RoseJ Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Sorry to ask dumb questions :rolleyes2. I have been reading and I have been trying to figure this out. Someone please tell me what a power burn is.Is it just burning a candle for many hours all at one time?Thanks everyone for your patience.Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Rule of thumb burning is 1" per hour per diameter of a candle . . .so for instance an 8 oz jelly jar is targeted at 2 1/2 - 3 hours to develop a full melt pool. Power burning is pushing the limit and burning extensive hours beyond that (like most customers will do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmhoneybear Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Yep...I'm guilty. :tiptoe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Aren't we all ????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseJ Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Brenda,OHH then I'm one of those power burning customers :embarasse I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have let candles burn till they are half liquid wax. I've always figured the more I let it burn the better it would give off smell. Of course NOW I know that is not true.Hey look at that even if I never pour one candle I learned something as a customer !Thank you all for helping to educate me.Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Hey no problem . .glad I could help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Always good to give your candles a power burn when testing them - like Brenda said, that's what the customers will do when they use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Yep, you read it right, Rosej. AFTER you have tested your candles to perform according to best practice candle burning, and are satisfied that your wicking, throw, etc. are right, power burn a tester from start to finish with no interruption, no trimming of the wick, no straightening, recentering, etc. This is a safety torture test. In other words, burn the candle like a complete FOOL, short of setting your house or cat on fire!! The results will be your final opportunity to tweak things to ensure that even if a customer burns the candle like a complete idiot, it will still perform safely - not become too hot (in the case of container candles), have a wandering wick, shatter glass, etc. Of course, we don't expect the candle to perform perfectly under torture conditions - we are simply trying to ensure that it burns safely even if instructions are ignored.Some of us have confessed (in an old thread, Confessions of a Power Burner) that we routinely abuse our candles in this manner. Others are still in the closet. :laugh2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonybard Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Yep, you read it right, Rosej. AFTER you have tested your candles to perform according to best practice candle burning, and are satisfied that your wicking, throw, etc. are right, power burn a tester from start to finish with no interruption, no trimming of the wick, no straightening, recentering, etc. This is a safety torture test. In other words, burn the candle like a complete FOOL, short of setting your house or cat on fire!! The results will be your final opportunity to tweak things to ensure that even if a customer burns the candle like a complete idiot, it will still perform safely - not become too hot (in the case of container candles), have a wandering wick, shatter glass, etc. Of course, we don't expect the candle to perform perfectly under torture conditions - we are simply trying to ensure that it burns safely even if instructions are ignored.Some of us have confessed (in an old thread, Confessions of a Power Burner) that we routinely abuse our candles in this manner. Others are still in the closet. :laugh2:See, I find that if I don't trim my wicks between power burns (approx. 12 hours), they would get FAR too long and the flame FAR too high. Like last night when I went to go relight one, the length of the exposed wick was like 3/4 of an inch, and the top of the wick had the hugest shrooms I ever saw. So I picked off the shrooms, and lit it... and sure enough, the flame was almost 2 inches tall! So I immediately blew it out and trimmed the wick. Should I have done something different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseJ Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 Stella1953 and Sara, I really appreciate the wonderful advice. After reading some of the discussions here on if you should have insurance or not I'm not even sure if I will be giving candles away or just making them for me. Well maybe I will give my mom one lol. But you can be sure I will be testing and testing and power burning my little heart out before I do. Honestly I would never have thought of half of this stuff if I hadn't found this board. I just thought ohh it would be fun to make some candles for gifts this Christmas. LOL Now I'm not sure I have enough time with all the testing that I would want to do.But I certainly am learning a lot thanks to all of you and I love that!Thanks again!Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 See, I find that if I don't trim my wicks between power burns (approx. 12 hours), they would get FAR too long and the flame FAR too high.Soooo, ya learned something about your candle. If a customer powerburns it, it doesn't self-trim and turns into a torch. This is information you need to know! Should I have done something different?Depends upon your perspective. If you were just burning a candle, you can certainly burn it any way you wish! However, if a CUSTOMER burned your candle this way, would THEY have the sense to trim the wick? You received some valuable information from your test. Whether it causes you to change anything in terms of wicking, etc. is up to you. Rose, it's always a good idea to read, read, read before getting into something as ADDICTIVE as candlemaking! All the testing, etc. may seem daunting, but honestly, it isn't THAT bad!! Just go into it with your eyes wide open & have some fun! Some people find a new vocation with candlemaking; others find a lifelong hobby they enjoy. Don't let anything hold you back if you really enjoy candlemaking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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