In the testing phase and need encouragement

[flutterbees]

Uggggg...Hey all, I'm a newbie in the testing phase and need some encouragement. It seems like every wick I try is wrong, I know I'll find the right one eventually, but just need to hear some positive things. The forum has been great and I'm so thankful for all you candle veterans!! You give me hope! I've learned so much and hope to learn more. I'm just down....

[lindanelson]

Hi and welcome.

I use the wick guide at www.candlescience.com to get a feel of where to start with wicking.

Hang in there...you will get it.

[rebeccajo99]

I understand your frustrations. I am in the testing phase as well. I keep having to push my goal date back.

Maybe someone can help you out. Let us know what your trying to wick (jar/pillar size- dimensions), wax you use and how much fo/lb.

[pwillo2]

I got this from this forum somewhere I think.. but anywho it is great for starting points

http://yourwebapps.com/WebApps/db-view.cgi?id=71493

Just hit search form.. Hopefully your wax and jar size will be there. It has helped me alot..Also using the search feature here on this forum for your wax will give you lots of good info...

HTH!

Emily

[Starr]

Well, with a little info, I'm sure you can get some help with the wicking problem. Also, I'm sure if you ask, you'll find some "professional testers" here willing to help test your stuff and give you feedback, myself included. It's great to hand a candle to a friend or family member but a lot of times much past "well, it didn't make a lot of soot and smelled good" that's all you get, sometimes you need more.

[topofmurrayhill]

This isn't exactly the encouragement you asked for, but it may be relevant.

There isn't always a right wick. The way the candle works depends on the container, the wax, the wick and the fragrance (that's the shortest version of the list). Sometimes you have to change something other than the wick to make it work the way you expect it to.

If you are new at this, you have a lot of learning ahead of you. Just have fun with it. Setting any kind of time limit for learning, or feeling you have to design sellable products by a certain date, is completely unrealistic.

By the way, there is no such thing as the testing phase of getting into candlemaking. It's all a testing phase.

[Stella1952]

Testing IS ongoing! Having said that, sometimes people get hung up at some point, so giving us details - type of wax, FO used, ingredients, amounts, wick type/size, testing procedure, etc. - will help us offer more specific suggestions to help you.

[flutterbees]

Thank you all for responding to me. I appreciate it. I just want a candle that I can give to my family and friends that I can be proud of.

I use: GB464, 3% CO, UV stabilizer, about 1 redi-glo chip pp, about 6-8% FO,

I try to temper the wax the day before with all the ingredients minus

the FO ( I add it the next day) I heat wax to 185, add FO then stir

constantly till 165 then pour into 8oz jj, I am currently testing the

CSN 12 and CSN 14.

After about 2.5 hours of burning they shroom. The CSN 14 shrooms less than the CSN 12, but the CSN 14 burns at a much slower rate and doesn't seem to produce as much of a HT.

I have been testing for months now. I have learned a lot, but would just love for a candle to actually come out normal for once!! You all are right about how candle making IS testing. I would love for you to test my candles and tell me what you think.....but I'd be very nervous!:tiptoe::smiley2:

[Starr]

Flutterbees, we've all had our beginning candle. Don't be too nervous. If you'd like, I'd be more then happy to test your candle and try and give you some suggestions on it. Since your PM feature isn't available yet, shoot me an email if you'd like (curiosacandles@hotmail.com) and we'll talk about it.

The important part is to just keep trying, everytime you make a "mistake" you also learned a lesson. Wicking is one of the most annoying things in my opinion because there's a million options and each one really is different from the last. Personally, I stick with Zinc Cores even though they're maybe not as nice as some of the others because they work well for my candles and I have good results with them. By the same token, you'll find a lot of people have shied away from Zinc Core wicks because they tend to mushroom and don't self-trim.

The way I see it, you've got 2 important things to do, find something that works for your candles and something that you're comfortable working with.

[Stella1952]

GB464, 3% CO, UV stabilizer, about 1 redi-glo chip pp, about 6-8% FO

Flutterbees, I do not use your wax, so I am not familiar with the recommended FO load for it; however, it seems to me that you are adding too much total oil to your formula. 3% CO comes out to about 2 Tablespoonfuls per pound. Using 6-8% FO brings you up to 11% added oil. There is a limit to how much total oil can be added to a particular wax. I think you may be adding too much, because...

After about 2.5 hours of burning they shroom

Some minor mushrooming is not uncommon, especially toward the end of the burn time, but large 'shrooms indicate that the wick is not able to burn everything and the unburned stuff is accumulating at the tip of the wick. Perhaps you could try reducing the amount of CO you are adding. I would suggest trying 1 teaspoonful per pound and see how that works out. You could add more in 1 teaspoonful increments if the initial amount does not give you the results you are seeking (I am assuming reduction of frosting & greater scent throw).

There is a lot of information in the veggie wax forum about 464 that you can find by searching there. Good luck & please let us know how the testing goes for you.

[topofmurrayhill]

I like Stella's suggestion, though I would try to make it without any CO at all. That will let you see more easily what effect the coconut oil is having. Then you can decide whether you need it and how much is the best amount to use.

Let me just clarify slightly this concept of adding oil. Fragrance oil isn't the same thing as "oil oil" if you get what I mean. It isn't necessarily meaningful to add up the amount of coconut oil plus fragrance oil and say that's too much total, although it's true that the coconut oil can make the mixture more greasy if you add enough of it. It has a larger liquid component than the wax itself.

Both soy wax and coconut oil are real oils. They have different combinations of fatty acids in them and the soy wax has a higher melt point, but they're both just vegetable oil (or vegetable fat, if you prefer, since they're solid). Fragrance oil is a different thing -- basically a bunch of fragrance compounds and maybe a solvent.