Wax Weight

[NattyCat]

I never seem to be able to calculate just how much wax I'm going to need!

Here's the deal:

I fill the mould with water to the level that I would fill with wax.

I then weigh out the exact same amount of Soy Wax Flakes.

I melt the wax, pour the candle, repour twice and I still have quite a bit of wax left over - which is odd!

OK, so it doesn't seem such a bad thing...but I worry that my calculations of scent per pound are not working out right due to the fact that despite me weighing out the same in wax and water - there is always wax left over.

Get this too - the candle weighs the same as the amount of wax I weighed out - but there is enough wax left over for at least 12 votives (I made a HUGE candle!)

My wax is breeding!

Anyone else getting this?

[Beth-VT]

The volume is different.

16 oz. of paraffin yields approx. 20 oz. by volume.

16 oz. of soy yields approx. 18 oz. by volume.

Your best bet is just to fill a container with wax and tare out the weight. Once you know said container holds say, 9oz., then all you ever have to do is weight out 9 oz. of solid wax (with adjustment for FO) and you're all set.

[Vicky_CO]

What is happening with the extra wax is you are not taking in to account the FO that you added. That adds weight to your blend.

[Brat]

Try this:

http://www.candletech.com/calculator/

[CandleCouture]

I don't see how that calculator can work, when in reality, 16 fluid ounces of water is far less "heavy" than 16 fluid ounces of wax/fo.

[Vicky_CO]

That is the idea of the container calculator to turn water weight to wax weight. It all in the mathematical formula.

[Stella1952]

Think of it this way, and maybe it'll help: a pound of feathers and a pound of lead weigh the same - one pound; but the VOLUME of feathers it takes to make one pound is far greater than the volume of lead in one pound of lead.