Wax Volume Calculator

Convert between wax weight and wax volume for a chosen wax type, in ounces, pounds, grams, fluid ounces and millilitres.

Candle Making

Recipes arrive in weight, moulds and jars are sold by volume, and wax is bought by the pound or the kilogram. This converter moves between the two for a chosen wax type, so a recipe written in ounces can be poured into a container measured in millilitres without guesswork.

At a glance

What you enter: Wax type, Which way are you converting?, Wax weight, Wax volume
What you get: Weight, Weight, Volume, Fluid ounces per pound of wax
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Wax type

Which way are you converting?

Wax weight oz

Used when converting weight to volume.

Wax volume fl oz

Used when converting volume to weight.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Wax Volume Calculator

1 Enter Wax type
2 Enter Which way are you converting?
3 Enter Wax weight (oz), Used when converting weight to volume.
4 Enter Wax volume (fl oz), Used when converting volume to weight.
5 Press Calculate. You get Weight, Weight, Volume, Fluid ounces per pound of wax, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
6 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

A pound of soy wax

Sixteen ounces of soy wax, converted to the volume it fills.

You enter

Wax type: 2
Which way are you converting?: 1
Wax weight: 16 oz
Wax volume: 18 fl oz

You get

Weight: 453.59 g
Weight: 1.00 lb
Volume: 543.88 mL
Fluid ounces per pound of wax: 18.39 fl oz

About 18.4 fluid ounces, which is a little over two 8 ounce jars worth of volume.

Open this example in the calculator →

A 10 fl oz mould in paraffin

A mould that holds 10 fluid ounces, converted to the wax weight it needs.

You enter

Wax type: 1
Which way are you converting?: 2
Wax weight: 16 oz
Wax volume: 10 fl oz

You get

Weight: 255.15 g
Weight: 0.56 lb
Volume: 295.74 mL
Fluid ounces per pound of wax: 17.78 fl oz

About 9 ounces of paraffin, before any allowance for what stays in the pot.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How many fluid ounces are in a pound of wax?

A pound of soy wax at a density factor of about 0.87 takes up roughly 18.4 fluid ounces, and a pound of paraffin at about 0.90 takes about 17.8. The exact figure depends on the wax, the blend and the temperature at which it is measured. If you can weigh the wax rather than measure it, do: weight is repeatable and volume is not.

Can I use a measuring jug instead of a scale?

You can, and it will be close, but it costs accuracy. Melted wax occupies slightly more volume than the same wax cold, a jug read at eye level is easy to misread, and the residue left in the jug is unmeasured. A cheap kitchen scale removes all three problems at once, which is why it is the first tool most candle makers buy.

Why does the wax volume not match the size of my jar?

Jar sizes are quoted as the volume of the container, often measured to the brim, while the wax inside settles into a smaller usable space and weighs less than the same volume of water. An 8 fluid ounce jar normally takes about 6 to 7 ounces of wax by weight. The jar fill calculator works that out properly for a specific container and fill line.

What does the density factor actually mean?

It is the approximate specific gravity of the solid wax compared with water. This tool applies it as ounces of wax per fluid ounce of volume, which is the simplification the candle trade uses. A strict conversion through millilitres comes out about four percent higher, and the step by step working shows that figure too so you can choose which convention to cost from.