test, test, & more

[chrisasst]

Ok all this talk about testing and more testing..well what are we testing for. Yes I understand that we have to test wicks and make sure they burn to our liking. I understand that different waxes do different things..But other than that what do we test for? How does one know they have the perfect candle?

My perfect candle is probably different than others. If the wick burns, I can smell the scent good, that to me is a good candle.

If someone knew started with a wax and by some chance they picked a good wick and they are happy, why does one need to keep testing?

Just curious and bored and was thinking about that..

[flightoffancy]

Just because a wick burns the candle doesn't mean it's the right one. You need to make sure that flame height and melt pool are correct.

Once you find a wick that works in your tester you need to test EVERY fragrance oil that you plan to carry because each oil is unique and can burn differently.

You'll also need to test with each new batch of wax because that can change from batch to batch. I test 3 candles out of each new batch but some test more and some less.

The testing is an endless circle but it does get easier once you get your basics figured out.

[prairieannie]

Actually, you don't NEED to do any of that. You don't have to test anything at all. There is no law that states you can't sell a candle without testing it.

It's just a basic assumption on the part of most of us that people who hand pour candles would want to pour the very safest and best candle that they could, and that's where the testing comes in. For those of us who DO sell candles and make money doing it there is a great appreciation for those newbie candlemakers who have a desire to test and do things the right way.

We appreciate that because it really sucks when a gung- ho noob gets high and mighty on their candle horse and trots on out there to craft shows with crappy candles... several people buy them because they smell good, and look cute, and after they get them home and burn them they find that the wax tunnels, the wicks smoke and the candles doesn't smell all that great when it's burning. Now what? They think hand poured candles are shitty and when WE go out to sell a good candle, our chance has already been blown by none other than the noob who had ants in their pants. So.. thanks in advance for doing your testing for a safe and quality candle~ it truly helps all of us!

[TxSioux]

I used to ask the same thing ... till 6 yrs of candlemaking proved that you can't trust any of your variables to remain the same. I have never had a bad batch of wax, but I have seen many posts on this topic. I have had 2 batches of bad wicks & am now looking for a new supplier. Every fo is different than another & has to be tested for how it burns w/ what you *think* is the right size wick. You always have to test a new container size. It can be very draining to do this right, but you can NEVER rest on past results when you change any of the ingredients. Once you create the perfect candle you have to realize there's a 50/50 chance you will sell it to an idiot who will burn it under circumstances you NEVER imagined. It takes a long time & seeing things that will blow you away before you fully grasp how very responsible you are for the product you sell.

You will never be through testing as long as you're making a quality product.

Susan.

[SatinDucky]

Everything said so far is correct.

Another way of looking at it, even from a purely selfish point of view. Someone goes out and sells a couple candles. They don't burn well, tunnel, blowout, whatever. Those customers wont be back. The candle maker is shooting him/herself in the foot by not making sure they're great to begin with.

[topofmurrayhill]

Your question kind of contains the answer. It's a matter of your standards. I think that newbies are typically too easily satisfied with their product. It can take a few years to figure out what doesn't suck or what's more than passable. A lot of people never do.

At first you might read some general guidelines and do some testing and think you've got it. But once you figure out what doesn't suck, the answer to the testing question becomes kind of obvious. It can be very hard to design a great product and not gloss over the sucky stuff. There's tons of trial and error involved.

[Wick'n'Wax]

Are you saying, with regard to testing every new batch of wax. For example, you carry 30 different FO. With each batch of wax, you have to test each fo, within each candle.

so from 1 batch of wax, you'd make say, 30 2" pillars, then if you do a 3", 30 3" pillars.

Do you have to test every FO with every type of candle, all from the same batch of wax?

What if you only buy your wax 5kg at a time?

[flightoffancy]

Are you saying' date=' with regard to testing every new batch of wax. For example, you carry 30 different FO. With each batch of wax, you have to test each fo, within each candle.

so from 1 batch of wax, you'd make say, 30 2" pillars, then if you do a 3", 30 3" pillars.

Do you have to test every FO with every type of candle, all from the same batch of wax?

What if you only buy your wax 5kg at a time?[/quote']

I don't test every FO with each new batch of wax. I pull 3 random oils and test with those.

[so-soy]

Well I guess more than anything you would WANT to test your wax, wick and fo combination so you know they burn SAFELY!!!! If you don't want to take the time to test, just want to get those candles out on that table at the next show, you had better be willing to take responsibility if your untested candle BURNS SOMEONES HOUSE DOWN OR HARMS SOMEONE!!! That should be the first thing you are testing for..then the other things people here have mentioned come into play!

[chrisasst]

ok, another question:

what happens if when you do your testing and your test is perfect. Then In the candle you sell or whatever something happens and the candle does not burn. Keep in mind it is the same batch of wax and same everything as your test..

Has anyone bought a batch of wicks that some may be defective in away?

P.s. please don't think I am against testing. (I have tested and tested since I have started) just looking for some expert advice..

[mindy5140]

I've never heard of that happening but who's to say it couldn't.

There are many reasons why a candle might not burn correctly for a customer. Like drafts, not trimming the wick, leaving the candle lit for to long, sink holes, etc....

That's why you should include the above on your warning label.

Testing is a never ending cycle, every time you buy new wax or want to try a different style candle (container, votive, pillar, melts, etc..) you have to test them. It's not a cheap hobby or buisness to start.

I would suggest to test your candle now and then test it a few months from now to see if you get the same results.

Mindy

[SatinDucky]

ok, another question:

what happens if when you do your testing and your test is perfect. Then In the candle you sell or whatever something happens and the candle does not burn. Keep in mind it is the same batch of wax and same everything as your test..

Has anyone bought a batch of wicks that some may be defective in away?

