wickedwanda Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 first off hello everyone, yep i am a newbie...candle making is something i have thought about for a while..but never acted on...now i have been reading and looking for several days, and i am in to it...i have the presto,therm. 1# wax, fo,and dye, digital scales,votive molds(6) wicks, i think i have everything, so now what???:undecided i figured i would try to master votives first..:embarasse .i do have to admit that i rushed to micheals to buy the stuff i needed....i couldnt wait for mail order...you understand...it had to be now...i have read over the archives, i have read most everything on here..all the how to's...plus everthing on cajun candles..so what do you all think,,,am i ready?? any and all advice is greatly appreciated.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country creek Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 The generic stuff at Michaels is how I started out as a learning process only. The stuff you get from there is by no means professional quality ingredients and will not produce you a good quality candle. IMO. It will however help you determine if this is something that you want to pursue.I understand the impatience of wanting to start now but I would suggest buying a kit from one of the online suppliers so you will be able to start off with good quality ingredients and your testing, time and money will not have been in vain. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jldorrington Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 you've got quite the set of tools going there lol. thats great. but i def agree that the wax fo and dye from micheals might not be the best thing in the world but you can always order that stuff from and online supplier and while your waiting for that play around with the stuff that you have cause trust me once you use that stuff you'll be addicted they you REALLY won't want to wait for stuff to be shipped to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msonmez Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I'm also new to making candles. And I bought a beginers set from Micheals. I wasn't impressed with the wax, dye ot fo that came with it. But, I really did enjoy making the candles. And so I went and found this website. And lots of suppliers too! Too bad I ran out of scents to use... The wax is so lonely now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 ok, i am fixing to start on the votives, wish me luck.. oh yeah and whats really bad, at micheals is that i had to buy a fo that doesnt match the dye or vice versa..but i was just so excited:embarasse ...now 1 question - do i need to heat the votive molds..they are metal..one site says yes and another says not necessary..ok maybe 2 questions..after the repour, can left over wax be kept for another time..since i have only 6 molds...and from what i read..1# of wax should make 8..and how would be the best way to store it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everito Bandito Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Have fun! It really doesn't matter that the fo doesn't match the color, these are your own special firsts.. My first votives didn't look so great but that didn't matter either.. They burned ok.Since you have a presto, after you are done, you can barely heat the leftover wax until you have a thin film of liquid underneath. Take the solid out and store it in a ziplock bag or an empty jar or between two pieces of wax paper or whatever else suits you. Wipe out the last bit with a paper towel.Have fun!...:smiley2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 here is what i have so far..i melted 1# of wax in the kettle, it seemed to me the heat was quick..i never got it regulated at 175..so i read the instruct. that came with wax from micheals..it said for metal molds ideal range was 200-225.. i got it regulated to 190 then added fo,stirred slowly, then added dye..stirred slowly..heated measuring cup..and molds..watched temp...stayed at 195...decided to pour...and now waiting on congeal..to put in wicks..now..on the repour which is suppose to be atleast 10 degrees hotter..i should go up to like 205? wicks went in well...color is just right for mulberry...i am so excited... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erinmfritz Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Be careful, making candles is very addictive.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everito Bandito Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 here is what i have so far..i melted 1# of wax in the kettle, it seemed to me the heat was quick..i never got it regulated at 175..so i read the instruct. that came with wax from micheals..it said for metal molds ideal range was 200-225.. i got it regulated to 190 then added fo,stirred slowly, then added dye..stirred slowly..heated measuring cup..and molds..watched temp...stayed at 195...decided to pour...and now waiting on congeal..to put in wicks..now..on the repour which is suppose to be atleast 10 degrees hotter..i should go up to like 205? wicks went in well...color is just right for mulberry...i am so excited...I personally wouldn't go any hotter with the repour. But it's probably already been done. I try pouring at around 175 and repour several hours later at 175-180.So how did they come out?.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country creek Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Did you get the yaleys thermometer in the pot kit from Micheals? I used that eons ago and if I remember correctly that thing never went over the 175 mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 The hotter the wax the more likely it is to shrink. I personally find 195 too high to pour at. About 175-180 would be the range I would try to stick with. I used to pour leftover wax into aluminum foil, label it and stash it somewhere. Problem is I never went back to it, so I find a way to get everything poured now. You could just leave the wax in your pot and pour more votives when the others are done, OR buy more molds lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 no, i bought the therm. at walmart..standard candy making one..and quess what they actually look like votives...smell good and all..for my first ones i think they turned out good.. there was like some stuff on the sides .. like someone stuck them with pins..very small..maybe air..????wicks did good, color is pretty...they smell good...i havent burned one yet..letting them cure...on the repour i did go up to 200. i was jus kinda jumpy cuz..i dont know why but i just thought it would take longer on the first to heat up...and it was like when the wax was melted it was time to pour...then i just couldnt get it back down to where it needed to be.....and i can tell you this....it seemed like it took forever for them to cool..so i could do the repour....oh it is sooooooo much fun...i am hooked....and i know what i am getting for christmas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 ok, my votives turned out good, they smell good(not burning), they burn good..but hardly no smell...when holding them and smelling them, its kinda like all the scent is in the bottom...maybe didnt stir well? and i know i proably didnt add enough. it was the block kind from micheals. but i consider it a good first try..good enough i ordered supplies online...and i am waiting really impatiently.also can someone explain the testing to me..kinda break it down something like CANDLE TESTING FOR DUMMIES:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country creek Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Aint waiting fun??? Sounds like you did good for your first venture. You