making wax blend

[android]

hey all, my wife and i are interested in making some candles and i've got an enormous block of paraffin wax and some bees wax from an old project to work with. we'd like to make some container candles but everything i read says you need a container wax or to make a blend. they stop short of telling you what exactly this blend should contain. can i make a blend with the waxes i already have? i assume i'll need to add some things, but i just don't know what.

thanks!

 

[android]

well, i did some intensive internet research and found a few wax formulas (not much info available) and the one i tried was 1# of paraffin; 1 tsp. of vybar. next time around i may try a 50/50 blend of paraffin and bees with the vybar added in. i'll let you know how these burn.

i'd still like to hear anyone else's input regarding wax formulas they've used. or do most of you just buy the premixed stuff?

 

[carebear]

if you are making a container candle you might try the paraffin straight. beeswax is going to harden your wax up considerably and may not be great for containers.

is your paraffin brittle or on the soft side?

 

[android]

if you are making a container candle you might try the paraffin straight.

interesting... i had heard that straight paraffin was not intended for containers. but who knows, all the info i've found seems to be all over the place. i'll see how the paraffin/vybar mixture works out and experiment further from there.

good point about the bees in containers, I think i'll try that with some pillars i plan to make soon.

i guess the paraffin i have is relatively soft; although it is difficult to break apart... i haven't really considered that property of it yet. how would that direct my decisions on what to use it for?

 

[carebear]

Mmmm never heard that one. I use straight paraffin for container candles all the time. J233 is one a good example.

 

[Wax Munky]

if you are making a container candle you might try the paraffin straight.

interesting... i had heard that straight paraffin was not intended for containers. but who knows, all the info i've found seems to be all over the place. i'll see how the paraffin/vybar mixture works out and experiment further from there.

good point about the bees in containers, I think i'll try that with some pillars i plan to make soon.

i guess the paraffin i have is relatively soft; although it is difficult to break apart... i haven't really considered that property of it yet. how would that direct my decisions on what to use it for?

You can use paraffin to make container candles.I make them often.
Most often the reasoning behind "not intended for" is because straight paraffin causes wet spots on the containers.Difficult to remove them.Some will say use a container blend that has all the work done for you.All it would require is color,right wick size and scent.Adding vybar doesn't always work to eliminate those spots.

Check the box or invoice of where you purchased your wax.It will usually state what type of paraffin wax you bought.For example you bought 50 Lbs Paraffin 140 MP (Melt Point).That will tell you what that wax has been formulated to make. Pillars,Votives,Tapers, Floaters..

So after knowing the wax type,and vybar you purchased,the rest is very easy

Here's a link that will explain it all in more depth,probably better then I ever could..I still blame him,in a nice way for my wax habit

http://www.onestopcandle.com/candle-making-supplies.php



Munky.

 

[android]

thanks for the replies.

that was the site i ended up on for formulations, it's a good site.

the wax i have is from peak candle in denver (where i used to live). it's the straight paraffin (IGI 1343A). thanks for the info on why paraffin is avoided for containers. the ones i made last night don't have much for wet spots. there's a few odd lines, but i think that was due to not heating up the containers (totally forgot) before pouring. next time, next time.

i'm trying my hand at a pillar tonight, i melted 1.5# of wax total, about 4 oz of it is bees just for a nice look and a little hardness. also added 1.5 tsp of vybar and 3+ Tbsp of stearic acid. i added some apple spice scent and red color. i don't think i added enough red color, i suppose beeswax makes it a little harder to get a true color... lessons learned!

thanks again for the help.