boogieluv

lol.This only feeds my OCD tendencies!

No drafts. The other flames I just lit are steady. I guess its back to the drawing board!

In my 3"+ straight-sided tumblers, the flame always changes about midway down the container. Is this to be expected even with the "right" wick? Deal breakers for me are excessively tall, flickering, and sooty flames but what about the ones that may sputter a little, bob about and/or burn sideways even with a nice 1/4"+ deep MP. Is that to be expected or is it a sign of over- or under-wicking?

ChandlerWicks - what kind of wicks did you use? Was wicking a problem or pretty easy? According to CS's new wick guide, with the exception of 2.5 - 3" diameter candles, they recommend the exact same size LX wicks across the board so I'm expecting that finding a wick for Cajun's blend should be pretty straight forward.

I'm currently very happy with a 4627/4786 blend that ChandlerWIcks suggested but was wondering if anyone has tried or is currently using a blend of 60% 4786 with 40% 4633 that Cajun Candles claims they use to make their candles, or any other 4786/4630/4633 blend. I happened upon 50lbs of 4627 very cheaply, however, as I'm already half way through the 50lbs it would be more cost effective for me to switch to 4633 or 4630 with 4786 since I can get them either of them in 10lb slabs for about 100% shipping cost via USPS Priority flat rate. I live in Hawaii and have gotten estimates from suppliers all over especially on the West Coast but they all come out about the same --anywhere from 151% to 250%+ in shipping costs via USPS for 25lb to 50 or 60lb cases of 4627. Yes, you read that right --its not cheap to live in "paradise". I'm just a small time operation so I don't need large quantities of any wax and I'm happy to receive my shipments 10lbs at a time if its the most cost effective method. Of course, because of the consistency of 4627, no one offers them in quantities less than 25 lbs with the exception of the 2lb samples from Peaks. So I guess my question is, should I stick with my current 4627 blend or switch to a 4786 with 4630/4633 blend? Is the extra cost worth the benefits of 4627 or are there too many trade-off with 4630 or 4633? I'd love anyone's experience or insight!

Good luck! Let me know how it goes. I can also suggest some Premiers and zincs that may also work depending on your container size.

Definitely harder. I like that I can trim my wicks without worrying about messing up the top of my finished candles. I don't have much experience with other waxes but this combo is definitely more opaque than straight 4627 but still capable of giving off rich, vibrant colors. Creamy? I guess so. I'm not sure what that means but it looks a lot like pure 4627 just harder. If you're looking for any trade-offs with blending with something 4786, I really can't think of any. In my opinion, the throw is amazing, maybe even a little better. And after being hard-headed about lowering my FO% (after all, more is better right?), I've finally jumped on the 1oz per lb bandwagon with no regrets. Finally, the biggest benefit --wicking is sooooo much easier!! I was getting really frustrated and feeling very defeated. Thank you so much to ChandlerWicks for suggesting the blend and putting me on the right track!

Congratulations, MrsM! It may not be like finding a cure for cancer but it sure does feel great doesn't it? Good luck with all your candles!

That's one of the things that I like about the LXs - the flame. It may be on the small side but very full-bodied. It'll grow bigger the longer it burns. If you're using straight 4627, I'm not surprised about going up to a 24. I'm burning a 24 now and that's with 60% 4786.

Depending on the container size, I use LXs, zincs, or Premiers.

Right now, I'm burning one with LX-18 and one with 20. Definitely try the 18.

I totally understand where you're coming from. That's why between test burns, I don't trim my wicks because I don't think my customers will either. And so far with the LX wicks, I haven't found a problem with flame height like I did with HTPs. Of course, the largest container I work with is 3" in diameter so I'm not dealing with very large wicks to begin with.

If your worried about a taller flame with a larger wick, try trimming your wicks shorter. When I first start my burn test, if a flame is too high, I extinguish it, trim it a smidge and relight. Works every time.

Hi Kinesis - I'm so glad you found success with the LX wick. Good luck with your wax, FO, and deadline

Jfear - I got the same results with HTPs no matter what wax and containers I tried it with. I don't even bother testing with HTPs anymore. 

After so much difficulty wicking straight 4627, I decided to try ChandlerWicks suggestion of 60% 4627 with 40% 4786. I'm currently doing burn tests with 6% FO and a dark dye. The color is not as vibrant but I actually like the depth of having something a little more opaque since I prefer strongly colored candles and this allows me to use less dye. The throw is awesome. Glass adhesion is a non-issue --I've been heating my containers but I've found that even if I don't, I still don't have any problems with wet spots especially with small to medium containers. I like that I can trim my wicks without disturbing the wax around it. I do find that I have to do a second pour --regardless of whether I heat my containers or not-- which I really don't mind. I had to do that anyway with straight 4627. No sink holes but just a very slight dip towards the center that would probably be imperceptible to customers. However, once I noticed it and corrected for it with a small repour, it made all the difference in burn tests.

UPDATE: Heard back from Aztec. They agreed the description is misleading and will be changing it soon to reflect the actual wick sizes that are included. I also recommended that they consider expanding their sample pack to include all 24 sizes since that is what they offer individually. Personally, I have yet to find a Premier wick between both Aztec and The Flaming Candle packs that works for me. For now, my winners are still mainly zincs and LXs.

OMG. I feel like its Christmas Day - my slab of 4786 just came in!!! Off to make candles! I'll post my results with throw and wicking here once I'm done. Wish me luck!

Thanks, everyone. Like Trappeur, I went to Wickit first and got a similar response. I also sent an email to Aztec. I'll keep you posted on their response.

