excel testers

[lrbd]

As for wood wicks we love them. They burn great and give off a slight subtle crackle.

I don't want to take this wonderful test thread off topic . May I ask one question about the wood wicks? Does the scent of wood burning get in the way of the scent of your candles? thanks Laura

[kathkat2010]

oakbrookcandles, can I ask what temp you pour the Xl? your candles look great thanks

[AutumnMeadow]

Ok, the 1st test burn went very well. The candles were burned for 4 hours and had a decent HT. No sign of frosting at all. I am going to start the 2nd burn.

Here are the pics after the 4 hours burn right before I blew them out. Large wick on the left and medium wick on the right.

Edited March 21, 2010 by AutumnMeadow

[AutumnMeadow]

I don't want to take this wonderful test thread off topic . May I ask one question about the wood wicks? Does the scent of wood burning get in the way of the scent of your candles? thanks Laura

I dont think the scent gets in the way at all but we also use 1.5oz of scent per pd of wax. Only time I have notice the smell of the wicks is upon the first light of the candle.

[AutumnMeadow]

Here are some new test results of a fresh batch of XceL. This time we poured into 7 different types of containers using 3.5 pds of wax. After 24 hours we have no signs of frosting except for the 1st container we poured.

This first container was trouble from the start. The container is a 4.25 Interlude. We noticed the bubbles form immediately towards the bottom as it was being poured. We tryed to tap the bubbles out of the container but the bubbles just would not budge. Minor frosting has appeared in this candle but it is very minor and only in a small spot. Lets see if over time it gets any worse. All other candles are just fine.

The tops on all 7 are less than to be desired but it is nothing a heat gun will not take care of. This batch was again heated to 180 and poured at 110.

Edited March 21, 2010 by AutumnMeadow

[kathkat2010]

Hi Autumn meadow, has the cbxl adhered to the glass or pulled away? Did you heat the glassware first or use it at room temp? Are you having any problems with surface cracking or wet spots? Im having loads of problems with the CB-xl wax, every candle has cracked and has wet spots even after curing for 24 hours. My candles look awful. I may have to resort to frosted glassware as I've also had problems with CB advanced, (cracking around edge of top when it pulled away from glass and Ht not as good as CB 135) and also had problems with rough surface & wet spots with CB 135. I am determined to make a great looking candle! one day! If only I could find the right wax...

[AutumnMeadow]

Hi Autumn meadow, has the cbxl adhered to the glass or pulled away? Did you heat the glassware first or use it at room temp? Are you having any problems with surface cracking or wet spots? Im having loads of problems with the CB-xl wax, every candle has cracked and has wet spots even after curing for 24 hours. My candles look awful. I may have to resort to frosted glassware as I've also had problems with CB advanced, (cracking around edge of top when it pulled away from glass and Ht not as good as CB 135) and also had problems with rough surface & wet spots with CB 135. I am determined to make a great looking candle! one day! If only I could find the right wax...

The XceL has adhered to the glass with no pull away at all. The containers were washed with hot soapy water left to dry and then poured at room temp. We have had no problems with cracking or wet spots. The only problem is with the tops but heat gun makes them as smooth as glass.

At what temp are you heating the wax upto? At what temp are you pouring? How much dye and scent are you adding? At what temp are you adding your dye and scent? How long are you allowing your dye and scent to bind?

When we make candles we do not rush the process. We slowly drop the temp down to 110 before we pour. When I say slowly I mean we allow 20 to 30 mins to drop from 180 to 110. Some may call us crazy but we do this to assure everything binds.

We want to produce quality candles and we are willing to put the time and work into it. Because of this we never rush the process. I am a perfectionist, I am blunt and I am honest. I cant help it, it is just the way I am wired. I drive my partner crazy but I will have it no other way. Sometime I dont know why my partner puts up with me but I know deep down she really understands. That is why she puts up with me but there are days I get looks that could kill.

[asands]

I am having pretty consistent results with adherence as long as the wax is fresh (not re-melted). I poured at a range of 140-155 in large containers with excellent adherence but the tops were cracked in a perfect circle halfway between the wick and the edge of the container. I'd be OK with this as long as the heat gun trick works to smooth out the tops. My containers were at room temp and left out in the open to cure for 48 hours.

