snewbie Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 I just started candle making this year so forgive my ignorance.Have any of you ever used pure triple pressed palm stearic acid in container candles? A shop near me said that's what people use for palm container candles. I tried some, and the crystals are quite striking, but no matter what the wick size, it only tunnels about the size of a silver dollar. (wick size has noticable, but minimal effect). It makes some neat caverns if you triple wick, but I doubt there is any way to get anything wider than church glass to do a complete burn. Is all palm container wax like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Welcome, and please forgive my groan... Have you been reading the palm wax discussion in this forum? There are several testing threads going on currently as well as a metric ton of discussion about the properties of palm wax. Please read up on palm wax, how it burns, etc., then come back if you have questions... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 TP stearic will make some nice crystal patterns but isn't really practical as a container wax--and it will fry your wicks. People use a specially blended palm wax for that sort of thing. You can get some from http://www.candlescience.com.Actually the real palm wax is liable to fry wicks too unless you get the right kind. That supplier also sells wicks called CSN that will work in palm and they have a calculator to help you figure out what wick size to start testing with. Get a sample pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snewbie Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 I just talked to the people at the shop, and they had no idea what you are talking about in regards to wicks needing special treatment when used in acid waxes. Ive read quite abit, but Ive never seen anyone talk about using pure stearic acid in candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Unfortunately, the people at the shop are laboring under a deficit of knowledge.If you obtain the real container palm wax and a suitable wick, it will work. For most people, the chances of doing that near their home is close to zero. You will most likely need to order from a specialty supplier online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 If you are talking about making candles from TPP stearic acid (or stearin), nope, we don't talk much about that 'cause it'd be way expensive to make them... But if you are talking about adding TPP stearic acid to palm wax, yep, that's talked about a lot.I just talked to the people at the shop, and they had no idea what you are talking about in regards to wicks needing special treatment when used in acid waxesThe folks "at the shop" may be uninformed. It isn't that untreated wicking won't work, but a question of which type works better for what applications. Palm wax, because of its high acid content, can present different issues with wicking than other waxes and wicking companies are addressing those issues.Heinz-Verhaegh makes Stabilo wicks (aka CD/CDN) with a treatment (KST) specifically to resist acids in waxes. Apparently so does Wedo, who makes LX wicks and the CSN wicks that CandleScience sells for use with their palm wax.Top has been discussing the NST treatment over in his Tortoise-shell palm wax pillar test thread... take a peek... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snewbie Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Well I just called 2 more shops.1 shop said that they(the first shop) are lying. That the stearic acid is probably not even triple pressed palm wax. He also said that I should use HTP wicks for palm.The other shop said ya it is palm wax and that I dont need any special additive. So basically the only people that say I need an additive for the wick is on the internet.No-one else says that I should use stearic acid as a pure candle wax except the first shop. Why not? Most of the people I have talked to seem to only kinda know what they are talking about.I also just found out that wax has gone up in price.Is this how the candle making business is? A bunch of different people telling you completely different usually opposite info. This is crazy. I think Im gonna just make a few candles for myself and be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snewbie Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Ive been reading those threads. The so called TPP stearic acid I bought was $15.00 for 10 lbs, so i had no trouble using it in big 1-2lb candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) So basically the only people that say I need an additive for the wick is on the internet. No one here said that either. We said that there is a treatment that wick manufacturers apply to SOME of their wicks to handle the corrosive effects of high-acid waxes. If none of the people you have called locally know that, why not do your own research to see what the story is and more importantly, and test many candles, waxes, wick combinations to discover what YOU think is important, as most of the rest of us have done. No-one else says that I should use stearic acid as a pure candle wax except the first shop. Why not? Top answered that above.That the stearic acid is probably not even triple pressed palm wax.Maybe it isn't. Stearic acid can come from many different sources - animal, vegetable, soy, palm, beef, etc. I don't know why someone would lie to you and sell you TPP stearic that wasn't TPP...He also said that I should use HTP wicks for palm.Some people do - Laura is testing some in the Crystal Palm Pillar thread along with LX & CDN - go look.Is this how the candle making business is? A bunch of different people telling you completely different usually opposite info. This is crazy. I think Im gonna just make a few candles for myself and be done with it.Yep. Probably a good idea. Edited March 8, 2010 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snewbie Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 Thanks for the help. Im used to things either being or not being. With candles I'm gathering "what works for you, may not work for me". That just goes against my nature. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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