How do you test your soy candles?

[pgray1229]

I posted in the other forum, but forgot to add that I use Ecosoya cb-135.. how do you test candles so you're not wasting alot of wax or fragrance? Do you measure out enough to do 2 oz worth of wax and fragrance. or do you test a whole pound at a time??

Thanks so much for any info you can lend to me!

Patience

[Stella1952]

First, welcome Patience.

I never consider the FO and wax used in testing a waste - it's simply part of the cost of doing business or making candles.

Every container requires testing. Every FO requires testing. Having said that, to make things easier for testing containers, don't put your wick in place before you pour into your chosen container(s). As the candle is setting up (not liquid, but not hardened), remove the sustainer base from the bottom of the wick you want to test and insert it into the candle. If it turns out the be the wrong size, you can pull it out and replace it with another you think will work better.

Weigh your candle before you begin testing and then again before you relight it to see how much wax the wick has consumed.

Burn for 1 hour per inch of container diameter at a session (ie. a 3" wide container would be burned for 3 hours).

Record the height of the flame, width of the melt pool and approximate depth before you extinguish the candle.

Allow the candle to cool completely before trimming the wick to 1/4" and relighting. Don't forget to weigh it before you relight!

Continue until the candle has burned all the way to the bottom, as the last half of the burn is generally the hottest. If your wick drowns out early, remove it and insert a different one.

HTH

[pgray1229]

How much wax do you use? I've bought 4 oz containers... do I make 4 candles from 1lb of wax and test all of them? Or do you just do enough to make 4oz?

Thanks for the help!!

[Arlene]

Welcome to the board! :highfive:

If it's easier for you (and I think in the beginning it would be) start with just one 4oz. candle. Choose the FO you want to test and follow Stella's instructions on leaving the wick out. I let the candle cool and set up, then use a metal skewer to poke a hole all the way to the bottom. Add your wick and (if you have one) give it a quick zap of heat gun. Once you know which wick worked best for that FO, you can go on to the next one.

HTH

P.S. Remember to relax and have fun.

[pgray1229]

Thank you all. I will do 4 oz a time. I'm waiting for my supplies to get here... I bought a sampler pack, but unfortunately, I didn't know what size wick to get, and I looked online and found that I've got a gel candle wick. The cold scent throw on my candles are fantastic, but the hot throw isn't.

[Stella1952]

Patience, what wicks do you have and what wicks did you order? I hope you are not in an area of the country where the weather might slow down the delivery - it's hard to wait for supplies!