Hardwood Wickster

just trying to help.... you have to admit.. the wooden wick adds that extra special touch to it.... just get your ducks in a row, document where you are at and eliminate the variances. Wood wicks can be a pain but will be worth it and unique in the end once you have all the bugs worked out... i've been there where you are now...

snowman - it could be several reasons and would be hard to identify from here... but things to look into to maintain consistancy.... i would first try and rule out some things... idk how many wicks you have to play with but try burning some standing on end by themselves to see how consistant they are... if they aren't you'll never get them to burn right when added to wax... things I've found out are moisture content plays a big part. I never purchased any manufactured ones, so if they are coated, thats probably a good thing. Unless coated with something other than wax. anything else i would just be speculating as to what results you would find or experience... I always coat mine in the wax im using before i store them (in your case before you purchase them) i do this because i can keep them in their current state. I found that to be huge factor in consistancy. If you get them to burn consist then move on to the next test... and for god's sake dont burn down the house If after pouring wax do you let them cure? minimum of one week to get consistant results.. this may be where the problem arises too Are you keeping the same formula, fragrance and fo load, wax type, pouring conditions, etc, etc? if not, to know for sure you have to keep them the same until proven right I suggest no color, no fragrance to start... just the wick and the wax... make up three or four and let them cure a week then try... then add the wax with fo to three or four... wait a week and try then add color if desired.. then try i know it seems like a long way but you'll see its worth it in the end.. and you'll know where your problem arises now and in the future... and you may have already been down this road, idk... you may find it in step one with the wicks themselves or not curing long enough, only you can answer that. I'm just giving suggestions and ideas to think about. My guess its in the wicks, not to knock them but from reading other posts it ws the main reason i started making my own... Sounds like Jonsie has some experience with purchased wooden wicks.. take her idea up about buying them from BCN and try... you can run tests side by side if you like.. it would save some time... Jonsie - thanks for the compliment.. God knows i've had a lot of hard work into them to finally get it right. I know the wife and I love them, we burn 4 or 5 every night it seems... and the couple hundred others who have now purchased from us these past couple three months like them as well... its nice to see hard work pay off and exciting to see people get excited over them as i'm sure you all have with your products... Best of luck to you and in the move coming up take care

Good luck and continue to let me know if you need or would like more assistance

Snowman - looks like a good start to me.... the height of your flame will be dependant on how much wood is sticking out beyond the wax, trim it tighter and you should have a smaller flame. Also i bet you the melt pool will be real close to the size your after if you left it burn awhile. This looks like its been burning for maybe 5 minutes before the picture was taken. Just by gauging thr picture you might be surprised and have the right size width of that wick already. I wouldn't do two wicks if it were me.. I do like the look that you have going on. As far as how you inserted the wood into the wax using your homemade tool. That will work for starters but can only imagine what will happen once it gets closer to the end. I will always advise on attaching the wood to a base and the base attached to the bottom of your rose base. I assume you are making these wax roses. Please consider attaching the wood before making the rose, if thats possible. My fear is once you have a melt pool and the burn is closer to the bottom, the wooden wick will fall over and thus having a potential fire hazard or premature drowning out, etc

For a 3.5" dia melt pool, using bee's wax I would start with a width of 1/2", thickness of around .040" but may need to go a little bigger in both dimensions when its all said and done and thats with a hardwood species of wood. There a couple of different sources I know of that sells woodwicks but its been so long since i looked i hate saying where to go to look. I know one had dual pcs of wood stuck together... one hardwood, one softwood. It was thick and can only imagine how that looked and would burn. Not to discourage you at all because i know i love how mine are and it does create quite a unique burning experience. I know wood wicked candles get a bad rap from others because of how some of the manufactured ones are inconsisant, dont burn and are hotter, etc, etc than the standard cotton versions. Plus human nature hates change and you get a lot of that as well, just read these boards close enough and will see that. As far as getting them from me, I've thought long about just marketing the wicks themselves, make them in various sizes, thicknesses, etc so that anyone could have the vast variety to choose from (like with the cotton versions) and selling those straight up and might sometime. Mine are very consistant and vary only in the minor differences in crackling sounds from one to another (and thats based mostly on gum or sap pockets and water content of each pc of wood) because of the process i developed to keep them that way..... Anyway.. i am set up only to manufacture the three different sizes I have the need for and none of them are wide enough to melt enough wax to get the melt pool you are desiring. Wish you luck and let me know if i can assist you further Dave

