Questions about measurements...

[peejeeratties]

I am getting ready to "make" my first candle. But after reading and rereading, there was one thing I am completely unsure, and that is measurements and the percentages. Ok say I am making 1 candle using 6 oz of wax. The wax say the fragrance threshold (I guess that is what is it) is 9%-11% Does that mean you take 6 oz. and then add .54 oz- .66 oz of FO, or you take 6 oz of wax and then subtract .54-.66 oz of the wax and replace that with FO?

I'm sorry if it has been brought up a lot, but I haven't seen it.

Hope someone can help my overloaded brain

[Georgia]

Technically, your wax is 91% of the weight and the FO is 9%. Most people using a 6% fragrance load will add 1 ounce FO to 1 pound wax.

[Dariablue]

Have fun with your first candle and let us know how it goes!

[rjdaines]

I find converting the measurements to grams helpful, makes the math easier.

[Judy, USMC]

... take 6 oz of wax and then subtract .54-.66 oz of the wax and replace that with FO?

That's the way I do it.

[Stella1952]

I'm dyscalculate. I cheat and use an online calculator:

http://www.onlineconversion.com/percentcalc.htm

There are also some spread sheets members have passed around in years gone by which figure this stuff for you.

I made one for myself (with great difficulty) so I'd only have to use my brain once.

HTH & have fun!

[EricofAZ]

Reality is that adding one ounce to one pound (= 17 ounces of product) or adding one ounce Fo to 15 ounces (=one pound) has little difference.

It is good that you are thinking about being accurate and scientific about this. That will help with your notes and recording your testing results. If you choose one or the other and stick with it for life, that's fine.

You will find that there is an "art" component to making candles. When you do your science and get that down and then add some art, well, then you have a product that is you and you alone.

Stick with the science for now. One once per pound to start with (assuming your wax has that capacity) which is a 6 percent load. You can add one once to 15 to make that or one ounce to 16 to make that. Either is close enough if you stick with the decision you make.

After a few hundred candles tested, you will easily be changing ratios and be able to forecast the results.

Some wax takes 12 percent, some 4 percent. Follow the instructions with the wax for now.

Best wishes

Eric/Einstein

(Einstein is the cat)

=(^.^)=

[Candybee]

Frankly I would go with what others suggested and start out using a 6% fragrance load. Your wax may hold more but adding more does not necessarily equate to a 'stronger' scent throw and makes no sense economically. If you feel you need to up your FO load after testing then go ahead. But I think you'll find that FOs that throw well don't need more than 6% in most waxes. After you have been testing for a while and spent a boatload of money this will make more sense to you.

So when I make my 7oz candles using 6% FO load this equates to: 6.6 oz wax + .40 oz FO = 7 oz scented wax. HTH

[HorseScentS]

Frankly I would go with what others suggested and start out using a 6% fragrance load. Your wax may hold more but adding more does not necessarily equate to a 'stronger' scent throw and makes no sense economically. If you feel you need to up your FO load after testing then go ahead. But I think you'll find that FOs that throw well don't need more than 6% in most waxes. After you have been testing for a while and spent a boatload of money this will make more sense to you.

So when I make my 7oz candles using 6% FO load this equates to: 6.6 oz wax + .40 oz FO = 7 oz scented wax. HTH

On my first candles, I started out using a 6% fragrance load in 6006 with 51z wicks in 8 oz jj's, and I am very disappointed with the results, even though I used CS FOs with the strongest 3 leaf rating. The cold throw is good, but the hot throw is minimal. & since I made 24 jj candles, 3 of each FO, it was a very expensive lesson to learn to use more FO. I did make 3 candles of a Taylored Concepts FO at 1.5 oz per pound, & those 3 are the only ones that were okay. But next I'll try Comfort Blend wax, since it's supposed to have the strongest hot throw. So, don't make too many at 6%, it was a waste for me.

[peejeeratties]

Thanks guys and gals. I am very left brained, so it is important for me to make sure that the numbers are "right". I made my first candle last night and it is very laughable. But I'm not going to stress about it lol. I know that it is going to take a while to do it correctly. I've found myself, making one, let it start to cool, and then dumping it starting over once the top has gone really weird. And not just the rough tops that I've seen people show pictures of, but I don't even know how to explain it. One of them, I got a mostly smooth top, then the other half of the top was all cratered and looked like the grand canyon. But I've got 2 with different size wicks in them, and will wait a couple of days and burn them even though their tops look horrid. I want flame dang it lol. I did learn one thing, I HATE HATE the lemon scent I got, it smells like lemon TheraFlu