Top 7 Tips for Efficient Candle Testing in 2023

[@rvermillion8188]

Omg, you need to be paid for this! This is a lecture class.

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Calling Professor Armatage!

[@Emsie76]

Just testing my first batch now. I’ve either got a flare for this, or it’s beginners luck. No sink holes, no tunnelling, flame is sitting still not dancing around, 2 hrs of burning now and the melt pool looks wonderful. Waiting for a couple of days before been able to burn them was the hardest part of all for me. 🤣 Good luck everyone making candles 🕯 I’m having so much fun 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@eio4528]

This video feels like it was recorded on a beautiful and bright, quiet, peaceful Sunday morning.

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

How did you know?!?

[@estherrodriguez8693]

Thank you for your advice. First candle maker who talks about the standard test!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Safety is the MOST important part of making candles. We need to talk about it more than we do - glad you liked it!

[@istanbulbird]

binge-watching all your videos, just in love with your content and how you explain things so simply. thank you so much!

[@sydneytse3014]

0:19 1) Simplify - decide your wax blend & candle type 2:26 2) Label and record everything 3:58 3) Find the baseline wick for your naked wax 5:26 4) Retest every new lot of wax 6:47 5) Test every fragrance oil 7:29 6) Always include the industry standard test 9:14 7) HACK #1 Only pour half a candle 10:29 7) HACK #2 Replace the wick 11:07 7) HACK #3 Pour your candle without a wick

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I should probably work on my time travel between 5 & 6.

[@nicholasstrachan5226]

Wow thanks for the awesome summary 🙂

[@sydneytse3014]

@@ArmatageCandleCompany yes i've made you the first candle making time traveller. You're welcome! Very helpful video I'm based in HK and just started making candle two weeks ago!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I'm honored to be chosen as the first time traveling candle maker. I've looked into the future and we're all happy!

[@sammoreland5650]

Hello, I'm looking into candle making and doing my research so I'm right at the beginning. I've never commented on a video before but feel I have to after seeing this video aswell as your others. You offer an amazing amount of easy to understand information that has given me a great place to start. Thank you very much, I'm now subscribed and looking forward to naming you in the future as a big part of my business success (hopefully 🤞). Especially from a safety point of view. Thank you for sharing this brilliant information xx

[@angelazeigler2904]

Where was you 18 months ago? The headaches you could have saved!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I'll have to check my calendar... glad you found it helpful!

[@Beth77755]

Hi! You were the first candlemaker I started following, last November. Thank you for the wonderful information you've put out there! Finally decided on my containers after deciding I didn't like 3 others (progress). I'm on my 3rd wax (only 1 slab of each wax) and really like this one (PB600; progress), so now comes full-on testing to nail down my base wicks. I got to the point of actually choosing to use the apple corer today, instead of burning them all the way down and waste more wax and time (that was a messy disaster for which I forgot to put gloves on 🤣). I had been adamant from the beginning about not doing wickless testing because it will at some point float and get lost, which I figured would still leave me with having to redo it anyway leading to wasted time and supplies, so the tab & sticker made me feel more secure I guess. I'm now at that point of seeing (or maybe just hoping) wickless testing might keep my hair intact and tears still inside my head! And my wick tabs are still stuck at the bottom in all this wax 🤣 Progress? I have generalized anxiety disorder and while I've actually very much enjoyed this constant science experiment, I'd like to not have any episodes or burnout and keep enjoying this! It's actually kinda funny that in school I didn't really like science (I'm almost 45 now) because I felt I wasn't smart enough for it or consider myself good at it at all (hated all math classes too) but love this and another science craft of meadmaking I took up many years ago 🤷🏼‍♀

[@samragimadan1708]

My candle flame burns bright for initial 2 hours , but the flame becomes very low for next 2 hrs, and again picks up to burn beautifully till the very last burn. How can i resolve this issue, plz advise

[@sfbuczak]

Doing naked half Jar candle test. How long should I wait to burn? Using 464

[@magalivillarroel9790]

Thsnk you.

[@dustinjr1993]

Just don't half pour a coconut wax candle, they need to tunnel correctly from start to finish

[@therealunclep]

How long do you let your candles cure before you do testing on them? Also, you have a new subscriber.

[@trixie4525]

I want to thank you for taking the time to make these videos to help others. You are very knowledgeable and informed, I appreciate it, thanks!

[@puertoricotesaluda]

I want to thank you the free testing template is wonderful thank you and thank you for all you information thanks again

[@lealee113]

How long should you wait to test your naked wax?

