heavenly scents Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 i have just gotten into this hobby of candle making and am very excited. i am still testing all of my fo's in the one size container and all i can say is wow!!!! i have given a few to friends to test and everyone says they are great and has asked if i can make votives and tea lights. i feel confident that i couldnt muck up the tea lights but the votives have me a lil leary or shall i say scared that i wouldnt make them right. i have been reading up on alot of votive threads and have seen where it seems most people are using soy for votives. the wax i use now is parafin based and i have read everyone saying they are in no way shape form or fashion the same two peas in a pod. if any exp. votive makers could chime in and kinda take a poll i would greatly appreciate it. and also is soy really that hard to work with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAgirl89 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Votives I think are really easy to do. For my votives and tarts I am using the EcoSoya Pillar Blend from Candle Science.I have the metal votive molds and the votive wick pins. I melt the wax, scent and color and pour. The pins fit nicely inside the votive cup and I let it set. Once it's cooled, the votive comes out and I take the pin out and wick it. You can also work with silicone votive molds. The wick pins work with those too, just place it inside the cup and pour your wax. The silicone mold I have, I believe has 8 cups to a sheet. My silicone mold votives are bigger than the 15 hour metal mold votives.I just started working with tealights. They're pretty easy to work with too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenly scents Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 are there any things you do differently with soy that you do with parafin in your soy votives? i mean is it pretty much like pouring a conatiner candle just melt reach temp add fo and pour? i have read about tempering and other methods as well as using a heat gun on the tops of soy candles to smooth them out. do you have any of these problems from your soy wax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 There are a ton of scents that do not throw well in Soy ... it is a whole different animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAgirl89 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) are there any things you do differently with soy that you do with parafin in your soy votives? i mean is it pretty much like pouring a conatiner candle just melt reach temp add fo and pour? i have read about tempering and other methods as well as using a heat gun on the tops of soy candles to smooth them out. do you have any of these problems from your soy wax?I use only soy wax for my candles, container and votives.I haven't had real problems with the rough tops on my soy candles. I have noticed the hotter temp I pour, the smoother the tops. I melt my soy wax to about 185/200 and add FO. I stir about 2 minutes and pour into the container or mold. Edited February 16, 2011 by PAgirl89 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CellarDweller Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Hi there, I make a lot of votives and I use paraffin...either 1343 or 1274. Here are some good instructions http://www.candletech.com/candle-making-basics/votive-candle-instructions/ however like the previous poster, I use the wick pins too. It is so much easier! You can make a small batch and test a bunch of different wicks side by side very easily to determine which will work better for you. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenly scents Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 thank you for the link cellar. i just dont know which wax to pick. the one thing i see about the soy wax votives is they burn slower. have you always poured parafin votives? if not what was your take on the soy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I don't know where the information that most people use soy for votives comes from. If you're used to paraffin, use paraffin.You can use tart/votive wax or blend your own. I blend my own. My votives last 20-24 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenly scents Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 thanks silverfox for the input id like to stay all parafin if possible just because it is what i have started using with my containers and do not wish to screw anything up lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Votives and container candles really have nothing to do with each other. They each require completely different waxes. Unless you're using your container wax to blend with a hard paraffin (i.e., something like 1343), your votive wax will be completely independent of whatever you're using for containers.Hope that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CellarDweller Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I have always used paraffin for my votives, mainly because I prefer the mottled look. I use paraffin for my pillars too, but soy for my jars. Like Sliverofwax said, they are all independent. It's really all about preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I use paraffin only. For votives I use my pillar wax and wick pins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenly scents Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 sliver i understand what your saying as each are their own breed of wax. i am just scared of messing with soy as i read horror stories about it. im thinking ill order some 1274 and some votive supplies and give it a whirl. if i was pouring tarts in a clam shell would this wax work with out adding anything extra. also thanks for the info satin ducky do you find that your votives smell as good as your conatiners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I couldn't really say as I rarely mess with containers. IMO containers seem to give a stronger throw than pillars do in general, probably because container wax holds more FO and has more of a melt pool. You might be able to do votives out of container wax but I'm not sure you'd be able to get them out of the mold. Container wax isn't supposed to shrink away from the sides like pillar wax does. Waxes designed for votives is in between kinda. My experience from store bought candles over the years, votives just aren't going to give as much of a hot throw as a larger candle of any kind since it's the hot wax in the melt pool that gives the scent out and votives have a smaller surface and melt pool. I'm sure others will have different opinions from mine too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenly scents Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 thanks satin ducky thats kinda the conclussion i had came too myself. it makes me feel better to hear it from someone who has had prior knowledge. i think ill give it a shot and see what i can come up with. i have to do some research and figure out a whole new set of wick testing and what all i will need to order to get started and if i may ask what style wick works best in parafin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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