testing testing so much money

[bella soy]

Hello Ya'll

Im new here and glad that i found this forum.

i poured my first candles the other day. At first I thought everything went well. The tops looked awfule but that was expected according to my reaserch. I used a 1 to 1 ratio of 1lb. of wax to 1 oz. of FO. Heated to 180 F

added color and fragrance at 150 F and poured at around 145 F, because i was impatient. i used 8 oz. Jelly jars and ECO 8 wics. I woke up this morning to a horrible sight of air bubbles on the sides of the candles. It looks as though the wax shrunk from the sides of the glass. I was told that soy wax doesnt shrink.

So tonight when I got off work I just had to pour another candle. This time paying really close attention to temp and pour rate. Used 1 lb. EZ Soy, 8 oz. jelly jar, ECO 8 wick, 1 oz. of Macintosh Apple from Cierra Candles and decided not to add color this time. I melted to 150 F. Took wax off heat added FO at 140 F and poured at 115 F very very slowly. The top of this candle looked AWESOME completely smooth! After about an hour of curing I came back to check it out and there were those dumb air pockets again. but the strange thing is the air pockets seem to be going away everytime I go back to check. So hopefully tomorrow the air pockets will be comepletly gone.

My question is, however, has anyone had great success with EZ Soy from Cierra Candles?

Also,

I have been hearing alot about the wick can interfer with the scent throw but the wick has to be the right size for the jar and the the right kind for the wax you are using. Not to mention some Fo dont work with certain wicks at all, apparently.

There are so many combinations to test i would have to be a millionair to buy all the supplies i need to come up with the perfect combo!

It also seems that every new scent or jar that I want to use I need to do a bunch of tests before i pour in bulk to sell. I need to test the Fo with different wicks and different pouring temps and so on and so fourth

any thought or opinions to make this testing and guessing game alot easier and less expensive????

[Vicky_CO]

No there is not a less expensive way. Candle making is not a cheap hobby or a cheap way to make extra money I know a lot of people think that when they first start out.

But here is the good thing once you get some experience under your belt you will be a better judge of what wax to use with what wick and how much scent to use to get a good throw so over time it does becomes cheaper because the odds of getting a good throw and burn on the first try is much greater with experience.

[iammommytwo]

I don't really have any tips as far as saving $$....but just a suggestion--it is my understanding that EZ soy is to be poured cool, ~100, and slushy. Perhaps that is the "problem" w/the air bubbles.

And good luck with your testing....hang in there!!

[Candle Makin Momma]

FOr the wet spots ( the air pockets) you can heat your jars a bit, then pour your wax when it is very slushy, less than 100 if possible. That's what works best for me.

[bella soy]

I also noticed that when I poured the second candle last night I added the FO at a cooler temp and the cold throw isnt that great. havent tried hot yet still waiting for it to cure about a week. But how do you know if its the temp that you added it or just the fact that that this scent isnt as strong as some in determining whether to carry that scent in your line or not???

I woke up this morning and the candle that I told you I poured last night at a cooler temp now only has one tiny air bubble!!! So hopefully it will go away all together. I think I need to give it more time before I jump to conclusions.

HOWEVER, the first batch I made the day before, and poured at a hotter temp, those candles are getting WORSE as far as air bubbles. ??

[Candle Makin Momma]

I use to add my FO at 120 but have found that adding them at 180-185 produces a great throw. It helps the oil bind to the wax better

[ChrisR]

I don't use straight soy anymore because of the wet spots (air bubbles) and some scents just never throwing good, but lots of people love it! You should be heating your wax to at least 170 and adding your scent at that temperature. With you adding it at 150 or lower, your scent may not be binding properly with your wax, as it's too cool. You can wait till the slushy (100 or lower) to pour.........but I had no patience or time to wait that long and used to pour hotter (150), then just poked relief holes when it set up (in case of any hidden air pockets arount the wick) and used my heat gun to smooth out the tops.......and it worked well for me and saved me tons of time!!

Candle making is not an easy or cheap hobby. You cannot guess how a scent or wick will throw unless you test them. You most certainly don't want to sell any candle without testing and unfortunately it's a long and time consuming process. Take your time to learn your new craft properly and have fun.

[CandleCouture]

The reason for the air bubbles is that you are pouring too hot. You need to wait as long as possible with straight soy, and pour at around 100 when the wax is slushy/cloudy.

And, while this isn't part of your problem regarding the air pockets, you will have a problem with scent throw if you are adding your FO at that temperature. You need to add between 175-180 (180 seems to be a magic number for many people) so that the oil can bind with the wax.

[Mnhorsemom]

I use a 100% soy and I usually heat to between 175-180, add my color and FO and pour when the wax starts to get slushy. I do sometimes get "wet spots" but ya know I have seen some of the Big Guys candles and some of them have wet spot too!! As far as the testing goes, well not too many short cuts there. At least once you have the first one or two combinations under your belt you will have a starting point for further testing. I'm still pretty new at this, I started about a year and a half ago. I have found that the majority of my FO's work with the same wick. ( I only use two jars a 8oz square mason and a 10oz apoth) So when I go to test a new FO that's where I start.

[Jeana]

There are so many combinations to test i would have to be a millionair to buy all the supplies i need to come up with the perfect combo!

It also seems that every new scent or jar that I want to use I need to do a bunch of tests before i pour in bulk to sell. I need to test the Fo with different wicks and different pouring temps and so on and so fourth

any thought or opinions to make this testing and guessing game alot easier and less expensive????

Welcome to the world of candle making. Most of us have learned there are no shortcuts or "cheaper" ways to do this, especially if you plan to sell them. When you get more experience you know what works and doesn't much better, but this takes a lot of practice and time. I think most people test for years before they start selling. In this testing we accumulate many products we'll never use.

As for finding the "perfect combo" I don't even know if this is possible. It seems just as you think you have it down something else comes up.

Sorry, not to be a downer but making candles is a lot of work!

[chubby]

I add my colour and f/o at 145 and pour at 125 and have had great success. Give that a try and see what happens. I also test every new lot# of soy that I receive. Considering Soy is a natural product, each batch will have a slight difference to them. Yes this hobby can be pretty expensive especially if you are planning on retailing your products to stores. You want to make sure that your have a perfect product when placed on the shelves. Every new bottle of f/o I receive and lot of wax gets retested for scent throw, glass adhesion and frosting before I mfg. bulk for retail outlets.

[Fern-Marie]

Hi Bella,

I am really glad that it worked out for you.

It is expensive, but one thing that may help a bit, Candle Science has wick test kits. There's 5 of each wick in a series, ie, they carry LX, so you'd get 5 of each of the LX series wicks, ECO is there also. Could help with some of the testing.

EZ soy is a pretty forgiving wax. I used to use it and found that once you have the formula, you have it for pretty much all of the FOs.

However, I have a new batch and I am finding it completely different wicking from the one I had back in October. So, I am going with the test kits myself.

It will level out for you, the $$$, you will find that once you have your FOs in sufficient quantity, your ordering will ease up. Do try to get the larger sized FOs if/when you can.

I wish you all the best,

Fern-Marie