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Tunneling after using heat gun?


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Hello,

 

I am hoping to find some help with a problem I'm having with tunneling. 

 

The candles I used a heat gun on are tunneling.  The candles that I don't touch burn perfectly.  Is this a common thing? I caught it on accident as I lit a candle for my own personal use and it tunneled.  I thought maybe it has to do with burning off the wax coating.  

 

I use CD 14 in 12 oz country jar. It is 2" 3/4"  in diameter.  

 

Thanks All!

 

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I have never noticed that :/

The wax coating will help the wick stand straighter in the melt pool, but i have not noticed it making any difference after a heat gun. Sme i use are even unprimed.

The length of the wick makes a difference though. A candle with a wick trimmed to 1/8" will burn different from a candle with the wick trimmed to 1/2", 3/4", etc.

Are the wicks on your personal candles of different lengths when you light them?

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Guest OldGlory

I pour a lot of soy candles and test a lot too. I have never noticed a difference in tunnelling - unless I am burning my candles for different lengths of time.

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i use a heat gun quite often...i have never had that be a issue..

i personally think, that the wick size is not right for the fragrance.

the only tunneling i get, is if the wick is to small..

and i don't get a full melt pool for the width of the jar,

and the appropriate burn time, for the size of jar

every fragrance is made up different...

so testing for each fo. is so important.

sometimes it takes me a regular size candle, test burning the total candle

before i get the wick right..

Edited by 8-GRAN-ONES
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Thanks all!!   It is not FO.  Two of the same candles, same scent, same wick but didn't use heat gun on one burned totally different.   The one I used heat gun on was tunneling and drowning.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the side by side.  Thankfully I kept it from drowning out and did power burn and it did start to straighten out.   The other one had a beautiful flame and burned like that scent always burns.  Sometimes I wonder if they accidentally put the wrong wicks in the bags.  I had sold some of that same sent to a friend and called her right away to make sure hers were ok and thankfully they were!!  

 

I never thought of the length of the wicks making a difference.  I use a 5inch CD 14 in those jars for most...I wick up for a few others, but all my wicks are 5 inch.  

 

 

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I suppose that if you used the heat gun in a fixed position over the wick, rather than moving the gun side to side; that the integrity of the wick was compromised. You burnt off the outside of the wick and there wasn't enough wick for the initial burn. That would make sense if eventually the wick was able to catch up and burn correctly. Does that seem possible?

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