NoOneSpecial Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I'm a soy candle maker so I've pretty much accepted the wet spots as a part of life. But, is there any type of wax out there that is totally resistant to producing wet spots or is this wishful thinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 My paraffin never got wet spots. Or are you asking just about veggie waxes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 What paraffin are you using MissMary? I've gotten wet spots from 4627 and 4630 both in clean jars washed with dawn and heated before pouring. Which incidentally is a huge waste of time I think... I learned to ignore them, nobody really cares anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Yes it's possible for a container blend to be totally resistant to wet spots, but you probably can't buy one like that. There are various tradeoffs in designing a container blend and I don't think eliminating wet spots is at the top of the list when manufacturers create their products. The commercial blends usually get them sooner or later. It could be the next day or after a few weeks or a few months, depending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt_fingers Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Recently I have been making beeswax container candles. No wet spots so far. Beeswax does not contract as it cools as other wax types will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubure Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I've been using a palm wax, actually a palm fat, but in fact a candle blend from a manufacturer from malaysia (Sumi Asih) that was perfect: creamy tops, one-pour, magnificent throw (hot and cold), perfect burn and no wet spots.Unfortunately I cannot afford buying it any longer as I have to purchase quite a lot of it at once and it is about € 3,- / kg at the moment (which is about $ 4,-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I'm a soy candle maker so I've pretty much accepted the wet spots as a part of life. But, is there any type of wax out there that is totally resistant to producing wet spots or is this wishful thinking?Are you saying your soy wax is getting wet spots? I use Ecosoya waxes and never had any wet spots. I've also tried C3 and also no wet spots.I always thought of wet spots as a characteristic of container blend parrafin waxes.I mix my soy and parrafin to make a parasoy blend and don't get any wet spots with it.The only way I can think of to get rid of wet spots is to try blending different natural waxes in with the parrafin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 "Wet spots" are not wet. It's the optical illusion caused by areas where the wax is no longer adhered to the surface of the container. This occurs because the wax and glass expand and contract at different rates and the wax is not sticky nor elastic enough to remain adhered to the side of the container. This happens as a result of temperature changes during storage, which is difficult to control once product is out of one's possession. It is a cosmetic problem, and, as Top wisely pointed out, most candlemakers have more critical issues to correct than to spend endless hours and dollars trying to combat wet spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoOneSpecial Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 I've only used three different soy waxes in all the years I've used soy. They were EL 100%, 444 and EL Millenium blend. All three of these produced wet spots. I was even willing to try a blend that was not 100% soy. I'll have to give the EcoSoya blends a try and see how well they resist the wet spots. I will post a thread in the Natural Wax section to see if any of the users of that wax had the same results as you. Thank you all for your feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 It is a cosmetic problem, and, as Top wisely pointed out, most candlemakers have more critical issues to correct than to spend endless hours and dollars trying to combat wet spots.That wasn't my meaning. What I said is that companies who design and manufacture container blends don't typically prioritize the elimination of wet spots, so you won't get that in a commercial product. If they had to choose between a formula that optimizes adhesion and a formula that optimizes fragrance retention, they'd go with the latter because it would be considered more marketable.I've never said that individual candlemakers should not strive to achieve any quality factor that is important to them, be it functional or aesthetic. We have a whole forum full of people ready to parrot "embrace your wet spots" every time somebody asks about it. I would advise against embracing the concensus on most things unless you just want to be average. Going off on your own to try and accomplish things opens greater learning opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlelady Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I have this advice:Wet Spots.........get use to them.......customers don't care...Really, they don't....A wet spot to a customer is when they spill their drink on the carpet....LOLReally:rolleyes2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramel Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Well, my last two test candles didn't have any. Actually, my last three batches of test candles did not have wet spots. I use 464 and I was told not to max out the fragrance, so I use 1 oz instead of 1.5 like I did with my first candles (and it may have been more than this since I measured my oil instead of weighing it... VERY important lesson learned here!).I also understand that it is also temp sensitivity that causes them, too, but I may be wrong on this. I would LOVE to know if there is a tried and true method to avoid this, but my main battle is getting a proper wicking and MP/burn rate and stopping frost (or keeping it to a minimum). My next batch will experiment with CO to see if this helps with frost and throw in lighter scents (instead of adding lots of FO).HTH and good luck with your search!ETA: Oh, I found this: http://www.candlewic.com/candle-wax/pop-blends.aspPerhaps this will help. Wouldn't hurt to check it (them) out.Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoOneSpecial Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 I have this advice:Wet Spots.........get use to them.......customers don't care...Really, they don't....A wet spot to a customer is when they spill their drink on the carpet....LOLReally:rolleyes2I beg to differ. My customers care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubure Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I beg to differ. My customers care.Mine as well. It is extremely difficult to convince them that this is something completely normal, but they keep sending those candles back to me asking for refund or new ones - they just won't listen and tell me they cannot sell these candles as people think these are air pockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I don't want to give the impression that I take cosmetic aspects of candles lightly! Personally, I don't "embrace" wet spots (or any other cosmetic flaws) and take steps to reduce them. They are unsightly and there will be customers who are put off by this. Because they are difficult to eradicate, there are things one can do to make them less prevalent and noticeable. Some folks use frosted glassware; others use patterned glassware. Depending on the wax one is using, one could consider additives to help reduce their incidence. There just isn't ONE solution for all candlemakers and waxes, so each person really does have to find their own solutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cissy Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Now, this has been in the back of my mind and I've wanted to ask this before, but figured I would get insulted (LOL), but I'm gonna ask now, anyway. I have searched in the archives for this and can't find anything, so I'm thinking I must have dreamed it because it doesn't make much sense.Has it ever been mentioned on CT that you could add some glue-stick to your wax to stop the wet spots?Or did I dream this during a nightmare? Actually if this were true, it wouldn't be a nightmare, it would be a heavenly dream.I've thought of trying it myself before asking here, but was afraid it might blow up my candle and burn the house down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Has it ever been mentioned on CT that you could add some glue-stick to your wax to stop the wet spots?Yes glue sticks have been used by handcrafters in container wax. This was when things were more DIY. Now that there are all these commercial blends and one-pour waxes, you don't really hear about it anymore.Generally the ingredients used to make glue sticks are all candle additives. Often one of the main ingredients is a polymer resin called EVA, which is an additive that is still used by many candle manufacturers but not so much by handcrafters. Handcrafters use it as aroma beads.Your house won't blow up if you put glue stick in your candle, but like any other additive it could help or hurt the performance of your wax. You have to experiment with different formulas and see what happens. There's no magic ingredient for eliminating wet spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candlemwoman Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I'm a soy candle maker so I've pretty much accepted the wet spots as a part of life. But, is there any type of wax out there that is totally resistant to producing wet spots or is this wishful thinking?There is a wax called MSC300, it is 51% soy 49% cont. blend that is made to pull away from the side just enough to give a smooth apperance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 There is a wax called MSC300, it is 51% soy 49% cont. blend49% of what else? Paraffin, soy, palm, etc.?I found this link...http://makesscentscandles.com/shopping/waxes.htmlIs this the stuff you are talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramel Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 NOM (no offense meant) to anyone, but I find it funny to see wax made to pull away from the jar, yet most of the time, wax was formulated to improve adhesion. *L* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cissy Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Thanks, Top, now I'm not so afraid to try it. So, it wasn't my imagination that I remembered reading about this before.Whew!...happy to know I'm not hallucinating. Since I have no idea what % to begin with, I'll start with 2% and see if that works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubure Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I guess it is easier to design a wax that shrinks slightly than one that will stick to the glass...CB-Advanced is such a wax (I mean one that shrinks) and it really looks beautiful, unfortunately the scent throw is not that good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 NOM (no offense meant) to anyone, but I find it funny to see wax made to pull away from the jar, yet most of the time, wax was formulated to improve adhesion. *L*Well, there's two ways to do an end run around "wet spots" - either complete adhesion or no adhesion. It's the "some adhesion" that causes the optical illusion people find so repugnant. :laugh2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Thanks, Top, now I'm not so afraid to try it. So, it wasn't my imagination that I remembered reading about this before.Whew!...happy to know I'm not hallucinating. Since I have no idea what % to begin with, I'll start with 2% and see if that works.No it wasn't your imagination at all. The problem with the idea is that there are many different formulas for hot melt adhesive, as you can see for instance if you type those terms into a patent database. If you were to get a good result, you still won't know what combination of additives produced it and it will only apply to the particular brand and formula of glue stick you used.Generally I believe just about any glue stick would be compatible with paraffinic materials in terms of being able to incorporate into the candle wax. It's possible there could be ingredients that would not typically be used in candles, but a lot of them are the same as, or similar to, candle additives. Common materials would include microcrystalline waxes, ethyl-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), fischer-tropsch waxes (aka "clear crystals"), polyethylenes (aka "luster crystals"), and even Vybar-type substances.I think I would hesitate to base a product on a glue stick additive, but if you enjoy experimenting with mad scientist stuff it could be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candlemwoman Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 49% of what else? Paraffin, soy, palm, etc.?I found this link...http://makesscentscandles.com/shopping/waxes.htmlIs this the stuff you are talking about?Yes that is the wax. It is contianor wax blend, such as MSC123 (J50). Sorry should have been clearer in my 1st post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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