snowman - I can get you in the general direction, size etc but as always testing to get the look, etc will need to be done. I make my own and not sure there is a size out in the market place available. But if you give me the overall size of your flower, how much of it you want to melt (meaning do you want a pool ultimately encapsulated within the last set of petals, if so what is that diameter) I can give you a real close dimension to the size of wick you'd be looking for. BTW - I like the concept.. it will give your flower a great look. Something to think about... how are you planning on attaching the wick to the bottom? I would definitely do more or plan more than just sticking it thru the middle. You'll need something to support it and keep it upright as there doesn't appear to be enough unmelted wax to do it good luck

I read the same article when i was researching and took it as laminated wood, based on some of the claims mentioned. But didn't spend the money or resources for a lawyer to decipher. If you find something out thats decisive let us know.. thx

The reaction was the same it was just about 20 seconds longer before the reaction or heat kicked in... it kept getting larger then took off by igniting the wax.. flames were about 3" tall and spreading across the top of the wax.... it was at that point i blew it out before it got out of control. The "event" candle is the only one where it all went up (as seen in the pic), as it was in the customer hands and already out of control once he realized what was going on... all my inventory, etc from this same batch was heading that way when i lit them as it would had continued to get hotter and hotter as it burnt more wax had i kept them lit too, no doubt.

For those interested I wanted to give an update... Over the weekend I received the last two recalls from this batch back. And thankfully either had been burned, which upon calling right away i knew they wouldn't be. To put the wick issue to bed in my mind, I first removed the wooden wick and poked an HTP-104 in one and an HTP-83 I believe in the other and lit them... in both cases they started to flame out of control as expected, but it did take a little longer than what my wood wicked candle tests did. I focused my research mostly into the wax / FO formula. To date I wasn't able to find the specific gravity of the 4627 Wax (i have emails into my distributor at the moment as well) but was able to find one for the lemon FO, while there in that research mode, I checked all the rest of of my FO's and compared.. the lemon was by far lower than the rest at .83 to .87 that they gave on the data sheet, while all the rest of my FO mixes mathematically averaged at approx. .96 to 1.13. I also noticed their flash points were alot higher on the other fragrances at 185 to 210 deg compared to the lemon at 127, however I have a orange based one Im testing for the summer, its flash point is 118 but SG was 205. Like I said previously, I wanted to make a couple of test ones up to try and duplicate this, which i did but will wait to let them cure the same amount of time the other batch did before testing. Results tbd. Thoughts so far, are similiar to what i was logically guessing prior to the weekend, that a calculation in mixing the FO to the wax occurred and I overloaded FO into the mixture. Based on what I know so far the FO was lighter than the rest of my FO's inhouse (and assuming the wax will come back around the .90 mark), it separated somewhat and floated to the surface at probably some minute degree. Whether the wax is heavier or not is irrelevent as whether the FO sinks or surfaces its still an unsafe candle when overloaded with FO as it still has the potential to flare up either at the start of a burn or when candle is about empty i would think unless the melt pool at the end of the candle keeps it diluted to a safe condition. i also want to melt a batch of wax to temp and with the last one oz of FO I have, drop it in a clear container to see for myself if it sinks or floats without mixing them together to try as suggested by one of the posters I also have an email into the distributor to see if we can determine if the batch of FO I received was tainted or something, to put to FO to bed on whether it was safe. I realize they probably draw from drums, etc but need to know any information they might have regarding this issue. Results tbd. I will more than likely discontiue making the lemon to sell, but until i know the results and the why's to it all I have to know the root cause and if its low SP Grav of FO or AND/Or the flash temps as well then i will know what exactly i need to stay away from in my system of making candles. If by chance, highly unlikely thou, the batch of FO was tainted then thats a different ballgame... Its all speculation at this point but wanted to give everyone who's curious an update

