Klamb

Actually I do have the AC running when testing! And the bathroom does have a vent in it. I will have to try burning the candle with the AC off. Never would have thought of that. Maybe that is why I could smell the candle outside but not in the house.

It is a 2 inch diameter candle. I did try burning it in a small half bath with the door closed with a 18 ply wick and can not smell it in the closed bathroom...even after burning it for 2 hours. But get this, I take it out on the deck and can smell it when I was next to it! I could not keep it out on the deck because there was just enough of a breeze to keep the flame fluttering. I am beginning to think maybe it is just me and paraffin wax. I am giving the candle to my brother-in-law to burn to see if he can smell it. 

I do appreciate everyone's inputs. At least I know I do have the correct wick sizes for the IGI 4625 (the 18ply for the 2 in candle and the 24 ply for the 3in candle).

I think maybe it is the wick. I am used to working with beeswax where there is no scent. I feel maybe the LX wicks work better in parafin as far as hot throw than the ply flatbraid do. The flatbraid has such a pretty, even burning flame. The LX wick gets a tall flame - a bit on the scary side - if I don't keep trimming the wick about every hour. I need to experiment with another size LX to see if I can get a better burn/flame...one I feel safe with.

I am having trouble getting a good hot throw in the IGI 4625 pillar blend wax in a 2 x 3.5 inch pillar. I add UV stabilizer at 1 tsp/lb, color (I use both the liquid and color block), and fragrance oil at 6%. Right now I am using 18 ply flatbraid wick. I have tried square braid, LX, CD, and zink core and I like how the 18 ply flatbraid is burning. The cold throw is good. This is happening in many fragrance oils so I do not believe it is that. I melt the wax at 195. Add the UVS, then the color, then add the fragrance oil at about 185 degrees. I stir for 3-4 minutes with the FO. I am thinking maybe my temperatures are the problem. I do plan on trying the LX wick again, maybe the LX 14 or 16 to see if that will help. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help is greatly appreciated. 

Ahhhh...more testing.

I have tested the LX to the squared braid and flat braid in a couple of fragrance. They were close but I think the square braid had the greater scent throw but not by much. I need more testing to be sure...some days my nose is better than other days. Guess I should also try the paper core and HTP wicks. So much testing. Does it ever end?

I do not like soot either! Does it produce the soot even if you do not blow the wick out? And is there a difference between the square braid and LX as far as producing a better hot scent throw? Is one better than the other in that regard.

OMGosh! What beautiful candles. Nicely done.

Thanks for everyone's replies. I have full melt pool at 72 hours. Never though of trying to get there quickly. Will have to play with that.

I am having a bit of a problem with the flat braid and even the square braid (though not as much) burning more on one side than evenly down the middle. I guess it is because of the curl. I am waiting on my order of the LX 24 to come in to try that one. The LX seams to stay centered better. I keep centering it but I am assuming most people won't want to baby sit their candle like that.

Another question - I am having to trim the wick about twice during the burn (3 hours). Is this normal. A big flame makes me uncomfortable.

Here are my 3x4 pillar notes (3x4.5) with 4625... If a wick was so badly off that I knew better, then I did not make notes. I only noted the ones that were close.

LX-18 burns tall and bright and melt pool is about right for a 4 hour burn. The problem is excess soot trail from the flame. Too bad, the flame is like 4 inches tall and small diameter which is pretty delightful.

CD-10 not so good, it soots a bit. Second burn seemed to not soot. Pool was fine at first. Need a power burn on this one.

CD-14 too hot. Melt pool to large and runs over the side

44-32-18 Cotton. Not a large flame and tends to tunnel. This was originally thought to be a bit too small for the pillar. However, the first power burn of 12 hours worked out just fine and the second spilled at the 10 hour mark. On restart there is some initial sooting. There is mushrooming. Some other candlemakers have expressed that a smaller flame is better for customers. This may be a better wick than the 60-44. // This has become the wick of choice, however, one tester said it soots when blown out. Otherwise, perfect burn.

