skane2009 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I am a newbie at age 40 in the candle making world. I have purchased some supplies to get started (but I have not started as of yet) ... I have been researching and researching day and night to get opinions and technique ideas etc. I learned two main things in this research... One, the importance of testing, testing, testing... Two, everyone has a different opinion and what works for one candle maker may not be another candle makers cup of tea. Still with that being said, I still value other suggestions, ideas, and opinions especially being a newbie to the art. Here is what I have thus far in my little inventory: 20 lbs. of CB 464 soy wax Several FO from Brighter Scents (a few from candlesandsupplies are on the way) A Presto Kitchen Kettle A large Pyrex measuring cup A kitchen scale 8 oz. Jelly jars and 16 oz. Mason wide mouth jars (the taller ones not the short ones) oh and the 52-32-18 cotton wicks from Brighter Scents I did purchase soy dye chips from a supplier on Ebay (still waiting for those) ..... My main advice that I am seeking is first of all, about the wax and wick combo... has anyone gotten good results using this combo? Fragrance Oils- Anyone use candlesandsupplies or Brighter Scents? I am looking for other FO suppliers that have a good reputation for having awesome throws in soy candles. Please share your experiences with me. Any other basic info that I should know before leaping into the art of candle making is greatly appreciated. I know the main thing is to have a good time making them but I also want to gain some insight before i spend tons of money on products that are proven to be crap for most people. Thanks for all your help on this forum by the way everyone!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol k Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Hello & welcome to the addictive world of candle making. The 51-32-18 wicks will work with some fo's in the 8oz jj. I would find the closest supplier to save on shipping. Millcreek tests in soywax. Candlescience has a soy leaf rating that is very accurate. There are several others that test in soy, but these two are the ones I deal with. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Never heard of Brighter Scents and Candles and Supplies FO's are very hit and miss, especially with soy. Here's a good site that lists a lot of the candle suppliers: http://www.thescentreview.com/Fragrance%20Oil%20Suppliers.htmMy best advice is read, read and read some more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravens Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Skane2009,I started this addicting hobby several months ago. I'm just now beginning to come down to the finish line in the wax dept., meaning there are a few waxes that will remain in my permanent inventory because they work very well for me.I made my first candles just a few weeks ago, but wicking is still a nightmare for me. I mainly make scented tarts, but certainly haven't given up on container candles!My favorite waxes (the ones that give me the very best HT) are: CBL129 from Candlewic (shipping this one is really expensive for me, but I have yet to find one that gives me a better HT - will try the IGI 4786 and see if I get similar results and if so, I will switch and save myself a LOT of money!), the container wax from The Candlesource (it's really a peculiar looking wax), GB 415 and C-3, all the that order.My favorite fragrance suppliers are: Peak's, Candle Science, Bert's, and Elements. Welcome to the addiction! :smiley2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt_fingers Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Skane2009,Welcome to the darkside (addiction, madness, etc). I am currently testing 52-32-18 cotton wick for a different soy brand after 4 sizes of square braid failed me. Not much help I know, but did want to welcome you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 (edited) 16 oz. Mason wide mouth jarsWelcome to the madness! Since you will be doing a lot of testing, particularly at first, I suggest you use the 8 oz. Wide mouth containers. Because when we test we need to burn the candle all the way to the bitter end, 16 oz. is a lotta burn time... The 8 oz. widemouth is easier to wick than the 16 oz., IMHO.Would suggest you get a sample assortment of CD or CDN wicks - they work very well in soy-based waxes. Having an assortment of sizes is mandatory because one size will NEVER fit all in candlemaking.Brighter Scents is way far away from your location! There are many closer suppliers. To hold down shipping costs, it really helps to be able to shop local or as close to home as possible. Some suppliers have better shipping deals than do others, despite their distance, so do check. I don't recommend shopping on eBay at least until you get your feet wet and know what you're doing! You can get burned on old supplies, stuff that doesn't work worth a crap, etc. Stick with major suppliers at first.Save on Scents is a good fragrance supplier and is close to your location. CandleWic is in PA and has a wide selection of stuff. I like many of their FOs, they have waxes that I use, they have frequent specials, and they carry the EVO dyes that I prefer. CandleScience in NC has good stuff - waxes, FOs, good shipping prices.I am currently testing 52-32-18 cotton wick for a different soy brand after 4 sizes of square braid failed me.Try a sample pack of CDs... Edited January 26, 2010 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I've used C&S fragrances in soy and like others mentioned they can be hit or miss. But that is true with many suppliers. Not all oils will work in your wax so thats another reason to test them in yours.If you want some of the guess work taken out try fragrance oils from suppliers that have already tested them in soy such as Fillmore Containers and Candlescience. You can check the oil descriptions on a suppliers website and the ones I use have their test results in wax written with the scent description.Something to keep in mind about C&S oils is that many smell weak OOB but once you put them in wax they can be strong. I can't tell you how many times I have discovered this about their oils. They have several that I love to use for the holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt_fingers Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 My test burn so far using 52-32-18 cotton wick with EcoSoya CB Advance, Wild Cherry FO and Reddi-Glo Red Dye Chip is working great. The container I am using an 8 oz. Ball Quilted Crystal Jelly Jar. While this is not the same chemistry as you are working with, I hope it helps. Best thing to do is give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bah67 