jonsie Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 My candle experience is with GW 464 so I'm in the habit of curing at least 48 hours before testing. Now that I am trying to make outdoor Summer candles, I am playing around with pure beeswax candles and beeswax scented with EOs. Any input on how long to cure the beeswax? Searching the forum revealed one recommendation of 24 hours, but it was an old thread and I'm hoping more has been learned since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spark-me-up Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Ha ha ha Jonsie! Beat me to all my intended beeswax experimenting I see =)I don't know, but if you have EO's in the mix, I think they ALWAYS need at least a week to settle in. I wonder, with beeswax- seeing as it's SO viscous, if it might need even a little longer?Who knows though. Mostly, my theories are proven wrong in this caper Hope someone comes along to tell you.Happy New Year! Edited January 8, 2012 by spark-me-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsie Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Hey Sparky! How've ya been?? Hope your Summer is going well. What got you interested in beeswax? I never used it before until now and I'm impressed with how hard it is, but I feel intimidated by it, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Most of my beeswax candles are unscented. But, those few customer requests that are scented with FO/EO's are usually out the door 3 days after pouring. I don't have the time to let candles sit and cure for a week or more and after 13 years no complaints yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekeeper_sd Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I agree with ChrisR. I have burned my candles as soon as they are completely cooled and have had no problems. Don't be intimidated with beeswax, I have always found it very easy to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsie Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Thank you both very much, that is extremely helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spark-me-up Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) I'm in Victoria, so it's like "What Summer?" Damn!!!What got me interested? Well, it just seems so different to Palm n Soy... I am IN LOVE with it's natural smell & I was going to take a crack with wood wicks. Seems like a good challenge... (I'll be whinging my butt off in here about it in no time, I imagine =D Also, I know peeps are keen to buy these candles. The cost is prohibitive but if you keep them small... plus, many are becoming more cognisant of WHY they cost a bit extra, which helps! I may be able to get my hands on some local- BONUS, but I'm not sure yet.Having said all this, I read briefly about Walnut & Apricot wax & wondering if candles can be made from the stuff. I like all the obscure waxes it seems!Anyway, please keep us posted... exciting! Hope all goes well =) Edited January 9, 2012 by spark-me-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsie Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 I love the smell of beeswax too. The 'naturally bleached' wax pellets I had hardly had any smell, but the block of barely filtered beeswax smelled divine! Makes complete sense what led you to it.As for the wood wicks... I have been up and down that road, and jay-walked it back and forth a few times. If you have any questions, please PM me. Let me know what type you are using. I started off being completely in love with them, and now I am kinda lukewarm on them. A combination of beeswax and timber wicks would be truly lovely, but a container for that inferno would involve Star Trek IV-type materials. I am very impressed with your walnut & apricot pursuits. I'd love to hear how it goes. I have a stash of cottonseed wax here that I haven't played with yet if you ever get bored.Stay warm!Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockey Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I'm very curious if there are others with experience on curing their beeswax candles. I am fairly new to chandlery and have been pouring beeswax tapers with hemp wicks. I have been letting my candles cure for about a week. However, when I burn my test candles they seem to burn really quickly, and drip A LOT of wax. With my last test batch I tried using a thicker wick to see if it would burn up the wax rather than drip, but it seemed to be the same issue. I thought perhaps I wasn't curing them fast enough. Any thoughts? TYIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 10 hours ago, jrockey said: I'm very curious if there are others with experience on curing their beeswax candles. I am fairly new to chandlery and have been pouring beeswax tapers with hemp wicks. I have been letting my candles cure for about a week. However, when I burn my test candles they seem to burn really quickly, and drip A LOT of wax. With my last test batch I tried using a thicker wick to see if it would burn up the wax rather than drip, but it seemed to be the same issue. I thought perhaps I wasn't curing them fast enough. Any thoughts? TYIA I have the best, most consistent, clean dripless burns with square braid cotton wicks. hemp may not have the ability to draw the thick, viscous wax in balance with the heat it creates at the flame. The time you note sounds like it is overwicked. I get about 1-2 hours per inch of typical taper size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockey Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 @TallTayl Thank you. I really was hoping the hemp wick would work out. I see others on the market and it makes me curious if they are doing something different. I just ordered some square wicks in hopes of getting a better result. I should mention that I am also using a "dirty" wax from a local apiary. I do filter it, it's just a darker amber color. And the sweet honey smell is beautifully rich. I have not done any test batches with the regular beeswax. Do you think this might be why I'm having some issues? Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 57 minutes ago, jrockey said: @TallTayl Thank you. I really was hoping the hemp wick would work out. I see others on the market and it makes me curious if they are doing something different. I just ordered some square wicks in hopes of getting a better result. I should mention that I am also using a "dirty" wax from a local apiary. I do filter it, it's just a darker amber color. And the sweet honey smell is beautifully rich. I have not done any test batches with the regular beeswax. Do you think this might be why I'm having some issues? Thanks for your help! The darker the wax, the harder it is to burn. That may be contributing to your burn issues, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elenthis Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Amber colored beeswax still contains some honey so maybe it can cause the issue too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hummingbird Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Hi, @jrockey can I ask if the square braid cotton wicks helped? We are having the same problem in that the wax drips hideously and the candle burns extremely fast. We are using our own beeswax but we don't filter it we just clean it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 2 hours ago, Hummingbird said: Hi, @jrockey can I ask if the square braid cotton wicks helped? We are having the same problem in that the wax drips hideously and the candle burns extremely fast. We are using our own beeswax but we don't filter it we just clean it. That sounds like one of the following: -Wrong wick type - wrong wick size - candles too “fresh”. They need several days to harden up for a decent wick test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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