chuck_35550

Glad to see more guys in the candle biz. Come on in the weathers fine. Steve

I never used either when working with paraffin but did use coconut with my soy blend whenever the wax was dry or brittle. It really enhances appearance in votives and its my understanding that coconut oil is used in a lot of pre-blended waxes for improved appearance (adhesion to wall) but I did notice an improved ht under the afore mentioned condition of my wax. I have also used petrolatum to soften brittle wax and improve adhesion. Remember that the new Crisco has palm oil in it and that means stearic acid and soy bean oil. Some swear by mineral oil. I'd try another wax. HTH Steve

Yes, the 6 mm size wick assembly and really like cdns when I can find em. I share your pain on having to use a tall container. I don't have much of a soot problem but the flame will flicker on some fos. Good luck. Steve

So are we saying that the stearic content is responsible for the effect? Are we talking 1 oz fo per pound, bakery, floral, eos, or all? I have to agree with CareBear on the reformulation of fos due to Federal guidelines. That has changed fo characteristics in wax and soap IMHO. Steve

Amen to no color. I hated having the mess and some customer saying they didn't want the strawberry in red or that they liked the fragrance but hated the color ect. I think most people are thinking mottled colors and not the pastel creamy colors you get with soy. It's easier on the bottom line as well. JMO Steve

Must have been a Halloween candle? I can't imgaine it either Scented, unless the fo was loaded with vanilla and or spice fragrances. 36 drops in a pound or in one candle? We are talking paraffin right? Steve

This has been a really good summer season for me and I enjoy the coconut/fruit scents a lot. Fall has kind of turned into a lot of variations on apple/pumpkin or spicy type fragrances and has gotten kind of boring. I have standards and private blends but sure would like to have something different to jump start the season. The customers seem to be looking for botanicals all of a sudden, so maybe that's what I need to look for. Ideas? Steve

You've used too much color if the wick is clogging up. You're saying that the candle/fo works just fine unless you use a heavy concentration of liquid color and so the wick clogs and won't stay lit. Wicking up may get you an initial burn but might also increase sooting and may eventually clog up and lose flame size. You might add a little black to your brown to cut down on the amount needed to get the darker color or look at a chip that colors more effectively. Personally, I hate dealing with color and do not use it on any candle, unless the customer requests it. So far, customers like a white candle that fits any decor and seem to be only interested in whether it stinks up their house or not. HTH Steve

My opinion is no but you could cut down on the amount of sooting by not using fos with vanilla or spices. I use a 16 oz salsa jar with about those same dimensions and use a 16cd wick with most of my fos. Anything smaller and the hangup is too much. I have a ton of these jars and have no choice but to use them up. You could try double wicking the jar but it would be a hassle and most customers don't seem to like double wicked candles for some reason. HTH Steve

Save your money on books and read through all the archives on whatever kind of wax, wick and containers you are using. Just type in the word like 464 and all the post discussions will come up on the search tool. I use it all the time to save on searching each post and its really helpful. I bought several books but they were not nearly as helpful as the search tool. It really is too complicated to give you a run down on making a great smelling candle in a few posts. HTH Steve

I've had a Masterbuilt turkey fryer for about 4 years now. It melts 25 pounds or more in less than 30 minutes, digital read out and a pour spout. I dread the day it quits on me and really should go ahead and purchase another one just in case. Sometimes you can find them at Pro-Bass shops or close-outs but Ebay is the easiest place. You won't be sorry for the investment, whether you are small time or otherwise. It also has a stainless steel tub that easily lifts out for cleaning. Some people use turkey roasters, which are available at wally world for a small price. They too have temp controls but you have to dip your wax out with a ladle. HTH Steve

Well this week has been a real nightmare for my soaping. My first ever totally failed batch as a result of an untested fo that seized like concrete in a matter of seconds. It was goat milk and heating it just made it worse. Then my next batch and this batch just came out really soft; I'm thinking the humidity may have something to do with it. Oh well, here's a sample. Thanks for looking. Steve

I think those are incredible! Way to kewl. Steve

Same here, all of a sudden some customers are telling me they love eucalyptus and the stronger the better. So, I had a bottle of Sinus Relief from JBN that had sat around for quite awhile (never throw anything away) and mixed it with some spearmint and came up with just the thing. You never know.

I have a 9 bar Kelsei that has made a bajillion batches of soap and it doesn't require a liner and makes uniform bars. I have a log mold made from a wooden box that contained a toy car. It has a lid and I lined it with craft foam from wally world. The craft foam sticks onto the insides and so far has held up quite well without needing to re-line it. Craft foam is very cheap too. I suppose my next mold will be an Upland but would love a Soap Hutch (big monies). I don't think you can beat Upland with those silicone liners for ease and for cost. You will need a cutter and if you go for the tank, that will cost you a few hundred. HTH Steve

Coconut Lime Verbena from Candlewic is very dead on and strong. IMHO Steve

It stays pretty hot in Alabama well into the fall months but I start after Labor Day with all the pumpkin/apple stuff. My summer scents have picked up and there are some (Creme Brulee) that sell year round but customers usually let me know when they are tired of seasonal fragrances. HTH Steve

How does that work Kitn?

I tried mixing gb415 and 464 with j waxes and didn't care for the results (personally), that's why I've stayed with my Clarus wax all these years. The best mix I ever got was with 6006 and 464 at a 85/15 formulation. I know there are people out there who swear by all of these waxes but I have never been able to get a decent h/t out of em. Just saying. Howse business Carole? I suppose you are getting ready for the fall? Haven't heard from you in a while. Happy 4th folks. Steve

Beautiful job and so creative. Thinking outside the box is fun. Lets hope the colors stick and you have much success. Steve

Update. Put my new soaps out with the new packaging...sold every last one of them! One of my customers said she used the soaps for presents and she liked the way they looked....go figure. I still want to put a hole in it so you can sniff. Steve

Just great Babs. Listen, got an idea to run by you. What if you took a saw and made a cut at the bottom of the column deep enough into the column where you could insert a piece of lexan to use as a divider and then poured your colors in alternating patterns for a mirror like effect? Like blue on one side and white on the other and then vice versa and the column would actually help to keep the lexan stable in the mold and all you would have to do is pull it out and then use the skewer to make the rest of the pattern. Just thinking. Steve

Try placing the glassware in the oven on low heat or put into boiling water to soften the adhesive. HTH Steve

I'm all in..can't wait to start stocking for the fall. I sure wish they would carry the 12 oz salsa jars and take back all these 16 oz salsa jars that they stuck me with.

You are correct. Unfortunately, JBN had already changed out some of their formulations (creme brulee) and didn't bother to tell anyone, so who knows what they carry now? I understand that the person who bought the store used to work there and is working hard to restore the business. They have had some great fos in the day. HTH Steve