mrchips

Tiny little flames and tunnelling. I guess I'll just have to keep going up.

You may find that wicking up won't help either. You may need a different type of wick. Maybe the FO is just too thick and gloopy for that wick?

I don't think there's anything wrong with having to trim the wick ever now and then, particularly if it's just a tiny snip. If it's 1/2 inch that you're cropping off then there's a problem!

I find that they tend to need a little more trimming as they get towards the bottom 25% of the container.

Boyd.

I like the CB Advance. It shrinks ever so slightly when it cools and pulls away from the container, so I get no wet spots. I'm using 3 inch diameter tumbler glasses.

I don't seem to have a problem with scent throw, but I've not really compared it to CB135. I have had a couple of comments that some scents are too strong ! Can't win them all !!

I agree with you on the curling with the 700's. They look perfectly uniform. No telling which way they're gonna go...

Boyd

50/50 here. I buy 6 inch wick assemblies, but my container is 3 inches high, so I snip them in half and re-crimp the end.

It's a little effort, and I only save a penny per wick, but I just can't stand to throw them away.

Boyd

I'm certainly not a soy veteran, but will gladly share my thoughts and experiences after 6 months of testing with soy (I've almost stopped using paraffin, I much prefer soy now).

You'll see most people quoting that you should get an inch diameter of melt pool per hour. So a 3 inch container melts to the edge in 3 hours. In reality I find that mine get to 1.5-2 inches in an hour, then slow down as the pool gets bigger. I have a 3 inch container and get a .25 inch deep pool after 4 hours, once it's had a couple of burns (see below).

I tend to get hang ups on the first 2 (sometimes 3) burns, then it catches up. By the time I'm at the bottom of the container there are no hang ups. You get more heat buildup when the flame is near the bottom, so any hangups from earlier soon slide downwards.

I can handle my containers while they burn. I'm not recommending that you do this !! I'm just saying that they're not too hot to hold. Again, when the wick is right down at the last bit the container is hotter, but I can still hold it.

Your burn rate depends on the size of the wick. Bigger wick = faster burn. If you feel that it's burning too fast, you may need to look at a different wick. I found ECO wicks to be a bit 'hungry'. I can get an equivalent melt pool with a smaller capacity LX, CD or HTP. This means that my candles last a bit longer and throw better.

Hope this helps

Boyd

I'm testing some now with CB Advance in a 3 inch container. I'm getting good results with various FOs using wicks around the 765 size. They seem to be a very consistent and predictable wick.

My only gripe is that when you come to trim them, or snip a mushroom off (yes, I get small shrooms, but I don't mind), the burnt wick seems very hard and brittle. Occasionally it has snapped off quite low down as soon as I've touched it. This may be more to do with my wax or FO, I don't know. It's not a great problem, they catch up again after a couple of burns.

This is one wick that I'm looking at very seriously. The pricing is good too, plus you can get them clipped to any length.

Boyd

Once you've made them, it's important to store them properly too. I keep mine boxed up in a cool, dark room. They never see sunlight or much variation in temperature.

Like Crafty, I've had paraffin based candles (usually containers) that have wept FO over time. The very worst FO wept onto the sides and bottom of the jar leaving brown patches.

Boyd.

I would get a hole drilled. You should be able to do it without denting. I would then recommend using wick pins. I use long knitting needles on my taller molds

Don't use anything made of wood as s pin. The wax gets into the woodgrain and you'll never be able to pull it out.

Boyd.

Hi, and welcome.

I'd say that you can use pretty much any type of wick. It depends more on what type of wax you are using, fragrance load, colour etc. Everyone will probably tell you to test, test, and ummm, test. Find a type of wick that works for you.

Personally, I started out with unprimed zinc core, then tried a plain flat braid, then moved onto primed LX, CD, HTP etc. I now prefer to use a wick pin and insert the wick afterward. I just found it quicker with less fussing around, and definitely less leaks!

Boyd.

I've just about given up on ECOs. Had some really strange results in Eco CBA in a 3 inch container. Using ECO12, the first burn is great, nice melt pool after 4 hours. Second burn they just fade out to a sad little flame .

They haven't bent over into the melt pool, they look as if they are coming unthreaded. The strands in the tip come apart and the wick looks like it has holes in the top 1/4 inch.

I've tested LX, CD, HTP and RRD now, and all behave themselves just fine. Most odd.

Boyd

Looks like very bad luck . My order have always had a slip of paper in there telling me who picked and packed the order, and who checked it.

Got to say that I've found BCN to be great. They ship to me here in the UK and I've never had a problem. Always someone there willing to help. Give them a call, I'm sure they'll sort it out.

Boyd.