Need Advice, New to Candle Making

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skayc1

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So I'm relatively new to candle making, in November I ordered a sample of wax to make candles for my mom mostly, she uses them in her bathroom. I got soy wax from Aztec, did the double broiler thing to melt the wax, made several different scents in the candles, worked great, learned I had to cure them. So this time I wanted to have 2 different colors, only I used up the wax from Aztec, & ordered it from BB with other soaping supplies so I would save on shipping cost. I got lazy this time & microwaved the soy wax, I wanted to have two different colors of the same FO. I did mix the FO to create a blend (Berrylicious from Aztec & Blueberry from Naturesgarden) I let the melted wax cool to 145. I addeed the FO & poured it in the Candle Jars only maybe since it was in a glass Jar to begin with I might have poured it quicker just a bit. It was very cold outside & sleeting (in the 20's) My candles as they cooled got bubbles, lots of bubbles, each time I melt them with my heat gun more bubbles come..So I think I should have stuck the jars the wax was in into a pot on the stove with water. I should have poured slower...did the wax itself help cause the bubbles & the moisture in the air from the sleet as well as the temperature outside?
DD589619-B46D-4FAF-AB44-B02225AD60E9.jpg

4F37EC5A-3FF9-4C66-8D39-F538F4F101FD.jpg

9402A238-09A3-47B5-B887-DC1FEBFD5DA7.jpg
 
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What kind of soy wax did you order from each supplier? It looks to me like you have two different kinds of wax.
 
EcoSoya CB - Advanced Soy Container Wax - 5lb Sample from Aztec -Melt Point 111
CB Advanced soy has extreme resistant to frosting and wet spots. It contracts slightly to produce a uniform beautiful appearance, requires only one pour has a good scent throw and a creamy white appearance.

Nature Wax C-3 from Bramble Berry - This is an all-soy blend designed specifically for container candles. Soy wax produces a cleaner burn with improved fragrance holding compared with paraffin wax. This has a very smooth surface with good surface adhesion and color stabilization.

I don't think the wax from BB is as good as the wax from Aztec.
Oh and both the candles in the pic have the same wax, let me get a pic of a candle I made in November.

Here are 3 candles, the peach colored candle was made in november-
97B0C5CE-C99F-4579-BEF7-76ECECB344F7.jpg


This is from November, it might have had a few 'wet spots' but no air bubbless.
C374D063-EC42-475D-A765-7756C29B0B03.jpg


A7F21785-1E09-4975-BC4C-74E9711BD247.jpg
 
Try warming the jars before you pour the wax if it's cold. Temperature can be a problem.
 
Every kind of soy wax is going to have it's own idiosyncrasies. I personally am a parasoy container candle girl, but the times I worked with pure soy wax it was too finicky for my taste. Lots of messing with pouring temperatures etc and the fragrances are much fussier. Wet spots are just aesthetic issues and will not affect the burning of the candle in any way. Room temps can cool your wax too quickly, so pay attention to the temps in the pour pot and the air.

I'm not sure if microwaving vs double boiler would make any difference, I only use the double boiler method for all my wax. Good luck! :)
 
Will air bubbles affect the burning? the more I put the heat gun to melt the wax & get rid of the air bubbles, the more bubbles seem to build up.
 
I can't say they would do too much, if they are small air bubbles. Large air pockets, especially around the wick will change the way it burns, but air bubbles should just surface, maybe make the wick crackle if they are close. You won't really know until you burn, but I would be sure to monitor it and only burn in a safe place, just to be sure.
 
So I'm relatively new to candle making, in November I ordered a sample of wax to make candles for my mom mostly, she uses them in her bathroom.

The CB Advanced makes a pretty candle but doesn't throw scent very well. Every soy wax has different characteristics. What I find disturbing here is that you are randomly combining container, wax, FO and wick and then giving the candles to people. I'm sure you don't want to burn your mom's house down.

Every different container, every different wax and every different fragrance must be burn tested multiple times to determine the best type and size of wick to work well and be safe.

I'm a veteran candle maker and there was a time on the boards when that would be the first obvious thing that people would point out to you. It's remarkable that nobody has done so.

