Lantern Light Mama Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 OK...I feel really dumb. So it's been a year since I ordered palm wax. I always got the crystallizing wax from JBN. The cost has gone up (big surprise), so I did some searcing around, now that more suppliers carry it. I found mostly "feathering palm", saw pictures, and figured it would have more large "fireworks" in the candles. Not the Starburst effect, but larger fireworks. I got it from Nu-Scents. It came in exactly the same bag that JBN sends! So now I'm thinking it is the same thing, just a new or different name. Are they the same? Or does the feathering wax really have a different look than the crystallizing wax?:undecided Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Feathering wax doesn't make the same crystal patterns as the granite or the starburst. JBN calls it "crystalline/granite" effect. The granite is similar to what people call starburst or fireworks. The feather palm doesn't make the repeating circular shaped crystals typical of starburst. I don't know what the manufacturers add to change the crystal patterns, but they are quite different from one another. Even within one case of palm wax, you can achieve a range of patterns depending upon the pouring temperature, how hot the mold is and how slowly the candle is allowed to cool.This is one source from whom our suppliers purchase palm waxeshttp://www.lipidchem.com/our_products2.htmlThis is another...http://www.sumiasih.com/intro.htmIf the suppliers would mark their waxes with the same product number as the manufacturers, it would be easier to predict the patterns for us candlemakers...:undecided Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantern Light Mama Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Thanks Stella...I was hoping you were lurking tonight. I can't wait to pull it out of the mold then! I won't be able to sleep now! I asked JBN if they could verify where their wax comes from and it still seems they have no clue. "somewhere in Malaysia" they e-mailed me back. Oh well...I tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Well DANG, LLM - I won't be able to sleep now either!! Take a photo of that baby when it comes out, willya? One of these days, we'll all have to take some photos of all the different patterns we get and post 'em all in one big thread!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantern Light Mama Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Grrrrrrr! My new digital camera software is being a PITA!!! I can't download off of it, so I can't post the picture of the feathering palm candle. But I swear...it looks exactly the same as my crystallizing candles do! Darn it! There is a gorgeous picture in the gallery right here: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66914&highlight=palm+waxI want it to look like this! I heat to 200, and generally pour at 180-190, usually closer to 190. This time things got away from me and I poured at 170, but I still got great crystals. It just doesn't look like the one in the photo above. I use aluminum molds, I don't preheat them. The high temperature of the wax would overwhelm anything I did to preheat. I let them cool on my table on top of a cookie sheet so wax doesn't go everywhere in case it leaks. But honestly, I get that pattern at the top of the candle where it touches the cookie sheet (cooling faster presumably) and at the bottom of the candle where it cools fast. I thought it was supposed to look that way when you cool it slow. Any thoughts? Maybe it's time to pull out a cardboard box to cool in? I don't do this in the kitchen, so I really don't want to cool it in the oven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 The high temperature of the wax would overwhelm anything I did to preheat.It would SEEM so, but actually not. As soon as the wax hits the cooler sides, certain crystal patterns begin to grow (EcoSoya does a good job of explaining this process). How much they continue to grow and in what formation depends upon the rest of the cooling. For BEST results, palm wax should be poured into preheated molds, then set to cool where there is air circulation under and all around the candle. Because heat rises, the bottom will cool more quickly than does the top, so positioning the mold where the bottom and extreme top will stay as warm as the middle is the ticket. I use styrofoam coolers with wire cookie racks in the bottom to cool palm wax candles. I also use the oven - set on 200°, then turned off after the candles are put inside. Both methods work pretty well at maximizing the slow, even cooling that brings out the best in palm wax. Every home/workshop is different and some folks swear they have never done ANYTHING like that and their candles come out great! If you are one of those folks, then there's no need for you to change a thing about your procedures. But for folks struggling with uneven or underdeveloped crystallization, pouring HOT into HOT molds and controlling the cooling process will go a long way toward achieving the desired results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lantern Light Mama Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Thanks Stella! A styrofoam cooler is a GREAT idea...it would contain any mess that might occur too. My space is relatively small, so I just couldn't picture a box over the top of it all. Oh...I'm so excited...I'm going to pour some right now! You're the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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