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Am I testing right??


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Hi, I am very new to candle making. I have been researching the internet for about 6 months. I must say, this is by far the best forum. Yayyyy, so glad I found all of you. I have learned you need to test, test, test. I am working with IGI 1343 to make pillars. For each FO I have been testing 6% and 9%. For each one I make a candle using 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 tsp. vybar. I have also been testing my wicks using 24 and 30 ply flat braid. Does that sound about right? I was told by the supplier to use 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of vybar but I have read on here, all you need is a pinch. I was also told it could take up to two weeks to cure. I would appreciate any feedback I can get.

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Guest OldGlory

I have never used vybar in paraffin pillars, so I can't offer any help with that aspect.

How are your candles burning? How is the scent throw? Can you take pictures of the burn?

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Guest OldGlory

It sounds to me as though you are pretty thoroughly following the instructions you have been given, and the different amounts of vybar should tell you something thru the appearance, and then when you start burning them. I suggest taking very specific notes because after a while you can't remember which fragrance you used in combination the dye and the amount of vybar.

The bottom line is the burn. Is it wicked correctly? Is the fragrance soft or strong? Is it burning too quickly or too slowly?

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the journey :D

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I can't wait to see your results, DittosD. I am a newbie, too. I started out using 4144 for my pillars and just recently switched to 1343. I am still testing and playing with vybar in them. I was using 1 to 2% of vybar at first, but I have recently started going down to about 0.3%. I don't know what that would work out teaspoon-wise because I measure the vybar out by percentage, not teaspoons. I've never gone as high as 9% fo...I stay around the 6 to 7% range if using vybar and less if I'm not because the pillar sweats it out. None of them have had very strong cold throw but hot throw has been nice depending on the fo I'm using. Like you, I have also been testing flat braided wicks and I'm also trying square braid. Haven't found the right combo yet, but that's why we test, lol. I only ever waited a few days to let mine cure before testing, mostly because I'm impatient. I do have a couple that I made over a week ago that I haven't burned yet, so I guess I'll get to see if a longer cure time makes a difference.

 

I just did my very first pillar with color layers the other day. It didn't come out great, but I think it was OK for my first try.

 

The only difference I've noticed with adding vybar is that I can get 6% of fo in the pillar without worrying about sweating and it makes whatever color I've added more opaque and creamy looking, almost a pastel. I'm still too new to this so there may be other things happening that I'm not experienced enough to notice or look for. I also haven't done a head-to-head test of a pillar with vybar and without with all other elements the same. I need to do that in the near future.

 

Hope you are having fun!

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Paraffin doesn't need to 'cure' the way soy and other waxes do. So you only need it to sit about 2-3 days to make sure it is completely solid and not still warm inside (believe it or not it can take up to 72+ hours after pouring for this to happen) before testing. 

 

Also, 1343 is a straight paraffin with no additives added, which makes this wax VERY versatile, but also makes it able to take less of a scent load. 6% is high for this wax (I only use 4% when making pillars out of 1343 and they are plenty strong enough), I would imagine 9% without any additives, or even just a little vybar, would make it weep after unmolding. 

Vybar will help with scent load because it is an additive that helps bind the scent to the wax, however if you use too much (and it's a very fine line as to what is too much and what is just right) you will get no scent throw at all, because the vybar is preventing that from happening.  

I only use about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of wax when using this wax. 

 

Me personally when using paraffin for pillars I always use a flat braid wick.

For me, they work the best for my wax/scent/color combo. For a 3" diameter pillar I find the 24ply a perfect burn for most (not all) of my paraffin pillars. 

 

As OldGlory said, make sure to take copious notes. It's the only way you will really know how to duplicate your results, and what definitely works, vs what definitely or sort of, doesn't. 

 

Good luck! Welcome to the board and the addiction. :) 

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Thank you so much for all of your help. I don't know what I would do without this forum. I think I am not only addicted to making the candles but also this forum. I stay up till 3am reading, lol

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Is it better to weigh your vybar and do it in percentage or should I continue to do it by teaspoon?

 

I don't know if it's better or not. It's personal preference for me. Everyone's idea of a pinch is different, and every manufacturer's teaspoon might be a little different. For me, doing my additives by percentage and weighing it out, I figure I can more easily duplicate something or change something when needed.

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Paraffin doesn't need to 'cure' the way soy and other waxes do. So you only need it to sit about 2-3 days to make sure it is completely solid and not still warm inside (believe it or not it can take up to 72+ hours after pouring for this to happen) before testing. 

 

Also, 1343 is a straight paraffin with no additives added, which makes this wax VERY versatile, but also makes it able to take less of a scent load. 6% is high for this wax (I only use 4% when making pillars out of 1343 and they are plenty strong enough), I would imagine 9% without any additives, or even just a little vybar, would make it weep after unmolding. 

Vybar will help with scent load because it is an additive that helps bind the scent to the wax, however if you use too much (and it's a very fine line as to what is too much and what is just right) you will get no scent throw at all, because the vybar is preventing that from happening.  

I only use about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of wax when using this wax. 

 

Me personally when using paraffin for pillars I always use a flat braid wick.

For me, they work the best for my wax/scent/color combo. For a 3" diameter pillar I find the 24ply a perfect burn for most (not all) of my paraffin pillars. 

 

As OldGlory said, make sure to take copious notes. It's the only way you will really know how to duplicate your results, and what definitely works, vs what definitely or sort of, doesn't. 

 

Good luck! Welcome to the board and the addiction. :)

 

 

It is always better to always do measurements by weight - always, and especially when you are first starting out. It makes everything much more accurate, so that your results are consistent!! :)

Ditto everything Jcandleattic said   :)

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