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I have been using CD wicks in my square mason jars and everything is working great. Great scent throw and the sides are getting clean. I use 415 wax and 10% fo, without color or additives.

However, I am having issues with a flickering wick and mushrooms. I have used various sizes of the wick, and I still have the same issues. I do not want to lower the amount of fragrance oil, so are there other ways to eliminate flickering and mushrooms? Or, are these just characteristics of CD wicks?

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I have been using CD wicks in my square mason jars and everything is working great. Great scent throw and the sides are getting clean. I use 415 wax and 10% fo, without color or additives.

However, I am having issues with a flickering wick and mushrooms. I have used various sizes of the wick, and I still have the same issues. I do not want to lower the amount of fragrance oil, so are there other ways to eliminate flickering and mushrooms? Or, are these just characteristics of CD wicks?

I don't' find that mine flicker or mushroom, but I don't use that much FO either. If you don't want to lower your % you may just have to embrace those side effects. Have you tried using a lower amount to even see if you get the same throw? I don't use that wax, so, IDK... 

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I have tried lowering the amount and I prefer the higher percentage. Thank you for responding!

The closest supplier to me only carries hemp, zinc, a few sizes of htp, and cds. Hemp mushrooms horribly for me, I don't want to use zinc, and they don't carry the htp sizes that I need. Unfortunately, I might just have to embrace the cds.

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I use that wax and CD Wicks.....I do not use that much FO and get great throw with no mushrooms

That is usually a side effect of wrong wick wax combo or too much FO I believe

The flickering could be the air flow - have you tried different rooms to see if that happens consistently? I get flickering- not bad but the jar I use is more narrow towards the top so the further down it burns it flickers- there is a great thread on here on flickering wicks of you want to search and read on it

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My experience with CD wicks is they burn hot and flicker a lot. Its why I tend to look for other wicks other than CD. RE the mushrooms, CD don't have a high level of mushrooming unless you use too much fragrance. 10% is way more than you need but if you want to use that much you may have to embrace the mushrooms.

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I use palm wax now so its a totally different animal to soy or paraffin. Wicks I currently use are design specific for my wax. You can get a lot of great wick info at Wicks Unlimited. But honestly, the only way to really find the best wick for your candle application is to test several different series of wicks until you find one that works the way you want. Have you tried CDN's, LX, or cotton core's for example? Also, some prefer Zincs, premier, hemp. Wicks Unlimited helped me a lot with information about the technology of how wicks work and how each manufacturer designed their wicks for specific waxes. Also, I believe they will test your wax for you and find a wick that works with it if you want to go that way.

 

Re FO load I use 6% in the majority of my candles with only a few exceptions. But I would say that about 95% of my candles I use 6% FO load. No mushrooming or flickering issues. The majority of waxes on the market work just fine with 6% FO load.

 

I know there are the so-called 'superwaxes' that hold 10% FO. Remember, just because a wax was formulated to hold more FO doesn't mean it will smell better or work better. Mostly it means the extra FO won't seep out of the wax. From my testing of it I always found that if I use the full 10% load I got smoking and mushrooms. Those 'superwaxes' work great with 6% too.

 

I know it can be difficult for some chandlers to wrap their head around this but using more FO does not generally equate to a better smelling candle. Overloading FO can cause significant wick system problems and also overpower subtle fragrance notes in your FO.

 

In all the years I have been making candles, about 10 now, I find that less is always much better. So now I try to determine the least amount of FO I can use that will still give me a great H&C throw but won't alter the fragrance notes or cause wick system problems, failure, or safety issues.

 

Soy would be the exception to the 6%. Many use 7-8% or about 1.25 - 1.5 oz PPW works great in their blend for some or many of their FOs. I have used soy and found that I could make a great smelling candle using that % rate of load.

 

Another issue to think about if you are planning to start selling candles at some point. To keep your costs down you want to use only the FO you need and not waste it. Using what you don't need burns your money up fast and that can have a big impact on weather your business succeeds or fails. If you don't plan to sell then just ignore this.

 

Don't give up. Finding the right wick is about the biggest part of making an excellent candle. It takes some time to get it right but once you do you will have that Awhaa!!  moment-- plus, that kind of experience in testing will help you a lot down the road if you ever decide to change waxes.

 

Good luck and let us know how you are coming along!

 

 

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Guest OldGlory

Just a thought - since I responded to your request for information about buying kraft boxes...