Test, test, test. That's candlemaking.
 
I thought all glass containers were the same? I am learning about wick size, it does take practice for that. I'm trying to learn. Oh and for the FO's I got them from Candle Making sites, & followed the usage rates for candles on each FO.
 
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I thought all glass containers were the same? I am learning about wick size, it does take practice for that. I'm trying to learn. Oh and for the FO's I got them from Candle Making sites, & followed the usage rates for candles on each FO.

Each fragrance is compounded from different materials, so the scent throw and burn quality is different for each. Sometimes you have to adjust the usage rate. Some of them never work well, so people normally test more FOs than they end up using. Some fragrances will require a different wick size. For all these reasons they have to be tested individually. Get the ones you are interested in, but later you might have to narrow it down or try a similar fragrance from a different supplier.

Containers work completely differently depending on their diameter, shape, and even the thickness of the glass. If you use the same candle formulation in a different container, you have to test again. It might require a different wick, or the container might not work well. Some are difficult to wick properly.

Waxes burn and melt differently. If you have a candle designed and tested, and then you make it with a different wax, the chances of it working the same are slim. The scent throw will also vary. For instance, CB-Advanced resists frosting and helps you get a smooth top without much expertise required, but at the cost of scent throw. It works well with fewer FOs than other waxes, which means much more fragrance testing.

To test a candle, you burn it for 3 or 4 hours at a time. Let it cool completely between burns. Continue until you get to the bottom, because the burn will change along the way. By the time you get to the bottom, all or most of the wax should be gone from the sides of the container. You might not get a full melt pool (wax surface completely melted) with every burn, especially at the beginning. Often it's better that way. Wax hangup that you see on the way down may clean up by the end. You are looking for a reasonable size flame, little or no soot on the glass, no very big mushrooms (black blobs that form on the tip of the wick) though a little mushrooming can be okay, and you want to make sure the container doesn't get super hot to the touch. It can burn someone or crack. You also want to check the scent throw. It can vary with the FO, the amount you use, the wax and the wick. With the wrong FO or wick, you might get very little throw.

Some suppliers suggest wick sizes for various waxes and container diameters. Until you have more experience, it's okay to use those as a starting point. Often they will be wrong or not even be close. Generally you will want to make multiple candles that are the same except for different wick sizes to see which works the best. You can maybe start with one to make sure you are at least in the ballpark.

Most people trim the wick to 1/4 inch before each burn. They do that because the standard safe usage instructions on candles always say to do it, so they test according to the instructions. By trimming like that you will probably end up selecting a larger wick size. I personally wick the candles so they work well when you light them without trimming the wick. Most people don't trim anyway. This results in a safe and more reasonable wick size.

Never give an untested candle to anyone. Keep a close eye on the ones you are testing and do it in a safe place without drafts.

It's harder than it seems at first. New candlemakers are often surprised by how much work and complication is involved in designing good and safe candles that throw scent well, but every respectable candlemaker does this whether they sell or it's just a hobby.
 
I don't sell them, & my mom test them for me in her bathroom. I've a long way to go in making candles.
 
1. Prepare the jars. Gather the canning jars in one, easily accessible place. Open jars and set rings and lids aside.
2. Melt the wax. Working in batches (1 pound — or 2 cups — at a time), melt the wax flakes in the microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring vigorously between each interval, until completely melted. At this point, if you want to add essential oil, you can! I added 30 drops for each pound of wax and the candles were not too heavily scented.
3. Secure the wicks. Dip the wick tabs into the melted wax and place in the bottom center of each jar. Hold in place for 30 seconds or so, until the wax hardens and the base of the wick is completely secure. Wrap the top of the wick around a skewer and rest it on top of the jar to keep the wick upright.
4. Pour the wax. Carefully pour the melted wax up until the first-closest "lip" of the jar. (You want to leave enough room for the lid to close without the wick getting in the way!)
5. Let the wax set. Let the candles set at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Slide the skewers out and unroll the wick. Trim wick to about 1/4 inch. Light the candle and enjoy!
 

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