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How long to wait before testing wicks?


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Anyone with an ounce of expericene will know who it is. I totally agree pick one wax, one jar type & make it work for ya. Those who hop, skip & jump from wax to wax, are an expert at none of them. Although they think they are.

To the original poster; Let it cool/harden, lite it. I guess if you want to test, an unscented candle & waste wax that's your problem. Not one customer has ever asked me about the properties of the wax i'm using. Another something to throw in the trash can along with tempering that the manufacturers have already done & a total waste of time.

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The bottom line is it is up to you to determine how much you want to know about your candles and the wax you use.

It is obvious from this thread that some people prefer to start with the basics and progress in stages thereby learning what characteristics will change with each new addition.

Others prefer to "just do it" and don't see the merits in the scientific approach.

Some choose to share with you what has worked successfully for them, others choose to antagonize their peers for using their chosen method of testing.

Ultimately it is up to you to decide what is the best approach for you and tweak it along the way.

Personally, I would never go to a hairdresser who didn't study color theory and application and let her apply any old hair color to my hair because she put the same one on her cousin, Sally, and it looked great on her.

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Personally, I would never go to a hairdresser who didn't study color theory and application and let her apply any old hair color to my hair because she put the same one on her cousin, Sally, and it looked great on her.

LOL:laugh2::laugh2: And why not? Picky picky!:laugh2::laugh2:

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Everyone has their ways and opinions. Some folks have good success and forget what it was like to not know all that they have learned over the years. LEARNING is a good thing for everyone, but some folks seem to believe that they know all they need to know and stop trying to learn anything new. Very sad. It's a shame to read folks being ridiculed for trying to learn and test with due diligence...

I hope that all new folks AND old hands will continue trying to learn as much as they can about making their products. Since soy wax was invented in the 90s, there's a great deal to learn and to continue learning about this relatively new product. I'm sure glad the manufacturers don't quit trying to learn more and improve their products.

There are always gonna be people who love to squabble for the sake of squabbling... I hope everyone will keep their sights set on what they wish to achieve and will pursue their goals regardless of what anyone says. :)

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Thought I'd share the quotes below from the Ecosoya site I noticed (while looking for something else) in their instructions for making candles with PB (same for every other wax they make, too) -

Test Burning

Test burn the candle for burn pool diameter and quality after it has setup (cured or dried) for a minimum of 48 hours. Every combination of wax, dye, fragrance, and wick should be tested for burn quality.

General Trouble Shooting

Test for one variable at a time when trouble shooting to isolate the cause. Variables include (but are not limited to): the mold, wax, dye, fragrance, wick, pour temperature, and environmental conditions such as, cooling temperature, along with manufacturing conditions.

  • First, make a candle in the mold with only the wick (no dye or fragrance). If it looks good then the wax is performing normally.
  • Then, one at a time, change a variable. Try adding the dye without fragrance to the mold, wax and wick. If it looks good and burns well the dye is compatible with the wax.
  • Try adding the fragrance without dye to the mold, wax and wick. If it looks good and burns well the fragrance is compatible with the wax.
  • Try the dye and fragrance together with the mold, wax and wick. If it looks good and burns well the dye/fragrance combination is compatible with the wax.
  • If you are experiencing burn problems, try a different type or size of wick.
  • Other variables to try are different pouring and cooling temperatures and even different mold material types.
  • Ensure all equipment and materials are contaminant free.

From this source, I feel reassured that waiting at least 48 hours before test burning ISN'T nearly so off-base as some allege... and neither is testing a candle with no FOs, dyes or other additives, especially when troubleshooting.

It's good to read and reread manufacturers' websites - the information sometimes changes (usually for the better) and I often find useful information I missed when reading there before... ;)

HTH :)

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Oh, great. Another copy/paste, which proves nothing except that someone has an opinion and someone else wasted time finding it.

1. Trouble shooting is not the same as testing.

2. There is no #2. Or at least there doesn't have to be.

:cheesy2:

Testing is subjective. I really do feel sorry for the newbies who are led to believe testing is as troublesome as some would have them believe.

But to each his own. I'm extremely thankful I have the sense to know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, and when to use an obstinate combination for tarts or wickless.

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Oh, great. Another copy/paste, which proves nothing except that someone has an opinion and someone else wasted time finding it.

1. Trouble shooting is not the same as testing.

2. There is no #2. Or at least there doesn't have to be.

:cheesy2:

Testing is subjective. I really do feel sorry for the newbies who are led to believe testing is as troublesome as some would have them believe.

But to each his own. I'm extremely thankful I have the sense to know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, and when to use an obstinate combination for tarts or wickless.

