graciejo Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Hi everyone,I am a newbie at making candles:embarasse & would love any and all of your professional opinions on quick techniques for candle making. When I receive a large order for candles I find myself going in circles trying to get it all done.*faint*I have all of the equipment I need for large orders but I can't quite figure out how to make it all go a lot smoother than what it is. To make it easier in my head, I just do each candle one at a time. Pouring 1 lb of wax in my boiler, heating it, mixing the color and scent...etc, etc.If you get an order for... say... 5 different scents of jar candles, what quick techniques do you do? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Got a presto pot? If so, melt the wax for the 5 candles then pull out the right amt for the 1st candle (into a pouring pot), add FO & color & pour. Wipe down the pour pot while it's hot and pull out enough wax for the 2nd candle, add FO, color & pour...then on to #3.If you don't have a presto, use a large coffee can (set in a pan of water to melt) - having your wax melted and ready to use will save a lot of time. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graciejo Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 Wow, thanks for the info. That will save a lot of time & left over wax.:smiley2:One other question, after making tarts or jar candles, how long will they last before they start to fade or lose their scent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Oh wow, can you smell what's about to be served?Seriously... if you're new, how large of orders are we talking here? Okay, so this is what I do and I find it easier than anything... you can always pour by the case. Take your one candle specs and mulitiply it by 12 and go from there with wax, FO and any additives.For instance, lets say that each jar holds 7 ounce of wax so that's 84 ounces for 12. 16oz divided into 84 ounces equals 5.25 lbs of total wax. Now, lets say that for one candle you use .50 ounces of FO. So multiplied by 12 that's going to be six ounces for the 12. With me so far? I always find it much easier to pour per case for some reason. When I make testers it takes me FOREVER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Oh yea I can smell it. Let hope for a mild stink.To answer you second set of questions if you use quality FOs it should not fade over time. Now color is another story the best answer is to keep your candle out of direct sunlight and away from florescent lighting. Use UV will also help stop the fading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graciejo Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thanks everyone for all your tips. As for the smell... well... it smells pretty good on my end. My friends & family seem to love them already. I was just wondering about a quicker way of doing things.Thanks again & God Bless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I do assembly line.I heat my presto and while that's warming, I wick all at once (if containers of course). In my pots I pour in the FO into a pot, pour the FO in and use a secondary pre-warmed pot to dump back and forth (VERY VERY carefully), as it seems to incorporate better doing this method. Adds and color next, a few more swishes and while it's cooling the bubbles disappear and pour into pre-wicked. ETA: I do it this way if the FO's are different in color, or VERY different in scent, so I can tell them apart. If they are same color and both are say... floral scents, I'll wait until I have color in one before moving onto the next.I also have 6 pour pots, so before stopping to clean them, I can do 3 scents at a time within a relatively short period of time. When I'm down to those 3 pots that are empty, I clean them up, by the time that's done, the others are cooled enough to pour, then clean those.Lather, rinse, repeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graciejo Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 I do assembly line.I heat my presto and while that's warming, I wick all at once (if containers of course). In my pots I pour in the FO into a pot, pour the FO in and use a secondary pre-warmed pot to dump back and forth (VERY VERY carefully), as it seems to incorporate better doing this method. Adds and color next, a few more swishes and while it's cooling the bubbles disappear and pour into pre-wicked. ETA: I do it this way if the FO's are different in color, or VERY different in scent, so I can tell them apart. If they are same color and both are say... floral scents, I'll wait until I have color in one before moving onto the next.I also have 6 pour pots, so before stopping to clean them, I can do 3 scents at a time within a relatively short period of time. When I'm down to those 3 pots that are empty, I clean them up, by the time that's done, the others are cooled enough to pour, then clean those.Lather, rinse, repeat.That sounds like a much better plan.:smiley2: I'll be saving up for more pots from now on and using your technique. Right now I am working with two presto pots & two pour pots. This one sounds like a winner to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 How big of an order? Different sizes, scents, colors, etc.? I can't comprehend how you are currently doing this to be able to offer any suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graciejo Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 How big of an order? Different sizes, scents, colors, etc.? I can't comprehend how you are currently doing this to be able to offer any suggestions.For instance, two days before Christmas my hubby came home with 5 orders for me. Each person ordered at least 5 pint jars, a few others ordered jars of different sizes & tarts. Each jar or tart was a different scent. Needless to say, my head was spinning..lol... but I managed to fill all of them within a few days.:smiley2: I guess where I'm new at candle making it will just take time and I will grasp a technique of my own. I was just curious to everyone else's idea's. Everyone has been great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILikeWaxMelts Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Oh yea I can smell it. Let hope for a mild stink.To answer you second set of questions if you use quality FOs it should not fade over time. Now color is another story the best answer is to keep your candle out of direct sunlight and away from florescent lighting. Use UV will also help stop the fading.