60-44-18 Cotton. This has turned out to be about the perfect wick IF you limit to a 4 hour burn time. It pools large enough for good HT and the sides curl in. 6 hours is about it. 8 hours and the sides open up and the pool leaks. No sooting except on re-start. Lots of mushrooming.

62-52-18 cotton tends to leak over the side at the 4 hour mark. Very little sooting except if there is an airflow and wick flickering.

Thank you so much for your help and information. When I tried the LX-22 it was also a tall flame. Very pretty but it actually scared me a bit. I think I will try the 60-44-18 to see how it burns for me. I do have one more question - On a 3 inch candle is it OK

to take 4 hours (instead of 3) to reach a full burn pool?

How many burns did you do before you decided that the wick wasn't working? It takes about 4 or 5 burns (3-5 or6 hours each) before you can see how the sides are going to be consumed.

A 2-inch pillar burns like a giant taper candle, first burning outward toward the edge, making a melt pool with a lip to contain the wax. Then the wick consumes the liquid wax and then burns down a little, then it will melt the lip and keeps going to have almost total consumption in the end.

A 3-inch pillar does not really reach the very edge, but leaves about a 1/2-inch (ish) dam as it burns down. After about 4 (ish) burns the top edge will become thinner and thinner, yet the edge more near the flame is thicker. The whole thing is "V" shaped. Once the flame reaches down inside the pillar about an inch to 1 1/2 inches you will see the top start to melt down and be consumed.

If it is wicked correctly by the time the candle is about 2 inches tall on the outside, the wick will be reaching the point that it shouldn't be burned because it can make the center liquid the whole way through the bottom and the safety is iffy at best at this point. It's also a great reason to only burn pillars on safe pottery surfaces where any wax can't leak out and make a mess.

If you are only burning once or twice and seeing tunneling, you need to keep going in your testing and see how things go further along. About half of the wicks you mentioned will work in 4625. I would say that you should see good burns with the LX-24 and both the 30 and 36 ply. The 1/0 and 2/0 square are a little small, I would use a #1 or a #2 square.

In 100% 4625 with color and scent, I would go with the LX24 or even a 26. With color and no scent, the 36 ply would be my choice, with the square braid a very close second. I love the central burn of the square braid. You sometimes have to be sure that the flat braid wick is standing up and even adjust it to keep one side from getting too hot. The square braids seem to stay central in a 3-inch pillar. They excel if you are using a percentage of beeswax in your recipe.

I have spent the past year and a half to two years experimenting with paraffin, para/soy, beeswax and beeswax blend pillars and wicks. I have burned a LOT of pillars and you really need to burn them side by side to see what each wick does vs the other. I use 4625 in my blended paraffin pillars and like it a lot. By itself it has a tendency to soften and bulge at the top, so I add stearic or beeswax. It's a matter of playing with different recipes until you have one you like.

OMGosh! You just made my day. I thought I was going crazy. I was burning it 2-3 times only and saw the tunneling and thought it wasn't burning correctly. I was trying to get it to burn more like a 2 inch pillar. I will try again with your suggestions. Thank you so much for your help...it makes sense to me now. Again thank you so much.

Ughhh! Can anyone please help me with wicking a 3 inch by 4.5 inch pillar? I am using the IGI 4625 pillar blend wax, UV Stabilizer at 1 tsp/ lb wax, FO at 1 oz/lb wax, and a color block dye (mid color range). I am having trouble with all the wicks I have tried so far tunneling. I have my 2 inch pillars where I am happy with them but this 3 inch is making me go crazy. I have tried the zinc core 51-32-18; LX-22; 24 and 30 and 36 ply flat braids; 1/0 and 2/0 square braids. I have not been able to be a burn pool larger than 2.25 inchs and then it tunnels. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for the help.