jluper7297 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I would like to up the percentage of FO for a couple of candles. So far I have only done 6%, because that is easy. 1oz per pound of wax. How do I figure out other formulas?I want to pour 3 candles that take 7.5 oz of wax each, I want to up the FO to 10% I know I will have to add some vybar probably to prevent weeping, but I don't want to add too much and lock up the scent.How do I figure out how much FO & Vybar I need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantItgreen Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 7.5oz x 3 jars = 22.5 oz22.5x .1 (10%)= 2.25 oz. .06 (6%) .08 (8%)22.5 -2.25 FO = 20.25 oz. waxso you use 20.25 oz wax + 2.25 oz. FO = 22.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I convert everything to grams and work from there, very easy to do the math then, just make sure your scale reads grams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jluper7297 Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Oh wow! Thank you SO much!!!I have written this down for future reference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I convert everything to grams and work from there, very easy to do the math then, just make sure your scale reads grams. Ditto with the grams. You shouldn't be measuring FO by the ounce. And yes, measure. Don't just dump a 1 ounce bottle of FO into a lb of wax. Same with your wax. Are you using jars or making pillars? Just because the manufacturer says it's an 8 oz jar doesn't mean you'll be pouring to the 8 ounce line. For example, I pour my 8 oz masons at about 6 ounces. Just saying that in case you're making container candles. Going from 6% to 10% is quite a reach. If you're needing 10% in a candle with a wick, you need to switch suppliers. I don't use that much in tarts, much less containers. Accurate math is essential to candlemaking. And soaping. And everything we do here, including quilt making. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 There are wax batch calculators available for this and other calculations. Here's how to find them (lesson on navigating this site) and other archived information (that every newbie should pour over): Look at the top left of this page. Right underneath "new posts" in the top left corner, there is what's called a breadcrumb trail. This shows where you are on the site. Below is what you see across the top left area of the page:• Forum • Candlemaking & Home Scenting • General Candlemaking Discussion • I suck at math, need adviceClick "forum". This takes you to the main page of the forum where you can see every forum & subforum displayed.The first forum is "Tips and FAQ Database and Archive"Within that forum are several sub-forums and sub-sub forums. Click on "candlemaking FAQ archive"The third topic is titled "Wax Batch Calculation Spreadsheet." Click on that.The first post contains a link to an Excel wax batch calculating spreadsheet shared and created by Enchanted Forest Products (thanks, y'all!). Click on that and choose to save it to your desktop (or wherever you wish to save it to on your computer). If you do not have Excel on your computer, you can download OpenOffice free and it can handle Excel files.The first page of the calculator is a batch calculator; the second page is a batch size estimator. You'll want to look at the first page. Its results units of measure are in weighed pounds & ounces, although you can input grams if you wish. Plug in the numbers as directed and the sheet will calculate for you. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I was wondering the same about the upping your % so much in one step. Have you tested at 7 or 8% yet? Going from 6 to 10% is a big jump without knowing how it will effect the burn and scent throw of your candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I was wondering the same about the upping your % so much in one step. Have you tested at 7 or 8% yet? Going from 6 to 10% is a big jump without knowing how it will effect the burn and scent throw of your candle.Good point, Candybee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricofAZ Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) I just figure the rule of 3's. 3% is 1/2 oz or 15g per pound6% is 1 oz or 30g pp9% is 1.5 oz or 45g pp12% is 2 oz or 60g ppThe difference between 10 and 12 percent is probably not going to be noticed. Neither is a half gram so I round out the grams.I agree on the grams being easier to figure out. One pound is about 454 grams so 10 percent would be 45g which is pretty close to 1.5 ounces in the rule of 3's. Edited July 23, 2011 by EricofAZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricofAZ Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) Let me add that there is about a 1 percent difference depending on whether you add your FO to the wax weight or include it.For example, 14.5 oz wax (a pound minus what you plan on adding for FO) + 1.5 oz FO = one pound of product at 10.3 percent16 oz wax (a full pound) plus 1.5 oz FO = 9.3 percent and you have 17.5 ounces of product.I don't think it matters much which way you do it as long as you are consistent as a chandler for testing purposes.So your final requirement is always fun to calculate too. If you are making two candles at 8 oz, or one at a full pound, the first formula is probably fine. If you used the second, then you'd have some left over for a tart.If you're making 3 candles that are 6 oz, the first will certainly not be enough. The second would get the job done if you added a pinch of wax and a spash of FO to make up the half ounce. Edited July 23, 2011 by EricofAZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jluper7297 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yes, I am making container candles. I jumped to 10% just to try it out. Basically just trying it out. Everything I have, I got from Peak's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantItgreen Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Can you give us a little more specifics on what you tried at 6% and didn't like? Almost all of Peaks oils will be strong enough at 6% even in 100% soy. Cure time is the key there tho. If you're using soy, then start another thread over in the natural wax section. If you ever plan to sell, really can't use 10% FO, it is just too cost prohibitive. Peak oils are not cheap, but they are my main supplier because of quality and I trust them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jluper7297 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 I tried honeydew melon and sugar cookie at 6% and got very little Hot throw on the melon, okay on the Sugar Cookie. I was pouring vanilla yesterday and really wanted them to be strong, just