dez25 Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 I am having a problem with my candles having a hardened top half with the color and sent coming to the top of the candle. I don't know what is causing this. I am using plain paraffin wax, no hardner, and mixing it 1 lb of wax to 1 oz of fragrance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Brand of paraffin? Some brands that I use won't hold that much scent and will "sweat" it out from the tops and the sides. Is this what you are seeing? Wiping it away solves this but think of the fragrance oil one is wasting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dez25 Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 No i don't think that is what is going on. once it gets to the 2 hr mark it gets like white spots on the top and then it has like a puddle of fragance and dye around the wick. I have never had this problem before I am using straight paraffin wax from hobby lobby. I don't know if i should add some hardner to it or more wax i am really not sure what to do??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 I use HL paraffin wax and the label says low oil content. I interpret that to mean that it can't hold a lot of oil. I have found that 3% (by weight) is about all it can handle 13 grams per 454 grams of wax). One ounce is 28.53 grams so you are about twice what I use. What is you mixing procedure? The FO and wax may also not be throughly mixed and if the wax can't hold that much oil, it may be pooling in places. Just my thoughts.Are you making pillars with this wax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Sounds like the wax your using can not hold the FO amt you added. Add less FO. Batches of wax can vary in their performance even if its the same brand. Thats why testing each new batch is important. Im thinking you can add less FO or switch to a different wax. Sorry your having this issue, I know problems like this can be very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 I use Hobby Lobby wax as well and can't get it to take more than 1/2 ounce by itself. I'd suggest adding steric or vybar. Mine puddled as well, but not quite like what you're talking about. The vybar 103 solved it for me. But as a warning, I'd find an alternate supplier for the vybar if that's what you are going for. Hobby Lobby charges something like $5.00 for a 4 ounce package, other vendors do $5.00 for a full 16 ounces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 (edited) The waxes on sale at craft stores are pretty much worthless junk and pricey too. If you want to make some good candles buy your candle wax from a refutable candle supply store like Peaks, CS, CW, C&S, Lonestar, etc. Plus often the wax comes in unmarked slabs with no idea who the manufacturer is or what its used for. Others may be marked "pillar wax". Again this does not tell you what wax this is. Useless!Plain wax, or 'straight' paraffin wax has no additives and won't hold much FO and you are going to have multiple appearence issues to deal with like you're having now. In order for it to hold 6% FO load you have to use additives. Likewise for a variety of appearence issues like seperation, pitting, shrinkage, etc. If you are going to make pillar candles you will need additives.Or maybe you are trying to make a container candle? Straight parrafin is not designed for making containers. Again if you want to make container candles you will have to use additives. For container candles you would do much better using a pre-blended container wax designed for making container candles. Edited May 29, 2011 by Candybee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 The waxes on sale at craft stores are pretty much worthless junk and pricey too.I use Hobby Lobby wax strictly because I can't afford to keep my pricing what it is without it. I can't afford to eat the shipping costs either. Price of wax at hobby lobby locally is $17.99 per 10 lbs. (Michael's craft stores is much more expensive, and so worthless as far as I'm concerned.) Peak is the closest wax source to me at the present time. Their base price for one of the waxes that I'd be using from them comes out to be $1.39 per pound, which is awesome. But that price only remains as long as I pick it up from the warehouse. If I were to ship it, it would then go up to a price of $1.88 per pound. Doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. $0.09 per pound can add up to my customers, and then will lose me sales. It is more cost effective to get the cheaper wax, test and use additives. That said, if I go across the area for a reason (for example, I have to take my children to Louisiana to see their dad this coming month), I do make an effort to stop at a supplier and pick the wax up at the cheaper costs. I still end up testing, but it's even more cost effective that way for me. And I know full well that so many of the candle makers can't do the trips like that. And frankly it sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I'd just say to get some steric to absorb the weeping of the fragrance and it will help with the structure of the candle. HL wax has probably changed since I used it when I was first learning so I'm not going to say it's a bad wax or a good wax. However, if you're using the color and fragrance from there, those are definitely rip offs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Oh dear gods, isn't that the frigging truth! $3.99 for a half ounce of scent, and not all that strong either. *shakes head* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dez25 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Yea I have came to the conclusion that this wax is crapy!!!!! thanks everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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