Stepping my foot into the waters of "Soy"

[VictoriaK]

I primarily use Palm Wax, as that just seems to work perfect for me.. But I would like to try out Soy to use as a secondary wax instead of Paraffin. I am reading a bit and it seems a bit more FO per pound compared to other waxes, and also I am curious about the 'curing'.

Is this just a matter of sitting it around for a couple of weeks or what? I have a few pounds of Cargill Nature Wax C-3(Container) as well as EcoSoya Wax PB-140(Pillar Blend) to play around with, hopefully they treat me well:yay:

Love to hear any tips,

Victoria

[Gravity]

Yup, the "curing" is exactly that.. just letting it sit around (and test your patience) before you burn. The longer the cure time, the better the hot throw... (generally... depends on the FO, as some FO's don't like Soy... check the FO'S FOR SOY sticky for some great starting places, though)

I usually let a candle cure for at least 5-6 days before burning.. if I'm impatient, I'll wait 3-4 days... and I know if it's throwing alright at 3 days.. it'll only be better after 6

[VictoriaK]

That is interesting, is this something practiced in all forms of candle making and I just wasn't aware of it? I just tested out my Pillar/Votive soy and the cold throw is ridiculously well. I used a pinch over 1/4oz for 5oz of the flaked wax. Scent is dragons blood, and it seems the wax is light on colors so my already high 4 drops of Burgundy will need to get pumped up to fit my appetite of red(if even possible with soy). I did a partial fill on a 6 cavity clamshell, and love the wax with it:yay:... But the downfall is with the votives. As you can see from the pictures, it cracked around the wick. Is this from sinking, so this wax would just need a repour to elimate the problem?(Wick used is 44-36-18C). And, I also made a boo'boo by cracking the candle by pressing the sides to help release it.. Needless to say, as soon as I saw the crack I sat it back down and walked away haha. I will have to update on how it unmolds and if there are further problems.

I can't get over how great the cold throw is, regardless of being a relatively strong FO

P.s. I raised the temp to 170 and began my initial pour at about 153 if that could link to problems

[SpaceGirl]

You can try two things to help with the cracking around the wick.

One is to do 2 pours. When I was pouring votives it worked for me to do the first pour right to the lip (or just under) so that the surface became concave when it cooled. Then do the second pour so you get that nice rounding on top. Only doing the first pour to the lip helps keep the second pour from overflowing (in my experience).

The second is to try pouring a little cooler (140 to 145 maybe?) and see if that helps.

Hope that helps.

[Meridith]

I always have to do a second pour with my votives. Not all fragrances need a long cure time. You can find plenty of fragrances that will throw in a matter of a few days. But, soy candles do tend to get better with time.

[TxSioux]

I've spent the last 5 yrs thinking I had to use 1.5oz fo pp w/ soy & have been retesting everything & found that I get just as strong (or stronger) throw using 1oz pp. Also, my votives have been cracking at the wick just like your pic. I've only had this problem w/ the cold weather, so I leave enough room for a 2nd pour to top it off. Not something I have to do once it gets warm. The joy of soy, huh!

Susan.

[Carriegsxr6]

oh i love Dragons Blood, may I ask which company yo get your Dragons Blood FO from?

I use C-3 and wanted to tell you I get great results heating to 175, add color and FO and pour right away. Smooth tops and minimal frosting. I do cure for 2 weeks before I test burn for fragrance throw.