poured 3 testers, one for me, and one for 2 different friends. They are helping me test because I want different opinions. I am using 4630A, 9oz hex jars. In both I tried 51-32-18 and 44-24-18. The HT in the melon was nonexistant and the Sugar Cookie was ok. Now I am experimenting with HTP wicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertgibbens Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 People, your making this much more difficult than you should. It is not correct to subtract the weight of the FO before calc'ing the percentage. That's just silly.If you want a 10% load in 1 lb (16 oz) of wax its simple.16*.10 = 1.6 oz.Anyone who believes it should be(16-(16*10))*.1just doesn't have a very firm grasp on percentages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerWicks Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I found these while I was digging in a thread, written by Miss Stella. Sooo helpful, they were on the old threads under general candle making. I don't know if you will be able to just click on the links since I copied & pasted, but someone maybe knowledgeable will read & help.Percent CalculatorVolume ConversionsTemperature ConversionCalculate the Volume of A CylinderCalculate MeOnline Conversions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Thanks for dredging those up, ChandlerWicks! Those are from my bookmark folder of "cheats" and all one has to do is click to go to the individual pages for the calculations, or to the two sites at the bottom if one is looking for some other kind of calculation (like figuring the volume of a cube which I forgot to include). While I understand the formulas, I liked using the online calculators for the formulas and my desk calculator to add, subtract and total everything up, UNTIL I discovered spreadsheets. A spreadsheet is even better 'cause it eliminates the desk calculator. This process almost totally bypasses my brain, which on some days, is a good thing. :laugh2:BTW, I also found this really handy desktop conversion program (free to download) that figures all kinds of things without being on the internet. (remember mass = what ordinary mortals call "weight")http://joshmadison.com/convert-for-windows/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricofAZ Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Robert, I'll forthwith and heretofore consult with Einstein on this matter and see if we should simply abstain from making a batch of wax wherein the total weight includes the FO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorseScentS Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Can you give us a little more specifics on what you tried at 6% and didn't like? Almost all of Peaks oils will be strong enough at 6% even in 100% soy. Cure time is the key there tho. If you're using soy, then start another thread over in the natural wax section. If you ever plan to sell, really can't use 10% FO, it is just too cost prohibitive. Peak oils are not cheap, but they are my main supplier because of quality and I trust them.I don't understand this, because the price difference between using 6% of FO and 10% p.p. (an extra 1/2 oz of FO) which adds aprox $1 to $1.50 to your cost, so you just charge the customers an extra $2 or $3 per pound of candle. Won't they pay that extra $2 or $3 p.p. for much stronger candles? I can barely smell candles that are made with 6% FO from Candlescience, even the ones with 3 leaf rating, so I would never go out of my way to reorder one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerWicks Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Thank-you Stella. This really does help, for some reason I can't grasp it. My tunnel vision had locked onto figuring out the best way of computing & would not let me move on to actually melting! Saved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorseScentS Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Can you give us a little more specifics on what you tried at 6% and didn't like? Almost all of Peaks oils will be strong enough at 6% even in 100% soy. Cure time is the key there tho. If you're using soy, then start another thread over in the natural wax section. If you ever plan to sell, really can't use 10% FO, it is just too cost prohibitive. Peak oils are not cheap, but they are my main supplier because of quality and I trust them.Part 2) Also, if someone buys fancy containers from out of state & pays shipping, nobody blinks at them spending an extra $2 to $5 per each container, but if someone wants to spend an extra $1 on an extra 1/2 oz of FO, everybody is like, "OMG! That's too expensive! What a waste of money!" lol Personally, when I buy a candle I'd rather have my extra dollars go towards more FO in that candle than to a fancy container. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 True, Horse, BUT...packaging is extremely important. They have to like what they see before they will bother to find out if they like what they smell.That said, I don't spend a lot on containers. Fortunately for me, fancy containers don't sell well in any type of market I've done over the years. Never have. I choke at the thought of paying $2 for a container. My customers are tickled with 8 oz tins, 8 oz masons and 6 oz tureens. And so am I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jluper7297 Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Well, I do not sell candles. I just like to make them. Of these 3, 2 of them I was giving to friends and I wanted them to be extra strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I wanted them to be extra strongFirst rule of candlemaking:More is not necessarily better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksranch Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 It's really funny the things that will get the most attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorseScentS Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 True, Horse, BUT...packaging is extremely important. They have to like what they see before they will bother to find out if they like what they smell.That said, I don't spend a lot on containers. Fortunately for me, fancy containers don't sell well in any type of market I've done over the years. Never have. I choke at the thought of paying $2 for a container. My customers are tickled with 8 oz tins, 8 oz masons and 6 oz tureens. And so am I.Good point, Sliver! Yes, they do have to like what they see before they will sniff. It sounds like you've found really cute containers that have tons of eye-appeal but are affordable, so you can put some of your dollars towards a higher FO load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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