without me ever having to ask!

I came here with a ton of questions and a notebook, ready to research and learn, and every question I had was answered through the search section. I researched for months before buying my first supplies.

I found my wax by reading every post that mentioned the various kinds of wax used, listing the pros and cons of each, then narrowing it down from there. I read everything I could find on wicks, and got a good starting point from what others found worked for them. I did the same with the various suppliers that I used. Once I bought my supplies, I made my first candles. I again came on here and searched for answers to the questions I had after making them, and again found all of the answers!

For me, part of the "fun" of all of this was the research, and the fact that I found answers to questions that I didn't even have yet! I don't think I've ever had to ask a question on the board because the answer are all here, somewhere, which proves how willing the members of this board are to share their knowledge.

I've seen this controversy over "spoon feeding" play over and over in the past few years. It always starts with new members coming on and wanting all of the answers in one post. People have grown leery of just handing over information to someone who wants it all up front. We've all worked hard to get to where we are now, and most of us learned that the only way to learn this is through trial and error. I think you'll find that once you've done some research, and made a candle, that the members will bend over backwards if you still have questions. There is nothing wrong in asking questions! This board is all about teaching and learning. I think it's the way some questions are asked that turn people off and make them leery of helping.

I would hate to see the answer to any new member become "test, search,and prepare to spend thousands and thousands." While I agree 100% about the testing, I think we'd all have to admit that sometimes, no matter how hard you search, the answers may still elude you. I hope that we all don't become so hardened that we just answer all questions by telling someone to search. I also hope that the new members never feel that like they can't ask a question without fear of being blasted.

I may be blasted for this, but I have to say....I didn't test for years and years and I didn't spend thousands and thousands in my testing stage. That's where my research saved me. I didn't have a lot of money to invest, so I decided what I wanted to do, researched for what I thought would be the best supplies, and went on from there. I found one wax, worked with two types of jars, and with various wicks and FO's until I produced a candle to be proud of. Because I didn't have a lot of money, I wasn't tempted to try everything out there. And because money was tight, I was forced to work with what I had until I came up with a candle that I was happy with. My candles were tested and retested until I was confident of my product. After that, I moved on to votives and did the same with researching supplies and techniques. You really don't have to "sell your first born child" to get into this, you just have to be smart in the way you approach it!

This board is for learning, and I still learn something here every day. It's also for teaching, and if I can help someone along the way, I will! This is a wonderful board, full of good people who have provided a wealth of information over the years to new members. I think if you stick around for a while and read, you'll see it for yourself!

Deb

[DatCandleMaker]

I may be blasted for this, but I have to say....I didn't test for years and years and I didn't spend thousands and thousands in my testing stage. That's where my research saved me.

Here, Here! Well said.

Research upfront can save you lots of mooolah! I still believe you can learn more from reading other people's Q&A than you ever will by begging for specifics.

Dat

[DonnaGA]

Since you want wax, wicks and FO...try this site....candle cauldron

Try a search on excite.com for other useful sites.

HTH.