Jillsthings Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Hello everyone! My name is Jill and I am a stay at home mom of 3. They are now all in school, so while I do transcription from home part-time, I wanted an actual hobby, something I enjoyed doing, besides shopping. I've always LOVED candles and wanted to try my hand at making my own, but just never got around to it. I finally decided to take the plunge. I love soy candles, so even though I'm reading that they are a lot harder, I'm up for the challenge!I dove right in, buying a kit about two to three weeks ago off of Ebay. Followed the directions to the T, but was not impressed. I wasn't sure if it was me, the supplies, the directions, etc. I changed the temps to add everything, and they turned out slightly better, but still no cigar, lol. I got frustrated, so I went on Candle Science and bought GB 464 (still don't know what wax was in the kit) and other supplies. I've been making 4 and 8 oz jelly jars using eco 10 wicks, which in all the candles I've tested, seem to burn well, clean sides of the jars, little to no mushrooming. After finding this forum and reading up, I'm learning that the FO can also change to wick you use.I really wish I would've found this site earlier than I did, but there's no looking back now. I've spent a small fortune on supplies, split between a few orders over the past two weeks. :-) My husband just rolls his eyes at me, but he's supportive of my hobby, so all is well. I figure that I've got plenty to test with, and I enjoy making them and, of course, burning them! He comes home from work and one of the first things I ask him now is, "Can you smell the candle?" HT has been my biggest struggle. Actually, my biggest problem is impatience. I have a really hard time letting them sit to cure. :-)I wait at least 24 hours, then I light it and let it burn for about an hour. If I can't smell it (after leaving the room and coming back in) then I blow it out, let it cool, put the lid back on and leave it alone a few more days. Anyhow, before I write a whole book in my very first post, I'm gonna leave it at that for now. I can get pretty talkative, so just yell at me if need be. :-) I'm excited to be here and to continue learning. I've found lots of great info on here already. Now, if I could just listen to most of it and quit being so impatient and buying more stuff that I don't need yet, lol. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksranch Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Welcome! I don't do soy candles - do pariffin - but there are a LOT of people on this forum that do and you certainly can find tons of good info here! Sounds like you have a good start, because you have a good attitude and know it won't come easy to get that 'perfect' candle you're looking for - but, it's worth it when you do!! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Check out this very recent thread and see of there is some info you can use, we can go on from there http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?100829-Feel-like-I-m-in-over-my-head...-what-am-I-doing-wrong&p=927149#top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emahleem Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hi Jill!I am in pretty much the same situation as you! Brand new to candlemaking, and I am also using GB 464 with ECO wicks. The link that rjdaines posted has a lot of good advice that I am currently putting into action, so I will let you know how it goes. Please keep me updated, too! Since we are both using the same wax and wicks, I think we could probably help each other out by sharing our failures, ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Welcome, Jill. Hope you're having fun. It's very helpful to search the forums and read, read, read - there's so MUCH in these ol' threads!! I DO understand the desire to burn them ASAP - I used to hide mine out of sight so I wouldn't be tempted. Have FUN!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hi Jill, welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcollins78 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I wait at least 24 hours, then I light it and let it burn for about an hour. If I can't smell it (after leaving the room and coming back in) then I blow it out, let it cool, put the lid back on and leave it alone a few more days. Welcome to the hobby! It's a fun one I haven't been making candles too long and haven't at all lately because I have a newborn but thought I'd point out that it's best to let your candle burn until it melts out to the glass - if you only burn it an hour (assuming it burns an inch in that hour) it will start tunneling with subsequent burns. I don't know yet if tunneling affects HT but it's a waste of wax at the least.Good luck with your testing! Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Agreed - you need to burn your candles 1 hour per inch of inside diameter per session. It isn't imperative that the candle attain FMP on the first burn, but it usually does so on the second. Curing the candle should take place before you begin burning it. You really won't be able to tell anything about the performance of your candles or the HT the way you are burning them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sisters3 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hi Jill! I am pretty new to the forum as well, have been making candles for about a year and was SO GLAD to find this community. I use GB 464 as well and I love it. Have fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillsthings Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Thanks for all the welcomes and tips! I really appreciate it. :-) Getting the kids around for school, then a busy day of running around for me, but I'll post more later. Just wanted to say thanks really quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sporadic Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Here are some directions for container soy candles: http://rusticescentuals.com/candle-making-directions.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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