candlechic74 Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 I'm new to candle making and have been using Soy but have been having a hard time getting good results especially with votives and jars. I like the idea of using Soy because it supports Americas farmers..on the other hand I was thinking of Palm Wax also and was wondering if that may be an easier wax to work with. Can anyone give some input on this?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxSioux Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Hate to be a downer, but the production of soy wax does almost nothing to help the American farmer ... the majority of our soy wax actually contributes the destruction of the Rain Forest ... but in all fairness, so does palm wax. Sorry, but I poured soy for 7 yrs & really can't stand all the rah-rah marketing bs & inflated claims that goes with it. I just opened my box of palm wax & hope to start testing tomorrow, so I can't offer a comparison, but I've been researching palm for a year & am really excited to give it a go. I just got tired of battling soy & never got the ht I wanted. I'll keep you posted w/ a 'newbies' opinion.Susan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 The farmers I want to support are the farmers who grow real food that I can buy in the produce section.The farmers who grow fodder for factory production lines are doing fine by all accounts, and you are already supporting them through the purchase of countless products. You are also supporting the corporations and workers who process the crops and produce the products. No worries.I wish there was a candle I could make to support the "real food" growers, but there isn't. Candlemaking, however, is a worthwhile passion in its own right. It doesn't require or particularly benefit from choosing ones materials for a "cause." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxSioux Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 You're going to scare the girl, Top. Give her your thoughts on palm wax.Susan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 You're going to scare the girl, Top. Give her your thoughts on palm wax.Susan.OK gotcha.It's good sh*t.I like the pillar stuff, but haven't tried the container palm yet. I'm looking forward to it though.It's easy to produce great-looking candles and they stay the way you made them. Soy candles can look blah when you make them or turn blah over time. If you like to make votives, they're a total snap with palm.If you like to support a good cause, get palm waxes made by PT. Sumi Asih. That would be the CandleScience palms, also available from other suppliers branded IGI. The manufacturer is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soy327 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Top, It's time for you to come all the way over to the dark side and do a GG container. I am testing two (pics attached 1 with the dbl CSN7) (they need to make a CSN5 in 6" length. It got too hot on the jar by the 3rd burn.The Staus jar has a CSN 16, was too much, on the 3rd burn starting to get the hangup, But the Flame was dancin on the wax freaked me out. End of test.Palm wax is so beautiful, thats my thought on palm wax.Maybe I will try a CSN 14 and hope to get the full melt pool I'm looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxSioux Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Those look really good! The pattern is nice & even - how did you cool them & are you getting any voids/air pockets? Also, how would you compare the ht compared to soy? We have a crappy, rainy day forcasted for Fri, so it's a perfect day to pour!Susan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 To me, Palm Wax is better than soy in almost every aspect LOLGood throw (hot and cold), simply to work with, and as Top said no horrific transformations in time, adn easier to wick (for me).I don't understand all the hype on soy wax. Palm wax is natural too.Whatever we buy it supports someone, so no point on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Top, It's time for you to come all the way over to the dark side and do a GG container. I am testing two (pics attached 1 with the dbl CSN7) (they need to make a CSN5 in 6" length. It got too hot on the jar by the 3rd burn.Hey I already picked up Starburst and Glass Glow from CandleScience. They may not have CSN 5 in 6" length but they have it in 100' length. I got me a roll of it. 3" straight cylinders are a bugger to wick, the way the flame whips around in them. Status Jars come from hell. I don't know how you single wick that unless it melts across a lot more easily than the pillar wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridith Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 (edited) I like palm because its easy to produce a beautiful candle. I find the containers have been easier to wick than soy. We are still working on the pillars and are pleased with the results so far; we are enjoying the whole process of making them too. I also find its easier to get a throw than soy. I do still like how my soy burns, but since we don't color our soy, using color in our candles is also fairly new to us. In general, we've found palm easier to work with than soy and easier than we thought it would be. Try it, you won't regret it. Edited April 2, 2010 by Meridith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soy327 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 I let them cool on the counter top, keep in mind I keep a space heater in my candle room so its 72-78 degrees. I cut open the top with a knife and stirred around poking the wax down into the jar. I did this about 5 times. Then I rewarmed a little left over wax in my pour pot and capped them off, so the top looked like it was never messed with. If there are voids (which I'm sure there are) when the top melts at burning I think that wax fills in those voids.Top, you are right that status jar is the jar from hell. I purchase a couple 