i agree -001.. i actually do understand what you all are saying, i'm just 99.99999% sure its not the wicks.. but i will take that last whatever out of the equation.... I have thought all those same thoughts, again saying i will question everything about my process and have and eliminate the issue altogether. My next step is trying to understand even more so and duplicate what has happened if I can and if it comes to terms that lower FO flashpoints are too dangerous or borderline than so be it, they won't be anything i work with no matter what they smell like or how 'most' burn.. it is not worth it to me either. If i was a betting man i'd say its an FO overload probelm and this particular FO had a specific gravity lighter than the wax itself and levitated to the surface causing the serious concentration at the most extreme top layer as once that burned off all the candles were fine burning the rest of the time i will try to post the vids and pictures over the weekend and give links for those who are interested. I personally think there's not even close to enough information for the average joe to safely make candles either for personal use or to sell to the public out there

joym - Thats my thoughts as well about the oil seepage. Thanks for actually reading my posts and coming to some logical conculsions. I also understand your tribulations and experiences with the wooden wicks... its another reason why i developed my own, so i knew what i was dealing with and why. I heard the same things before i got into this, Ive burned other candle makers wooden wicked products and seen the same thing, mine weren't going to be down that same road, I would find a way to make them or i wouldn't be doing it... and I have, contrary to what some of you think, based on your limited knowledge of MY product and tunnel sided visions... Frankly I am very pleased with how they burn, how the react, how unique each one is... and by that I mean some crackle and pop more than others, some have different shaped flames on them, etc. Like a tiny little camp fires giving off great room enhancing aroma's. Everyone thats seen these love them simply put, including the family / guy that had this 'event' candle happen to him. He told me yesterday upon returning the candle to give him another in one of my other fragrances as he thinks these are the best candles he's ever been around. He understands the trials new businesses face. And to be honest, I hear the best candle comment all the time cause they are in my opinion and at prices that aren't out to rape the consumer... and to me thats what this is all about. Having a great product, people love, not that you all don't hear the same thing for your products, as i'm sure you do. Its unfortunate this happened to say the least. A huge learning experience on my behalf and its not over. I will get to the bottom of this and think i'm real close and will continue to put safety at the top of the list. The documentation going forward, the double checking formula calculations, the tedious checking and re-checking to make sure everything is as it should be, like one poster said.. like your family's life depended on it. At the end of the day, I know what I have here... people can say what they want, its a free country. I can take critism with the best of them, have no problems admiting any wrongdoings on my behalf. Its the ignorance that gets annoying or the opinionated ones who haven't a clue cause they are sold on one idea and to them its the only way.. If we all thought that way there would be no technical advances or new technologies.. its human nature to stay within your comfort zones... I have always thought outside the box, invented several things, its just how my mind works. I analyze and re-analyze till its right, no different here....I find it challenging and rewarding once it all comes together and it don't come together without some failures. The problem here was I 'thought' i had all the bugs worked out, that i was wrong.... more than likely a calculation error and no documentation to back this up. I will recreate this mishap, test with my wicks as well as some cotton ones, etc and prove to myself the probelm and resolve it accordingly... and any of you didn't like what I'm doing or the candles I made, to each is own I would say.. its perfectly fine with me if none of you liked them or if I never sold another. My wife and I as well as others love them and enjoy burning them each and every evening

i give... and technically you are correct, once i get a couple of the recalls back in hand i will do just that for you all.... then thou, once we all see the same results i'm sure we'll be finding another way the wooden wick is the issue.. it amazes me how people are so set in their ways and how an unknown or the something different scares the heck outta. But to me, these wicks ive seen burn many times over, tested beyond anything i bet any of you do with your wicks. Worked the in's and outs with them, studied them, compared one vs 10 others, how each react, over and over and yet over again. Burned them side by side, out of the wax, testing temps, flame height, structure of the wood, densities, one kind of wood vs another, this thickness vs another, different porosities, drying percentages and how that affects burn rates, variances between them and all the what happens if i do this or that and compared... all before even putting a one in the wax... why? to keep them consistant as possible, before adding another variance.. to make a process where I know what i had and what made them click and because it was something new, different and out of the norm have a great day... and i do appreciate all the comments

