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I have issues...please help


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Hi, me again, ya know the PITA!!! I have tried so many different combos and I still cannot get ANY hot throw. They all have great cold throw, but literally NO ht, not even when I stand over them and burn my nose hairs. I'm using 415 with 1 oz fo pp in 8 oz jjs. I've tried many different wicks CD12, 14, 16 & HTP 105. FO's from peaks, Flickers, Bittercreek North and Millcreek. I add 1/4 oz BW pp. I had one candle that turned out awesome, and that was red clover from flickers. I kept exact notes and followed them to a T with other scents. I have probably 30 different testers poured, all cured for 1 week some 2-3 weeks.

I thought maybe at first it was my jars, I was testing in 4 oz jj's so I switched to the 8 oz. Then I thought I was adding FO at too hot of a temp (around 200 degrees, I didnt have a good thermometer) dropped it to 175, when I got my digital.

I just cant figure out what Im doing wrong. All of these scents smell great when I melt them down on my candle warmer, but NOTHING while burning.

I stir for at least 2 minutes and then again before I pour about 100-110. I know its not candle nose because my tester people cant even smell them. Please help me figure this out, I'm about ready to give up!!! I really don't want to do this but my DH will kill me if I waste any more $$$$! He's disabled and were on a very fixed income. Silly me I thought I could do this and make a couple of extra bucks.:cry2: Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Jen

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Stop using the beeswax it can actually hinder your throw, I don't care what someone else does that works for them it's not working for you. Make sure the FO is recommended for soy, then up your fo to one and a half oz per lb. Are you weighing the fo? and your wax?

Now I am not a fan of "cure" time because mine need to smell right away and I use oils that do that but I see that you do let yours cure for a week or so before you burn them so you might continue that.

I know some one will come on here and say if you have to use 1 1/2 oz per lb. then it's not a good fo, they only use 1 oz. yada yada yada....go ahead and use 1 1/2 what works for them may not work for others.

Also, you aren't going to make money at this right away....so if you have to have money now I suggest a part time job and I am not saying this meanly. It is going to cost you a lot to make a good candle that you can sell and it will take quite a lot of candles and time to recoup our outlay.

So I suggest:

eliminate the beeswax

add 1/2 oz more FO

be sure you are weighing the wax and FO

I hope the above works for you and you finally get a good thrower!

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Hi, I am gonna give you some advise that i probably should keep to myself, as I don't work w/ pure soy, I use a 50/50 blend, but maybe someone could guide you from here; I am THINKING that you may still be adding FO at a tad too hot of a temp. and waiting too long to pour. I know I've seen lots of threads here about pouring slushy, but that sure is a long time for the oil to be in the wax before cooling, know what I mean? (Seems so to me anyway...)

I add oil at between 160-170, with most oils that works well, and I stir well, not neccessarily for 2 mins., I can tell when the oil has incorporated well, then I pour, but THAT'S using 50/50, see...

As far as making any money at this, I sure haven't, and I started out 2 1/2 yrs. ago w/ the same idea!! I am content to sell enough to make enough to order more oils and supplies, and keep myself in my addiction, for free. But, you'd have to spend a WHOLE lot of $$ to make a good profit back in chandling, IMO. I sure don't mean to burst your bubble, at all, and I hope you can get enough satisfaction with your candles SOON, that you can then decide where you like this to take you! (after a whole boatload of TESTING!, thought I'd better throw that in there!)

Good luck!!:grin2:

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I started making candles five years ago and I began making some profit about two years ago and I spent quite a bit of money high into the hundreds. My point is start slow and have fun at it. JMO

I've spent so much money, I dont know if I could ever make a profit..lol Proabably enough to buy more supplies..:D

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I pour 415 w/ no additives. I use fo's mostly from ng, ones that are listed here as good throwers in soy. I use lx and cd wicks and I get good throw, better when burning. I heat to 175 in a turkey fryer, add color, cool a little, then add scent at around 160. I stir it like crazy, and pour just when it starts to look a little opaque. not slushy, like they suggest. I am not really getting any wet spots or frosting either. In standard 16 ozapothecary jars I use a cd 22. I use to use lx 20's but they weren't burning clean. These do. Hope this helps. Oh and I use 1 oz pp fo

Nancy

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You didn't mention how well the wicks were working while burning in your wax. That makes ALL the difference, unless this wax has a reputation for not throwing. If your flame is too big you won't get a good throw at all.

I don't work with your wax, but with many other waxes I have tried I have found that ECO, CDN and LX give the best throw.

Have you tried other waxes? I don't think most people get up and runnng with the first wax they try. In many of the waxes I have tried you only need about 5% to get a really good throw. It could be worth getting some other samples.

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try adding your fo at somewhere around 140 you are probably getting to much burn off adding your fo at that temp. i use 415 (mc's 125)& alot of millcreek's fo's @ 1.5oz.pp i use cotton wicks for most of my jars (12 sided) on really big jars i use htp's. good luck.

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Thank you all so much for your suggestions, I'm going to give them a try. Well, now I have 2, I burned a black raspberry vanilla last night and it was way way way strong, YIPPPEEEE!!!:yay:

I knew I wouldn't make money right away but I thought I would at least have a couple more candles to improve on by now. Like a couple of you said I hoped I could at least feed my addiction:D

I do weigh my fo, I bought a scale a couple of months ago. My melt pool seems to be great, all the way across, 1/4 inch deep, cleans the sides, not too big of a flame and not alot of flickering. I'll try bumping up my FO and taking out the BW, and see what happens.

One more ? could I heat the fo before adding it, maybe that will help? I work in a pretty cold basement, can the fo's get too cold and not work right?

Thanks again, this is a wonderful place and I am soooooo glad I found it!

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Well, late as usual but my red flag for your problem is you're using a 100% soy wax at 1 oz FO pp of wax. Try upping the amount of FO you use.

IMO, 90% of the oils out there will NOT give you a blow your socks off throw at 6% in pure soy wax. The only supplier I've come across that you can expect this kind of consistency from is Wick Your Wax (and at their prices, they have to throw well at 6%).

HTHs, better late than never.

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My first candle that had great scent throw was Red Clover from flickers frag. it smelled awesome all the way down to the bottom.

The 2nd was black rasp. vanilla from MC, it was so strong that we had to open the door to be able to breathe, then on the 2nd and 3rd burn it was much weaker, but still smelled nice. Why would it do that? I could see if it got stronger down towards the bottom, if the fo settled but not the other way around.

Last night I took a vineyard (MC) to my friends house and she burned it for about an hour, it smelled great in her small front room. She put it out after an hour cuz she was going to bed, but she'll burn it longer today.

I did end up taking out the BW and poured a couple that I'm waiting on. And I bumped up the fo to 1.5oz pp. Keeping my fingers crossed... Thanks so much for your help.

Jen

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