Do you EVER have anything positive to say? I have read through many of your posts and, my goodness, you come across as a combative, negative, miserable person.

The fact is that the original poster asked how long to cure a candle with no additives for whatever reason she has. Others came back with educated answers about crystal formation and resources to back it up.

You immediately start attacking and belittling these people and give stupid advise with no resource other than how long you have been making and selling candles.

It is not up to you to decide for everyone else what is the correct way to test, what is important and what is a waste of time.

I read in another thread that someone asked you not to comment on a post if you had nothing positive to say. Obviously, the problem isn't with everyone else, it lies with you.

The choice is yours. You can make it a great day or you can remain miserable. I hope you choose to make it a great day.

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Oh, great. Another copy/paste, which proves nothing except that someone has an opinion and someone else wasted time finding it.

SoW, that was from NGI's website. I provided the link as well. It's a valid source. It's NOT just "my" opinion.

Troubleshooting IS different from testing, but I used the example to illustrate that that's where the professionals recommend to start when one has difficulty. It stands to reason that it's also a good place to start when LEARNING.

Look. You don't have to do a danged thing anyone suggests and neither does anyone else. Science, research and professional opinions from those who MAKE wax will stand beside your years of experience as a product end user any time. I'm glad YOU have success. I'm glad I have success. The idea is to help others achieve that goal. Is it any skin off your nose if others want to learn more then you do? Or test ideas you have discarded (or never tried)? It's a big world out there with LOTS of different ways that all work.

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Thanks again everyone for your replies. While we each have differing opinions on our processes I hope we can at least agree to disagree.

By the way, I'm a man - and sorry ladies, I'm happily married. :laugh2:

:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2:You haven't met me yet. Just kidding.

No seriously why the bickering I don't get it. There was a simple question here.*dead horse*can't we just answer it. I concur with Stella and mrsadler and the rest on the high road. 48 hours. jeez these poor people don't want a nasty debate everytime they ask a question.

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There was a simple question here.

And I answered the question, plain and simple.

I guess some of you told me! lol

You have a choice.

You can knuckle down and test the product you intend to make or you can fool around wasting time and money while filling your heads with useless trivia, none of which will make a good candle.

Trust me, nobody cares how the cow was slaughtered when they're enjoying a good filet mignon. It's the cook, not the guy in the abattoir,who makes the steak good.

Those of you who don't much like my straightforward, honest, PROVEN approach can certainly put me on ignore. Rest assured it won't hurt my feelings.

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I'm guessing the frustration here is simply the overload of unnecessary explanations. If you just want to test your wick with plain wax, go ahead. But then you will have to test with dye and then again with FO and then again with UV inhibitor, why not streamline the process? I know there are people whose nature it is to simply over process EVERYTHING they do, and for them, I am jealous they have an infinite amount of time and money to spend doing all of these additional steps, but acknowledge that is simply the way they do everything in their life. I am not saying to skip steps, I'm just advising you to make better use of your time. And, as mentioned, most suppliers have a wick guide. When I first started I used the wick suggestions on Candles & Supplies and went from there. Their suggestions were based on unscented, plain wax.

So, during this debate, how did your candle burn?

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lol, during this debate, debscent, I completely tested, then poured a dozen Rosemary Mint. Oddly, my tester burned perfectly with my first choice of wick and FO load. All the way to the bottom. I give it about an 8 to 8.5 on my throw chart. Very nice scent. I first lit my tester as soon as it cooled, which was about 4 hours after I poured it. It's been freaking cold here and it didn't take the candle long to cool down. I cheated, though. After I poured the tester, I put the thing in the garage so it would cool down quicker. Then once I brought it back inside and let it warm to ambient temps, I fired it up away we went!

I burned the heck out of it. Blew it out a few times a day (burned each time between 4 and 6 hours) and trimmed the wick, then onward and foward.

Now I have to convince people that winter is over and they need to load up on springish scents. I'm tired of cinnamon this and cinnamon that, and all those heavy foodie scents. Time to move on.

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I agree with testing unscented first. I am still in my beginning phase and I got the advice from this forum. I started out testing 1oz bottles of fragrances and after many bottles of fragrance, still couldn't tell you what size wick any of my jars use. Makes a lot more sense to take the time to do this extra step. I feel more organized now, a lot less confusion in the long run. Some people are happy with fast results, while others are more thorough. So now I have decided to find a "starter" wick and test different wicks to see what i like best.

Wish I had more time to test.

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I live north along the I-25 corridor, Evergreen is south and west about 1 1/2 hours from me. Nice little mountain town . I used to live 1 1/2 hours west really in the mountains and move down to the lower elevation :laugh2:now I'm only at 5000 ft above sea level instead of 8500 ft.

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