What are your testing process steps

[AustinCandleMaker]

I'm new to candle making and quickly realized that testing is the most important and time consuming part if you want a quality result.

I want to be able to make this process as efficient as possible.

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[TallTayl]

First, make a chart of some sort. Record all of the details of the candle as you make it.

include lot numbers, temperatures (including ambient temps) and anything you think of as you make the candle. 
 

label the candle. Dear lord don’t rely on your memory for this. Speaking from forgotten experience here. 
 

then, record the burns. Most look once per hour for each controlled burn.  I take photos to remind myself.

if a burn fails from a wick choice, swap the wick, note it on the sheet and continue to the bitter end.

 

if it looks like you picked a winning wick, start over from the beginning of another. Make the same exact candle. Photo, compare, note, etc. if you’re lucky this will all work out.

 

Burn controlled and see if it’s still safe. Then make one to power burn to make sure the ideal candles don’t develop a mind of their own and start a bonfire. 
 

 

[Laura C]

Hello @AustinCandleMaker. You couldn't be more correct when you said, "testing is the most important and time consuming part if you want a quality result". I'm sure I have seen this exact topic discussed on here before. Do some searching on here, I bet you'll find some great information.

 

And I second what @TallTayl said. Document, label, take some photos, etc. They will come in handy and you'll learn so much along the way. Yes, you will forget things or things will get switched around so write it down and label it. When you do come across a winning combination, you'll be thankful for the documentation so you can quickly and easily reproduce it. When starting out in candle making, some things will seem unimportant but later you will realize that they are indeed important. Test, test, test until you get a winner. 👍

[AustinCandleMaker]

Thanks @TallTayl and @Laura C .  Excellent information.  The "if you're lucky this will all work out."  Isn't super reassuring 🙂

 

"It's a long way there"  -  Little River Band ('76)

 

[Laura C]

1 hour ago, AustinCandleMaker said:

The "if you're lucky this will all work out."  Isn't super reassuring 🙂

 

LMAO, I thought the same thing. She's just telling it like it is, sugar coating not included. 🤣

[TallTayl]

Well, when does candle making EVER work out as planned? 🤣 
calling @Forrest 😅 

[Forrest]

One bit of advice I would offer is don’t do too much at one time. Stick with one wax and one container. Do you have a wax and container picked out? I number my candles and keep all the information in my test log. I just write the number on a piece of painter’s tape and stick it on the container. The first thing you need to do is get your process right; I heat my wax to 190⁰, add 7% FO, and stir for two minutes while keeping the mixture above 170⁰. The best advice I can give you is ask questions on this board, but when you do provide as much information as you can. Making candles is difficult and frustrating, you will need a good support group, which is the other thing this board provides. So, tell us a little more about exactly what you are wanting to do.

[TallTayl]

One more tidbit, when making your second successfully tested candle, make two.  Test the extra one after a month or two and note if it still burns well.  Many waxes continue to harden/cure for weeks or months.

[AustinCandleMaker]

Okay since we went there.

Waxes.

I've made some with IGI-6006 (unimpressed), GW 464 (troublesome)

I'm thinking of trying a Coconut blend.  Not sure which one.

There are many reasons to search for the "right" wax as i have learned.

The primary reason i'm still searching is because of color.

If I'm going to make a go of it to make some money and/or make it a business, i have a particular initial market to start in.

I think it's a great launch point.  Rather than Craft fair and such.  Or being just another candle maker with a website or on Etsy.

My initial market is what i plan on using to drive people to my website.

Here's the kicker.

It REQUIRES to have vibrant colors.  I need a RED red, BLACK black, ORANGE orange.  Those are the most difficult so far.

I need to have bright/true colors as close as possible.

Forget Soy.  6006 didn't do it either.  I slightly "overloaded" the colors.  Recommended portions.

I could overload them more but that's not going to change the soy results.

I have also heard that if you overload too much, it could "clog" your wick.  Don't know if that's true or not.

 

Just because you hear/see it on the internet doesn't make it true.  Man I wish more people understood that.  But that's a totally different conversation.

I digress...

 

I am currently using Liquid Dyes from LoneStar.  I have heard that using blocks might give better colors.

What do you recommend?  What source?

Man that was a lot.  🙂

 

 

[Forrest]

I don't use colors, but  many of the board members are knowledgeable in this area. From what I have read here from people I trust dyes can clog up your wick, so maybe the Internet got one right.

[AustinCandleMaker]

I think I'll ask the color question in its own thread

[Forrest]

6 hours ago, AustinCandleMaker said:

I think I'll ask the color question in its own thread

You got this. BTW I saw that thread an I use 4627, it has its drawbacks, but if it is HT you want that's a great wax. I used to use 4630 and it was easier to use and had good HT.

[Laura C]

On 2/20/2020 at 11:53 AM, AustinCandleMaker said:

There are many reasons to search for the "right" wax as i have learned.

The primary reason i'm still searching is because of color.

 

I need a RED red, BLACK black, ORANGE orange.  Those are the most difficult so far.

I need to have bright/true colors as close as possible.

Forget Soy.  6006 didn't do it either.

 

Regarding colored wax, I'm not positive but I want to say for the most vibrant colors you need to use paraffin or palm wax but I could be wrong.

 

Currently I'm still on the fence with the issue of liquid vs. solid dye. The only liquid dye I have experimented with had such a fowl odor that I couldn't stand to use it and that odor came through in some of my products so I don't use it anymore. Not to mention, I can be clumsy so liquid dye makes me nervous, LOL. I have been happily using color chips/blocks and haven't had a problem. I add my dye chips while the wax is still very hot and make sure it dissolves thoroughly before adding my FO. I use a scale to weight my dye chips.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Laura C

[AustinCandleMaker]

1 hour ago, Laura C said:

 

Regarding colored wax, I'm not positive but I want to say for the most vibrant colors you need to use paraffin or palm wax but I could be wrong.

 

Currently I'm still on the fence with the issue of liquid vs. solid dye. The only liquid dye I have experimented with had such a fowl odor that I couldn't stand to use it and that odor came through in some of my products so I don't use it anymore. Not to mention, I can be clumsy so liquid dye makes me nervous, LOL. I have been happily using color chips/blocks and haven't had a problem. I add my dye chips while the wax is still very hot and make sure it dissolves thoroughly before adding my FO. I use a scale to weight my dye chips.

 

Thanks Laura.  I notice that nasty odor with the liquid dyes as well.  Where do you get your dye blocks?

 

[TallTayl]

Dye blocks or chips, it seems, are often powdered pigment suspended in stearic acid. 

[Laura C]

3 hours ago, AustinCandleMaker said:

 

Thanks Laura.  I notice that nasty odor with the liquid dyes as well.  Where do you get your dye blocks?

 

 

Aztec Candle & Soap Supplies in Knoxville, TN https://www.candlemaking.com/dye-chips.html

It's their liquid dyes that smell so awful. 🤢  Wearing a respiratory definitely helps with the smell issue while I'm working with it but I can't have that smell in my products.

 

Do you know about the "Suppliers by State List" on this site? You can avoid higher shipping costs. It's here. 

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Laura C

[CaptnKush]

https://luxurycandlesupplies.co.uk/documents/asw-candle-testing-sheet.pdf