If you have tried a variety of wicks and have determined that the flickering wick and mushroom issue has not changed, are you going to package and sell these candles?

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Candybee- thank you for the encouraging words. I will continue to test until I have found the right wick/wax combo for this jar. If I continue to get the mushrooming, I will be forced to lessen the amount of fo. I appreciate your years of expertise and guidance! I would like to sell eventually, but I know that won't be any time soon!

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Old glory- no, I am not planning on selling this jar right now. I am a perfectionist and if I am not 100% happy and confident with a product, I do not feel comfortable selling. This is why I look to this board, for the the years of experience from the seasoned candle makers. I am a planner, and I just like to get as much knowledge as possible so when I do start to sell, I can price my product appropriately and get the most "bang for my buck." I appreciate your concern. But rest assured, if I was planning on selling a product that was not the best, I would not come and post to the board and continue to ask questions. I do this in hopes of making the best, most safe, product possible. :)

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No it's 8.57%

Here is a link to a conversion chart

http://www.onlineconversion.com/percentcalc.htm

1.5 is 8.57 percent of 17.5- your 16 ounces of wax and 1.5 ounces of FO is a total of 17.5 and your wanting to know what percent that 1.5 is of the whole....if that makes sense

Others do it differently but this is the way I was taught on this forum and the way I always calculate

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Thank you for sharing. I've never done it this way. I'm not understanding why you would take the whole to figure out the percentage. I must be having a mental block.

This is the equation I have always used as per candle science:

(oz of wax using) x (% of fragrance oil you want to use) = (oz of fragrance oil needed)

So in this case- 16 oz of wax x .086 = 1.34 oz of FO and not 1.5oz.

Can you please help me understand what I am doing wrong? Thanks!

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I do it this way (using 6% FO load):

 

16 oz wax x 6% FO = .96 oz

 

When making my candles, I subtract the amount of FO from the wax weight.

 

So I use 15.04oz wax + .96oz FO = 16oz scented wax.

 

I do round my figures out to the nearest amount my scale can handle. When you start doing mass production of candles you have to be very accurate with your % rates.

 

But just to give you and idea: 15oz wax + 1oz FO = 16 oz of scented wax.

 

Others do it differently: 16oz wax + 1oz FO = 17oz scented wax

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That is the great debate among chandlers... You'll find similar debates in threads going waaaay back right here :D The manufacturers don't specify which either.

In many manufacturer references i've read to use one ounce of FO per lb of wax. It's super easy with no special rounding or removing the extra ounces of wax to account for the fo.

1oz FO + 16 oz wax= 17 total ounces.

1 / 17= 5.88%. Which is the ratio of fragrance to the total blend.

The other way people do the same math is 1 / 16 = 6.25% which is the ratio of FO to the amount of wax.

My guess (only a guess) is the second is the math the manufacturers are using. It is much simpler and easier to explain to users of their products. A 1lb bottle of FO is added to 16 lbs of wax. A one ounce sample bottle of FO is added to 16 ounces of wax. All weighed of course with no volumetric measurements.

1.5 oz fo in 16 oz of wax is about 9.35%. Still pretty high.... Especially if you are looking to eventually sell candles and squeak out any real profit. :)

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Oook. Now this is making a little more sense to me. So, according to this method, I do not believe I have been using 10% FO. I have been weighing out 16 oz of wax and then adding 1.6 oz of FO, making the total weight 17.6 oz. I'm going to have to try this new method and see if my results are different.

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Thank you for explaining it further talltayl. Just when I think I have something figured out, something makes me second guess myself. It's nice to know that I was not doing my initial math wrong, just different. This little hobby is sure turning into the never ending game of testing and tweaking!

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Thank you for explaining it further talltayl. Just when I think I have something figured out, something makes me second guess myself. It's nice to know that I was not doing my initial math wrong, just different. This little hobby is sure turning into the never ending game of testing and tweaking!

The more you learn about the process, the more you will learn there is to know :D

Test. Test. Test. Then test again.

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I do it this way (using 6% FO load):

16 oz wax x 6% FO = .96 oz

When making my candles, I subtract the amount of FO from the wax weight.

So I use 15.04oz wax + .96oz FO = 16oz scented wax.

I do round my figures out to the nearest amount my scale can handle. When you start doing mass production of candles you have to be very accurate with your % rates.