[@brookewhite1925]

If I am testing my wax without fragrance in it and I am happy with my wick, can I re-melt that wax down and use it for my final product with scent in it? Or does it affect the quality of the wax?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I don't see that as an issue - it's merely a state change like when you initially made it. Good way to recycle your materials! 🙂

[@jeaninezaleski7112]

Hey there! 2 questions. On the test template....what does "Candle has tipped" mean? And what is considered a significant mushroom? Thank you!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Tipped is what it sounds like... falling over and not in the position you expect it to be. Significant mushroom is a bit more subjective... some have suggested 5mm diameter of the biggest mushroom and others (like me) just say whatever feels unreasonable.

[@juwaireeyahx]

good stuff

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

👊

[@conniecarroll9398]

Thanks, you are the first one I have found who talks about the “standard test”. I enjoyed your video thanks

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

It's crazy how important it is and how much it's ignored.

[@camillepujalte]

AAHHH so glad you appeared on my recommended vids

[@eskintial815]

Just starting my candle journey and you have been absolutely clutch in so many issues I have experienced. Thank you!

[@Melanie_Herget]

I'm struggling with flickering. At the beginning everything is okay and then all of the sudden it starts flickering... Why? I can't wick down because I don't even have a completely melt pool, so the wick is definetely not too big. I need help 😭

[@dreamcomedrew]

Try lowering your fragrance load by 1-2%

[@danettecompton3782]

I just took down amazing notes from your class! Thank you, Sensei. 🥰🙏

[@in4no1922]

When you say test different FO, should you test different from the same brand to make sure things are burning right or could you assume that it one tests ok, the rest would be fine?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Hi! It's unlikely you'll see significant variances in the same fragrance oil from the same supplier unless you have a tendency to leave them on the shelf for a long time. If your candles start behaving weird I generally blame the wax first, but if my "naked" candle tests fine I'll turn to the fragrance as my prime suspect. On the other hand, if the fragrance oils are the same flavor, but different suppliers (say you get a Lavender from two different places) - I would treat them as separate fragrance oils and test separately. I don't think that's what you meant but it's worth calling out. Hope that helps!

[@in4no1922]

Yup! Definitely helps. Thank you for your videos.

[@LD-nb4hr]

So helpful, thank you! You simplify everything which makes it easier to not feel overwhelmed 👏

[@debbie353]

This is great, your tip to only fill half of the container for testing is very helpful, thank you! (Ps. I only made 8 full candles to test before finding this video 😂😂) 😃

[@taylorallisona-tay1374]

Very relatable 😅 but I’m sure yours were amazing and weren’t a waste like my first few 😂🤣

[@genevaberry4223]

Would you recommend testing 1 of each shape to see how they burn and have on record! Or every single Scent in every shape? Just I’m new to burn sheets and could really use some advice on that aspect on candles please! I’m doing body candles, eg pillar candles

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Non-traditional pillars are a bit outside my understanding, but if I got into them I'd approach it similarly: test every unique shape and fragrance load. If nothing else, you'll get the repetitions in for making candles! Hope that helps.

[@briarroyo1256]

The info in this video 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@kaylasfragrancedhome9645]

If I plan to use 464 soy wax , they recommend a 2 week cure time. When doing hot throw testing, do I wait the 2 weeks before testing?

[@chocolatesugar4434]

thanks for great video 🙌🏾🙌🏾💙💙 do you find your half way tests that perform well, also perform well when filled fully?

[@lifewithninadominique1236]

Do you have any experience with virgin coconut soy. I have 464 but I’m some what leaning toward the coco wax and I really want to sign up for Your class not sure if I will get the help I need for coco wax candles.

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Great question, Nina - I've used virgin coconut soy and I can promise that if you're interested in learning container candle making, almost everything in the class will apply. There are a few soy wax-specific lessons, but the process and every PDF printable included applies to all container candle making.

[@lifewithninadominique1236]

Perfect thanks will be registering tonight !

[@kayemcalimoso1614]

I began his online candle making course and I'm loving it! Thank you Kevin!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I'm so glad to have you on board!

[@ShayNescu]

Subscribed! Thank you for your channel! I hope you keep up with this because it’s incredibly helpful and I really value the way you explain things! It’s relaxing instead of stressful

[@Redlox9]

❤❤❤

[@Level-qp8sz]

Indeed the world best kept SECRET! Thanks! This was so helpful. Keep these helpful 🕯tips coming ……

[@catrinae.3944]

Thank you so much!

