C-3 or CB-135... preferences?

[wiscwicks]

I'm new to candle making and have been working with C-3. I was thinking of changing from to CB-135 wax. On one site, their tech sheet says the CB-135 ships well in all environments, and can take a fragrance load up to 10-12%. Is that true? Does anyone have a preference of that over the C-3?

Does anyone add anything to C-3 wax, to make it harder, or stop it from pulling away from the sides of the container two days after pouring? Disappointing to see a beautiful candle pull away two or three days later.

Signed, Newbie Cheesehead Candlemaker :-)

[EricofAZ]

I have a rather strong personal opinion that CB135 has little to no scent throw despite the load that it can take. C3 has been a far better performer for me and pretty much one of the better soys for throw. I will never order CB135 again.

However, the CB135 I think leaves better tops than the other soys so if you are making unscented candles and want a pretty one, it might be a good wax to consider.

[safetysue]

I'm with Eric.... I will not use CB 135. It does not throw. I've cured candles for a month and still no throw. I'm now a C3 user and love it.

[wiscwicks]

Awesome. Thanks guys. Saved me the hassle of switching. I was considering a switch because I was having some problems with scent throw, but I think I was miscalculating the amount to put in. I'm new to candle making, so I'm still in the learning process.

Thank you! Looks like the initial pick was right.

[Stella1952]

and can take a fragrance load up to 10-12%

Just because a wax can hold a higher percentage of FO does not mean that one should use that much! Soy waxes are notorious for frosting and extra FO exacerbates that issue. I strive to use as little FO as possible and still get a great throw. 1 oz. PP works for me with C3.

I was having some problems with scent throw, but I think I was miscalculating the amount to put in

It's hard to miscalculate 1 oz. PP. Realize that hot throw is not solely a function of how much FO you use - it has a great deal to do with the size/type of wick used.

Does anyone add anything to C-3 wax, to make it harder

The NatureWax C1 formula is a little harder than C3 - it has some palm wax in the formula. You could try that if you want. You could also try a little palm stearic acid. I wouldn't mess too much with it, however, because C3 will develop cracks if it is made much harder than it already is. Personally, I'd like it if C3 was a tad softer, myself.

or stop it from pulling away from the sides of the container two days after pouring?

Understand that while we all hate wet spots, they are a fact of life that every chandler has to deal with. Look at the candles in your local stores. I promise you you'll find wet spots on them, too (even the high-dollar brands).

The residue on the new glassware from manufacturing can contribute to poor adhesion. To reduce "wet spots" and increase adhesion, wash your glassware in HOT water with either Parson's sudsy ammonia or Dawn dishwashing detergent. Rinse in HOT water and allow to air-dry upside down. You can prewarm the glassware (not hot - the glass should be comfortable to hold in your hand) before pouring, which also helps a little. Glass adhesion is problematic during winter months because of the different rates of expansion and contraction between wax and glass due to cooler ambient air temps. It also happens in the summer because of air conditioning. Allowing your candles to cool slowly and evenly helps, but it isn't unusual to go to bed satisfied that you have just poured an absolutely PERFECT batch of candles only to arise the next morning to candles with wet spots or syneresis droplets on the surface. This is the effect of cooler room temps on the newly poured warmer candles. Protect newly poured candles from extremes in temperature and drafts and this will help reduce this issue. HTH

[wiscwicks]

I quickly found a tip to put a cardboard box over the candle to help them cool slower, which works great. I pour, put a box over, leave for 24 hours and all the candles look beautiful. Tops as smooth as a baby's bottom, even around the wick. It does also seem to reduce the amount of candle that pulls away a few days later in the cold. (Live in wisconsin, so it's going to get cold!)

I will definitely try washing the containers first. I actually hadn't done that yet, but that makes perfect sense.

And because of the problem I was having with the "frosting" on the sides, I'm leaning toward just creating a line without color. I was trying to use dye drops, but because they are so hard to calculate and you have to use so much wax in one batch to try to dillute the color. It was hard during testing. Maybe once I can finally get a good wick combination, I can try to start adding color again, but I didn't want to waste all that wax, fragrance, and dye for test candles when I can't even figure out which wick to use. The jars are primarily 3, 12, 18oz whisper jars, where the 12 and 18 are both 4" wide.