anncal Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 I know that the same candle with different fragrances in it can require different wick sizes up or down from the "naked" candle. Are there things you seasoned folks know about the fragrance formulations that help guide your decision when picking a wick to start with (such as vanillin content, flash point, type of fragrance like citrus vs floral, scent notes, etc.) or is the answer simply test, test, and test again? I guess what I'm asking is whether there is a knowledge base out there that will tell me things like (hypothetically) citrus scents will typically require larger wicks. I know I'll need patience for all of this, but if I can save myself from unnecessary testing brought on by just winging it, I would love to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 44 minutes ago, anncal said: I know that the same candle with different fragrances in it can require different wick sizes up or down from the "naked" candle. Are there things you seasoned folks know about the fragrance formulations that help guide your decision when picking a wick to start with (such as vanillin content, flash point, type of fragrance like citrus vs floral, scent notes, etc.) or is the answer simply test, test, and test again? I guess what I'm asking is whether there is a knowledge base out there that will tell me things like (hypothetically) citrus scents will typically require larger wicks. I know I'll need patience for all of this, but if I can save myself from unnecessary testing brought on by just winging it, I would love to! These are all great questions, and instincts! fragrance oil composition is all pretty secretive. The closest I get to knowing what is in a retail available fragrance blend is from the SDS. Not many places offer that. WSP does, though, so you can look into their popular fragrances and see if you notice any patterns. Even with the SDS, proportions of aromachemical make a big difference. 0.5- 1% of patchouli, for instance, will likely change a wick need by several sizes. I wish I could tell you that any old lemon would burn the same - or wick similarly- from every supplier 😢 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 All I can tell you is that I haven't found a reliable correlation between any of the factors that are actually known to us...flashpoint, density, etc. Admittedly, I didn't put much research into it. Someone brought up specific gravity as a determining factor a while back and I did get interested enough to compare some of my FO's to try and find a link, and I just didn't find anything conclusive. For my waxes/FO's/container combination, the wick series seems to play the part. If I use LX, zinc or cd wicks, I may use 2-3 different sizes per container depending on the FO. Using Eco, one size pretty much always gets the job done with the need to wick up or down extremely rare. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anncal Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 (edited) 58 minutes ago, TallTayl said: WSP does, though, so you can look into their popular fragrances and see if you notice any patterns. How do you like WSP fragrances for candles? I have tons leftover from CP soapmaking but I haven't seen anyone talking about them as a candle fragrance supplier. Edited March 12, 2021 by anncal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, anncal said: How do you like WSP fragrances for candles? I have tons leftover from CP soapmaking but I haven't seen anyone talking about them as a candle fragrance supplier. I use all of the fragrances I purchased for soap in candles. They seem to perform just fine. SoMe I might have to wick up,?some I might have to wick down just like everywhere else. But they’re always very popular in candles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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