julz81 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Which is easier to use and which is the better value? I have been looking around and pricing them but not sure which is a better deal. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksranch Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Depends on what you are coloring. Soy, pariffin, etc.. For me, I use pariffin and use liquid most of the time. There are a few colors I get in chips because I'm not the best at mixing and they don't come in liquid. Although the liquids are around $5 a bottle, it's very concentrated so a bottle goes a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julz81 Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 sorry Yeah I will be starting with a pariffin blend first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyinVA Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I used to to use dye blocks went to liquid and never looked back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleasureridgecandles Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I used to use the blocks as well and then tried the liquid. Once I did I stopped using the blocks other than 1 particular color (lime green). I just couldn't get the shade of green I wanted for things like green apple, cucumber melon etc. The liquid does go a LONG way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWV Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Same here, I mainly use liquid. There are a few dye chips I still use for specific colors, but I prefer liquid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 There's a recent topic about this...I use EVO liquid dyes from Candlewic and a few Reddig-Glo dye chips here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spark-me-up Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 (edited) Liquid is definitely better value, but I find it hard to use. Sometimes I just want to add a TINY bit more & it is very easy to go overboard & add in too much. (I use a skewer- dip it in the bottle & get a very little coating on the tip & stir it into the wax... I'm learning to judge, but of course, every colour is going to be different, ain't it? =) So that's why I prefer the blocks. You can shave them & have more control about what you add.ETA: Also, the liquid is far messier! If you get so much as a smidge on your hands or somewhere, it spreads & is very hard to remove! I got some on my hand once without realising, nicked out to the shop & got a few funny looks. After I was home for a while, I happened to look in the mirror. OH boy... I'd managed a few good smears all over my face... I looked a bit like I'd been bashed So... the moral IS.. if you use liquid dyes, make sure you look in the mirror, when you're done! Edited October 24, 2011 by spark-me-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Liquid is definitley better value, but I find it hard to use. Sometimes I just want to add a TINY bit more & it is very easy to go overboard & add in too much. (I use a skewer- dip it in the bottle & get a very little coating on the tip & stir it into the wax... I'm learning to judge, but of course, every colour is going to be different, ain't it? =) So that's why I prefer the blocks. You can shave them & have more control about what you add.More control & waaaay less of a mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I use liquid, but I mix my own blocks in dixie cups. I have basic colors and mix orange - for example - I write the number of drops of red and yellow on the side of the dixie cup then fill it about 3/8" full of wax. Mix it and let it harden. Then if I need just a shave of a color, I can get it. If I need a deep color, I know how many drops of each will make my desired shade. I have bottles of liquid that I have had for years and they still work perfectly well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 the moral IS.. if you use liquid dyes, make sure you look in the mirror, when you're done! Liquid dye gives far more control and no specks of color. Having said that, there ARE some of us who are commonly referred to as "dirt magnets." These are the people who get paint everywhere, dyes all over themselves, and make unbelievable messes. I resemble that remark. It would be safer for me to work in one of those enclosed cabinets like are used for sandblasting. If you too resemble this description, prepare for this. Shake your dyes well (DO remember to tighten the cap BEFORE shaking) so they do not temporarily clog, then spew. Close tightly immediately after using. Only open one bottle at a time. Put the bottle in something tip-proof. Wash dye off your hands immediately. Roll up your sleeves & tie back your hair. And when you have wiped up the spatters when you made a mess anyway, look DOWN onto the floor around you as well as everything on the counter or table so you do not discover the answer to how I tracked black dye all over the floor around my kitchen sink... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksranch Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Liquid dye gives far more control and no specks of color. Having said that, there ARE some of us who are commonly referred to as "dirt magnets." These are the people who get paint everywhere, dyes all over themselves, and make unbelievable messes. I resemble that remark. It would be safer for me to work in one of those enclosed cabinets like are used for sandblasting. If you too resemble this description, prepare for this. Shake your dyes well (DO remember to tighten the cap BEFORE shaking) so they do not temporarily clog, then spew. Close tightly immediately after using. Only open one bottle at a time. Put the bottle in something tip-proof. Wash dye off your hands immediately. Roll up your sleeves & tie back your hair. And when you have wiped up the spatters when you made a mess anyway, look DOWN onto the floor around you as well as everything on the counter or table so you do not discover the answer to how I tracked black dye all over the floor around my kitchen sink...SO true - it doesn't matter what I do - if I use blue or brown I get it ALL over!! lol So, be sure to invest in a bottle of Goo Gone - it cleans it up and will get it off your hands (or face) easily! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 There was a thread recently about uses for crappy FOs.... I have read here that FOs will take nearly anything off of anything else, so I think I'm going to see if it'll take the dye off the floor... and, with any luck, not melt the sheet vinyl... ya know, "a candle solution for a candle problem" rationale... If it doesn't work, I'm buying a new throw rug. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I use powders. Very very concentrated. It is not messy unless you put it in the pot before you dump in the liquid wax. Then it seems to leave a fine color dust everywhere. But a little goes a very long way so the smidgen, pinch and dash measurement spoons are a must! I find them the most economical, although I think I am the only one on here that uses them. I have to add to much liquid to get the colors I want and that affects the burn. I have just purchased dye blocks for coloring 25lbs of wax. I havn't tried them yet because I don't want to test them on 25lbs and then waste it all if it doesn't work well. So I will need to cut them in half to test. They are from Bittercreek and I was wondering if the smaller chips are the same as the larger blocks, but just smaller. They have them named different colors though, so I wasn't sure. I will need to call them and ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleasureridgecandles Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 There was a thread recently about uses for crappy FOs.... I have read here that FOs will take nearly anything off of anything else, so I think I'm going to see if it'll take the dye off the floor... and, with any luck, not melt the sheet vinyl... ya know, "a candle solution for a candle problem" rationale... If it doesn't work, I'm buying a new throw rug. : )I had read that somewhere as well. I can tell you I did try some FO on a shirt and it removed the color I had gotten on me from the liquid dye. Also removed it from my hands as well, then just washed my hands really good. I dabbed a little on a paper towel and blotted it on the shirt. It took it right out and then I threw the shirt in the wash. I wasn't sure if the FO sitting in too long would do something to the shirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitewing Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I used liquid until I ended up looking like a Smurf. I hate dye blocks because I like to make my colors consistent for what I sell. Liquid dye can screw up a whole pot. I prefer the dye chips, ie diamond chips. I get consistent colors even if I make 20 candles at one sitting. They are not that difficult to mix if you have a color wheel and a razor blade to get colors you might think of buying but want to see it first. We have about 20 different colored diamonds and can do all sorts of tricks with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I used liquid until I ended up looking like a Smurf.I'll bet you looked cute, though! ROTFLMAO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I've been using flakes for years now. But I'm finding information from some of the color suppliers that flakes are going by the way side in favor of the liquids. So I just had to have a specific blend formulated for one of my colors. Had to purchase an entire pound of the colorant to do so, but hey. I won't run out any time soon! I hated working with blocks. Never could get a good solid color unless I used quite a bit in the wax. And it was impossible to get a consistent shade between batches. Liquids so far aren't bad for the solid colors I need for a few of my customers, and it's easy enough to match the color blend if you record how many drops per pound of which shade you've used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertgibbens Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Candlescience has a great like green liquid color called key west liked green. Makes really nice lime green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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