decreasing FO load, what wicks now??

[dogmom1]

hi,

after having a number of people tell me i am wasting FO by using 2 oz. in a pound of gb464, i want to cut back, but now i have to start all over again with wicking. can anyone give me a hint how much i should wick down if i go to 1 1/2 oz? 1 oz? just a starting place. i have some really good burns right now at 2 oz and it is going to be painful to give them up!

i have been using eco and lx wicks. thanks in advance for any help!

eileen

[Circle]

Try with the same size wicks first, then go down a size

[AntoniasCreations]

What size jars are you using? I think your other post said 4" diam? Well with those I was using two cd 6 for most fo. So for you I would start with LX-12 or Eco 4 and see how it goes. Now I dont really know for sure since I have not used either one of these wicks but from the wick chart this is where I would start.

HTH some GL

Antonia

[carmellajarvis]

I like the rrd-47 from EL.

[pwillo2]

I have just started testing a 4" diameter jar, not actually started just got done pouring actually...But according to CS's wicking guide.. I wicked one tester with an Eco 14 and I poured one double wicked with 2 Eco 8's... I am going to wait until Sat morning to actually test burn..I think those are good starting point wiith the Eco's. I use a 4 in most of my 8oz jj's and a 10 in most of my 16oz WM mason jars..

HTH!!!

Emily

[bugtussle]

Whose FO are you using? I have a few FO's that I pour at close to 2 oz/lb. Remember 2 ozs/# translates to about 9% based on total wt. Some FOs need close to 2 oz. Before you redo everything, try decreasing slightly. IMHO Carole

[dogmom1]

Whose FO are you using? I have a few FO's that I pour at close to 2 oz/lb. Remember 2 ozs/# translates to about 9% based on total wt. Some FOs need close to 2 oz. Before you redo everything, try decreasing slightly. IMHO Carole

hi carole,

i use candle science oils, except for candle soylutions sandalwood and amber and their lime.

exactly what do you mean by decreasing slightly? i am so afraid of losing the great strong throw i am getting now.

thanks!

eileen

[dogmom1]

thanks for all the suggestions. i'll start testing the lower amount tomorrow.

eileen

[topofmurrayhill]

Remember 2 ozs/# translates to about 9% based on total wt.

Carole I'm not sure how you come to this conclusion. 2 oz FO divided by 18 oz total weight is over 11% FO. Even if you were adding a third ingredient like USA you'd have to add an awful lot to bring the FO concentration down to 9%.

Eileen:

Candle design is a process of testing by changing only one thing at a time. It's best to methodically find your own answer rather than (perhaps haphazardly) trying various things others may suggest.

So regardless what answers you get to this question, your next step should be the same. To see what effect changing the FO amount has on the burn, make exactly the same candle except for the amount of FO. If you don't like the result, you can decide to try testing a larger or smaller wick.

As for being afraid of losing your desired scent throw - that is one of the things you will be testing for. No need to be afraid. Just see what happens and decide. You may find that you can easily decrease the amount of some fragrances but you might want to leave others the same, or maybe decrease them just a little as bugtussle suggests.

[Stella1952]

To see what effect changing the FO amount has on the burn, make exactly the same candle except for the amount of FO. If you don't like the result, you can decide to try testing a larger or smaller wick.

As for being afraid of losing your desired scent throw - that is one of the things you will be testing for. No need to be afraid. Just see what happens and decide.

Excellent advice as always, Top.

[dogmom1]

Carole I'm not sure how you come to this conclusion. 2 oz FO divided by 18 oz total weight is over 11% FO. Even if you were adding a third ingredient like USA you'd have to add an awful lot to bring the FO concentration down to 9%.

Eileen:

Candle design is a process of testing by changing only one thing at a time. It's best to methodically find your own answer rather than (perhaps haphazardly) trying various things others may suggest.

So regardless what answers you get to this question, your next step should be the same. To see what effect changing the FO amount has on the burn, make exactly the same candle except for the amount of FO. If you don't like the result, you can decide to try testing a larger or smaller wick.

As for being afraid of losing your desired scent throw - that is one of the things you will be testing for. No need to be afraid. Just see what happens and decide. You may find that you can easily decrease the amount of some fragrances but you might want to leave others the same, or maybe decrease them just a little as bugtussle suggests.

thanks for your input. i guess i was just looking for an easy way..... and i know better already with soy! :smiley2:

eileen

[topofmurrayhill]

thanks for your input. i guess i was just looking for an easy way..... and i know better already with soy! :smiley2:

It's not just with soy. Relying on the board for shortcuts can be the road to mediocrity. People can seldom give you the exact formula your situation needs. Candles are trickier than that!

[bugtussle]

I stand corrected, Top. I use 10% on most scents which = about 9% by volume. I do pour some weak scents which require almost 2 ozs/#. The point I was trying to make is 1 oz/# is just not enough for me even though many people live by this rule. Most waxes won't hold 2 oz/# so if you can safely make 2 ozs# work then try 1.9, 1.8 or 1.7 ozs until you get the results you want. Very often you don't have to change wicking by decreasing FO only slightly.

Thks for correcting me! Carole

[topofmurrayhill]

The point I was trying to make is 1 oz/# is just not enough for me even though many people live by this rule.

I agree with that as far as soy is concerned. With all-vegetable waxes you usually need more FO to really get the throw. I've had generally lackluster results at 1 oz pp in soy.

One thing I point out pretty often and will stress again for Eileen's benefit is that fragrances are best tested individually to decide what amount to use. Not only can each fragrance have a different effect on the burn characteristics of the candle, but the throw can vary wildly. Off the cuff I'd say that your typical chocolate fragrance is maybe 3 or 4 times stronger than your average apples & oak fragrance.

Eileen, you are using a lot of FO in your candles so your idea of considering less is well worth exploring. But you should also consider testing for the best amount for each fragrance. In some cases you might not want to change it by much. In a few cases you may find that you can decrease it by a lot.

[bugtussle]

Absolutely agree, Top. That's why the testing is so important! Carole