[@keyuntaharris1]

Thanks so much for all of the informative videos you post, you’ve made this candle making journey so much easier. I do a have a question - I made the base candle and found the wick that went with it, so I made another candle with FO and used that wick and got great results…..buuuuuuut, after the candles (base candle and fragranced candle) have cooled down, I’m noticing that the melt pool is like a yellowish/beige color. That’s not normal, is it?

[@aminan1568]

Hi, i wanna thank you for the amount of informations you're giving through your videos. I'm having trouble with my bees wax, in fact I'm using it in glass containers and after few hours of making the candle, the wax cracks in the middle (near the wick) do u have any tips or tricks that can help? I really appreciate your support.

[@katej.9317]

Thank you for this ! I just started making my candles and a lot of what you said I didn't think about. This was very helpful.

[@ClayandCandlesCo]

Thank you for the great tips! Wanting to make sure I do this right, but have no idea where to start. :)

[@phileocandleco.8079]

Thank you for posting this info. Very helpful. Question: should I test with one size jar.

[@Sourpatch46]

Thank you so much for these videos!! I recommend to everyone that they watch your videos and go to your website to start. You truly explain everything so anyone can understand it. Thank you again!

[@julianamargules325]

Thank you for your tips!🍪 gonna get your testing sheet (thank you).

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Wow I'm so glad! Please enjoy it!

[@wooyoungdonewithsanactingc1635]

If i do a wick testing do i have to wait for my soy wax to cure for 2 weeks? Or is it okay to test burn as long as the wax hardened already?

[@moonlightj0y]

One thing I've noticed about candles is that they are simple/complicated lol On one hand they are simple because you can easily make them and on the other hand they can be complicated because there's so much that goes into the process! I made my own formula and I love it! Most waxes perform well you just need to make sure the temperatures are right when you pour and when you're adding your fragrance. To me temperature is such an important part as well.

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Spot on. Though, blaming the wax for my lack of patience or skill is so much easier 🤣

[@lilian4645]

when finding the baseline wick for naked candle, how long do I need to cure a soy wax candle b4 burn test?

[@karusyakids1903]

You are amazing!! So helpful and motivating! Thank you! Great job!

[@sarahh426]

What sample sizes are adequate for candle testing?

[@jameslawrence2291]

Thanks for the great vids. I’m just starting out and these videos have really helped me understand the craft better

[@gloribelrodriguez5972]

thank you so much for all this information...loving all your videos..

[@jrccandleco7939]

🎉yes yes yes!! Absolutely great advice

[@ctskane]

Amazing tips! Thank you.

[@marie-everaymond1805]

? Do I need to wait 4 weeks because is curing for soy wax? First test

[@julieb7093]

Amazing tips. Thank you so much!

[@jamiebrown-nugent9120]

I value your posts. Thank you very much for your help!

[@dream23z]

Thank you for this! Really helpful! 😄

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

So glad you found it valuable!

[@Carriedawaybath]

Do you fill the jars half full when wick testing without FO

[@livkatrinzimny]

That was very helpful actually. Thank you.

[@valentinamendoza5965]

Can you do the wickless testing when testing fragrance throw too? Or just initial wick size?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Great question. Yeah, you can definitely do that and I'd recommend it if you don't know where to start. The only caution I have for you is that jumping in without knowing what wick matches the naked wax means if there are any changes to anything in your candle supplies, you can't pinpoint it to the wax right away if your wicks start misbehaving.... but it's definitely a good strategy to speed things along!

[@valentinamendoza5965]

@@ArmatageCandleCompany awesome - thank you for the advice!

[@gonnabapro]

What’s the industry standard test? How do you do it?

[@aquarels]

Is it any use to do wick test soy 464 without waiting 14 days?

[@eglevaleikaite2022]

Awesome video :) is that possible to test 12 candles at a time and what is best way to go about it?

[@rinitashadangi6789]

Awesome video👍👏👏👌😊

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Thanks - I hope you found it helpful!

[@kathykat7592]

Excellent information

[@Lostinstarsss]

EXCELLENT TIPS! Thank you!

