TFCbrooke Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Is palm easier to learn than soy? I do have some palm/coconut votive wax that I planned on making into tarts.But I'm wondering if palm is less finicky than soy maybe it's something I'd rather work with for containers.I did a search but didn't really come up with very much beneficial about palm.Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardLOZ Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Don't go there if you dont want to be frustrated.Palm is a very very different animal to soy and definitely has it's own frustrations.We use both palm and soy in our containers as well as palm for both pillars and melts.I reckon overall I have been far more frustrated with the container palm. Somewhat self inflicted I suppose as I am very stubborn and dont want to let anything beat me, but I have to say that a 4 inch diameter 10 oz apothecary jar has me beat when it comes to wicking the palm. I finally gave up on it and changed jars to a hex jar just under 3 inches and it worked so much better.Palm is very different to soy in the way that it burns. If you ask me its an awesome wax, has great hot and cold throw and looks very different, definitely worth playing with, but keep your jars less than 3 inches and you will also probably keep your mind HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circle Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 IMO I like palm but I believe that it is a harder beast to tame than soy in many ways!!!! Palm wax in the raw state is supposed to last only 1 year so you need to make sure that you use it up before then. Not sure how long it lasts in a candle, maybe Stella knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFCbrooke Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 Wow...okay. I suppose any kind of wax is different in it's own ways and has its own frustrations. I just kept reading tons of great things about palm (read great things about soy too but palm keeps pulling me back now).hmmmm...is there anyplace to purchase container palm where I can only get 1lb or 2? I don't want 10 if I'm just going to not like working with it. KWIM? I only got 2 lbs of soy and that was a good amount for me to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Suppliers sell samples of wax in 10 lbs so you're not going to find a 1 or 2 lb sample. I have only seen one sample that was 5 lb but that was for C3 soy wax from Fillmore Container and that was the exception.Palm is a much harder wax and burns so differently from soy. Its also a real pain to wick. If you try palm you will definitely be spending a lot of time trying to get the wicking just right. But once you do you get a wonderful candle.Soy has its finicky side too. You will have to deal with issues like frosting, unlevel tops, blooming, coloring (if you plan to use dyes) wicking, fragrance throw, etc. But more people are aware of soy and ask for it by name so it might be an easier sell for you if you are not much of a marketing or sales person.My advice is to read as much as you can about the different waxes and make a choice based on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mparadise Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Candles & Supplies sells the glass glow by the lb. When/if you end up going with it Candlescience is much less expensive for the full case. Candlescience does the pillar palms by the lb, just not the container. As Richard mentioned, it isn't that it is easier to use than soy, it is just different. Personally I love it because of the look and because I don't have to worry about FO incompatability...I have yet to run into a FO that didn't work for me. Your main challenges with this wax will be making sure you get all the air bubbles and finding the correct wicking. Both can be a bear but once you figure it out it becomes 2nd nature. Just be prepared to try all different wicks with it. I mainly use ECO wicks in my jars (have to double wick the 4" apoth jars!) but I have CD, RRD LX and 2/0 that I use for other applications. Keep your mind open to trying other series and you will find one to work eventually. I ended up having to prime & tab 2/0 to use in my 8oz candle tins becuase it was the only wick I could find to give me a good burn without smoking or giving me mushrooms. Kinda sucked when I was pouring a ton of them a Christmas time and had to keep making my own tabbed wicks but it worked.I can't help with as to how long of a shelf life the raw material has because it doesn't last long in my workshop but I can tell you that I have quite a few completed candles that are more than a year old that smell just fine as long as they are sealed up. The main problem I run into with the older candles is that some of the blue, purple or brown tones will discolor over time, even with UV Inhibitor. I just use those at our vacation place or my sister is more than happy to take them off my hands at a discount since she burns more candles than anyone I know and is happy to save some $. The only applications I have found that palm will not work well in is dipped bears and my electric candle shell mold. It is just too brittle - the bears get "dandruff" and the electric shell is almost impossible to get out of the mold in 1 piece. I do use it in silicone bakery molds with good results tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I've never seen any information on the shelf life of palm wax, but I'm certain it's more than a year. I would think more like 2-4 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radellaf Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I've used the CSN wicks and had no problems that weren't solved by using different sizes. Pillars and 2-3" jars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I like palm over soy hands down....both can be a bear and neither are "easy" but palm is sooo pretty and sells better for me than soy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardLOZ Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Yes I have to agree with you. I much prefer palm over soy. Way less issues once you have the wicking down. My only issue is that most people here have never seen palm and have no idea what it is, so the education process begins.....LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I like the education process....people around here love new stuff and they are very curious about the palm wax. I cant hardly give away soy candles here but the Palms are doing real good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFCbrooke Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Yes I have to agree with you. I much prefer palm over soy. Way less issues once you have the wicking down. My only issue is that most people here have never seen palm and have no idea what it is, so the education process begins.....LOLWell, I DO have my teaching license (I'm a SAHM now though). So Educating people is in my blood! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudMarineMom Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 The Candlemakers Store (www.thecandlemakersstore.com) also sells wax by the 1, 5, 10 and 50 pound increments. He has Soy and Palm, as well as blends, paraffin and gel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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