P.s. please don't think I am against testing. (I have tested and tested since I have started) just looking for some expert advice..

When I'm testing a new formula, I usually burn 3 or 4 even if it looks like a good test the first time. Unexpected things can happen.You may not get your relief hole quite deep enough and end up with an air pocket and torch (pillar). In a container you first one may burn great, then the rest have the wick tab come loose and slide up against the glass and crack it. You just never know what might happen. Granted, repeated testing isn't a guarantee something wont go wrong, but... the more you test, the more likely that you'll find the problem before the customer does.

Honestly, one month or so of testing isn't that much...

[SheilaW]

ok, another question:

what happens if when you do your testing and your test is perfect. Then In the candle you sell or whatever something happens and the candle does not burn. Keep in mind it is the same batch of wax and same everything as your test..

Has anyone bought a batch of wicks that some may be defective in away?

P.s. please don't think I am against testing. (I have tested and tested since I have started) just looking for some expert advice..

Wicks can be very different from supplier to supplier. Batches of wax can vary. Fo formulations can change. ( suppliers don't always tell you when they switch manufactures of a certain product they sell. )

If I haven't changed anything I will still spot test to make sure that my candles are still burning the same.

what happens if when you do your testing and your test is perfect. Then In the candle you sell or whatever something happens and the candle does not burn. Keep in mind it is the same batch of wax and same everything as your test..

" and the candle does not burn" do you mean the wicks wont stay lit?

[Scented]

We replace candles if something goes wrong that's gone wrong with the candle and isn't the consumer's fault.

Expect that if you're selling the consumer wants to know how your candle will perform and asks you different questions that they've already been zinged by someone who just made candles and thought they would be fun to sell without testing to see if they worked. If your candles do as you say they will, you could end up with repeat business, which you'd want (I'd think) and if they don't, you just lost not one customer but all her friends and your reputation.

[Candle Kitty]

Testing seems to be a big PITA, especially when you get on these boards and the front page is half-full of people asking what went wrong when they were testing, or if someone else has had issues burning a specific FO. This is where this community really shines and have helped me more than they really know.

When I started out making candles, I was using Hobby Lobby wax, cheap wick, cheap FO, cheap color and let me tell you, when I came on here and saw just how much more it is to it then that, it strengthened my resolve. For the last three years, I've used IGI-1218 because I liked working with it a lot. Then when I came back after a year and I'm getting geared up to start them again, I decided to switch to 1343. Candleman and a few others have used this wax and I PM'd him to find out how he felt about it and if he could give me a few tips. His tips, needless to say, involved wick that I've actually never used in 1218, so there will be a massive amount of testing involved. As Top said, it's personal preference as to how you want your candles to burn and I know that Candleman's tips were his personal preferences. I'll use his tips as guidelines, but that's it.

My first wax shipment is due in Wednesday and it's an entire case of 1343 with several wick samples and FOs to get me re-started again. As I find the right formula for each FO, I'll write it down, burn another one for safe measure and then move to the next. I can tell you now, about 75% of that case will go to nothing but testing and as far as I'm concerned, it's a good, sound investment because I'll know I'm producing a great candle that burns safely.

I've also not sold any of my candles SERIOUSLY and I've been working at doing that now for about three years. I want everything in order and ready to go before I even consider that and while a few people here may think that's crazy, if you stop to think about the amount of testing that's involved, the amount of tweaking a formula here, or shoving a wick in there, I think I'm right on schedule when I say I'm slated to begin selling them sometime next year. Four years of testing, I think is right for me.

[KCScentsations]

So is there ever a time when you pour the same FO, the same wax, and use the same wick but the candle still burn differently? Well for me that happened. Now, I'm not sure if I poured the candle different but they burned different. So I'm wondering do you have to pour at the same temp? And I do test because I have learned how important it is to test. Sometime I do feel some people feel like they waste alot of time and money testing. I think it's worth it.

[Candle Kitty]

This is where note-taking is so vital. Any change in how you pour your candle, from the additive to when you put the FO in to what temperature the wax is...even the temperature of the mold can change the way it burns...SOMETIMES.

The first thing I do when I think of a candle is that I write down everything before I even pour. What additive, what wax, color, scent, wick and what kind (rustic, mottle, marble). I also write down what temperature I'm going to pour everything and then I'll set out making the candle.

The very first candle is exactly how I write it down, no exceptions and then I burn it after it's cured. If the burn is good but not great, I've got my notes right there to tell me that okay, this time I used a pigment instead of dye and pigments can sometimes clog a wick. So then I make the candle again, using dye and then I retest. If the burn is a really good one, I mark the page that has the changed formula and then make another candle to test the formula again. I always keep both sheets, I never get rid of any notes because there may be something I might need from them later down the road.

Explicit note-taking is key for me, especially with anything new I've never tried before. Wax, wick, scent, all of it. If it's new to me, I'm a furious note-taker. It saves a lot of heartache.

[2rottndogs]

I take alot of notes also. I write everything down...I keep notes on where the scent I'm using came from, what type of wax and where bought, the amount of color used... and so on.

I keep track of how long I've cured a candle and whether or not there is a good cold throw and hot throw. I'll make notes on the candles I burn. I don't test all of them, but I'll randomly select some containers that I've poured. I tend to test only when I've made a major change... wick, container, different wax.

I get to a point where I don't have the time to burn all these testers, so I have some friends that are more than happy to help burn the candles. I give them a list of what I'm looking for and they keep notes too. LOL...one of the *perks* of being friends with someone that makes candles... a never ending supply of them.

I've found the notetaking to be invaluable. I've made mistakes and been able to go back through and see what I did. And paying attention to the mistakes and experiences of others here has without a doubt saved me tons of time and money.

Kim