Switching from Pillar to Container

[Fiery_WA]

Gday

Let me begin by saying I am a newbie when it comes to making a candles, but I do so enjoy it.

I started off using Paraffin Wax, it was the cheapest for me to get shipped in, until my walls turned black from the soot. I then purchased a 25kg bag of Feathered Palm Wax.

I love the scent throw from the Palm, so I have decided to stick with that wax.

Up until I started making my own candles I had been buying 6" tall candles, that had a 65+ hour burn time. And were palm wac.

So when I purchased my first mould, I bought a 76mm x 165mm - Concave Pillar mould. Did ok candles with Paraffin, nice even burn, cheap enough - DOWSIDE soot.

Now with the Palm Wax, I am having so many issues, with tunneling (this is my biggest gripe) the tunneling.

I have been told Palm behaves in this way. I have googled my ass off, rang my wax supplier, and have also made contact with professional chandlers.

It was during one conversation with a professional chandler, she suggested rather than me doing pillar candles, I do container candles.

To me it sounds like an option worth exploring. I contacted my wax supplier to see if the wax I had purchased from her would be okay to use in containers, she indicated it would shrink, other than that however it would be fine.

Which leads me to a whole new set of problems and questions.

I have several wicks here CDN 16, CDN 18, and 5m roll of 30ply cotton medium wick, and a couple of tabbed wicks size unknown.

Now I am guessing here, but my Pillar mould is 3" in diameter, and rather than totally waste the wicks I have already, I was going to purchase some glass containers.

So first question if I can find here at home to begin with a container that has a 3" diameter top, can I use the CDN 16 or CDN 18 wicks? They are a non tabbed wick.

Which leads me to my next question, would it be worthwhile me buying a wick pin.

The reading I have done, suggests a hot glue gun and tabbed wicks, I am wary of trying to use a hot glue gun, as I have a Parkinson's like illness, which means my hands shake a lot, and I can see glue going everywhere but where it is supposed too, that and I am scared of burning myself.

Is any of the above possible, or am I just dreaming?

[EricofAZ]

Go buy some wick stickums. They work better than glue dots and they work better than a hot glue gun. Your Parkinson's like shake will be fine with stickums if you go slow. No harm if you miss.

I'm not sure that containers are right for you. Each container has a shape to it and the wick that you use has to work with that shape. Unless you plan on using a container that is round with straight edges, you might be better off with moulds and pillars. Containers with bulging centers, or bulging bottoms, or bulging tops, or narrow centers are going to give you a fit to wick. Containers with tops that close in will retain heat more than ones that have wide openings. Tops that close in sometimes are strong throwers for the right wick, but also a hair pulling event to get it right.

Pillars are a great place to start and maybe soy or paraffin rather than palm. Palm is tough to wick, needs a lot of heat but not a lot of ROC compared to the BTU's of the flame IMHO.

Also, consider that palm needs more heat than paraffin or soy, so you will have to upwick with that and that just means a really hot glass container.

[Fiery_WA]

Hiya Eric

You stalking me :highfive: hehe just joking. Wick Stickums, well they do sell them here in Australia which is a real bonus!

But switching waxes is a no go for me, I live in the ass end of Australia a little island called Tasmania. Which means not only do I have to purchase the wax, but get it shipped to me. (The shipping costs almost $10.00 cheaper) than the Palm Wax. The cost of a 25kg bag of Palm Wax costs AU$84.95, Soy Wax for Pillars a 22.6kg bag AU$222.7, Soy Wax for containers a 22.6kg bag AU$173.25, and this is from one of the cheapest online stores I can find, top that off with AU$70.00 freight and it is just too costly. So I have no choice but to stick at it with the Palm Wax.

I am just exploring other options, seeing as how I am having trouble with the Pillars

[Beli]

You need a wax specific for container candles. Palm Feather pillar wax isn't. It's a much harder wax then container wax. Anyone who tells you that you can use Pillar wax for container candles I would not purchase from again. Container wax is softer generally speaking. However your palm pillar wax isn't useless you can make tarts out of them and use up the wax that way.

