New to Candle Making

[chefmom38]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to candlemaking and have been learning a lot reading the posts. I have 2 questions (probably silly ones)

1. Are there specific fragrances for soy? or can any fragrance be used?

2. When jars are received, do they need to be washed before pouring into them? I wipe them out with a soft cloth.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Stella1952]

Welcome chefmom!

1. Are there specific fragrances for soy? or can any fragrance be used?

Some suppliers designate which of their FOs are best with soy... most good suppliers' FOs are formulated to work well in both soy and paraffin. A supplier who sells a lot of veggie waxes can usually be counted upon to stock FOs that work well with veggie waxes.

2. When jars are received, do they need to be washed before pouring into them?

Yes, because there is residue on the glass from manufacturing which can prevent the wax from adhering to the sides of the jar properly. Washing in hot water with Parson's sudsy ammonia is what I do, but others use Dawn or put them through the dishwasher with no problems. The main idea is hot water and a product that will cut oily residue. This is no guarantee that you will never experience "wet spots," but it's a good place to start. HTH

[CareBear]

to the washing note let me add what I've learned lately:

don't wash with a greasy sponge

don't dry with the dish towel you have been using all day

I know these sound beyond obvious - but apparently I need to learn the hard way.

[Stella1952]

CareBear, I totally forgot about drying!! If at all possible, allow the containers to air dry upside down. If you are in more of a hurry, use REAL hot water for the rinse, then set the jars upside down on rack in the oven preheated to warm. Check the temp to be SURE it doesn't go over 200°. I replace my jars upside down into the flat box they came in.

The foam imitation chamois cloths are fantastic for drying glass. I bought mine at the auto parts store, but I see them everywhere - called "The Absorber." I originally purchased it for drying stained glass pieces and cut my paper towel usage to almost nil! I love those things!

[mystical_angel1219]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to candlemaking and have been learning a lot reading the posts. I have 2 questions (probably silly ones)

1. Are there specific fragrances for soy? or can any fragrance be used?

2. When jars are received, do they need to be washed before pouring into them? I wipe them out with a soft cloth.

Thanks for your feedback.

Hi and welcome to soy candlemaking heaven.

1. Soy is picky on fragrance. Doesn't matter if it is an expensive oil, or cheap. It varies greatly. My recommendation would be to stick to suppliers that sell soy wax exculsively- like Southern Sensations, Millcreek and Kentucky Candle Supply. There are plenty of them out there, and some suppliers now even give soy ratings on the throw etc, to help you decide. Testing is essential.

2. I wash all my jars. Yes, it is time-consuming and a PITA. But you will get much better results with soy, IMO. Tins- no need, just make sure they are dust free. Cool the candles in the warmest room of the house, as well. It helps with the appearance of sink holes, pits, air pockets and glass adhesion once the candle sets up.

Good luck!

[chefmom38]

Thank you ladies for all your great advice...I will give it all a try.

[Stella1952]

If you wander over to the veggie wax forum, chefmom, you will see some "sticky" posts at the top of the forums where members have listed the FOs thay have found worked well with their wax and where they got 'em. I have not found that suppliers who deal with paraffin as well as soy are less reliable for FOs for soy. I like JBN, Peak, Wellington, SOS, LoneStar, Cajun, CandleScience... ALL of those suppliers have reliably good FOs. And ALL suppliers have bummers, too.

[handmade-cr]

Hi there, my name's Cathy and I'm new here. I'm currently trying to set up my own business selling the soy candles I make, and I'm doing my market research at the mo. Seeing as everyone one here has some interest or another in candles, I thought this would be a good place to start. I would appreciate it greatly if some of you would help me out by filling in my survey at: www.freewebs.com/handmade-cr/marketingsurvey.htm thankyou very much!!! :smiley2:

[Stella1952]

Cathy, I looked at your survey. The candle you showed should not be sold anywhere because it contains flammable materials that could easily cause a fire or flashover condition. The ONLY way such materials should ever be considered for use in a candle is on the extreme outer part and the candle should be significantly underwicked so as to not allow the flame to ever approach the flammable materials. Even then, one is taking a big risk as there is no guarantee that the general public will burn the candle according to the instructions given (assuming you include instructions and safety warnings with your candles).

Before even attempting to sell candles, I would suggest that you read, read, read here! Testing is paramount when making candles to sell to the public. It takes a LOT of testing before one can come up with a reliable, dependable product and each time a new wax, container, fragrance oil, or new batch of the same wax is used, retesting must occur.

I admire your enthusiasm and hope that you will continue trying to develop your product line along industry-accepted safety standards. HTH