Interesting results

[Forrest]

Like many people when I first started I used 10% FO because that’s what it said my wax could hold. That led to a lot of problems with smoking and mushrooming. Dropping down to 7% solved many of those problems. A while back I did wick testing for 18 FOs in 8oz tins with 6006 at 7% and selected wicks that I thought would be good after several months curing. One FO that gave me problems was Flaming’s Falling Leaves, but I settled on a WI740. However when I made the candles I miscalculated the FO and ended up with something around 9%. After four months curing my WI740 didn’t work at 9%. I tried several wicks I ended up with a 44 zinc core, which is seven wicks higher on my wick list. The thing is that when I tested this I had no smoking or mushrooming problems. This got me to wondering if a long cure time would allow a higher FO percentage without wicking issues, and would the higher FO percentage lead to better HT in well cured wax. So the in my next batch of candles I’m going put this to the test by making a few unwicked candles at 9%, and the rest at7%. Once they have a few months to cure I’ll test them and see what the difference is. I realize this has no meaning for someone looking to sell candles, but for amateurs like myself it could be important. One reason I think there may be something here is that one of my first soy candles that cured for a year burned perfectly and had the strongest HT of any candle I have ever seen. Since that experience I have had a theory that soy candles will have better HT than paraffin candles if they are cured long enough. Given the problems with soy I’m not sure I want to test that theory.

[kandlekrazy]

It will work with pure soy in some scents, not all.   What I found though with soy the longer they sit, the more they frost.  Also if not kept in even temp/humidity while curing, they can morph into some horrible growth on top.   Also you'd need an awfully big warehouse to store enough candles of each scent for a year.  I dated my candles and would pull them for personal/family use after a certain amount of time since I wicked for use after 1-2 months.

[bfroberts]

I imagine a longer cure would improve the burn of a high FO loaded candle, but I don't really understand why you'd even bother.  Educate me.
IME, the long cure does more for HT than more FO.  I am willing to allow for a decent cure time to bring out the throw, because a proper cure also improves the burn.  I am not willing to use more FO.  There are so many great FO's out there...

[Forrest]

1 hour ago, bfroberts said:

I imagine a longer cure would improve the burn of a high FO loaded candle, but I don't really understand why you'd even bother.  Educate me.
IME, the long cure does more for HT than more FO.  I am willing to allow for a decent cure time to bring out the throw, because a proper cure also improves the burn.  I am not willing to use more FO.  There are so many great FO's out there...

I suspect you are right, but sometimes more HT is a good thing, and other times it isn’t. But testing is just my nature and my recent project hasn’t allowed me much opportunity to test things. It is time for me to make all my spring and summer candles and this allows me to slip a little testing in. I have a couple of FOs that I would like to get a bit more HT out of and this may be the answer. I’ve stopped buying new FO so I’ve got to make the ones I’m using work. 

[bfroberts]

1 hour ago, Forrest said:

I suspect you are right, but sometimes more HT is a good thing, and other times it isn’t. But testing is just my nature and my recent project hasn’t allowed me much opportunity to test things. It is time for me to make all my spring and summer candles and this allows me to slip a little testing in. I have a couple of FOs that I would like to get a bit more HT out of and this may be the answer. I’ve stopped buying new FO so I’ve got to make the ones I’m using work. 

 

It's an interesting thought.  I, too, have several light FO's that I should do something with.   I would be interested in hearing your results.  😊

[Forrest]

2 minutes ago, bfroberts said:

It's an interesting thought.  I, too, have several light FO's that I should do something with.   I would be interested in hearing your results.  😊

That will take a few months

[bfroberts]

1 minute ago, Forrest said:

That will take a few months

LOL....I know.  I won't have candle making mastered by then.  As a matter of fact, at the rate I am going, I'll know even less by spring than I do now.  

[TallTayl]

This might be fragrance specific. If that falling leaves is anything like aroma Havens it does require about seven or eight sizes of wick higher in all of my waxes as well. There’s something chemically in it that squelches the flame.I can actually use less of it And get better throw

[CandleRush]

I my experience the majority of the candles I made last November were made with 9% fo and I can tell you they are still strong.

As of late I’ve reduced the percentage between 7 and 8% depending on the f.o. And I’m satisfied with the hit. 

With all those lighter scents I’ve been increasing the percentage and making wax melts, I don’t like wasting anything. I’m also trying to use all the fo I have and not purchase any more but the struggle is REAL, lol!

Keep us posted!🌸

[Forrest]

16 hours ago, TallTayl said:

This might be fragrance specific. If that falling leaves is anything like aroma Havens it does require about seven or eight sizes of wick higher in all of my waxes as well. There’s something chemically in it that squelches the flame.I can actually use less of it And get better throw

I suspect everything is FO specific, but I’m very suspicious. I’m pretty sure a properly wicked 7% candle will always have better HT that a poorly wicked 9% one. There is also the possibility that I incorrectly recorded the wick size; I’ll double check that this weekend. What I also know is that, because the wicks are different, you can’t be certain that increasing the FO% is the reason the HT is better, assuming it is. All in all I’ve given up on certainty and taken to wandering around the house mumbling to myself.