[@silvanasilvana9321]

Seria muito bom se tivesse legendas..em português ou espanhol...😟

[@2013DNA]

I don't understand something. If we find a wick that matches the naked wax...but doesn't work with a fragrance we wanna use...what's the point of having that combo when you want to fragrance your candle? You would have to find a totally different wick to work with that fragrance.. Maybe its that I just got off a night shift but I really don't understand, could someone explain?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Great question. The naked wick baselines your wax and container and gives you a starting point when trying a new fragrance in that SAME combination. If you only ever made a single candle with a single fragrance in a single container with a single wax, there'd be no point in finding the naked wax wick. However, most people use a variety of fragrance oils in the same wax + container, which quite often require different wicks. Benefit 2 (the first benefit being a good starting point for introducing a new fragrance) is for quality control, mostly with the wax. If your safety tests start failing all of a sudden and you haven't changed anything, you can always strip down the design and create a naked candle with the baseline wick. If it burns weird, you know something changed with the wax and you can triage much more effectively. It's something people will do when they get a new lot of wax in their workshop to ensure the supply chain (or manufacturer) hasn't disrupted the wax enough to warrant a new wick - allowing you to churn out candles that pass your quality and performance standards. Hope that helps!

[@bruny6463]

greetings from Puerto Rico, How does the humidity affect the candle making process?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

My experience? Not much of an affect in making. However, higher humidity does increase hot throw a bit but that’s a bit subjective.

[@DJTripleRRR]

Hey Patrick just wanted to say thank you for bringing up the industry standardized burn test, I've been digging through tons of content and not once on any KZbin video or things I've been reading have I heard of the industry standards and how to meet them. Thanks!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

You got it!

[@Abi-hx1qr]

I don’t get what you mean by baseline wick. That part is still confusing me for some reason.

[@Abi-hx1qr]

How do we determine our baseline wick

[@Amirah511]

love this channel I plan on start a candle business really soon and all of this information you provide is so useful!

[@starciacockett3695]

Holy Crap you just addressed all the burning questions I had about this topic that I couldn't find thank you for your guidance please keep making videos ❤❤❤

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Hehe, "burning" 🤣

[@58lightred]

Very useful tips thank you

[@suheirh8345]

Hey :) I was wondering if you could give me some advice on which wicks to test for a glass container that is 96mm inside diameter so I understand i would need 2 or 3 wicks and maybe the HTP 104 since im using parasoy blend ?? Thanks

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Give the HTP a shot for sure. Definitely needs a multi-wick setup. Best thing to do is test. Be careful not to go too hot - multi-wicking means a LOT of extra heat and you don't want to fail any tests because you were over-zealous. I believe in you!

[@LaLa-tn9xn]

I signed up for the pdf and got confirmation that I was subscribed but didn't get the pdf link?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Oh no! Send me an email at [e-mail] and I'll get you squared away.

[@georgeclyde7904]

Thanks for this!

[@drebuydos5679]

Where were you a year ago? Thank you for the videos. I’m binging.

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Lol awesome! A year ago? Probably buying a winter jacket for the upcoming MN weather!

[@cosmeticaffairs7220]

Super super helpful - thank you for this!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I'm so glad you find it useful!

[@playhard23]

This was great!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. More great content coming soon.

[@tonys490]

Do you do any courses on testing candles ?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

I have a full beginner series on making candles, with an entire lesson dedicated to candle testing. We also cover troubleshooting issues and what you should do when certain signals show up in your testing. If that seems useful to you, check out more about the course at armatagecandlecompany.com/course

[@tonys490]

@@ArmatageCandleCompany thats bit expensive for a hobby my friend .. do you have any discounts , so i can sign up? thanks

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

The holiday season is just around the corner. If you sign up for my email list on my website you just might get what you're looking for!

[@tiffanycolbert9589]

Thanks for the information. I'm making 8oz tins and the wick burns and when it gets to the 2nd half of the candle, the wick tab detaches from the bottom of the tin and the wick and topples over into the wax. Why is this?

[@tiffanycolbert9589]

Should I change my wax?

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

that happens to me when I don't adhere the tab to the bottom well enough with hot glue or wick stickers... unless you're talking about a wick replacement (when the tab isn't re-glued to the bottom). In the former, make sure you stick that tab to the bottom best you can! In the latter, there's really nothing you can do about it. The "replacement" technique isn't mean for sales anyways, but more to hack your testing times down a bit. However, if you ARE sticking it well and it's coming dislodged it might be that your candle is burning very hot. Try and keep the wall temperatures below 150°F if you can. Tins can be more complicated as a lot of heat further down transfers right to the bottom. If sever heat is disabling the adhesion, you certainly need to wick down. Hope I understood you right!

[@ArmatageCandleCompany]

No, but you should think about changing your wick :)