Room temperature and RoC

[jonsie]

Considering how Rate of Consumption (RoC) is affected by the room temperature, and we can't always control the customer's room temperature, how do you design your candle? I'm curious how broad of a room temperature range everyone wicks their veggie waxes, if you don't mind sharing. And, do you state on the candle the ideal temperatures in which to burn the candle?

Thanks,

Susan

[Stella1952]

I state that my candles are for indoor use only, although I frequently use them on my porch & in the garden area. Indoor temps can vary quite a bit, depending on the customer's home. The range I shoot for is between 65°F-80°. I do test my candles outside that range to insure that if the environment is a little cooler or warmer, the candles will perform as planned. I've noted more problems with the candles at low temps (below 55°F) than higher ones (above 90°F).

[jonsie]

Thank you Stella, that is very helpful!

[bart70]

Hi Jonsie,

My experience is based on palm pillars.

I do find a difference between hot and cold. I tend to engineer my candles to burn as much wax as possible without risk of blowouts. I need to be careful when test burning in the cold as they do not tend to melt as wide as they would in the warmer temps, leaving the risk that a candle tested to burn to maximum in the cool could blow out in the hot.

I am lucky to live in a temperate climate where winters are not severe so can test burn pretty accurately most of the year. If a bit cool I usually have the heating on anyway.

Cheers,

Bart70

[jonsie]

If I could keep my candles here in Australia then I think I would be just fine But like it or not, most of them end up as gifts in other areas of the world. The reason behind this is that most of my friends are not from Australia, but are expats, and they like giving local gifts to their friends back home (i.e. my homemade, handpoured candles). It's not a complaint, because it is a very nice spot to be in. But I worry over the idea of a candle made for a Perth summer being burned in a U.K. winter.

[jonsie]

I tend to engineer my candles to burn as much wax as possible without risk of blowouts.

I think this is the best way to design the burn. If I remember correctly, Bart, you don't do container candles, however, that is all I do. So I'm going to focus on keeping my candle from drowning out in the second half of the burn. Which may mean a hotter burn at the beginning, but... so be it.

[bart70]

Yes...That is right - I am not doing container candles at present but will be embarking on them early in the New Year due to demand from stockists who are driving me mad to develop them!

The strategy would be different for containers although the same basic principles of correction (one way or another) would apply.

With my pillars I just have to accept that if burned in a cool climate they will tunnel more than those burned in a warmer environment which will tunnel less and do more self consumption. Our stockists are spread over a large area, and even then it is impossible to control which season a candle will be bought in and burned in. the important thing for me is to try to ensure that they will not blow out in any circumstance.

Just adds to the joys of candle making!!

On a different topic (but one close to your heart) I met with a candlemaker recently who made some great wood wicks in Soy. Am waiting in anticipation for David to release his wooden wicks that he has been working on. They have me curious now.....

Cheers,

Bart70

[jonsie]

Shame on me for not thinking more clearly! I made it sound like container candles were a bigger challenge than pillars, when the truth is I am terrified to trying pillars! Sorry for that, I sincerely believe they are difficult to master and therefore I'm not even dreaming of working with them.

Best of luck with the containers, though I'm sure you'll conquer them with no trouble. You already know that simply aquiring the glassware over here can be tough at times, and it may end up being your hardest challenge with the containers

I am extremely curious to find out what David is planning with the wooden wicks, although I haven't asked him about it yet. I don't always see him when I pick up supplies, and at the moment I am so well stocked, I probably won't see him for months, lol.

[bart70]

Shame on me for not thinking more clearly! I made it sound like container candles were a bigger challenge than pillars, when the truth is I am terrified to trying pillars! Sorry for that, I sincerely believe they are difficult to master and therefore I'm not even dreaming of working with them. .

No offence taken.....Containers scare the daylights out of me!....Particularly working with Soy

If you want to have a crack at palm pillars drop me a line, would be happy to share some of my knowledge. Best advice I can give is to buy ACS palm wax and not NCS. Davids wax is far superior in quality, consistency, and ease of use from my experience. Wish I had started out with his wax from day one.

Cheers,

Bart70

[RichardLOZ]

And ACS wax is generally available. You know that NCS are currently testing another batch of crap palm....LOL. They are expecting their next delivery in about 3 weeks.

Hope David has his orders up as I reckon he would have picked up quite a few new customers over the past months......

You are going to have fun with soy . After that try a 4" apothercary sigle wicked with glass glow. That is heaps of fun.

[bart70]

And ACS wax is generally available. You know that NCS are currently testing another batch of crap palm....LOL. They are expecting their next delivery in about 3 weeks..

They will have trouble selling it.....if most of Australia has been getting David's palm wax they will not go back to the NCS rubbish. I reckon it is 20% less labour intensive to get a quality candle than NCS wax was. Has cut our end to end production times down considerably.

Soy is going to be a big learning curve for me. Already started some preliminary pouring to get a bit of a feel for it. Happy with the pour results thus far - just letting them sit for a while before test burning for throw and wick size which is where the real fun will begin. I have more wax enroute at present to continue testing. Glassware will become the more long term issue.

Glass Glow has always intrigued me.....Might have a play with it one day. Is that the GG from NCS or is David stocking it now? from memory GG has been out of stock for a long time at NCS which concerns me - the main reason I have not played with it to date.

Bart70

[RichardLOZ]

Glass Glow has always intrigued me.....Might have a play with it one day. Is that the GG from NCS or is David stocking it now? from memory GG has been out of stock for a long time at NCS which concerns me - the main reason I have not played with it to date.

Bart70

Ii have had it from both. Lets face it though, what does NCS usually have in stock. No wax, no oils, no jars, where do you stop. The GG from David is much nicer, has a nicer crystal pattern and as usual is far more consistent.

We only use it right now in one of our lines, in limited scents, but are working on another range with the GG. I did play with it in cookie jars for a while, as well as hex, jelly and dodecagon jars, but it just wouldn't sell for me. Don't know if it was the jars, or whether people just didn't like the wax.

I will try again in the new range and see where it goes. Palm usually throws better than soy, so I would really like to get a line, even in limited scents to introduce people to the joys of that wax.

Shops are strange though, most just play it safe and take soy jars and melts, yet we have so much more to offer, hence why we do markets to get our creative side out there

[bart70]

Ii have had it from both. Lets face it though, what does NCS usually have in stock. No wax, no oils, no jars, where do you stop. The GG from David is much nicer, has a nicer crystal pattern and as usual is far more consistent.

Yes....Have to agree. NCS have not done themselves any favours at all. David must like it when his greatest competitor grows his business for him by providing such ordinary service.....

We only use it right now in one of our lines, in limited scents, but are working on another range with the GG. I did play with it in cookie jars for a while, as well as hex, jelly and dodecagon jars, but it just wouldn't sell for me. Don't know if it was the jars, or whether people just didn't like the wax.

That is a shame....Palm can be so good to work with. By the sounds of things his GG is as user friendly as his feather.

Shops are strange though, most just play it safe and take soy jars and melts, yet we have so much more to offer, hence why we do markets to get our creative side out there

Yes.....I am finding retailers like to take the 'safe' road. I find it amusing as so many want something different and exclusive, then proceed to tell you they only want white soy in glass containers!...

The market side of things is not a priority for us, but can see how it would be good for the creative side of things to get different things out there. Our kids tend to keep us busy enough on weekends at this stage....at least until they get a little older!

Cheers,

Bart70