Soy recipes, scent throw... Newbie

[arw1019]

So, last night was my first night ever making a candle. Decent cold throw, faint hot throw. Im not even looking to really sell these just to make an awesome smelling candle that will smell up my living room. I used a brand of soy container wax, MP of 125, heated to 180, added FO, and poured at 160. The next I heated to 180, added FO at 160 and poured. Neither smell the way I hoped. Im using 8oz mason jars, 1oz of FO, and 44-32-18 cotton wicks. The owner of the shop, Early American Candle Co, recommended it all.

I am looking for a recipe, preferably soy, but not opposed to paraffin, or blend. I need to know it all, down to wicks and additives. I know that alot of people dont want to give out their "special formula" after they have invested time and money for testing. I hope someone can at least point me in the right direction. I know that alot of you sell your candles and your customers probably are crazy about them, Im looking to make some too! I started with containers because I hear they are the easiest.

I do not have alot of money to invest in this and right now I have 8lbs of soy wax that says it does not require additives, 3 big bottles of FO, more FO coming in the mail tomorrow, some wicks, and jars. I would love to perfect a great recipe so I can stop spending money on cheap, unsmelling candles. I would like to move on to tarts, votives, and tealights also. Well, multi-wick containers, as well.

Can anyone help? I believe my wax is called natural or natures elevance c-3 container.

I really want to use a wax or blend that holds the most FO as possible... Thank you in advance:confused:

[IwantItgreen]

Hi, First of all Welcome to the addiction!

OK, No soy that I know of will give you a great HT the day after you pour it. Soy candles need to "cure." The cure time is different for one FO to another. Most give their candles a week, some need 2 weeks. Some FO work well in soy, some don't. That's why you test, test, test. As for a "recipe"; there is none really. It's mostly trial and error. A good place to start is to follow the manufactures recommendations and read, read, read here. Most suppliers are also very helpful if you have problems. Consider the cost as "your cost of education." What works for me will probably not work for you. Start slow and be consistent in your testing, keeping good notes. Don't try to rush through the testing process. There are people on this board who love the c-3. If you use the search feature you can read a lot about it and learn much from them. Enjoy your new hobby!

[arw1019]

Its now 8am and Im still reading and writing. I still have candles I poured that I will wait to cure then. I was wondering if it could of been my FO but EAC didnt get too bad of reviews... I used angel(type) and lovespell.

Had a few more questions for anyone reading:

When Im measuring soy flakes, does I use 2 cups (16 oz) or do the math and see when adding the FO and wax will bring me to 16oz of liquid?

Is the wick correct? The owner of EAC picked those out specifically for me

Should I add USA to my C3?

What paraffin will mix best with C3, do I need additives also?

I have 8 more pounds to experiment with!!!

ONCE YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO BURN A CANDLE IS IT TOO LATE TO LET IT CURE?

Thank you responding and thanks in advance for anyone who does respond :highfive:

[Meridith]

dbl. post

Edited February 25, 2010 by Meridith

[Meridith]

Get a scale.

Read the old posts on this board. You'll learn alot from doing that. Some of this stuff you just need to do for yourself since there is no clear answer for some questions. Once you get going, its easier for us to answer your questions to help you troubleshoot.

We've all put in countless hours and $$$$$$$$ to figure it out so we can understand how frustrating it can be. Don't give up. Good luck.

[jruhsam]

One thing to always remember for starting anything new. Keep It Simple. Stick with just a few things then once you have that down then you can start to look at adding more later. If you do or change to much at the beginning you will forget where you started. Get the basics down the go from there.

I have also found that the candles always smell weak after making them since I made them and used the oils in warm/hot wax. Basically I have desensitized myself due to sensory overload. Give it a few days and you can get a better idea of the actual smell. Or ask someone else who did not make the candles with you.

Jim R.

[arw1019]

Thats all I've been doing, reading and writing notes for over a week. Any suppliers that let you sample wax?

[IwantItgreen]

You can buy 1 or 5 lbs of different waxes at The Candlemakers Store. Many of the suppliers sell wax in 10 lbs. HTH!

[bebedahls]

When I pour candles I always let them cure for atleast 5 days. Then I test them. Keeping notes is the key and to remeber that not all FO throws the same in different types of wax.

[jennyjo]

To answer your question, the candles that you already burned can still cure. Just give them a few more days and relight them. It should work fine. They will keep getting stronger as the days go by. Also, I think that you will have a bit more luck if you pour the soy a little bit cooler. If you poured at 160 it may have been a bit too warm and won't set up as nice, especially with dyes being used. I don't use c-3 so I don't know if that can be poured warmer or not. HTH

[toadallysoy]

C-3 is my wax of choice, after trying just about every soy wax on the market. I heat to 180, add fo @ 140 & pour when it has cooled to 120-130. No paraffin, no dyes, no additives...no problems.

I am now blessed that my candles come out great, consistently. This doesn't happen overnight...as others mentioned, countless hours, days & months of testing along with alot of patience is the key. Not to mention $$$$$. I was ready to give up so many times, but was too darn stubborn to let the candles get the best of me!

It will pay off if you hang in there and test, test, test.

Good luck!

Donna

Toadally Soy

[arw1019]

Donna, what kind of wicks are you using? I'm going to try cd 8 and htp 83 as well as something WSP sells, a soy wick.. The reviews on it are great plus it ships for free. I am going to try your recipe but also I'm going to try a batch with CO as well. Oh, how long do you let your candles cure for?

Edited February 27, 2010 by arw1019

[toadallysoy]

The WSP Crafter's Choice soy wicks are the only ones that I use now. Soy 2 wicks for 8, 12 & 16 oz jelly jars. Soy 3 wicks for larger jars. I double wick my 12 oz round & square tumbler jars with the Soy 2's. I've had great luck with these wicks.

I used CO with other waxes, but didn't notice a huge difference. Using the C-3 with no additives, dyes, etc has produced nice smooth tops, no frosting, no wet spots.

My candle making set up is in a very warm room, next to a wood pellet stove, so I think the slow cooling of the candles is the key for me.

[toadallysoy]

Forgot to note that I cure them for a minimum of 2 weeks before I sell them. Anything less than this doesn't produce the hot throw that I am happy with.

[arw1019]

I looked at your website, very nice! I thought of using cans as well but was afraid they would get too hot.

Edited February 27, 2010 by arw1019

[toadallysoy]

Thank you, it's still a work in progress. The "Can Candles" have become very popular in the primitive gift shops in this area. As with any other candle, it must be placed on a heat resistant surface.