9oz hex jars to try.I would recommend to anyone to try these, palm wax gives you a nice break from the soy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 OK..I was gonna test the status jar with the GG palm....maybe i will just stick with the hex jars...I can get the status jars local and have to have the hex jars shipped but prices are the same.I agree with the others...palm is way eaiser to work with. Even the wicking was not that bad to figure out.Palm pillers are next on the test list for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcbrook Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Well after a couple of years of fighting with soy I tried palm and I will never look back. I actually found it easier than soy to wick. It is a little bit of a pain to wreck the tops but I am getting used to that to. And I love the way the wax stays looking the same. No frosting. No blooming. And I feel more confident in my candles now. I was actually afraid to try it for a while but after reading all the posts here I knew I just had to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megfarwell Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Oh no.....I am feeling tempted to try the palm! My husband is going to KILL me! I've been working with soy for about 4 months and not having good results. I also think palm makes a really beautiful candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Another palm wax user here. I also switched from soy and hope to never go back. My customers were whining last year when I switched but are begining to come around once they try a palm candle.I first tried the crystal container palm from C&S. Then I tried the glass glow container palm wax and thats the one I am sticking with. Great H&C throw, no more wet spots, frosting, rough tops, etc. and issues I had to fight with when using soy.A nice side effect of a glass glow candle is the beautiful soft glow you get when its burning. Don't get that with a soy candle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 I use palm wax and soy. I like them both, but I like palm wax better because of its versatility.I have found that wicking the smaller metro (8 oz.) is a bitch. As big of a PITA as the 8 oz. is, the 14 oz. is a breeze. I use a CDN 12 in mine and get a perfectly wonderful burn with little or no hangup. The throw is great. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 I use palm wax and soy. I like them both, but I like palm wax better because of its versatility.I have found that wicking the smaller metro (8 oz.) is a bitch. As big of a PITA as the 8 oz. is, the 14 oz. is a breeze. I use a CDN 12 in mine and get a perfectly wonderful burn with little or no hangup. The throw is great. HTH I wonder why in the world they are so different to wick. So you use the CDN12 in the 14oz one? Any suggestions for the 8oz one...yes i am glutten for punishment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Top, you are right that status jar is the jar from hell. I purchase a couple 9oz hex jars to try.Don't give up on the status jar though. I noticed CSN 14 tends to melt out wide. The wick guide says to try it, so you must obey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soy327 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 (edited) Top, I think I will try the CSN 14 but I'm also going to try the hex jar. How many people are going to go and buy the GG now after reading this thread.:laugh2::laugh2: Edited April 3, 2010 by soy327 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
country bee Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I tried palm once,the pattern was so great and the glow too but the wax smelled so bad,I could'nt scent it,nothing would cover up the stink.Then I made soap and used sustainable palm oil,no smell at all,I came to think was it a bad batch of wax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I think I have some CSN 14's....I used CSN 11's in the hex jars....with success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 (edited) I wonder why in the world they are so different to wick. So you use the CDN12 in the 14oz one? Any suggestions for the 8oz one...yes i am glutten for punishment...I used a CDN 10 in the 8 oz., Tootie. I have no explanation as to why it's more of a PITA. I don't have any issues with hex jars of any size or the larger metro, but none of the 8 oz. burns suited me. I plan to go back and try a CDN 8 to see if it works better. Some containers, depending on their shape and dimensions, are just more of a PITA. HTH Edited April 3, 2010 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 TY Stella....I will try it and see....moving into the workshop this week so next week testing begins....yay:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gdawg Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 I packed away all my candle things about 2 years ago cause I was getting to frustrated with wicking some jars lol, before I packed it away though I tried to wick the Glas Glow and thought that was harder then then soy, maybe it was the jar who knows. I am about ready to pull out all my things again as I have been itching to dip back into it but know I need wax....now I am wondering if I should just dip into palm rather then soy hummm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsie Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Argh... I really don't want to read this!!! It is hell on my resolve to make soy work with these wooden wicks. But I will give it a try someday soon. I have 5 kg of Crystallizing Palm container wax sitting right here that I got from ACS. I had hoped that I wouldn't need to open it until I got my soy tweaked, but that's taking longer than I hoped, lol.Since my problem with soy is air pockets, would mixing the palm wax with it cause more problems with air pockets? I'm shooting for a single pour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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