Jump to content

Helpful Advice from Veterans to Newbies


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 96
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Sadly, I have more...buy some big flannel shirts from the salvation army..I cut off the collars and wear them backwards. Sort of like a 3/4 length apron.

Red Powdered dye will not come off a new linoleum floor..even mr. cleans eraser will only get it a light pink.

Include a paint scraper in your cleaning woman's cleaning supplies and find a crazy cleaning woman who doesn't mind getting down on her hands and knees to scrape your floors..bribe them with tarts...it works miracles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one for critter dipping...dont just wear the rubber gloves from the grocery store, invest another dollar for those little kid looking knit gloves that stretch out and wear UNDER the rubber gloves. It will save a lot of grief and sore hands from dipping those critters.

A heat gun is your best friend! It can be used for so many things like warming jars, smoothing tops, cleaning pour pots and well of course shrink wrapping. Small price to pay for sure a handy tool.

If your workspace is carpeted, paint drop cloths are a great way to keep the wax off your carpet.

A small container of plain coffee beans, candlenose sucks, enough said lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has been really informative and very entertaining!

I'm not a vet and have probably done most of what ya'll have said not to, but I'll add:

Don't get carried away and move your pour pot from a spigot before you shut the spigot COMPLETELY off.

Never let the handle of your heat gun get slippery from FO's and drop it on your foot.

Kids + Shrink Wrap does not a present make.

Never pick up anything by the topper, even if you never unscrewed it. FO's, dyes, additives, anything... my floor is permanently protected from UV. And it wasn't a cheap "protection".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paper towels, aluminum foil, wax paper and newspapers are your best friends. Newspaper the floor when making candles. So much easier to pick up the papers than scrap wax off the floor. No matter how careful you try to be stuff happens. I put the wax paper / foil on the counters. Should have bought stock in both companies. Now buy paper towels at Sam's Club by the 12 pack.

Line the top of your scale with foil. So much easier to replace the foil than clean the scale.

Paper Dixie cups are a Godsend. Another company I should have bought stock in. If using a paper cup to weigh out FO be sure to immediately pour it into your pour pot. Never use plastic cups to weigh out FO. Amazing how fast the FO can eat through that plastic.

Gardening gloves are a must for cleaning molds especially votive cups. I haven't sliced my fingers / hand (knock on wood) since wearing the gloves.

This should be a given but have a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it. No one plans on having a fire but stuff happens.

Never fall asleep while melting wax in a double boiler. I've heard that a scorched pot stinks bad. Of course I wouldn't know. LOL

I wish someone told me that along time ago....LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one for critter dipping...dont just wear the rubber gloves from the grocery store, invest another dollar for those little kid looking knit gloves that stretch out and wear UNDER the rubber gloves. It will save a lot of grief and sore hands from dipping those critters.

A heat gun is your best friend! It can be used for so many things like warming jars, smoothing tops, cleaning pour pots and well of course shrink wrapping. Small price to pay for sure a handy tool.

If your workspace is carpeted, paint drop cloths are a great way to keep the wax off your carpet.

A small container of plain coffee beans, candlenose sucks, enough said lol

Ok, I got it.....but reading the FIRST line of your post, "i have one for critter dipping"... I was nodding and thinking "almost did that once" :embarasse .........oh come on, it wasn't my fault and I didn't DO it!!! lol So, I agree with "lock the pets outside or upstairs or somewhere you aren't". I'm just saying that cat's are NOT graceful!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, I got it.....but reading the FIRST line of your post, "i have one for critter dipping"... I was nodding and thinking "almost did that once" :embarasse .........oh come on, it wasn't my fault and I didn't DO it!!! lol So, I agree with "lock the pets outside or upstairs or somewhere you aren't". I'm just saying that cat's are NOT graceful!

Yeah I thought about that after I posted, should have put "stuffed" critters :laugh2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's one for you newbies -- when you pour your FO into the hot wax, don't be too quick to take a sniff - stir it and wait a minute. I heated some black cherry FO, poured it into the hot wax and instantly stuck my nose in the pot to smell it -- the chemicals knocked me back a few steps, gave me the worst headache for days and within a couple hours, the inside of my nose and throat developed blisters and I ended up with a sinus infection that took two months to heal. This gave a whole new meaning to candlenose:laugh2: That was a couple of years ago and to this day, I cringe when someone asks for Black Cherry.

