Getting Excited

[Carrylh]

Just got my Nature wax C3 Jelly Jars, CD and CDN wicks and Scale, just waiting on USA and wick stickems from The Candlemakers Store, will be here tomarrow . Yepeeeeeeeee Will pour my first Soy candle this weekend.Also got samples of FO from Peaks and Cajun Candles to start.

This is my plan

Pour straight C3 NO FO Dye or additives, just going to see how the wick and wax burn in the jelly jar recording each burn pool and will take pictures..Then I will add USA see if that size wick still burns well with the wax and additive combo , then I will move on with FO.

Then I will have a starting point that I can wick up or down according to FO.

This is how I did it when I made Paraffin Candles, but it has been 5 yrs since making a candle, wish me luck. I forgot how much fun this can be, just hope I dont pull all of my hair out.LOL

GOD Bless all candle makers....

Carryl

[Stella1952]

Then I will add USA see if that size wick still burns well with the wax and additive combo , then I will move on with FO.

I hope you will test your C3 with FO and no additive first to ascertain whether you feel that you need to use any USA or other additives. Sounds like you have a lotta testing ahead. Have fun! Edited January 28, 2010 by Stella1952

[Carrylh]

Stella

I thought I read on the forum that most use USA for apperance, So I will try adding FO first. What is USA used for newbie to soy.

Yes a lot of testing but that is the only way to make the best and safest candle possiable.

Thanks for your input ....

[Stella1952]

I thought I read on the forum that most use USA for apperance

Just because others use it doesn't mean anything... those remarks should only be taken as suggested solutions to specific problems. If YOURS ain't broke, don't try to fix 'em!

Check things out for yourself! This is so important for new folks to do - don't just do what others do because they are doing it - understand why they are doing something and decide whether you have the same issues and are in need of a solution! Some folks automatically use USA, coconut oil, etc. without even first checking to see if they really think they need those additives in their candles!

With soy, less is better. Soy candles burn best with NO additives, NO FO and NO dye! Unfortunately, we like fragrance and color, so we sometimes have to balance the effects of those "needs" with the "needs" of our soy wax.

I dunno what others use it for - I use it for several reasons: to reduce frosting, to smooth the texture/consistency of the wax for smoother tops, and to enhance fragrance throw. I use 1 level tablespoonful per pound. Some people use other things for similar purposes (coconut oil, Crisco, paraffin, other veggie oils, etc.).

The idea is to start with the product and see what it's gonna do for YOU. You may find as many others have, that it suits you just fine with no additives.

The only additive I recommend no matter what (soy, palm, etc.) is UV absorber. Even if one makes uncolored candles, the UV absorber reduces yellowing, color fading & changing due to indoor & outdoor lighting. It only takes setting a candle in a windowsill for a week or going to ONE outdoor show down here to convince one of its necessity.

[safetysue]

I'd like to give you some advice on that additive but I'm a newby too. I will recommend that you listen to Stella. Read Stella's postings. There is a wealth of information there.

Good luck with your first soy. Have fun with - enjoy the challenge.

[topofmurrayhill]

It's good to understand that C3 already contains USA, so it isn't a plain soy. It has two additives in it right out of the box and is intended to be a fully formulated ready-to-use candle wax.

Adding additional USA could be more of a good thing (resistance to frosting, smoother tops), but it will harden the wax and change the burn, so you have to try it and see.

Other waxes like GB 464 and 444 contain 2% USA, but we don't know how much is already in C3. If you add more, you might just want to start with an additonal 1%, which would be about 5 grams in a pound of wax.

Whether it helps scent throw is debatable. Over time I've noticed that people tend to rank plain soy higher in scent throw. A lot probably just depends on the burn -- how the candle is wicked and other aspects of the design. I doubt the additive itself specifically helps scent throw unless you use it to add extra fragrance oil.

[Carrylh]

Wow I didnt realize C3 alraedy has USA added. Thanks guys for your input. I would like to make dye free soy candles. But I know some like color. Later I will practice with color.

[Stella1952]

Carrylh, it helps a lot to read as much as you can on the manufacturer's website about the product. Having said that, Elevance (the folks who now make NatureWax) has a long way to go toward providing helpful information about their products. Here's what we do know about the ingredients of C3 (all the ingredients below are reported to be of soybean derivation except the citric acid):

Product Description: Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides with Alpha - monoglycerides and Sorbitan Tristearate. Citric Acid added to preserve freshness.

We do not know the ingredients of "USA", have never seen them listed anywhere on any suppliers' sites nor is any manufacturer listed so that we could go there for more information, so it's kinda hard to say whether it's "the same thing" that's added to C3 or not.

Best course is use the product according to manufacturer's specs and see how it performs, then go from there.

[topofmurrayhill]

USA is alpha monoglyceride. That's per Jason at Golden Brands as well as ADM, who manufactures one popular form of it.

The significant ingredients of C3 are hydrogenated soy oils, monoglyceride and sorbitan tristearate. What they use and why they use it is all explained in detail in the relevant patents. No great mystery here.

I would say the technical info provided by Elevance is excellent.

Edited January 29, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[Carrylh]

Whew!!!! You gals know your stuff about C3 .Man this is way over my head.... Guess I should have read up more on this product.

Oh well this little Cajun girl is going to work real hard to make a decent first candle...LOL

Next lesson will be Tempering the wax Ha Ha.

God Bless you all