Some beginning questions on porportions

[cedar_lea]

I am an amature perfumer and am trying my hand at candle making as a way to do something with my blends. I will be making religous type containter candles with glass glow palm wax. I should have enough materials to make at five or six candles that take about a 1lb of wax each.

Question #1: How much should I do at once. Doing a few lbs at a time seems way time consuming. Making a double boiler for six lbs of wax seems like it could be way bulky. I admit I might be overthinking this, but I'd like to have a plan before I'm in the kitchen and fighting with hot things.

I was able to find the scents I'd used to make my blends on Save on Scents. (most candle oils are in elaborately already mixed scents and I needed something more basic to mix together). I got the SOS strength because some of the stronger ones had really low flash points and that sounded scary. As far as porportions go I'm a little lost. The SOS site recomends over 1oz to 1lb of parafin. I'm using glass glow wich won't hold that high of a scent load so I'm sure that's too much for my purposes. The scent loads I've seen suggested for the glass glow are 3-6% wich would be significantly less.

Question #2: How do I interpret the varying scent reccomendations for oils and wax?

I just noticed one of the scents I'm planning to use has a flash point of 172. The reccommended pour temperature is 175. Will the fact that the oil is mixed decrease the risk? What are the problems with pouring at 170 instead?

[beccakatzen]

Hi! I am not familiar with your wax but I can help with a few things. First of all I had issues with the flash point of oils too, until I read and learned that this is only an issue if you are directly putting the FO on an open flame/heat source by itself. Once it's in the wax which has a significantly higher flash point it's not a problem. Check on the flash point of your wax and as long as you don't go over that (which there is no need to go anywhere near the waxs flaspoint) then there's no problem.

As far as fragrance load 6% would be 1oz of FO per lb of your wax.

As far as batch size, if this is your first time making candles I would just do one lb at a time. Making candles is not something that can be rushed through. I started at 1 lb at a time, and still don't ever do more than 3 lbs at a time. It's just easier to work with keeping the wax in temperature range. Again I don't work with your wax, I use GB464 so I don't have an experience to offer you with that wax.

I hope some of this helps!

[beccakatzen]

PS: Do you have a pouring pot? That will help a lot too as far as pouring the wax into your containers.

[cedar_lea]

Thank you Becca! You just took a huge worry away from me with that info on flash points. That means I should be able to pour the wax at the recomended temperature of 175, even though one of my oils has a flash point of 172 . . .

I haven't gotten a pour pot yet. I was trying to picture how big or small of one I would need before I went out and aquired it.

I was somehow under the impression that 1oz to 1lb was a 10% scent load, not a 6%. However if 6 is correct than my math just got pretty easy. I just didn't want to be waisting fragerance since it's the main thing I'm wanting to show off with candlemaking.

[Wessex]

Using 1 oz of FO to 15 ozs. of wax will give you 6% FO load (rounding up) in one pound of wax. You have to include the FO as part of the wax weight (if you need 16 oz of scented wax it would be 15 oz. wax and 1 oz. FO). As far as the pour pot, the two sizes I use are the 2 pound and 4 pound capacity ones (small and large). These are the standard sizes available everywhere. I would go with the larger one, it is easier to pour for me, even with small amounts of wax in it.

HTH,

Steve

[Stella1952]

The SOS site recomends over 1oz to 1lb of parafin. I'm using glass glow wich won't hold that high of a scent load so I'm sure that's too much for my purposes.

I use 1 oz. PP FO in Glass Glow (no problems with it holding that amount whatsoever) and I also use several FOs from SOS in the Ultra concentration. For those, I generally use a little less than 1 oz. PP, depending on the FO. Some, I can use .5 oz. PP; others I use .75. You simply have to test each FO to see what works for you.

What are the problems with pouring at 170 instead?

When palm wax is poured too cool, it loses some or all of its crystal properties.

I make 7-9# batches in my Presto and put the prewarmed FO & dye in a 2# pour pot to which I add the wax. It is more efficient for me to do this "assembly line" style. I put the pour pot on my scale, tare, add 1 oz. FO and a few drops of dye, then I warm the pour pots in an electric skillet. When I'm ready to pour, I put the pour pot on the scale, tare, ladle in 1# of wax, stir for a couple of minutes, then pour into warmed containers (winter only).

It helps to know how much wax you will be pouring into the containers so you can figure how much you need in your pour pot. For example, if I am pouring 5 oz. into 3 containers, the 17 oz. of wax I make leaves me enough left over to make a few tarts or a 2 oz. votive candle. HTH

Edited December 14, 2010 by Stella1952

[soy327]

I do pretty much exactly as Stella, I pour my containers of GG at 195 or 200 degrees for great crystalization. I heat the wax to 205 and add the FO in warmed pyrex measuring cups. I heat my measuring cups in the oven before I start melting the wax, It kinda all happens at once. Wax, pitcher, FO and stir, stir, stir then pour.

It takes some time, but you will get the hang. What wicks are you using? and do you know about the air pockets that will form underneath the surface? If not I would do a search on GG palm, and poking relief holes some do some don't. Good luck and please post a pic of your 1st beauty.