Always remember that we are working with chemicals and they can be hazardous to your health:cry2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yeah...forgot this one...don't leave anything that you use to stir oil and wax out on the stove when doing REAL cooking! I was making "Christmas Past" (pine) candles one Thanksgiving weekend while simultaneously making Turkey Noodle Soup, and DH came home and saw the soup cooking in the pot, got excited, and grabbed the wrong spoon to get a little taste. He OF COURSE grabbed the oil-covered spoon and SPIT soup all over the counter!! needless to say, that pot of soup was RUINED!:undecided

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say everyone I thoroughly enjoyed this link..when I started it I was afraid no one would admit to some of the dumb er er ah did I say dumb? I meant humorous stuff we admitted..I've done almost everything and the smelling the oil as soon as it hits the hot wax was the one post I shook my head when reading it..I can no longer pour anything cherry..nothing..I can eat cherries but cherry scented oil is to painful a reminder of a splitting headache I carried around for 3 days. Oh wait....I can't pour raspberry either..didn't learn after I did it with the cherry...lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember this one Yvette :D Don't leave your metal votive moulds soaking in hot soapy water then forget about them for days - THEY RUST! :laugh2: And don't put your tin moulds in the oven to clean the excess wax off and forget to turn the temperature down first - the welds on these things come UNwelded in too hot an oven, I found that out the hard way :cry2: damn I miss that mould *lol*

Anjie,x.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I DID THAT TOO...It was my favorite heart mold..I took it to our welder..named weldon..I swear to god I didn't make that up...he welded it for me but it was never the same...I miss that heart...so yes..listen to what anjie said

Remember this one Yvette :D Don't leave your metal votive moulds soaking in hot soapy water then forget about them for days - THEY RUST! :laugh2: And don't put your tin moulds in the oven to clean the excess wax off and forget to turn the temperature down first - the welds on these things come UNwelded in too hot an oven, I found that out the hard way :cry2: damn I miss that mould *lol*

Anjie,x.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do not plan a trip around a time of a coop or having to get orders out the door.

I promise I did not fall down the flight of stairs when going to the basement twice - trying to remember what the heck I was going down their for.

Luckily no bruises.

I have learned to take my time. One step at a time. DH cracks up. But it will be real funny when he busts his arse one day. lol

On a serious note - when you begin to get several orders.....I make a spreadsheet of all the scents I have to pour then the size/type of container. I always do the larger batches first.

When I first started out I would do it order by order.....time consuming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Add the dye before the fragrance oil, or you might end up with a lovely dark brown shade for your Spiced Cranberry candles! Nothing like ruining a whole batch of wax and scent by grabbing the wrong bottle of dye!!

Also hot wax makes everything VERY slippery! Be sure you have a good, strong grip when handling ANYTHING that you don't want spilled or dropped while making candles.

Speaking of which ... It takes a while to get spilled wax out of an oven. I spilled once, then scrubbed and scrubbed, then finally had to just wait and let it burn off. Gotta love a smoky kitchen when you are cooking and need to use the oven - NOT!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're going to put wax filled jars into the oven be sure you put them on a cookie sheet. Will save many hours of clean up time if one should tip over! (Not me. Really, not me!)

That would be me I think:D I hate it when that happens. I will not do it again,I will not do it again,I will not...........

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got another one :eek:

Don't put your FO bottle on the shelf above your pot without a lid screwed on. I just knocked it off and ruined the batch to much FO i know it :cry2:

Suggestions for saving the batch? I poured it into a big pan and let it cool now it's sweating like a stuck pig in july.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Add more wax?? Not sure how you would work out HOW MUCH wax you would have to add though :confused: Any idea howmuch was left in the bottle? Did it ALL fall in the wax or just a percentage of it?

Anjie,x.

Got another one :eek:

Don't put your FO bottle on the shelf above your pot without a lid screwed on. I just knocked it off and ruined the batch to much FO i know it :cry2:

Suggestions for saving the batch? I poured it into a big pan and let it cool now it's sweating like a stuck pig in july.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Add the dye before the fragrance oil, or you might end up with a lovely dark brown shade for your Spiced Cranberry candles! Nothing like ruining a whole batch of wax and scent by grabbing the wrong bottle of dye!!

This confuses me. I think most of the peep here (or at least a good percentage of them) add fo before the dye so they can watch it and make sure it incorporates with the wax. And what does that have to do w/ending up grabbing the wrong bottle of dye and ending up with brown candles? I'm perplexed on this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Add more wax?? Not sure how you would work out HOW MUCH wax you would have to add though :confused: Any idea howmuch was left in the bottle? Did it ALL fall in the wax or just a percentage of it?

Anjie,x.

I was making a 3# batch had used 3oz from the bottle(16oz) weighting the bottle there's roughly 8oz left in it. I'm thinking the batch is lost, I added 5 more pounds of wax this morning and it's not sweating like a stuffed pig anymore, but it's still sweating, sadly i can't put anymore wax into the presto pot, i'm thinking i'm going to call that batch a lost cause. :embarasse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aww thats a real shame. Do you make dipped bears?? Can't you use it for that instead?

Anjie,x.

I was making a 3# batch had used 3oz from the bottle(16oz) weighting the bottle there's roughly 8oz left in it. I'm thinking the batch is lost, I added 5 more pounds of wax this morning and it's not sweating like a stuffed pig anymore, but it's still sweating, sadly i can't put anymore wax into the presto pot, i'm thinking i'm going to call that batch a lost cause. :embarasse
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...