you guys are too much... give it up on the wick... its not the issue.... its REALLY NOT the issue The odds that it was a particular spot on each candle wick, all at the same spot on the wick height for no more amount of time it burned that way before i blew it out did nothing but let it cool and re-light it. Plus how the process was to make the wicks themselves... i'd be better off playing the lottery and standing out in a thunderstorm in Illinois while living in Indiana and still getting hit by lightening... but yes i could yank the wick out and put in a nasty un-trustworthy cotton one, or a pc of yarn or rolled up newspaper or a leftover toilet paper holder roll if i thought any of that would make or eliminate any kind of conclusion but that was funny.. you guys are too much

Good morning all I love all the comments since the last i got in here and they are all appreciated!! I did a lot of testing with my inventory last night to try and resolve this, plus I have now in hand the "event" candle and boy was it a mess... the jar was so hot when he put the lid on it that it melted the seal to the jar.. I suppose thats better than the house going up in flames.. anyways here's what i have narrowed it down to... For all the naysayers over wooden wicked products all i can say is the ones I designed and made are not the culprits... Let me say that again they are not the Culprits. So lets put the hardwood wick conversations to bed, remove that variable from this equation and get to figuring out the root cause. I made video's last night as well as pictures but never had the chance to get them into youtube or download them for all to see... they show exactly in my opinion whats happening Here's the route of tests I did last night. First off here's what I had to work with. The 'event' candle now half burned (in a 21oz status jar, FO Lemon), The candle I burned two nights ago when i was made aware of this problem (in a 12 oz status jar, same dia FO Lemon) and (2) more FO Lemon ones in a 12 oz status jar.. all from the same batch, same wax make up, same FO, same suppliers, etc and btw the wick thickness and width, material for all of these is the same, made at the same time, same process, etc with only the length for the 21 oz jar being longer. First i took one of the two i had in inventory, cut the wick to the right normal size before burning and lit it... the candle started as normal, then 15 to 20 seconds into it, instead of tuning in it increased in flame ht, sputtering, dancing around and continueing to increase til it started the wax on fire all abut the same time span as the one i tested the night before. I blew it out, let it cool and re-lit no trimming done and it was fine the rest of the night, burned for two plus hours. While that was burning, i went to the one from the night before and lit it, it burned normal all night long as well, no issues. Now onto the event candle, after scraping off the melted plastic and charred jar, cleaning it up as good as i could I trimmed its wick and lit it. Mind you this was already half burnt down and god knows what all it went thru to this point. Anyway I lit it and it started to flare up and catch the wax on fire in less than 30 seconds. I let it burn that way for about 15 sec (which seems short, but not when i was sitting there as i didn't want it to escalate and get out of control on me) then blew it out, let it cool and re-lit that as well and it burned fine the rest of the night.. approx 2 hrs maybe 2 1/2 hrs. And lastly I took the final 12 oz jar and lit it and it acted like the rest at first and started to escalate out of control. I blew it out, let it cool and re-lit with no issues after that, burn time only 20 min as i seen no reason to continue burning the fouth at that point last night. One observation I had last night before burning the previously unlit candles was, they appeared to have almost a sweaty type apprearance on the surface of the wax. I poked it with a toothpick wondering if FO pool would be just under the skin but nothing. Narrowing down the conculsion... Like i said the wick is out of the picture, if the wick was the issue I would have witnessed the same reactions in some or all cases after the re-lights To me it has to be down to the wax / FO make-up and /or the process in which I made this batch of candles from. Just so you know, I have tested and used this particular FO for months, first bought back in march of last year, same supplier, etc. This batch thou was the first and only out of the 1 lb container of FO i bought and still have approx 1 oz left on inventory. I agree with the previous comment that I don't think its the wax by itself, just because Ive made several candles from it, other FO's etc with no issues Down to thinking I screwed up the formula mix ratio's and there was an overload of FO in the wax and some of the excess FO surfaced somehow to just under the skin or There was something in the FO concentrate itself that is causing this... One of the issues I've always had with candle making and the in's and out's of it is finding educated people talking or teaching the details to the process. I've learned a lot from this site listening to all of you go thru your tribulations and this site is by far better than anything else i have found. However a person has to learn to weed out the opinions from the science and the naysayers. Meaning yeah i know to test and i have read that some waxes hold this much FO and others that much, etc but you don't find details like what happens if i put an overload of FO in for example... i have read it makes the candle smoke, i have read it flutters, pool of FO at bottom of jar and it doesn't burn right.. but technically speaking for example what does the FO do.... mathemathical speaking if your FO has a flash point of 127 deg and your wax's flash point is 375 deg and you are putting 1 oz Fo tinto 1 lb batches you can expect the flash point of the wax to be approx 359 deg at 2oz per 1 lb batch you can expect to see the flash point drop to 344 deg.. both still at safe points. I read the melt pool temp last night just under and less than 1/4" away from the wick and found the melt pool temp to be at approx 165 deg, which to me means to get the wax/fo mixture to flash i would have had the mixture to be extremely concentrated with FO at the point where the wick is.. in other words thru calculations at 75% FO to 25% wax or 12 oz Fo 4 oz wax it still is at 189 deg average flash point. at 14 oz Fo to 2 oz wax the flash mixture would be 158. My point is the mixture had to be runny beyond belief, I would have to imagine that, to have this much FO throughout the candle. Which wasn't the case. So i'm thinking that still an overload occured or maybe the mxing of the two didn't occur properly and just a separation of the two to the point where there was an extreme amount of FO at just under the surface to cause this Maybe I'm all wet and none of that made any sense or maybe FO/wax doesn't do this or maybe my math wasn't right but anyway thats my thoughts so far this morning