Speaking of heat guns, what do you recommend for this? I am getting blank stares when I ask about this tool at my craft/hobby shop. This must be something you get at a hardware store?

I, too, like AutumnMeadow like to heat the wax up and let it cool down slowly to my desired temp. However, I don't use dye and I haven't added fragrance yet.

I'm using CD wicks which I like so far - nice stable flame, clean burn and attractive melt pool. I'm also testing a wood wick which is spewing lots of black stuff. I'm very bummed about this. Is this normal for wood wicks?

I'm obviously a newbie... so bear with me and thanks for all the helpful information you've all graciously provided on this forum.

Angie

[AutumnMeadow]

Speaking of heat guns, what do you recommend for this? I am getting blank stares when I ask about this tool at my craft/hobby shop. This must be something you get at a hardware store?

This is the exact heat gun we use.

http://www.amazon.com/Uchida-Embossing-Heat-Tool-Stand-120V/dp/B000QTFH58

[Stella1952]

Speaking of heat guns, what do you recommend for this? I am getting blank stares when I ask about this tool at my craft/hobby shop.

Try Home Depot or Lowes or the home improvement area of WalMart. Heat guns are a tool that's used for many things, not just hobbies.

[Gretchen]

Asands & AutumMeadows_

What size containers and wicks, if you don't mind my asking?

[asands]

I'm using 4.5" x 4.5" cylinder containers with CD-22 wicks (1 double wicked and 1 triple wicked)

[soy327]

Angie , Please don't take this the wrong way but, that is a big container you probably need to get something smaller to start with. It will give you less fits and you can work your way up. The CD wick are great IMO. Here is a pic of my newest It's been curing for a week or more, burning about 2hrs now. Poured at 120 into a warmed jar left in the open to cure, my candle room is usually around 72 to 78 degrees give or take. I heat the wax to 185 and warm my FO in my pour (pyrex) pitcher in hot water in a pan on low heat. Then pour the wax in it to cool, no color mostly. the jar is a quilted JJ 2 3/8 with a cd8

Autumn, Love that blue color and the smaller wood wick is doing much better Don't you think. Have you thought about wicking with cd's? too.

Kathkat, Be patient and keep experimenting with your conditions, You'll get it. This is a long thread and because of all the paticipation there is a lot of good info here.

How long can a thread be before you need to start a new one:laugh2::laugh2:

Linda

Edited March 22, 2010 by soy327

[asands]

Soy, yes... I know it's a bit ambitious to use these large containers being new to candle-making. I tend to do things backwards (I read articles from bottom to top for example)!

I'll let you know how it goes starting big and working down to small. It just might be the key to this whole soy mystery! :smiley2:

[soy327]

Soy Mystery is right:laugh2::laugh2:Please keep us posted and I hope you will go to walmart and get some smaller jars or the dollar store, and try em. Send pics:drool: ok.

[MarisAMTC]

Hi!

I'm the partner AutumnMeadow speaks of.

Gretchen, we're using multiple sizes of containers and multiple wick sizes. For the wood wicks I recommend using that guidelines the manufacturer has set for them, not the guidelines that the wax companies have. Autumn brought to my attention the fact that the company says to use large and extra large in all soy candles. They are entirely to large for some of our containers.

[Stella1952]

4.5" x 4.5" cylinder containers

*faint*

the company says to use large and extra large in all soy candles. They are entirely to large for some of our containers.

Absurd! You are so wise! The container size/shape has a huge bearing on how ANY wick - wood or otherwise - works. :rolleyes2 The few sizes of wood wicks makes it impossible to fine-tune the burn of a candle the way one is able to with typical candle wicks, so it becomes ultra important to find the one that gives the best, safest burn for the size/shape container one is using for this application.

Glad y'all are testing carefully for yourselves and not simply relying on the recommendations of one source or another.

[kathkat2010]

Hi Autumn Meadow thanks for the reply, I heated the CBXl to 180 and let it cool to just below 110. I added fragrance but no colour at 180 and stirred well then left it to cool. The containers/glasses were at room temp but I did leave them to cool on a wire rack and not the counter top. Maybe I should try again pouring at slightly higher or lower temps. I want to persevere until I've got it right.