[cedar_lea]

I'm using these candle holders

http://www.generalwax.com/glass-container-jars--lids---gift-boxes/glass-containers---jars/cate_104/p___Z909670.html

they're like the ones that are used for the catholic religious candles. It suggested a 44-20-18 cotton wick so that's what I'm using. I hope that it isn't a problem with the palm, but I figured it was the best place to start. It's wax coated so that should help.

I'm a little nervous about pouring over 180. It seems like the hotter you go the more chance you have of burning off the scent. I'm not sure wich way to err, cool as possible to save as much scent as possible or go hotter for prettier wax. Fortunately, going over the flash point of the cammomile oil shouldn't cause everything to burst into flames so I have the option of pondering.

Another question -- is a pour pot something I should be able to pick up at a craft store? I'm hoping not to have to wait for another box.

[soy327]

I would say yes, I use pyrex measuring cups I have all the sizes from 8oz to 32oz I can see the color better through the glass.

I don't believe that the FO will burn off in the higher pour temp. I have never had a problem with HT or CT for that matter. Maybe different if your using essential oils.

[Wessex]

You can usually find pour pots at craft stores, but they are MUCH more expensive. As far as the wick you are using, let us know how it works. Palm wax is an acidic wax and there are specially coated wicks that are made for it (CSN from Candlescience and CDN from Just By Nature). But people have had luck with several different wicks (I have used LX, CD and even HTP with some success). I pour palm up to 195 degrees and have not noticed any loss of fragrance strength, so don't be afraid to go there. Just make sure your containers are prewarmed (both for best crystal formation and to avoid thermal shock on your glass). I am interested to see how palm burns in that type of container.

HTH,

Steve

[Stella1952]

Good price on small pour pots:

http://www.candlewic.com/store/Product.aspx?q=c35,p799

I'm a little nervous about pouring over 180. It seems like the hotter you go the more chance you have of burning off the scent. I'm not sure wich way to err, cool as possible to save as much scent as possible or go hotter for prettier wax. Fortunately, going over the flash point of the cammomile oil shouldn't cause everything to burst into flames so I have the option of pondering.

This was just recently discussed in the thread below which I hope you will read from start to finish. It explains about temp & FO, flashpoints, etc.

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95501

It suggested a 44-20-18 cotton wick so that's what I'm using. I hope that it isn't a problem with the palm, but I figured it was the best place to start. It's wax coated so that should help.

A candle is a SYSTEM - container, wax, wick, FO, colorant and any additives. It's important to test and learn what works best for you. While the wick you mentioned may work out okay, there are other wicks that may work better. The only way you will know is to test and see.

Since you are new to candlemaking and to palm wax, I suggest you make friends with the search tool and read, read, read. You will find many of your questions answered and will find many different opinions and experiences that way.

[cedar_lea]

Thank you. I had actually glanced at that thread but didn't read far enough to get to the part about flash points.

As I'm waiting for boxes to arrive I start running through the process in my head and getting worried that I'm not sure what I'm doing. I don't even really cook so there's alot of room for uncertainty. It's hard to know what you don't know until it's too late.

I think I just realised that the pour pot is not the same thing as the top of the double boiler where you melt the wax. So I guess I'm looking at getting a double boiler, or at least a pot that fits in a pot I can already have & then a place to remove the wax from the heat and mix the color and oil & then pour that into the mold?

[EricofAZ]

Can't tell from the pics but if you have a 2 inch diameter I think your wicks are a bit large. Hard to say because palm tends to work better with a larger wick than paraffin.

I am concerned that you are going to pour a large quantity of candles without proper testing.

The right way is to pour with your wick selection, cure for a day or two minimum, then run test burns. Don't let the container wall get too hot. If a person can't pick it up without burning themselves, then its way too hot.

I'd like to suggest that you ease into this and test well before finalizing your formula.

[Stella1952]

So I guess I'm looking at getting a double boiler, or at least a pot that fits in a pot I can already have & then a place to remove the wax from the heat and mix the color and oil & then pour that into the mold?

There are many very economical ways to solve this problem. Double boilers take a long time to melt wax, but they offer gentle, even heating. The best part is that you can do something as simple as using a clean vegetable can set in a pan of water to melt the wax. When one is just starting out and making small amounts of wax at a time, this is a reasonable alternative.

Many folks opt for electric pots such as the Presto Kitchen Kettle. They heat quickly, but the wax must be stirred frequently to prevent overheating over the element. They can be purchased new from WalMart, etc. or found at garage sales, second-hand stores, etc.

[chuck_35550]

There are a lot of excellent threads on here about mixing fragrances. I would think that the same approach would apply to formulating perfume or a candle fragrance, in that, you would use top, middle and bottom notes. All of us have our basic mixing fragrances that we add to other blends or start totally from scratch. I just did a blend of TCS Vanilla Bean Noel with KY Plumberry Spice (yes that's a basic blend) but some require multiple fragrances to duplicate popular fragrances or to come up with totally new approaches to a type of fragrance. Read, read read. HTH.

Steve