Tart making.Advice for a "Newbie"

[Big_Mamma]

Hi every one.. I'm new.

I decided to find a candle making board to join. I've recently purchased a ten pound tart making kit with dye,wax and fragrance and some metal mold.

I'm wanting to make and sell my tarts for our church christian puppet ministry as an ongoing fundraiser. A lady use to make and sell tarts to my workplace and she made a fortune and she's since moved away and so all of my co-oworkers who used to buy hers up like crazy I'm hoping that I can have success in my tart making so that they will sell well to benefit our puppet ministry.

Well, to the point. I began making mine last night... My kit came with intructions but they werent too spacific enough for the novice. It said not to let the wax get over a temperature of 175... well my very first batch did. What effect will this have on the tarts?

Also my instructions said to heat the wax to no more than 175 and add dye and then let cool to about 120 and add fragrance. What if I add the fragrance a little too early and warmer than 120. I was just wondering what significance these temps were as far as being "exact".

Also, I read somewhere to allo "24" hours for the tarts to cure. Does that mean allow 24 hours befor you start burning them... or is that how long they need to set in the molds before removing?

With my first few batches I just let them cool till they solidified and then put them in the freezer to remove them... They seem ok..

Thanks!

(Any advice for the novie tart maker is greatly appreciated)

[Breanna]

First thing,,Hello and Welcome to CT!! Can you tell what wax it is,,soy, paraffin??? If Paraffin yes you would heat your wax to around 180 then put in your pour pot,,add Dye if coloring them,,then FO,,and I pour my Tarts @ 175...Now for the ones you say you poured hot,,how do they look? Are they smooth? It is best if we know what wax you are using to really be able to help,,,

For curing,,you take them out of the molds,,I wrap mine in a cotton hankercheif and set them in a dry dark place for 24 hours and then I test burn them.

You really do not usually need to put them in the feezer to un mold them,,try letting them cool all the way and then un mold them.

Im sorry I keep editing this but I am trying to answer everything,,,

But please what wax are you using,,Thanks,,I want to help

[Big_Mamma]

Hi.

Sorry I forgot to mention, but its a kit for the Soy wax tarts. It was a ten pound kit with the soy flakes and ten bottles of 1oz fragrances and the dye.

The first batch I tried that I think I let get to hot, they arent "rough" there may be some splotchyness in thier color. They're not has pretty and even as my other tries....

After you heat the soy wax flakes until they're all melted and the liquid is clear is it ready for adding the dye etc.. then or should I wait longer until a certain temp?

And is it essential to to get a 120 degree temp befor you add the fragranc, do it hurt if its warmer than that?

And after you pour into your molds how long do you need to let them set? Just long enough for them to take form?

The molds I'm currently using came with the kit, they are metal molds but I've actually ordered the foil cup cake style bakers cups to use that way I can pour and not have to worry about removing them from the molds and just package them that way. That also helps in keeping them together so they dont break and crumble etc...

But I should have waited for those to come in but got in a hurry to give them a try so I'm using the metal molds that came with the kit.

Another question for you, I have some extra liguid that I had extra and didnt have extra molds for. Also, I have some that broke in the making process. After the wax has hardened can it be remelted in a microwave and reset to molds. I know this can be done, but I guess my question is does that re heating and resetting broken tarts, how bad will that effect thier scents. As mentioned before I'm going to try selling these as a church fundraiser so I dont want to sale some that may be bad quality.

Which this is my first time making them so I know they may not be 100 percent but...

Thanks a bunch for your willingness to help. Any and all tart making tips are greatly appreciated.

I've found that this is kind of a messy little craft.....

Any tips for mess minimizing for better equipment or methods for melting and pouring?

God Bless!

[Candle Makin Momma]

I use soy.

I heat it up to 190 or so, then add my dye. at 185 or so I add my FO, then I pour at 100, when it is slushy.

COmpletely different then your directions, but you'll see that it works and most everyone who uses soy will say the same.

It you will need about 2 weeks of curing to get a good strong scent.

Soy is very tempermental and takes lots of patience.

Good Luck!

[alhughes]

i also work with soy. a little high is ok but don't go too much over what is suggested. i usually add my scent between 120 & 130. but again try to keep to the instructions but don't be a perfectionist. i've never had a problem with mine. also make sure you mix color well & evenly. also putting them in the freezer you may not want to do. the coldness like that always made mine more frosty. i usually just put them in the refrig. it cools them a little slower. jmo. but then soy can be very finicky (hope i spelled it right). just have fun! hope this helped. as far as heating in the micro. i do it but i only do it at 30sec intervals. i don't like it getting too hot. keep an eye on it. i melt them till there is just little bit left to melt then stir till completely melted. i've never had a problem with scent fading.

[Big_Mamma]

Well thanks for the advice: Any more? Greatly appreciated here.

Just for the record here were the directions word for word I recieved with my kit.....They were just kind of typed up and I didnt know if they were "too general and not spacific enough" but anyways here they are word for word:

How to make yoru tarts

step 1 Pour 1 pound of wax flakes into microwave safe container (iv'e been melting it on the stove in a pot)

step 2 melt 1 pound of wx in microwave no hotter then 175

Step3 Add one bag of dye flakes adn stir untill fully dissolved

Step 4 Allow wax to cool down around 120 and add one ounce fragrance oil

Step 5 pour candle wax into tart mold, let sit untill cool

if the tart doese not want to come out put it in th freezer for about 30 min and it will fall right out

and then ther were some safety stuff.

Does this sound pretty right on to you guys' or would you have been more spacific in directions? Espeacially for a first time making them?

Just wondering how my directions were I was given...

Thanks!