Grani L Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I was wondering - is there an expectancy range of sooting that collects on the jar rim? I made a few candles using no color, and straight 6006 with 6% blueberry muffin FO. I have trimmed the wick before each burn and have a different wick in each jar. I still see smoke coming from the trimmed wick. The sides of the jar is clean as the candle burns down but there still is this soot.You can hardly see it just by looking, but it is there. Should this be expected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 There is no such thing as a soot free candle. You can just work to manage it or minimize it. When candles burn they produce soot. Its the by product of the burning wax consumed plus any additives that may be in the wax like dyes, FOs, etc. Soy produces a lighter color or what some call a 'white' soot while paraffin produces a blackish colored soot. The best you can do is make a candle that doesn't leave soot on the jar. Ever burned a Yankee candle? Soot city!! Even if you think your candle doesn't produce soot, set it in front of a mirror and watch it closely as it burns. You will see the smoke coming off the flame. So don't panic. Its normal. Just aim for making a candle that doesn't leave a ring of dirty soot on the jar. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Some wicks do soot more than others, but as Candy stated it's near impossible to get absolutely no soot. The slightest air movement will cause the wick to flicker and leave a bit of soot on the side.You might start with making sure that you don't use over the recommended fo in the candle and try different wicks. Some jars are also subject to more soot. You didn't say which wax, wick, jar and how muchfo you are using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grani L Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 Wax is 6006. FO load 6%. Jar: 16oz. Salsa. Wicks tested: RRD, CD, Peaks C seties Cotton Core. There is light soot on the jar rim. The RRD burned the hottest, but not scorching. After 4-5 hours the jars are still touchable. I did not use dye. Jar sides clean as wax burns down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grani L Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 These are 3 seperate candle jars. So i am doing differect wicks for sife bu side testing. Its crazy because all three burning in the same room does not gone the same throw as one does with 8% FO. The jar just has a lot less soot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candlegirl60 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I have the worst luck with Wicks that have "paper" along with cotton. For the 6006 I have VERY good luck with Zinc Core wicks in every way! Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grani L Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 So using zinc wicks, would it be best to use straight 6006? Also do you use large salsa type jars or smaller type jelly jars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 When I was making parasoy candles I also preferred zincs. I used jelly jars mostly also 16oz mason jars. Zincs are prone to mushrooming but have a stable and cool burning flame. Plus I got the best hot throw from them. I tried other wicks that didn't mushroom as much but some burned to hot and made the jar too hot, some flickered more than I wanted. I would always go back to the zincs for my parasoy candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I prefer the cd wicks over the zincs. The construction of the cd wicks handles the corrosive veggie wax and doesn't clog like the zinc wicks. Combustion of the blended waxes and the components of fragrance oil can be a challenge for any wick combination but it seems that cd or cdn wicks provide the best results. I find them to be the most predictable in how they respond to whatever type of fragrance oil I use. Bakery oils compared to most floral or herbal oils are noticeably different because of the vanillin required to duplicate most bakery scents. I always look at the vanillin percentage and bypass oils with high rates. They're going to be problematic in finding correct wicking, which makes them more unpredictable in performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grani L Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 The only thing that bothers me about the CD wicks is the flame constantly flickers and gets tall in a short amount of time. I like how the flame acts with the cotton wicks. It don't get tall too fast. - But I do find this interesting. I gave my sister a candle just a few weeks back and she so happened to be burning it on today. Its straight 6006 in the 16 oz Salsa Jar. CD 20 Wick and the FO is Cherry Crumb Pie. Its been burning close to 7 hours. The throw is good. I used 10% FO Load, and the Jar sides is totally Clean. Most Importantly, there is totally NO Black Ring on the jar at all. I haven't even seen any smoke coming from it.The MP is about a little more than a 1/4 inch. The wick didn't get real high until closer to the 6 hour mark. I did check out the Vanillin Content on the NG Site and it has a small percentage. But I wouldn't mind selling this candle, as the flame performed like a cotton wick. It is somewhat high now as it has been burning about 7 hours, but the jar is not scorching. I feel like this is the best candle I have ever made, but I am still scratching my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I use an 18 in that jar with my parasoy but have never been able to use the 20 because of the high flame off of it. The true test will be the last half of the burn. I would be careful and place the jar on a heat proof tile. That puppy is going to get real hot toward the end. Midway through the jar is when the flame will be drafting a lot of air and you should see flickering, some smoking and probably a deeper melt pool. I really wanted the 20 to work for me but the flame scared me off. Let me know how the test goes. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grani L Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 It takes for ever for it to burn down. But I will continue to update the progression of the journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Grani, it sounds like your testing is very thorough! Keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.