Teach Soap

Hello people. A week or so ago I made practically my first candles ever. I have made a few with a candle-making machine thingy before, but that was mostly remelting used candles that were already colored/scented. This time I did the melting, scenting, coloring, etc. myself, the whole deal. I used soy wax and Apple Macintosh candle fragrance oil amongst the other ingredients, all from Bramble Berry. The candles turned out well enough. The problem is burning them. The smoke from the candles when I blow them out smells terrible to me, scents up the whole room, and makes me cough. It doesn't smell like usual smoke, which I don't mind and doesn't bother me - this is much worse, terrible smelling. Also, the scent throw is not super great, though it's better if I keep the wicks trimmed.

So here are my questions. Could the soy wax be causing the smelly smoke? The wicks? The fragrance? Has anyone else ever had problems like this with soy wax?

Maybe it's just my nose...

And as a side note, how short do you guys keep your wicks trimmed? I've heard 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Thanks all!

You need a candle dipper. Any candle that's blown out will have a smell from the smoke. I prefer a longer wick, but it really depends on what type of wax, color or fragrance. New made candles do benefit from a short cure time; at least a couple of days. How much fragrance to how much wax did you add? Did you weigh everything?

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

What type of colour did you use? Some colours can absorb into the wicks, these make for a nasty smelling smoke. Some fragrances do this as well, but I've found it more commonly with colourants.

I keep my wicks 1/2- 3/4 inch.

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I keep my wicks anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4".

@soapbuddy - What is a candle dipper? Is it the same thing as a candle snuffer, one of those cup-like things on the end of a handle that you put over the flame to extinguish it? Why does how you blow the flame out affect the smell? I used about 1 oz. of Apple Macintosh candle FO for 14 oz. soy wax as I wanted it to smell strong. I did weigh the wax, but measured the fragrance oil by volume (about 27-30 mL according to my pipette, which is about equivalent to 1 oz.). Thanks for the advice about giving the candle some time to cure. I was so eager to try mine out, I lit it within a day or so of pouring it. I will give them a few days next time I make some more.

@Hestey - I used the red dye block from Bramble Berry. I didn't add just tons of colorant, though; the final color was pink (intended color was red, but I learned that the wax cools to a much lighter color than it looks when hot).

@Chris - Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm gathering that wick length is a personal preference.

I tried this particular candle again yesterday, and this time I added color like mad. And it came out RED!! Yay!

Thanks everyone for your help thus far!

_________________
Olivia :)

Candle dipper is the same thing as a candle or a wick snuffer. Dip the wick with the snuffer into the melted candle to put it out. There is no smoke and no bad smell. Typical fragrance amount for soy wax is 1 oz. per lb. of wax. If you use too much, it can start seeping out, the wick can absorb the pure fragrance oil creating a fire hazard. Be careful of adding too much color! It can clog the wick.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

That is not what I'm thinking of when I say candle snuffer! I've never heard of something like you're talking about - it sounds really cool, though!!! Where can you find these? Do you think I used too much fragrance, or an okay amount? How can I tell if I've added too much colorant? The wick of the last candle I made (the one that was RED) doesn't look like it's absorbing the color, but I'm not really sure how to tell...

Thanks, soapbuddy, you're a big help!

It's also called a wick dipper. Here is a listing with a picture. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Stainless-S ... 1e7b7aa1de
It's possible that you used too much fragrance, but it's hard to know unless the vendor that you bought it from tells you what is the fragrance load. The candle vendor should also post somewhere on their web site what is the most of any particular color that you can use.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks, soapbuddy!! I've never used a wick dipper before, but I want to try one now!

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I must say I have never heard of this before... I am impressed and will give it a try.

_________________
Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Good one.