Candles and The Heat

[rbackus]

We live in Texas and we are getting ready to do a show outside. Does anyone have any advice how to keep the candles from melting in the Texas heat. thanks Please help

[TMeeks]

Hi! I am from Texas also (Dallas area), and I did a show back in May outside, in the heat. (It was the one day in the spring where the temp hit 100)! My candles were melting everywhere. We weren't allowed to pack up and leave until 4, but after hours of moving the tent around, trying to keep my candles shaded, I gave up and boxed everything up. I completely lost about 10 candles. It just wasn't worth it to me. I won't ever do an outdoor show again. My advice, if you still decide to do it, Keep everything shaded and get a tent near an outlet so you can at least use fans. HTH

[SnowCow]

i live in s. texas and wouldn't take my pillars outside. it's way too hot! i did a really short show and they were sweating and starting to melt after about 3 hours (in the morning and i was in the shade).

if you have containers, you should be OK. hopefully tess will chime in here! i visited her at an outdoor show last weekend and she had a fan running. not sure if it helped the candles, but it felt good to me!

don't mean to sound negative, it's just really rough on candles to be outside in this texas heat! not much can really be done. although, i have thought about just keeping a couple on the table and then having some in a cooler under the table, then rotating them in and out of the cooler. that's if i ever did another outdoor one in the summer.:smiley2:

good luck!

[KimOCandles]

1) Do NOT face West. Do NOT NOT NOT face West. Did I mention do NOT face West?

2) Stay out of the sun (see number 1)

3) Put your sides up (but have bungee cords and/or zip ties available to raise/lower sides when shade allows to take advantage of semi-cool breezes-if they come along).

4) Ask for a shady spot if possible.

5) Stay off of the pavement if possible.

6) If you don't have a tent yet, get one. Buy a white top, not a colored one. I had a olive green one last year with a 10x10 base and a 8'6"x8'6" top. This year I bought Lowe's aluminum backed 10x10 for $199 (sidewall are extra) BUY IT! Costco's and Sam's Club's are not aluminum backed, therefore they are not as shady, therefore not quite as cool. The lady next to me this past weekend (the plant lady as mom and I call her) had a shadier spot, but we had a cooler tent, except when she had a breeze-she had her sidewalls down, whereas I didn't-I couldn't due to sun. Oh, and the temps got to 100 degrees. Only had 3 candles (container) melt (out of 29 cases), and zapped them with my heat gun when I got home. Now, some of the others got a little soft on the apothocary on the edges, and the other jars NOTHING! Mom and I were worse for wear than the candles.

Good luck!

KimO

P.S. Okay, I'll try to make an actual post sometime later, but I'll post here, since you'll be doing a possible hot show. Here's a way to have some power to power some "real" fans for a hot show.

Supplies:

1) Car battery (cheap 29.00 wal-mart battery works)

2) battery charger (the kind for car batteries)

3) converter (you can get this by the car batteries at wal-mart, be sure to pick one out that can carry the wattage for what you want to power, but remember, the more wattage you power, the quicker your battery will be spent)

4) alligator clips (again, by the car batteries)

5) cigeratte (sp?) plug in, female end, can be found in the automotive section at wal-mart, be sure to buy the one that has the wires attached, cost will be in the $7-8.50 range.

6) fan(s)

7) extension cord (optional)

Directions:

Charge car battery!!!! They will not be charged enough to run all day. On our trial run, fully charged at home, we ran 2 regular table top fans, totaling 1 amp, for almost 12 hours. Now, when I ran this setup at my show this past weekend, on both days, it quit after 5 hours both days, and then work for a few minutes and quit for a few minutes, we THINK due to an OLD converter. I will buy a new one and see. I know this setup works 'cause I have seen other people do it. Now, after battery is charged, you will need to soider (sp) the wires of the female cigeratte lighter plug (you know what I am talking about? the kind that is in your car) to the alligator clips. Attach the alligator clips to the battery, positive to positive, negative to negative (if not sure, and make sure you are sure, ASK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, btw, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be careful, if you are like me and not mechicanically inclined, please have someone help you!) Anyway, plug converter into cig. lighter plug, plug fan into converter, and turn on fan, and VIOLA! If you are using multiple fans, turn each one on one at a time. If you have questions, PM me and I'll try to make myself clearer.

KimO

P.S. Please forgive the misspellings, it's getting late and I am going to BED!

KimO