Karen, I just happened to be trapsing through.. In my opinion the best soy wax is produced by Enchanted Lites. But I also know what it costs to ship wax. So I also recommend finding a reputable supplier as close to you as possible and working with the soy they offer. Soy wax burns better with fragrance oil added. And cotton wicks are great. I prefer HTP wicks, which are a cotton braided coreless wick, that bends towards the melt pool. Greatcandle.com candlecocoon.com Both these companies have very knowledgeable ladies running the show. They were chandlers first, then became suppliers. Unfortunately, they are both in the Midwest..I think Angie(greatcandle) has kits..that might be the best way for you to get started. 86 oz, that's over 5lbs of wax...WOW! And I'm guessing atleast 3-4 wicks?? If I did something that big, not including the crock or the cost of it, Yep it would cost about $40 for the wax, wicks and fragrance, based on my mark up rate. So $46 is not off base...But certainly it would cost about about 16-18 to make. So yes you are definately saving alot of money making your own..However, I will caution you that repeatedly refilling candle jars and crocks and burning in them will weaken the containers over time. So the more times you do it the more closely you need to watch those containers when they are lit.

Jessica, in my opinion the best soy wax is made by Enchanted Lites. I use the "original" container blend. This company is a part of the Bean Pod Co. (I've tested alot of straight soys, blends and a few veggies, even the C-3.) A thicker wick? Do you mean dipped thicker or a "larger" wick? Wicking is really the key to a proper burn. All wicking is not the same, and it takes time to figure out the perfect wicking for the container and the wax..Also adding in the fragrance oil used and dyes(if using). Hence why it takes lots of time to get it spot on. I make double wicked soy candles that burn over 100 hours. THEY BURN FOREVER. It's all in the consumption rate of the wax in relation to the burn of the wick. I can take the same amount of wax and fragrance oil "recipe" and put it in a different shaped jar with one wick and the burn time is changed...

Hardware stores also carry Gulf Wax boxed here, if you don't need alot of it. It's probably cheaper than hobby/craft stores. Wax went out thru the roof last year and remains due to the high oil prices. The big blocks I used to get for 15.00 were 39.00 last year! Needless to say, I made less firestarters. Another option is if your grocery store has a Jewish section I picked up a 3lb box of Sabbos Candles, 100% Parafin Wax. 50 cents Btw, if you are using this to seal jams/jellies it is not recommended as safe anymore. Years ago I would put jelly in glass custard cups, seal with wax, wrap up with cello wrap for gift baskets. I mainly make low-sugar jams/jellies now and no way would I use wax to seal, plus a case of 4oz canning jars are less expensive

I have been making and selling candles for ten years now. When I started, I was using parafin but within a year I switched to soy. That was about the time they had introduced soy. I use a crock pot. My husband drilled a hole near the bottom, on the side, and put a spicot on it. I melt the wax in the crock pot. I have it set on the dial where it wil heat the wax to 150 degrees. I then pour the amount of melted wax that I want (let's say 14oz) into a glass measuring cup. I then add the scent. Usually about 1oz. It also depends on how strong the scent is, so take a wiff while your stirring. That will be about how strong it will be when the candle is burning. Then I add the coloring. I've tried different ways to color and I liked the liquid color the best but now I don't use any coloring. My label for my jars are the color the candle would be. As soon as I have added the sent and color, I pour it right into the jars.(I use 8oz mason jars) I don't heat my jars first but I do have my wicks already 'glued' into the jars before I pour in the wax. I put a dab of hot glue on the wick tab and attach it to the bottom of the jar. That way it stays centered and in place while the wax is cooling. The 14oz that I mentioned above plus the scent will fill two 8oz jars just right. Once the wax cools, I cut off the wick and put on the lid. I have not had any problems with the scent of my candles. I have repeat buyers. My question to you is what kind of wick do you use. I use a hemp core wick that is already tabbed and dipped in wax to stiffen it. It sounds as if you might be using a zinc core wick. The zinc core wicks will cause alot of the same problems you're having. I tried to use up the zinc core wicks that I had left over from when I made parafin candles and they do not work in soy wax. I was trying to save myself some money but that didn't work. I buy my supplies from Bitter Creek Candle Supply. A link to their site below. I would recommend them to anyone. They have alot of helpful ideas and they do have live help on their site. I don't know what time of day but they usually have someone on there everyday. You can also call them on the phone and there is always someone available. They love talking about candles. I hope this has helped you. Keep trying, you'll get the hang of it. Cindy Here is a link that might be useful: Bitter Creek Candle Supply