What I plan to do is make eight 7% candles with the wicks I’ve already picked and two at 9% with no wick. After three months cure time I’ll wick the 9% candles and do a subjective assessment of the difference. I’ll do that for four or five FOs and see if there is a pattern. If there is I’ll adjust my level of uncertainty accordingly. Sigh, I did so want candle making to be an exact science.

[Soy-N-Suds]

On 10/24/2019 at 9:07 AM, Forrest said:

Like many people when I first started I used 10% FO because that’s what it said my wax could hold. That led to a lot of problems with smoking and mushrooming. Dropping down to 7% solved many of those problems. A while back I did wick testing for 18 FOs in 8oz tins with 6006 at 7% and selected wicks that I thought would be good after several months curing. One FO that gave me problems was Flaming’s Falling Leaves, but I settled on a WI740. However when I made the candles I miscalculated the FO and ended up with something around 9%. After four months curing my WI740 didn’t work at 9%. I tried several wicks I ended up with a 44 zinc core, which is seven wicks higher on my wick list. The thing is that when I tested this I had no smoking or mushrooming problems. This got me to wondering if a long cure time would allow a higher FO percentage without wicking issues, and would the higher FO percentage lead to better HT in well cured wax. So the in my next batch of candles I’m going put this to the test by making a few unwicked candles at 9%, and the rest at7%. Once they have a few months to cure I’ll test them and see what the difference is. I realize this has no meaning for someone looking to sell candles, but for amateurs like myself it could be important. One reason I think there may be something here is that one of my first soy candles that cured for a year burned perfectly and had the strongest HT of any candle I have ever seen. Since that experience I have had a theory that soy candles will have better HT than paraffin candles if they are cured long enough. Given the problems with soy I’m not sure I want to test that theory.

 

The answer to your question is 'yes'.

 

I make wickless candles @ 6% and 9% for some lighter fragrances. I label them with FO/Company, % used, date. I don't color wax for candles or clamshell melts. I test my jars at 6 months, sometimes it goes longer.

 

Most candles do well at 6% with the long cure. I have a few that are 9%. I use the remaining of the bottle of FO and make as many candles as I can. Put them back in the box, label the box, and put on the shelf. They sit on my shelf for 6 months. Back in a day, way back 😬, I learned this when I had a store front. The wick issue has some truth for not only soy, but paraffin also. 

 

Once I reached the 6 month mark, the fragrance strength didn't change and the wick characteristics didn't change with a longer time. Meaning, 9 months or 12 months of cure time doesn't give it stronger scent and the way the wick performs doesn't change.

 

6 months really is the sweet spot and when I read problems about wicking and scent after a 3-5 day cure, or even a 2-3 week cure, I've learned not to say much because it causes so much controversy. I'm only responding to your post because I've seen your posts about 6 months and a year cure time. 

 

I'm fortunate to have space for this. It's also why I don't sell candles in many fragrances, but offer wax melts in a ton of fragrances.

 

Editing to add, once the 6 months are up, I sell wholesale and take to shows. They don't get old and the burn (wick) is spot on, so if it takes 5 years to sell them I know they will burn and smell great.

Edited October 28, 2019 by Soy-N-Suds

[Soy-N-Suds]

25 minutes ago, Soy-N-Suds said:

The answer to your question is 'yes'.

 

I make wickless candles @ 6% and 9% for some lighter fragrances. I label them with FO/Company, % used, date. I don't color wax for candles or clamshell melts. I test my jars at 6 months, sometimes it goes longer.

 

Most candles do well at 6% with the long cure. I have a few that are 9%. I use the remaining of the bottle of FO and make as many candles as I can. Put them back in the box, label the box, and put on the shelf. They sit on my shelf for 6 months. Back in a day, way back 😬, I learned this when I had a store front. The wick issue has some truth for not only soy, but paraffin also. 

 

Once I reached the 6 month mark, the fragrance strength didn't change and the wick characteristics didn't change with a longer time. Meaning, 9 months or 12 months of cure time doesn't give it stronger scent and the way the wick performs doesn't change.

 

6 months really is the sweet spot and when I read problems about wicking and scent after a 3-5 day cure, or even a 2-3 week cure, I've learned not to say much because it causes so much controversy. A 3 month cure is better, but 6 months is best. I'm only responding to your post because I've seen your posts about 6 months and a year cure time. 

 

I'm fortunate to have space for this. It's also why I don't sell candles in many fragrances, but offer wax melts in a ton of fragrances.

 

Editing to add, once the 6 months are up, I sell wholesale and take to shows. They don't get old and the burn (wick) is spot on, so if it takes 5 years to sell them I know they will burn and smell great.