If you want to stick with palm than I suggest purchasing Glass Glow Palm wax. It's specifically made for containers and is a palm wax.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Beli

[Tribalvixen]

ACS wax is way cheaper than that and their shipping rates are very good. I suggest you look around cos a 22kg bag at acs of 464/444/415 or tart wax 416 is all $90 ea. Even NCS is $120 for cb 135. That is definatly NOT the cheapest online wax store in Au. I gave you this info in the other thread.....

[Sharon in KY]

Gday

Let me begin by saying I am a newbie when it comes to making a candles, but I do so enjoy it.

I started off using Paraffin Wax, it was the cheapest for me to get shipped in, until my walls turned black from the soot. I then purchased a 25kg bag of Feathered Palm Wax.

I love the scent throw from the Palm, so I have decided to stick with that wax.

Up until I started making my own candles I had been buying 6" tall candles, that had a 65+ hour burn time. And were palm wac.

So when I purchased my first mould, I bought a 76mm x 165mm - Concave Pillar mould. Did ok candles with Paraffin, nice even burn, cheap enough - DOWSIDE soot.

Now with the Palm Wax, I am having so many issues, with tunneling (this is my biggest gripe) the tunneling.

I have been told Palm behaves in this way. I have googled my ass off, rang my wax supplier, and have also made contact with professional chandlers.

It was during one conversation with a professional chandler, she suggested rather than me doing pillar candles, I do container candles.

To me it sounds like an option worth exploring. I contacted my wax supplier to see if the wax I had purchased from her would be okay to use in containers, she indicated it would shrink, other than that however it would be fine.

Which leads me to a whole new set of problems and questions.

I have several wicks here CDN 16, CDN 18, and 5m roll of 30ply cotton medium wick, and a couple of tabbed wicks size unknown.

Now I am guessing here, but my Pillar mould is 3" in diameter, and rather than totally waste the wicks I have already, I was going to purchase some glass containers.

So first question if I can find here at home to begin with a container that has a 3" diameter top, can I use the CDN 16 or CDN 18 wicks? They are a non tabbed wick.

Which leads me to my next question, would it be worthwhile me buying a wick pin.

The reading I have done, suggests a hot glue gun and tabbed wicks, I am wary of trying to use a hot glue gun, as I have a Parkinson's like illness, which means my hands shake a lot, and I can see glue going everywhere but where it is supposed too, that and I am scared of burning myself.

Is any of the above possible, or am I just dreaming?

"TOP" did some testing with Feather wax.

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?90341-Feather-Palm-Testing

[HorseScentS]

My understanding is that paraffin does not produce more soot than veggie wax, it depends on how you wick it & other things. That said, I love the look of GG palm.

[Pam W]

My understanding is that paraffin does not produce more soot than veggie wax, it depends on how you wick it & other things. That said, I love the look of GG palm.

I'm been making paraffin pillars for going on 7 yrs and my walls are not black!!!!!!!

[Fiery_WA]

ACS wax is way cheaper than that and their shipping rates are very good. I suggest you look around cos a 22kg bag at acs of 464/444/415 or tart wax 416 is all $90 ea. Even NCS is $120 for cb 135. That is definatly NOT the cheapest online wax store in Au. I gave you this info in the other thread.....

Yes I have been in contact with David from ACS, at this stage I am going to stick with the Palm, see if a different supplier doesn't give me a better product. As I have all the equipment for Pillars. If that fails, then I will look at switching to Soy and going containers.

Also at the time Tammy, I liked the look of the Palm as opposed to the Soy, and please keep in mind, this was my first purchase of Palm, I had purchased the Paraffin from this supplier, they were the only ones I could find at the time that sold Paraffin.

It is a learning curve

[Tribalvixen]

I understand and yes they are the only ones with paraffin at a reasonable price. Palm is very pretty and once you work it out it is a wonderful wax to use. I love using palm. I was only trying to help you save money if you decided to go the soy road.

[Fiery_WA]

Yes I love the feathering effect of the Palm, I gather you use Palm? Tammy. I am tempted to try out the Soy, to see if I can get a better burn from it, but my problem is I am a bit like a dog (loyal), if I find someone or someplace, that gives me (at the time) what I see a good service, I try my best to stick to them. Not always the cheapest way to go on the hip pocket, but that's just me *pant* *pant* *woof* *woof* :drool: