chuck_35550

Anybody stockpiling wax? I can't help but think that the oil spill and BP being the largest producer of petroleum in the United States that maybe things are gonna get rough. It's off season and wax is gonna be cheaper I know but how much cheaper? I sure would like to hear some feedback about future business thoughts and ideas. Steve

The MyWeigh i Balance 201. Go to OldWillKnottScales.com, they sell for under a $100.00 and it measures .01. I have gone through two scales from Wally World (one is still working) that are postal scales and run on batteries. Yes, it drives you crazy when you turn back around and the scale has turned itself off. The iBalance 201 has an ac adapter and you can turn off the automatic setting. You won't really have a big deal problem starting out with a cheap postal scale for about $10.00 but later you will wish you had gone ahead and gotten a decent scale. HTH Steve

It doesn't sound good at first but then I think if the banana is not overpowering and the rose has some green notes.....hmmmmmmm. Tropical Rose? Rose Farts? Rosy Monkey Farts? ok, I'll quit.

My soaps will get slick when the basement humitdity gets really saturated. Living in Alabama is like the humidity capitol of the world (may be a close race with New Orleans) but I have never had a case of DOS. The soap dries back out with no noticeable problems. Some of my recipes border on dangerously high levels of iodine (like Top said because of soft oils high in linoleic fatty acids) but they have remained stable. Super fatting is just a safety measure because the numbers in calc are not absolute. You may be thinking about lye solution per centages or discounting the water and that's a whole different ball game. Neither of those solutions are going to change the nature of your soap if it incorporates lots of soft oils. IMHO. Steve

That is so sad. I frequently loan my business money to float it through heavy out of control sample buying. Otherwise, the doors would have to be shut and I would have to start asking for bottles of fo for Christmas.....Hey, that's a great idea! My list could have all my favorites and friends and relatives would fund my addiction!

Stearic acid, also known as stearin, is a long-chain fatty acid often used in candle-making. Its primary property is to raise the melting point of the wax mixture, making the resulting candle harder and more durable. There is a lot of information about this subject in search.

You need to weigh that ounce on your scale. You can use anything for the short term but the large shot glass is really convenient. All my stuff stays in the shop. You wouldn't want food grease or odors in your candles either. HTH. Steve

Just ordered a bunch of 1 ozers from Essential. I can't stop. Do you think the board would start a 12 step program for fo addicts? Steve

Green Irish Tweed (Sometimes called Black Irish). It soaps great and stays great. Steve

NG 7-up Pound Cake is da bomb lemon pound cake. IMHO. Steve

And I can't get by with a shout out?

Where does palm wax fit in this convo?

I used to think that a really good fragrance was one that burned your nose hairs. A lot of customers only want strong in your face fragrance oils and as a result are not impressed with more complex oils. I thought that several recent tests were disappointing but realized that after a period of time the fragrances were background performers with very subtle and various notes. That being said, the more complex the formula the more expense as a result.

I started with J-50 and J-223 and then moved on to a parablend soy. I like having the best of both worlds and never thought for a minute that one medium was superior to the other. I know what works for my personal taste and no customer has ever cared if the candle was made from manure, as long as it smelled up their house. There is no sense in the crafting community being defensive about their corner of the market. Play nice and help new comers to avoid costly mistakes in the learning process. Sheesh. Steve

"Scientific Soapmaking" by Kevin M. Dunn (Amazon) "Soap and Other Obsessions" by Zonella Gould and Sally Trew (Amazon) "Smart Soapmaking" by Anne L. Watson (Amazon) "The Elegant Art of Handmade Soap" by Dr. Robert S. McDaniel (Amazon) I would recommend starting with the last two books and then take on the other two. HTH. Steve

I think you have to take it one step at a time. Start with a votive kit from your nearest supplier. They generally have everything you need to get started and you pick the fos you want to test. Plus you have someone locally who can answer your questions. HTH. Steve

I like the ah/re too but sure was disappointed in mabel's mint sugar cookie, a mango and the lime in da coconut. The sugar cookie is very beautiful if you are patient with it but customers expect that initial ht to be stonger. I poured at 6.5% so maybe 7 or 8% is a different story. Peaks has always been good and certainly not as expensive as others but still pretty pricey for some of their fos.

Make sure and check that your fo or eo does not cause acceleration. Some recipes are perfect for swirling and some are terrible for swirling, due to the combinations of oils and or additives that may increase the saponification process. I would watch your thermometer and when your temp rises a degree, take some out for your swirls and continue until your temp rises another degree. Depending on whether you are doing in the pot swirls or layered or funneling will dictate whether you need to be at light or medium trace. IMHO. Steve

I rarely bevel my bars. It just seems sinful to waste perfectly good soap. I plane and bevel bars that need to be neater in appearance but most customers aren't that tuned into those fine details. I have a great beveler I got at Kangaroo Blue. HTH Steve

Got my twenty in yesterday. Sure hope they don't take weeks to get here. It's just like Christmas all year long. lol

Well, (cough, cough) EDITED: I'm not even going to allow that. ~ Scented. Steve

Way cool. They used time lapse photography.

But did it have a good cold and hot throw? A votive is not like a pillar. It will eventually melt through the wall and some of the wax will seep down between the holder and the votive. If the wick didn't gutter or sputter or dance or dim or go out or suddenly shoot up like a flame thrower and the candle fragranced a reasonable area of the test site..........then guess what? you made a good candle? HTH. Steve

My jars are 3.38 in diameter and the 18 burns down with some hang up at the end but the jar does not get too hot to handle. I was able to single wick a 4" diameter with a 22 but it was like a huge flame that made me uncomfortable. You'll just have to test and see. I have used LX with this wax in the past but liked the cd better. The eco does ok but it just always looks messy to my eyes. HTH. Steve

I have used this wax for years and find that cd wicks work the best for me. I heat the wax to 190 degrees and then add dye and fo and pour at 185. I pour into warmed jars and place in a covered box for a slow cooling. I rarely get wet spots and most fos are strong from day one. This is a great wax IMHO. I use a cd 18 in a 12 oz and 16 oz straight sided jar (Salsa). The majority of fos do just fine at 6%. You can add 1/2 to 1 tsp of coconut oil to enhance throw (some use more than that) but with this year's soy it hasn't been necessary. HTH. Steve