But just to give you and idea: 15oz wax + 1oz FO = 16 oz of scented wax.

Others do it differently: 16oz wax + 1oz FO = 17oz scented wax

So isn't this the same way I am doing it with the conversion chart...I have a total of 17.5 ounces of scented wax after I melt 16 ounces and add 1.5 ounces of FO- so I want to know what that percent of 1.5 is of the whole...17.5

Your adding in the FO and then subtracting that amount from your wax- this was a topic a long time ago on a thread that never not confuses me.....

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That is the great debate among chandlers... You'll find similar debates in threads going waaaay back right here :D The manufacturers don't specify which either.

In many manufacturer references i've read to use one ounce of FO per lb of wax. It's super easy with no special rounding or removing the extra ounces of wax to account for the fo.

1oz FO + 16 oz wax= 17 total ounces.

1 / 17= 5.88%. Which is the ratio of fragrance to the total blend.

The other way people do the same math is 1 / 16 = 6.25% which is the ratio of FO to the amount of wax.

My guess (only a guess) is the second is the math the manufacturers are using. It is much simpler and easier to explain to users of their products. A 1lb bottle of FO is added to 16 lbs of wax. A one ounce sample bottle of FO is added to 16 ounces of wax. All weighed of course with no volumetric measurements.

1.5 oz fo in 16 oz of wax is about 9.35%. Still pretty high.... Especially if you are looking to eventually sell candles and squeak out any real profit. :)

So confused....your first equation of 1 ounce plus 16 ounces of wax = 17 ounces of wax coming to 5.88 percent - 1/17

So if I use 1.5 ounces fo + 16 ounces of wax = 17.5

1.5/17.5 = 8.57 not 9.35- unless I am really messed up and don't understand this at all....

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So isn't this the same way I am doing it with the conversion chart...I have a total of 17.5 ounces of scented wax after I melt 16 ounces and add 1.5 ounces of FO- so I want to know what that percent of 1.5 is of the whole...17.5

Your adding in the FO and then subtracting that amount from your wax- this was a topic a long time ago on a thread that never not confuses me.....

 

Let me see if I can explain it better. I have it in my head but its not always easy to explain to others. LOL Here goes:

 

I want 16oz of scented wax using 6% FO load. So I use this formula:

 

16 x 6% = .96oz  FO I need to use

16 - 6% = 15.04oz wax I need to use (I can also subtract 15.04 from 16oz and that will be my FO that I need @6%)

 

15.4oz wax + .96oz FO = 16oz Scented wax

 

Say I am going to fill 12 jars that just happen to take exactly 16 oz of scented wax. Here's what I use:

 

12 jars x 16oz scented wax = 192oz of scented wax

 

192oz x 6% = 11.52oz FO (or round it out to 11.5oz FO)

192oz - 6% = 180.48oz wax (or round it out to 180.5oz wax)

180.48oz wax + 11.52oz FO = 192oz of scented wax

or

180.5oz wax + 11.5oz FO = 192oz of scented wax (using rounded out figures)

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So confused....your first equation of 1 ounce plus 16 ounces of wax = 17 ounces of wax coming to 5.88 percent - 1/17

So if I use 1.5 ounces fo + 16 ounces of wax = 17.5

1.5/17.5 = 8.57 not 9.35- unless I am really messed up and don't understand this at all....

This is the age old debate bout how to calculate. Which is why i chose the second method in my production.

I interpret the manufacturer to mean their wax can hold X% of fragrance based on the amount of WAX you use without any fancy calculations to remove wax to account for FO addition. There's way too much complexity to do that. The complexity is more confusing when blending waxes of different FO holding capacities.

The standard guideline of 1oz of FO per lb of typical wax comes to approximately 6% 1 / 16 = 6.25%. The calculation is direct and simple no matter how much wax you choose to melt. Need 2lbs of wax? Use 2oz of FO. Need 18 oz of wax, use 18 x 6% or 1.08 oz of FO. Need 111oz of wax? Use 6.66 oz of FO.

My spreadsheets are designed to calculate the FO as a proportion of the wax, not the whole blend, just like the above examples. Using your numbers I would calculate 1.5 oz of FO in 16 oz of wax to equal 9.375%.

1.5 / 16 = 9.375%

Those who calculate based on the whole blend come up with a number that represents the FO as a PROPORTION of the WHOLE blend, which is misleading IMO.

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