evesorto Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Sorry but here I go again.I make my candles with igi 4627, 12% fo (moonlight path bbw type), eco 8 wick in a 3" jar. Scent throw was weak. To test the wax/oil combo itselt, I scooped out a bit of wax and put it in tart warmer (tealight type) and scent throw was fabulous.I decided to test the temp of the melt pool of candle/wick vs. tart warmer, and the temps were 125 and 175, respectively. What do you make of this? Is it that melt pool isn't getting hot enough to disperse certain oils (because others are fine with the igi4627/eco 8 combo).Urgh...Eve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Why don't you start by testing different fragrance levels and see how it affects the burn and the throw. I doubt 4627 would do very well with 12% of most fragrance oils. Try half that and see what you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetacea Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I agree 12% is pretty high. You might try a different size and or type of wick. Also are you adding anything to your wax besides FO and color? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evesorto Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 I am just adding fo (moonlight path, in this case) and color.I think it must be a reaction between this particular fo and the wick/heat/melt pool bec as I said, using a scoop of the same 4627 with 12% fo, only in a tart warmer produced wonderful scent throw.Also, many fo have awesome scent throw in this wax at the 12% with any wick (eco, rrd and low smoke zincs).Do you find that some oils just don't do well in candles (as opposed to tarts)?Or will it eventually do well, if I find the right wick? Sorry for so many questions, but I am perplexed.TIAEve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 One thing you have to learn in candlemaking is how to use fragrance oil. A lot of people just use the maximum they think they can get away with and learn nothing.Your wick is sucking up the FO and burning it off. That's why it throws in the tart warmer and not in the candle. It's the burn that needs to be corrected.4627 and most other waxes can't usually deal with 12% fragrance loading. You're wasting your fragrance and screwing up your burn. Try half the amount and then go up or down from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evesorto Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 Ok...I hear what you are saying. But how come, the sucking up of fo and bad burning/poor scent throw only happens with certain oils. I know that I am able to get a good throw (4627 @ 12%) with various vanillas (which are know to be problematic) and numerous other oils.I do hear you and I will reduce fo to 8% and see if I get a better burn/throw with moonlight paththankseve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Because every FO is made of different stuff.Where strength is concerned I'd say off the cuff they can vary by a factor of 4. Meaning one FO can throw at 2% the way another throws at 8%. Or 3% versus 12%. Each one also has a different effect on the wax and wick and how the candle burns, so even the best fragrances may not work well if you use the wrong amount. Or a fragrance that seems to work OK will make an even better smelling and burning candle if you use less.This is one of the most important things someone can tell you about candlemaking but not many folks listen. Unless you test fragrances at lower levels than even 8% -- all different levels in fact -- you're never going to be able to select the best FOs or be able to explore the potential for best scent throw and burn quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I know this is an old thread, but i just found it while searching for FO usage in tealights.How would i go about testing the FO amount with wick/wax type. Do i need to make a full size candle of each, or could i do the throw test using a votive size candle, or a tealight candle to test the wax/wick/FO combo....I'm asking because i've made tealights that have some amazing throw both cold and hot, but another have almost no throw compared to the containers made with the same wax.I'm one of those that haven't learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Making the kind of candle you plan to use the fragrance in might be the best bet. It seems to me that FOs can respond unpredictably to different kinds of wax and wicking. I'm thinking of one that I judged inadequate when I tried it in a pillar. One day I happened to use it to make some self-trimming votives and it threw like mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Okay so i'm going to say use 1pound for testing, and start with 2% FO and work my way up 1% at a time.Start with a a tealight and test those, then do my votives, then pillars.Can I remelt down the votive and the pillar in my testing to use in the next test? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in PA Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I know this is an old thread, but i just found it while searching for FO usage in tealights.How would i go about testing the FO amount with wick/wax type. Do i need to make a full size candle of each, or could i do the throw test using a votive size candle, or a tealight candle to test the wax/wick/FO combo....I'm asking because i've made tealights that have some amazing throw both cold and hot, but another have almost no throw compared to the containers made with the same wax.I'm one of those that haven't learned.Good thread! Glad you brought it back for those of us who missed it first time around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Aaron, starting off in 1% increments might get a little tedious so you might want to be more strategic about it.I'm not sure what strategy I'd use for tealights and votives because I don't concentrate on those and never start with them. Generally speaking it might be good to try 3% and 6% and decide where to go from that comparison.It's good to test the lower percentage because some FOs throw suprisingly well and you might miss discovering which are the super-scents unless you tried it. A fair number of them may not be too spectacular even at 6%, but if they're at least decent and you like the scent you could try working up from there.Fine-tuning can be useful sometimes but I'd save it for later in the process. When you get to that point, keep in mind how different levels of FO actually compare to each other. For instance, 3.3% FO is actually 10% greater fragrance concentration than 3% FO. When you're working with a strong FO, that's something you can really smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artcwolf Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 okay i'll do 3% and 6% then go from there.now that i've got a bit better understanding from this, it might explain why my vanilla nutmeg FO was so potent and ended up smelling as my office called it barn at 6% FOI'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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