firegirl Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I am using a parasoy blend. I use ony 1.3 ounces of oil per pound. I heat to190 add oil at 170, mix for a few minutes and pour at 150. What would cause little oil swirls on candle surface once candle is set? Do I need to add the oil at hotter temp? I poured 2 more today and tried to add oil at 175.. It does not seem to effect burn, but I just want some advice if this can potentially be hazardous. It almost seems like the oil is not completely blended with the wax. I have no seepage at all.. I appreciate any advice. ThanksTeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 It almost seems like the oil is not completely blended with the wax. I have no seepage at all.TeriThose two sentences are contradictory. You do have seepage. That's what the pool of oil is. If your wax cannot absorb that much FO, you need to add less or mix more. Is it a sweet, spicy or heavy fragrance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaVA Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I agree with Eugenia. Those statements are contradictory. If you say that you don't have seepage, then what exactly are you seeing that makes you think the oil is not completely blended. Can you post a pic? That would help us figure out the problem easier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Are you talking about a flat surface that has some swirls on it that you can only see reflected when you tilt the candle against the light a certain way?If so, I've seen that in parasoys - even with NO oil or color - that is just the way it sets up. Its really not noticible unless you look at it a certain way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I think Henryk may be onto it. I've seen a lot of what he's talking about. There are some blends with a high oil content that can get subtle streaks and swirls on the surface, even without FO. Many parasoys are like that (including my sample of Greenleaf 70/30) and some paraffin blends too. The wax still has capacity to hold FO even though the surface seems filmy. Since I've gotten into blending I've wondered why that happens but it's not unusual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Both my 70/30 and Joy do that - but if thats what it is, I'm really surpised someone else noticed it - I thought it was just me being REALLY anal about things again (by holding my candles up to the light and looking at the surface really closely for things - like if I didn't have enough of other things to worry about!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Both my 70/30 and Joy do that - but if thats what it is, I'm really surpised someone else noticed it - I thought it was just me being REALLY anal about things again (by holding my candles up to the light and looking at the surface really closely for things - like if I didn't have enough of other things to worry about!)I'm pretty observant. But sometimes it can be more than just barely noticeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Dallas_Texas_Dean Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Hi firegirl!Maybe you could clarify "little oil swirls on candle surface"Are the "oil swirls" damp or are they actually something you are seeing slightly under the surface? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in KY Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I'm pretty sure I know what you are talking about. I see this slick/ripple when I add paraffin to soy and then only every now & then, as with everything I do! I think it is where the two waxes aren't mixed completely at that very moment they set up. I can pour 60 tarts, all from the same pot, some might be flaky or smooth or a slick or dippy or lumpy or cracked or have powder stuff. Lord knows why I keep pouring cause I don't........ Oh yea, sometimes they are beautiful and smell so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaW Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Both my 70/30 and Joy do that - but if thats what it is, I'm really surpised someone else noticed it - I thought it was just me being REALLY anal about things again (by holding my candles up to the light and looking at the surface really closely for things - like if I didn't have enough of other things to worry about!)No, I noticed the same thing in the 70/30 but I figured it was caused by the horrendously hot weather we have been having. I have been test burning numerous fo's and so far it hasn't made a difference in the burn . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 And they set up the same way after burning too. The way I figure it, if people don't care how regular soy sets up - they won't be too concerned about this I should think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firegirl Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 Sorry it took so long to respond.. been gone all day! My answer is yes to only being able to see the swirls when I tilt the jars a certain way and catch the light just right. The candles are burning perfectly.. throw is awesome.. just these little swirls. I am not overloading the wax. I am using 75% J223.. unless I am incorrect on this one.. I believe it can hold 8-10%, and unless the soy is effecting its ability to hold the amount I am using? I really appreciate the responses! I am a dork and have not posted pics here yet. I too am anal about my candles