will be addicted once you start with the good stuff.This is just me......I usually do two batchs at once. When ever I pour a different fo, I give it about 3 or 4 days til I know that they are set up and completely cured. It takes time for the fo and the wax to set up (the only word I could think of). Anyway~I test each fo. I pick two candles from each batch and I burn them long enough to get a fmp, this is usually 2 1/2 to 3 hrs depending on the size of my candle. Once I am satisfied....I blow em out, let them set up again and do it again another day to make sure they do the same as before. I make sure that my wicks, wax and fo all do well together. Not all wax, wicks and fo like each other so they do not always work well together. You just have to test and see what you like and what works best for you.This is sometimes more complicated than the norm if you have a problem with one thing or another. Then I will test with fo, without fo, with color, without color.....you get the idea. I am sure if I have forgotten anything.......someone will correct me or add to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carriegsxr6 Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 ok, my votives turned out good, they smell good(not burning), they burn good..but hardly no smell...when holding them and smelling them, its kinda like all the scent is in the bottom...maybe didnt stir well? and i know i proably didnt add enough. it was the block kind from micheals. but i consider it a good first try..good enough i ordered supplies online...and i am waiting really impatiently.also can someone explain the testing to me..kinda break it down something like CANDLE TESTING FOR DUMMIES:DWell it sounds like you did everything right. You probably will never get a great scent throw from the yaleys block fragrances. That’s why everyone was telling you to order from other sources. I too live in so cal, I pick up my wax, color, jars, wicks and molds locally from GenWax located in North Hollywood. They are a reputable company that is very experienced in candle supplies. For fragrances, I use suppliers from out of state; I don’t like the plain ones Genwax carries.congrats and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 wow...thanks for the info...but...lets say a batch is a bash...what to do with the other candles from the same batch...pass them on to someone who buys dollar store candles?? hehehe...jk... seriously..burn them and recover jars?i dont want to start a business doing candles, i would just like to be good enough to make as gifts and share with friends..with being :embarasse .thanks again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spagirl Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 This is toooo funny. I thought I was the only person in the world so anxious that I would rush out to Michaels to buy a few supplies just to hurry and get started. I started just by doing one container candle. Did it at night before bed. Waited a little, did a repour and when I woke up the next morning the entire middle was sunk in. Guess next time I will watch it more closely instead of starting it at bedtime. Anyway, Good Luck:undecided ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hope Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 what is fmp?Full melt pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 :embarasse Full melt pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country creek Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 wow...thanks for the info...but...lets say a batch is a bash...what to do with the other candles from the same batch...pass them on to someone who buys dollar store candles?? hehehe...jk... seriously..burn them and recover jars?i dont want to start a business doing candles, i would just like to be good enough to make as gifts and share with friends..with being :embarasse .thanks again..Well if you only want to make enough for yourself and friends then I would suggest only melting the amount of wax you will need for the amount of candles you are planning to pour. For instance, I know that a 4 lb vat will pour (6) 16 oz mason jars for me. Are you planning on doing just votives or containers? I am not sure how much wax will pour how many votives but there are others here that will chime in and help if that is what you are going to do.If you are planning to do containers, then what I do with leftover wax is make a layered candle to either keep or give away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country creek Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 I took this from another thread.......this is a lot more informative than what I told you. Once you get the candle made, let it cure before test burning it. With paraffin most people only cure for a couple days or so. But with soy most people wait at least a week, many wait 2 weeks. The basic rule of thumb is to burn 1 hour for each inch of diameter, so if your jar is 2.5" then you want to burn it for 2.5 hours. It should achieve a full side to side melt pool in that time and be giving off a good scent throw for a reasonably sized room. If it isn't getting a good melt pool and is leaving wax around the edges, chances are you need a bigger wick. That's when the fun begins... time to start over and try again with another wick! Don't forget to document your testing, write down how long you burned it for, what size room you burned it in, how well the scent throws, etc. I have a testing worksheet here that might help. Once you get it burning and throwing good, give a few to friends to test for you and get their feedback too. The best way to learn is just to try it once and then come back with questions. Get your feet wet and then you'll have a better idea where to go from there. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 Pawz Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Sorry:) your hooked on candles. I started first by buying a candle craft book, got the stuff needed for a container candle and went at it. Now, i make votive, pillars, tarts, container candles, I really enjoy making them, only I had so much stuff put up, couldn't give it ALL away, so I started selling them now and then. It really is addictive, I have to get all the new FO's, wax, wick, whatever. But don't forget to TEST, TEST, and TEST:D Good luck and have fun:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 14, 2006 Author Share Posted December 14, 2006 Sorry:) your hooked on candles. I started first by buying a candle craft book, got the stuff needed for a container candle and went at it. Now, i make votive, pillars, tarts, container candles, I really enjoy making them, only I had so much stuff put up, couldn't give it ALL away, so I started selling them now and then. It really is addictive, I have to get all the new FO's, wax, wick, whatever. But don't forget to TEST, TEST, and TEST:D Good luck and have fun:)I am afraid that might happen to me..too... and i am stil waiting for my order to come in..been tracking dhl all week. i ordered from farmhouse, and i cant wait..but i am still testing my first votives...the second one is burning as good as the first..just no smell...but thats ok.. and i just want to say to all i appreciate all the advice and good will you all have shown me.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wickedwanda Posted December 14, 2006 Author Share Posted December 14, 2006 7 PAWZ, I just noticed you are from MS. me too...what part? if you dont mind me asking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 Pawz Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Pike Co., are you anywhere close? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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