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Skane2009, I am interested in how things turn out in your testing. I to am new to candlemaking and have been reading, reading and doing more reading on these boards (plus alot of googling)! I am interested in the 464 since I can pick it up close to me in Cincinnati. I also want to try 444 and 415 to see which one I like best. Although you are much farther ahead of me...you have actually bought supplies, I am still in the research mode. Does anyone here get their supplies for soy candles (or at least their wax) from The Candlemakers Store? If someone does, how do you like them? Sorry not trying to hijack this thread, just thought about this while I am typing.Hope all goes well and I will be interested in hearing how things turn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmcandleco Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I get my wax and Fo from the candlemakers store. I'm not saying all of there FO are great but the ones I have tried have had very good CT and HT. I use the 444, and 4627, and I love it. They also have great customer service. The other Fo suppliers I would recommend is Candle Cocoon, Sockmonkey which sales here in the classified ad's, Berts, and Peak. Not knocking any other supplier, but these are the ones I have had experience with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skane2009 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Share Posted January 27, 2010 Oh my!! ... I am such an idiot.. I have been checking my email box to see if anyone has replied to my posting all this time... so finally, I came here and checked. Thank god you all came to my rescue!! ... Many thanks! ... any advice is so much appreciated. I had this fear of starting the whole first candle bit and finally gave in tonight and jumped into it. Here is what I did: ... Measured lb GB 464 wax and 1oz. of Wedding Cake from Brighter Scents.Melted my wax in the Presto Kitchen Kettle. Heated to about 185. Then added the FO around 150. (dont ask me why i did this after all the research, I should have known better) ... and finally poured at around 135 degrees. I poured into a 16 oz. wide mouth pint Mason jar that was wicked with a 52-36-18 cotton wick. It's now been about 3 hours or so since it started cooling. Overall, not too shabby but I don't want to jump the gun just yet. The only problem that arose thus far that I can see is that the wick came unstuck in the jar. This frustrates me greatly, but I am looking for ideas on how to remedy or salvage my wax even after the wick coming loose. I used double sided sticky tape (another thing that I should have known not to do) ... I do have tacky wax here but I just felt that the tacky wax would be too hard to work with so I opted for the tape idea out of last minute despair. I guess I need to order glue dots or wick stick ems now.The scent so far is strong and I am praying that it stays that way! .. Has anyone here ever used 464 with the 52-36-18 wicks successfully in both the 16 oz. mason and 8 oz. jelly jars? Or should I buy a different wick for the bigger 16 oz. jars that I have? ... according to one site, it lists the 52-36-18 wicks to be the best suitable wick for the 8 oz. jelly jars. (which is good because I have about 12 jars and 25 wicks for that) ... its the 16 oz ones that I am unsure of. Candle Science indicates that an ECO-14 is best for the job for the container size of the 16 oz. mason jar. Does anyone else get good results with that combination? .... I am also thinking about buying some coconut oil to add in the wax. Any thoughts on this method? ... I wish there was no so many variables in candle making. Makes for a very confused newbie LOL. I wanted to make some great candles for myself and family, then eventually when I was good enough branch out to find customers. I just didn't want to spend a fortune in the process. I already spent hundreds. I guess there is some truth in the saying "No sacrifice, No glory" ... Keep those replies coming!! I love to hear from everyone and taking advice from you all. Until next time..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol k Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Just a quick question, to keep me from losing my mind. On brighter scents website, they list the 51-32-18 cotton wick. Is this the wick that you have? I had checked when you first posted, but it seems everyone keeps referring to it as the 52 whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt_fingers Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Just a quick question, to keep me from losing my mind. On brighter scents website, they list the 51-32-18 cotton wick. Is this the wick that you have? I had checked when you first posted, but it seems everyone keeps referring to it as the 52 whatever.carol k, my bad for not checking my wick and just copying from the original post. The wick I am testing and refered to is a 51-32-18 cotton core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol k Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Thank you, for clearing that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skane2009 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Share Posted January 27, 2010 51-32-18... Jesus, I am losing MY mind. lol. Sorry for all the confusion. It is as Brighter Scents listed it .. 51-32-18 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt_fingers Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 51-32-18... Jesus, I am losing MY mind. lol. Sorry for all the confusion. It is as Brighter Scents listed it .. 51-32-18 ..Don't feel bad, I lost mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 The Candlemakers Store has a free audio CD download that answers a lot of questions that beginners may have.Or people can read here and get a variety of opinions and ideas without purchasing your product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaye Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Or people can read here and get a variety of opinions and ideas without purchasing your product. :highfive:SKane, I have only ever made pillars, so cannot offer any helpful advice as far as container waxes and wicks go, but I wanted to welcome you to the Board, and I wish you all the very best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbodine Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I have tried the glue dots to keep the wick attached to the jar, but have found that sometimes they stay put and sometimes they don't. I prefer the old school method of the glue gun. Make sure you get the high temp glue. I haven't had one come loose yet since switching to this method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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