[MarisAMTC]

Here's a rundown of what I found works well for what I do:

I heat the wax to 180

add my color and keep it at 180 and stir constantly for a few minutes

Drop temp 5 degrees

Add scent

Then it gets hairy - Depending on the amount of FO pp your using you have the potential to drop the wax temp by quite a bit so you have to watch it

Drop temp to 110

pour into room temp glasses and keep them on the counter

Now this is just what I do, it’s my personal preference. Things can change very easily with the type of dye and type of scent your using. I know some people use scent blocks and some use liquids. Same goes for the color. I know alot of people warm thier jars before pouring as well. Mainly you have to buy some extra wax and treat it like a science experiment. And trust me I've poured all the way to 150 and have had great results with different combo's so have fun with it and write every little thing down.

Edited March 23, 2010 by MarisAMTC

[nadiap]

I'm watching this thread with interest, but just wanted to note that those of you using CB135 and pouring at 110 with no frosting, are having much better luck than me :-(

If I pour at that low a temp, I get a lot of frosting and the tops come out horrible - once it sets up, it's as if the top is made up of half melting 'flakes', should have taken a picture, but my camera wasn't working at that time.

I find i have to pour between 135 - 125 to get a nice top with minimal or no frosting.

Just wish my supplier was allowing the Excel to be tested by their customers - I'm sure they'd get much better feedback, than just testing for themselves before starting to sell the new product...

[soy327]

Nadiap,

I am using the cb135 also and I pour at 120-125 I am not coloring it and it's going much better without color. I can see the difference in frosting (amount) between the 135 and xcel. The xcel has much less frosting and I'm pouring at roughly the same temp.I will be experimenting with dye chips, maybe a little USA and/or CO, to see what happens. I will be posting the results in the next week or so. Cellardweller said I might have hope about the exel be carried at Peak. So the testing continues.

Sherry opened another excel tester thread because she was confused:confused: not sure what that's about but there might be some helpful info on that thread coming up.

[nadiap]

Nadiap,

I am using the cb135 also and I pour at 120-125 I am not coloring it and it's going much better without color. I can see the difference in frosting (amount) between the 135 and xcel. The xcel has much less frosting and I'm pouring at roughly the same temp.I will be experimenting with dye chips, maybe a little USA and/or CO, to see what happens. I will be posting the results in the next week or so. Cellardweller said I might have hope about the exel be carried at Peak. So the testing continues.

I'm thinking to try pouring at a much higher temp. (cb135) I made a few jars last week - no colour at all, but the frosting was really really bad (in frosted jars too :-) I put them in the over, remelted them at a high temp, let them cool completely in the oven and they turned out beautiful !

Funny you mention the USA, I have some here, but never used it, and was just getting onto the pc to do a bit of research on it. have no idea what it does, just purchased it with one of my orders :-D

Sherry opened another excel tester thread because she was confused:confused: not sure what that's about but there might be some helpful info on that thread coming up.

Quite comfortable with this thread - as I mentioned, I'm following the results of the xcel quite closely. Edited March 23, 2010 by nadiap

[soy327]

Nadiap, I put 1TBSP pp of USA and 3tsp pp CO, It seems to help w/135 no/color. Haven't put any usa in the xcel yet.

Linda

[kathkat2010]

Hi all!

I am still having problems with wet spots on the sides of the glass containers. Help! Have been trying new CB Xl wax, heating to 180 adding fragrance (no dye) then cooling to 110 and pouring at 110. Have tried a few different pouring temps above 110 and just below. Pouring at 110 makes a lovely smooth candle top but once cured for a few hours there are various wet spots or the candle is half stuck to the sides of the glass/half pulled away from the glass. Glasses are at room temp and stood on the counter or on newspaper. I am so dissapointed as I have had problems with the other CB waxes (CB135 and advanced) and was hoping this new wax was the answer.

I thought this new wax was supposed to adhere to the glass and resist wet spots. Not in my case lol.

Any ideas on how to eliminate wet spots but still have a smooth top/good looking candle?

I need to crack this nut lol.

[soy327]

Are you heating your jars before you pour? In colder weather I have found the wax is going to shrink a little. This will happen and I don't think there is anyway around that. Anyone want to chime in?

That is one reason I have started using the quilted JJ, It doesn't show as much.