[\quote]May I ask what florescent lighting does to a candle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Okay I think I missed spelled it, I really should use spell check.Fluorescent lighting will fade candles even with UV almost as fast as the sun will do it. It is also bad for making white candles turn yellow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I guess where I'm new at candle making it will just take time and I will grasp a technique of my own. I was just curious to everyone else's idea's. Mind if I ask how long you've been making candles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 OK I'll be the baddie here. If you have thoroughly tested your candles you would have know how long the scent will last.You would have know what impact sunlight and UV lights would have on different colors. And the affect is different for different colors.What I am trying to say as nicely as possible is you have to understand your candles before selling them. This only happens with testing. Each wax, additive, FO, wick and color combo for each size jar. And testing means burning the entire candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graciejo Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 OK I'll be the baddie here. If you have thoroughly tested your candles you would have know how long the scent will last.You would have know what impact sunlight and UV lights would have on different colors. And the affect is different for different colors.What I am trying to say as nicely as possible is you have to understand your candles before selling them. This only happens with testing. Each wax, additive, FO, wick and color combo for each size jar. And testing means burning the entire candle.Yes, I have tested my candles each FO and wax I have made. I have also done a lot of searching on the internet for info on this craft before I even started. After all, we are all not born with the knowledge of making candles. We all had to start somewhere & a little helpful advice from others never hurts matters either. I guess what I'm saying is, I learn better hands on with different opinions from helpful friends. As for the scent, I was meaning "shelf life". If I were to make a bunch of votives or tarts (keeping them out of sunlight) how long would they last? I was just curious about that because I was thinking about making them ahead of time and putting them back for when someone orders that particular candle. In other words, have it in stock and ready to go.Until now, I have been making them as they are ordered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesprite7 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 It never hurts to keep a few of your best sellers made up. I have a few candles that I've kept just to see how long the scent will last and they are still awesome. I think one of them is 5 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southern.scents Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 She logged in at 8:00. Guess no reply was necessary. GracieJo, Do NOT rush yourself into this. I did and learned my lesson. Take your time and test. Get insurance and THEN sell to people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wick'n'Wax Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I've been making candles for a year now. I tested and tested and re-tested every single combination I make.I started selling on 1st August. I made sure I got insurance.The temptation to unmould your first candle and sell it, is immense, but DON'T do it.Theres so many different factors to take into account.You'll get helpful advice on these boards, but theres also others that will be concerned, then there will be others that will jump on you.Just come back, tell us how long you've been making them, and more importantly how long and how you test them.You'll always get advice on testing.I think in todays, sue happy culture, people are overly cautious and don't want to see you 'get burned' literally!I'm just reorganising my product range, but even if its something I already sell, I'll be completely retesting, only this time around, I have a queue of 'testers' waiting lol One mum at school went as far as to physically shove another out the way this morning when I mentioned testers (they were only messing about tho).I'm fortunate in that 1) I have 4 kids and stay at home, I don't sleep till the early hours, so am able to have countless candles burning and testing at the same time.Write everything down, even if its a slight change to ingredients, you'll think you'll remember, but you won't Sometimes, when you've asked a question here, and are pounced on (usually for a very good reason) its scary to come back, but come on, come back, tell us what you've been upto and get some GOOD ADVICE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I don't test all of my candles for UV, Sunlight, and the myriad of other things that are often posted on this board. I have excellent insurance, operate classes (have done so for years), and have repeat long term customers.I DO know what I do...I cannot ever possibly know what someone else may do with my products...or with the products I teach them to make. Asking questions so to have a standardised bar from which to guage what is happening to your products...or to ascertain possible, forseeable problems is, in my opinion, quite an intelligent thing to do. Good on you for asking your questions!!!!Keep them comingCheers,Hells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wick'n'Wax Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 tbh, I don't test for uv or sunlight, but then I'm in the UK, and we NEVER GET ANY lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 In Australia it's ALL we get!!! Maybe we could house swap and give each other a holiday? You could laze at the beaches, or in a boat in the harbour and I could rug up, drink warm beer and visit all your historic places???hehehehCheers,Hells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Maybe I'm weird. I leave candles sitting in my sunroom to see what happens to the color over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wick'n'Wax Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 In Australia it's ALL we get!!! Maybe we could house swap and give each other a holiday? You could laze at the beaches, or in a boat in the harbour and I could rug up, drink warm beer and visit all your historic places???hehehehCheers,Hellslol, great idea, but I'm definately not a sun worshipper anyway, give me snow anyday, but yep we have tons of historical places nottingham castle is 10mins away, sherwood forest, home of robin hood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 nottingham castle is 10mins away' date=' sherwood forest, home of robin hood [/quote']So who all wants to go visit Wick'n'Wax to see her candles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 :yay: I DO......(Imagine the Musuic) " Hells, Hells riding through the Glen,...Hells, Hells...with her candle friends....I used to adore Robin Hood.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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