Want to guess which is which?

[Henryk]

4045H with 5% Mineral Oil and 5% Parol Oil. No stearic or other additives except dye.

[Henryk]

Uck - I have to get a new camera. For now, just imagine these are dark navy blue with bright white mottling.

[candlesprite7]

I wouldnt know which is which, I think they both look great!

[topofmurrayhill]

I don't see much difference. The one on the left looks a smidgen more mottled, but that could be a slight temp difference.

Might be interesting to try it with oils that have known properties. You suggested the Parol is 100 viscosity but we're not sure, and the other one is completely unknown.

I have 70, 200, 350 and 500 mineral oils on hand but unfortunately I don't think I have time to try it. When I have an opportunity to get small bottles I can send you samples.

[countrysoaper]

i can't tell the difference, I think they both look great! I would prefer the one that is less work. LOL

[eugenia]

Top beat me to fixing the pictures, LOL. Just for kicks, here is my fix. I don't note much difference in the two candles.

[mystical_angel1219]

The candle on the right is virgin.

That's my guess. The candle on the left has more of a mottle to my eyes.

[Henryk]

I was going to do the levels thing (black/white point) in PS but I never put it on my computer and am too lazy !

Anyway, its mineral oil on the left, and Parol on the right. I don't know if parol burns better - but just today I decided I'm going to use parol in all my initial testers - I have six soy testers here burning now and the smell of the FO is killing me - just can't do that anymore.

I kinda like the Parol more because I don't like a TON of mottling and like a lot of breaks in it - I don't care much for that snow flake starbust look thing - eventually what I'd like to master is getting that "cloudy" look with breaks in it.

[Brad Ford]

mineral oil and parol are the same thing...parol is a technical grade (industrial use) oil vs. mineral oil that is Food Grade/FDA approved. I would expect you to see no difference. Bonus, Tech grade is cheaper.

Brad

[Henryk]

So maybe a stupid question - no more than the usual health issues using either as long as you don't over do it then right ?

[Brad Ford]

"most" of the time, the products are the same...you pay extra for the certification. I would not be concerned at all. People have been swallowing mineral oil by the spoon full for years. Reason? This is not the forum for such details.

Brad

[topofmurrayhill]

So maybe a stupid question - no more than the usual health issues using either as long as you don't over do it then right ?

Definitely don't overdo it with Brad's suggestion. Pure mineral oil is sold in the drug store. You'll find it near the Ex-Lax.

[Henryk]

What I was actually thinking of though is how people use essential oils and BURN them - when they really were never meant to be burned as a candle additive. (Dispersed or applied is much different than burning them).

The Parol 100 specifically states its can be used as a mold release agent and a candle additive. The mineral oil I get at the local superstore is not sold as that. Therefore, is there something that makes Parol 100 better/safer to use in this regard (burning) than generic store-bought mineral oil?

[eugenia]

Therefore, is there something that makes Parol 100 better/safer to use in this regard (burning) than generic store-bought mineral oil?

Brad already told you no.

If I tell Dear Wife to bash you over the head, will that make it a bit clearer?

[Henryk]

Swallowing something and burning something are different. That's why I gave the EO analogy.

My point I'm trying to make is, one can buy drugstore mineral oil for ~ 13 dollars a gallon or I can buy the tech mineral oil for ~ 96.00 per gallon. Is there a reason (health/performance/other) for paying that premium price when it comes to candlemaking? If there is, then I will do it.

BTW - No problem re the PM.

[topofmurrayhill]

Another name for mineral oil is liquid paraffin. Burning it is normal and equivalent to burning wax. Many lamps use 100% mineral oil and many candle blends contain much more mineral oil than you'd use to mottle a pillar.

As far as what kind to burn, all the common grades are fine. You don't want impurities in your mineral oil any more than you want them in your paraffin. Parol is the lowest grade you'd want to use. The stuff from the drugstore is the highest grade and theoretically better, but it probably doesn't make a practical difference.

For a candle supplier to sell the tech stuff using the manufacturer's name is a ridiculous obfuscation. It doesn't matter one bit whether it's parol or any of countless equivalent brands. The point is the supplier is buying it in 55 gallon drums for $5/gallon and marking it up wildly. Besides the drugstore, you can buy it in 5 gallon pails for $7/gallon (DPS Wax for instance sells Duoprime 90). If you have a bakery supply house anywhere nearby you can pick up a pail and save the shipping cost (that industry uses it as a "mold release" of sorts).

The important thing for candles is the viscosity. Most of what you see seems to be 70 to 100. That's OK but higher viscosities slow down the burn and can drown out wicks.

[amyp]

They both look great. I really need to get into the pillars. If only there were a few more hours in the day. :rolleyes2

[Henryk]

The neat thing is if you mess them up you can remelt them and do something else. I must have redid the one in the front 6 times (it was a mottle from the same batch and looked just like the ones in the back) before I decided I'd better not reheat the wax anymore (don't know if that damages it or not in some way), so I just added 1.5% vybar 103 and got the candle in the front.