Actually the first pack of Premiers that I bought was from The Flaming Candle Co. and they clearly stated the wicks that were included - 12 out of the 24. I ordered the packs from Aztec in hopes of getting the wicks that were not included in the pack from The Flaming Candle Co.

I previously ordered a Premier sample pack from eBay. I knew that it wouldn't contain samples of all 24 Premier wick sizes because it clearly stated which sizes were included in the item description. I looked at the Aztec site and was pleasantly surprised to see that they carried all 24 sizes of Premier wicks. I ordered their sample pack because it said "5 wicks of each size" in the description, naturally assuming that this meant 5 wicks of every size that they carry which is 24. The sample pack that arrived does not contain 5 wicks each of 24. It only contains 10 --less than half-- of the 24 Premier wicks that they carry. I'm assuming this is based on what is the most popular. Still, very misleading. To add insult to injury, I paid over $14 to have two of these packs and a wick trimmer mailed to me in Hawaii. I'm still in the testing phase and prefer not to order the 100 minimum per size for the ones I'm missing. Not to mention the added cost of shipping.

Well let me say this, I know how costly it is because I've already shoved so much into this is why I feel like I can't give up. I tried figuring out candles for a few months (about 6 probably) then moved onto melts. I said in my first post that I have made a 'few candles' but I've made a few hundred or so. I have no idea how many for sure I've made. There have been so many times I've thought I nailed it that I'd get excited and make an inventory and then decide they were all wrong and I'd trash them (melt them down and dump out). I have LITERALLY wasted about 10K since last Fall. No joke. Actually counting a business loan I took out about 15K.... I've paid for so many things thinking I was ready. My husband believes they are perfect, but I always find something I think should be better.

 

I am my worst critic. I want it to be something "I" think is the best. Family is worthless for giving feedback (in my experience).

 

What I'm trying to do now is sort of start over and I had never previously tried double wicking so I thought I would attempt that, and then I also remembered everyone talking about a lower FO load so I thought about dropping down to 6% and see if it helps with smoking and mushrooming etc. I came here to do so more reading and thought I'd create an account to see if I could get any help/advice by asking questions instead of just reading and not participating.

 

I swear I have tried everything, or at least I feel like I have. I have made 100% soy, 100% paraffin, and a parasoy blend. I have tried eco's, LX, HTP, CD, and woodwick (I think that's all of them). I have a whole plastic tub filled with wicks. I have tried waxes: 464, 444, Advanced, Excel, 4627, Palm and then I've also spent money on my other waxes for my melts. I have 8 different size and style jars (hexs, tureens, jelly, mason, status, teddy bear, tumblers, apothecary and maybe more), and about 50 different FO's. I have had to move everything to our basement because I took over the whole upper level of our home. I even have 100's of packing/shipping boxes, bubble wrap, tape etc. I have everything a person needs to run a business (even 1 million in insurance thru Brower). I have $1000's in inventory right now that I just look at and think OMG! What am I going to do with all this?!?  I have spent so much money on this I'm ashamed of it!! Especially because it just seems like such a huge failure that it breaks my heart!

 

Wow - that was long! I don't get to let anyone 'inside my head' with my whole candle stuff because I feel like they don't understand. I feel like my family thinks I'm just a big failure because I put so much into this and got so excited about it and now it's one of the worse things I've ever done - putting my family in debt over wax

Emily Anne, I totally understand how you feel. My husband and I actually just had a discussion about how I'm my worst critic. What he sees as a perfectly acceptable candle, I see as an off-center melt pool with hang-up of 0 to less than a 1/4" on the sides. Like you I have tried many wicks: ECO, LX, HTP, CD, Cotton Core, RRD, and Zinc. Nothing ever seems to good enough and what was supposed to be a quick and easy way to supplement my bath and body products has turned into an obsession and a money pit. Don't give up. I think "The Write Stuff" had some good advice. That's what I plan to do. There's so many knowledgeable people willing to give their advice on this forum. You can do this!!!

Emily Anne don't be so hard on yourself. We all went through a similar struggle.

 

I do have a suggestion and it works. But you have to stick with it. Pick one wax. ONE. And work with it. Stick with it until you have your candle. By the time you learn how to make that one candle you should know just about everything there is to know about that wax.

 

Also, check with other candlemakers on this forum or other candle forums to see if you can enlist their help with testing them out for you. What you want is effective critique you can rely on to improve your candle.

 

Once you have that wax down then you can move on to another. Having mastered one wax prepares you to work with others. I wish I had stuck with my paraffin until I perfected it.

What's that SMELL?????

When I first started with 4627, I used to wait 36 - 48 hours but later read that long cure wasn't really necessary for paraffin wax. Its more relevant to soy wax candles. Personally, I sometimes burn after only 12 hours and haven't found any noticeable difference. Of course it depends a lot on the container. If I'm testing in 8oz metal tins, or 9 - 11.5 oz tumblers, I find that the candles set up relatively quickly. However, if we're talking about jelly or mason jars, I usually need to wait 24 hrs to ensure the candle is completely set up.

I'm a relative newbie but I've done side-by-side burn tests, same wax, same FO, different percentages. I know it varies by wick, wax, and FO but in my experience 8% did give a better hot and cold throw. I will say that I agree that 10% is overkill. I started off using 10% and after reading everyone's posts, scaled back to 6, and then settled on 8. I use 4627 and 4627 blends. 

I'm a total newbie and have absolutely no experience with double-wicking or containers larger than 3" wide and deeper than 2" but could the problem with your wicks dying out possibly be due to lack of oxygen as the flame(s) get deeper in the container??? It may seem counter-intuitive, but maybe wicking down might be worth a try.