Can somebody give me some feedback/suggestions

[rebeccajo99]

How do you pour for a new scent? I am thinking I am going about this all wrong and wasting a bunch of wax. My wax website suggests to start testing scents with a CD 12, so I pour a 10, 12 and 14 jar. Is that good or am I over doing it and should pour 1 jar with a 12 and then see where to go from there.

Also, what do you do if you don't need a full lb of wax? I never know what to do with that.

Thanks in advance and sorry if this was posted somewhere before.

[chuck_35550]

let's say that my tumbler comfortably holds 7.5 oz of liquid. I measure out 7 oz of wax and add .5 oz of fragrance oil, mix 2 minutes of color and 2 minutes for the fo and then pour. No wick. Then after the wax has set up for about 24 hrs, I take a meat thermometer and use the metal spike to make a nice hole down the center. I cut off enough wick to fit down to the bottom and then light it and make notes on how the wick behaves with the wax and the fo. If I don't like that combination, I put it out. let it cool and put in another. HTH.

Steve

[Stella1952]

My wax website suggests to start testing scents with a CD 12, so I pour a 10, 12 and 14 jar.

Well, that would depend on the size jar, wouldn't it? I am a little confused as to what you are asking...

Everyone does this a little differently because everyone doesn't use the same containers, wax, FOs and wicks!!! We all make different products, too...

I pour testers for new scents exactly the way I pour ones for sale (except that I don't use the same glue for the wicktab). Nothing else changes. I don't "pull wicks" in testers. I make a brand new one if needed. If I usually use a certain size wick in a certain container, then that's the wick I test in the new FO. With few exceptions, I use the same size wick in all containers of the same type/size, ie. 8 oz. widemouth jars = CDN 14. Sometimes I might go up or down depending, but usually once I have wicking dialed in, I don't need to change for a new FO. This is what works for ME with the container, wax, FOs & additives that I use - this might not be the same for you.

When I test a new FO, I use 1 pound of wax, which makes three 5oz. candles and a votive or a few melts. One candle is for testing and two are to sell/gift if the test goes well. The melts or votives are lagniappe. Sometimes I just put the overpour in a dixie cup to use making layered candles at a later date. There are plenty of converters and calculators to help you figure your ingredients for a lesser amount if you choose to do so.

Like I said - everyone has their own way and each of us discovers what is most cost and time effective for our individual operation. It seems like you are overcomplicating this... but then maybe I don't understand...

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks Stella and Chuck for your replys.

Chuck... that is what I was doing, but I sometimes felt like I was going in circles. So I decided to stop that way.

Stella... The information about the CD 12 starting point was for a jar with a 3 inch diamater (which is the jar that I use). Sorry, should have been a little clearer on that. I really like your idea of having 2 ready for sale if testing goes good, but what do you do with the wax if it doesn't go good? Do you remelt it and pour a different wicked jar?

[TheWickedWick]

Rebeccajo...glad you're asking these questions..I too seem to be wasting a lot of wax when testing does not go well. I have been testing like you..but when a wick type is not suited for your wax, what do you do with 3 jars of bad performing wax/wick combo. Sometimes I save and use in my tart burner but then you can only have so much :smiley2: . Interested in finding out what others do. I'm still trying to pin down my perfect wax so I suspect I will go thru a lot of missteps before achieving my goal.

[chuck_35550]

Stella is right, as far as, she has established her wax formula and knows how her wax reacts to most fos in a particular container. It doesn't always work out but most of the time it does. Yes you will feel like you are going in circles with wick testing, but if your wax is not performing in the container you have selected; then you made need to make adjustments to your wax or try another container. You're looking for good cold throw, heat throw, and conservative fuel consumption with the type wick you have chosen. You just have to learn your wax first and that takes time and money. Stella is right when she emphasizes that this is what works for us. You will develop your own technique for testing that feels comfortable to you.

[Stella1952]

I'm still trying to pin down my perfect wax

It takes years of experience to find one's "perfect wax" if indeed there is such a thing! Good luck with your quest. I'm more willing to settle for a wax that isn't "perfect," but that performs well enough to throw some light and scent around without drowning or lighting the house on fire. I've been doing this for a few years now, but I'm not sure that I have gained enough experience to recognize "my perfect wax" if it bit me on the hand! So I just keep using the products with which I have had good success...

I really like your idea of having 2 ready for sale if testing goes good, but what do you do with the wax if it doesn't go good? Do you remelt it and pour a different wicked jar?

"Wasting wax" was the least of my concern when I first started making candles and remains so now. I simply look at it as the cost of education. There are a gazillion ideas for using leftover wax, many contained in the forums of CT! Please remember that this is what I do NOW - I did not always do things this way. Developing ones own procedures is an evolution that happens along the way. While I don't advocate throwing away money frivolously, the "waste" one encounters in testing is not only the price of education, it is a cost of doing business because testing is something which never ends.

Relax a little. Do your testing in an orderly, scientific manner and you will develop your own style and rhythm. My best advice is to keep things simple! We learned early on to make some decisions and stick with them until we felt accomplished enough to try different things. Decide on ONE container and ONE wax and ONE FO and ONE wick type and work with those components until you are satisfied with the result. Testing several types of wicks, several types of containers, several types of wax blends, several FOs from several sources, etc. at the same time is plenty enough to make anyone run screamin nekkid down the street!!! *faint*

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks everybody

I agree about the perfect wax thing. I have found one that I like and works for me. No, it isn't the closest to me, but I am willing to deal with it and pay shipping. I'm do not like wasting wax, which is one reason why I asked your testing methods for this. I do use my dud wax for firestarters. I mean, I even melt down and reuse the left over wax on the bottom of my test jars. (Must be the dutch in me:laugh2: )

So far in my testing the CD 12 has been the best wick to use for my FO's, wax, jar combo, but I don't feel confident enough with that to do what Stella does yet. That sounds like something many years down the road when I start seeing a pattern more.

Since I messed up and ran out of wicks, I will think about how I want to try my next round of testing to see if that works better for me. If anybody else wants to put in thier imput on what works for them, I would appreciate it.