Paraffin as an additive

[Kelly]

My grocery store has started selling paraffin (probably not great quality) but I was thinking about trying it out and adding it to my EZ Soy to make votives. Does anyone think this would work? Where does paraffin wax come from? What would the benefits of adding it to 100% soy be? Would I need to wick down from my normal wicks that I use in the EZ Soy?

Thanks,

Kelly

[Kelly]

Oops sorry I guess this should have been a question for the non-vegetable threads.

[MaryAnnKacz]

Why would you want to add paraffin to soy? I know soy can be a pain. But isn't the whole reason for soy candles is that they are natural and don't contain parraffin? I just started a few months ago with Ezsoy. I wasn't getting a hot throw after 2 weeks of curing. For some reason, my candles needed 6 weeks and I get a terrific hot throw. To me, it is worth the wait. I also found that 1 oz per lb of FO gives a stronger throw than using 1.5 oz per lb. I have no idea why it takes so long for my candles to cure. But when they do, it is well worth the wait.

[Lightning Bug]

HI. You could probably play around with the grocery store paraffin, but I would want to know the meltpoint temp and more about it before using it to make my candles and that probably isn't available with the groc. wax. I would look in the classifieds and maybe you can pick up a small quantity of paraffin that you can look up all the info on first, and go from there. Beth

[mlbbuck]

I gave it a try a month ago in an attempt to keep my soy pillars from cracking. Although the paraffin did the trick keeping the wax from cracking, the burn was just awful. The melted wax down the sides and the melt pool became black with soot. The most unwanted ugliness I've ever seen in a candle.

[Antique Collector]

The paraffin at grocery stores is meant more for canning jelly and jam the old fashioned way with wax instead of a canning jar lid, not candles, it is softer and more flexible than you want for candle wax, but works great for its intended purpose.

[MaryAnnKacz]

I remember reading a few posts on successfully using Ezsoy for votives. I know they added palm stearic and beeswax and it solved the cracking. I'll try to find the post and get the exact amounts.

[Kelly]

The paraffin at grocery stores is meant more for canning jelly and jam the old fashioned way with wax instead of a canning jar lid, not candles, it is softer and more flexible than you want for candle wax, but works great for its intended purpose.

I know, but it did list on it (the packaging) that it was used in candlemaking, so I thought I would give it a try for fun.

[Kelly]

I remember reading a few posts on successfully using Ezsoy for votives. I know they added palm stearic and beeswax and it solved the cracking. I'll try to find the post and get the exact amounts.

That is already how I made them, but they have an oily feel to them. They just don't feel right.