and am certainly my own worst critic! I have found these swirls on every variety of f/o used. I will look at the candles that I added f/o at a hotter temp.. My candles set up with these swirls after hours of burning, all the way down. You guys are all awesome! I truly value and appreciate you taking the time for us newbies! ( and Henry.. I love your posts and pics.. I learn so much from what you share! My favorite time is reading through all the posts and finding yours in particular.. thanks!)Teri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 By themselves, the swirls aren't a concern as long as the wax is otherwise working normally. I have a paraffin blend that sometimes sets up with a few streaks or swirls, but I've tested it up to 8% without trouble and it could probably go to 10%. I have a heavy duty version that could hold 12% but it can still get swirls.When it comes to the parasoy, some testing wouldn't be a bad idea if you're concerned about heat or want to be shipping the candles around. A few of them are very greasy and can do funny things if the batch is a little off. This is a photo of a parasoy that has been through some temperature cycles and started doing this after about a week (whenever the room is warm). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firegirl Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 Top... Thanks for the info! Sounds like it is just the parasoy blend. A lot of my candles used to do that when I was using IGI 6006. They used to sweat like they had just been sitting in a sauna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Dallas_Texas_Dean Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 I have had the EXACT thing happen as the photo above. I put several discarded test candles, half burned, in a box out in the garage. I didn't check the temp, but it is an attached garage and although it gets warm, it is probably not any warmer than some of the places that my candles will be during the shipping process.A few days later I opened the boxes to get a count of how many jars I was going to have the pleasure of melting down and cleaning up. ( I reuse them for my testing) Some of the candles had these tiny droplets like in the photo. At first I thought it must be FO "seepage"....I reread the amount of FO that the wax was suppose to be able to "hold" and I was under that limit....on closer inspection I determined it was the wax sweating/seperating/whatever you want to call it. I think it is a MAJOR concern when it comes to shipping if wax is going to do this...doesn't everyone? I would be horrified if I had a client that opened one or more of my candles and saw this. I have no idea about the safety concerns..but esthetics alone is enough to warrant more testing with the wax and packaging I am using now to make sure this is not happening during the shipping process..... When I get home looks like I have some more testing to do just to check. The wax I am using was not the wax that did this, but I want to be sure.If my wax does...what would be the solution other than utilizing a higher MP wax or adding something to my wax to make it harder?I aologize firegirl if this is hi-jacking the thread. I think it is still on topic kinda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 A few days later I opened the boxes to get a count of how many jars I was going to have the pleasure of melting down and cleaning up. ( I reuse them for my testing) Some of the candles had these tiny droplets like in the photo. At first I thought it must be FO "seepage"....I reread the amount of FO that the wax was suppose to be able to "hold" and I was under that limit....on closer inspection I determined it was the wax sweating/seperating/whatever you want to call it.That's actually the case in the photo. There's no FO in that sample - it's just the oil in the blend. It starts doing this a week or so after pouring, when the temp goes a little above 80. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystical_angel1219 Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 I figured it was caused by the horrendously hot weather we have been having. This scorching weather is the reasoning for the oil seepage. Even without the addition of a fragrance oil, this can happen, as pictured by Top. I have noticed this in my testing with both the traditional preblends available in the marketplace, and by mixing any paraffin with soy, in different percentages. Heat can cause some of the raw materials to be expelled.I have two different parasoy samples sitting in my back hallway. Two different suppliers, that post on this board. Both are very oily to the touch, and have beads of oil all over the surface. No fragrance oil in them, they are still in original form, unwrapped sitting on brown kraft paper. Which now looks like an oil slick. When the weather gets cooler, or I bring them in the house- the beads disappear. So I believe it would be safe to say that these waxes are losing some of their properties when exposed to hot weather, stored unwrapped or unsealed. That oil on the kraft paper isn't being absorbed back into the wax after it is exposed to lower temperatures. Which leads me to believe the properties could be compromised when they are stored in warmer temperatures and not kept in a sealed container. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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