Yikes! Someones help me here please!

[joyofsoycandle]

I need a little help, im not good with fractions and all that, well math in general LOL. So, heres the thing....I use 1.75 ounce of fo per pound of wax. If I am making 6 votives, approx 12 ounces of wax, then how much oil do I put in? I have just been making tarts, and I want to test some wicks in votives, so for 6 of the standard 2 ounce votives at 1.75 ounces per pound of wax for fo, how much do i add for the 6 votives? Thank you for your help!!!

laura

[foxhill]

You are using 3/4 of a pound of wax, so just multiple your oil 1.75 x .75 and you will get 1.3 oz.

If you were using an amount of wax that wasn't such a nice number what I do is divide the amount of oil I use per pound by 16 to find out how much oil per ounce of wax, then multiple by the number of ounces of wax used. For you that would be 1.75/16=.109, then you can just multiple .109 by the number of ounces of wax you are using (.109 x 12= 1.3 rounded down). It's a little easier that way I think, at least for me it is.

I hope this helps you and doesn't confuse you more!

[topofmurrayhill]

Let's take just a slightly less convenient case, so you understand how to do it under all circumstances. Let's say that what you need for a particular mold is 10 oz of wax.

To deal with the fraction of a pound you just create the fraction 10/16 because you need only 10 ounces out of the 16 in a pound.

10 divided by 16 = .625

That result is what you multiply all the other ingredients by to scale them down to 10 ounces.

If you use 1.75 oz FO to a pound of wax, then 1.75 times .625 = 1.1 oz

One thing I'd like to point out is that if you're measuring your FO by volume (in a measuring glass), you're going to have trouble measuring amounts that don't line up with the markings. The best thing to do might be to switch to measuring your FO by weight instead of volume, using a decent scale.

[joyofsoycandle]

Thanks so much for all your help. I am still confused, if I use 12 ounces of wax, and then I add 1.75% fo, then I will have extra when I pour, then 12 ounces wont I? So should I use 1.75% oil, and then 10.25% wax? Im so confused! lol

[topofmurrayhill]

Thanks so much for all your help. I am still confused, if I use 12 ounces of wax, and then I add 1.75% fo, then I will have extra when I pour, then 12 ounces wont I? So should I use 1.75% oil, and then 10.25% wax? Im so confused! lol

Yes, sharp of you to notice. You will have a little extra. It's actually kind of a pain to get the total amount to come out right when you figure your recipes the way you're doing it. You can always reduce the wax a little until it gets close.

For instance, 11 (instead of 12) oz wax divided by 16 = .6875

1.75 oz FO times .6875 = 1.2 oz FO

That now adds up to 12.2 oz, which is a lot closer to the amount of stuff you need. What's a little off here is that we're supposed to be using the weight of the FO (from a scale) whereas you're probably measuring by liquid volume.

If you feel like it, you could consider switching to percentage recipes. It's the most advanced way of doing things and not actually hard. It makes some things easy like getting the total amount right. I'll explain how it works, but to begin with you have to understand that you need a good scale because everything in this method is by WEIGHT. You don't measure no 'spoons.

Let's say your recipe calls for 10% FO and 5% stearic and 1% Vybar and you're going to make 6 votives. With a percentage formula you always start off with the total amount of "candlestuff" you're going to need, which is 12 oz. Then you figure out the weights of the individual ingredients like this:

10% FO is .10 times 12 = 1.2 oz

5% stearic is .05 times 12 = .6 oz

1% Vybar is .01 times 12 = .12 oz

That's 16% of our "candlestuff" right there and it always has to add up to 100% so the remaining 84% is wax:

84% wax is .84 times 12 = 10.08 oz

So you measure out all those weights and that's what goes in the melt pot. 10.08 oz wax + 1.2 oz FO + .6 oz stearic + .12 oz Vybar = 12 oz candlestuff.

[joyofsoycandle]

thank you thank you thank you! that was perfectly understandable and I am not confused any longer! Yes i do need a scale. I think I will just do it that way, with the percentages from now on, thank you again! =)