thanks... been a heck of a way to get started in here... gotta love all the welcoming threads... was beginning to think this was an all republican site.. lol jk.. (don't need to start another round of hate mail) have a great day

001 - you are so correct in a lot of what you said. Personally thou I do think they can be done safely, but thats my opinion. Wood does have all those characteristics and trust me i've taken it into account. None of you know me or know how anal I am about what I do. I spent months getting the wick as consistant as possible. I omit the knots, dry to certian moisture contents, size them down to within millimeters, etc, etc Why? because I wanted to create a great product, consistant in how they burned, one that had natural burn characteristics, smelled awesome and people would enjoy burning them as we have. Basically most of you who have tried the wooden wick have brought the wick from one of the suppliers or burned other manufacturers and discarded them for what they were and the opinions are a result. I can understand. Again I truly do not think the wick is the issue here, I seen it burn and can compare it to all the others. This flare up was a result from within the wax I appreciate your comments and will definitely keep you abreast cause its becoming obvious none of you know either if FO or the possibility of overload would cause such a thing... I will batch that up tonight and burn a test in a week or so thanks Dave

stella - wheww.... good thing i don't take any of this serious. Mark this up to being 10,001, good job! Ok i get it.. YOU have an issue using wood wicked candles, I'm sure all of us are grateful for your opinion into that. But the fact is, they are produced and there are current manufacturers out there that are successful making similiar products. Just because we / I choose to go this route over your cotton braided wicks doesn't make them any better. It makes us different. Sounds like you're having issues of your own wicking them correctly, maybe I could rant on your threads how many times i've burned them and they either burn like c**p or not burned cleanly to the edges, they mushroom, full of lead, burn too hot, not hot enough, etc, etc and because of this or that they shouldn't be trusted or used. The fact is there is no perfect candle in my honest opinion. There is a science to all of this and this forum is a testiment to that, not a hodgepodge and those who take this seriously for the safety of others know it, as we both do. So I would appreciate it if you wouldn't undermine me and accuse me of not taking any of this serious, its why i started writng in here in the first place. As far our wick.. I am truly certian its not the issue to this problem. I seen what this reaction is doing, I was there, whether I can PROVE the wax / FO ratio's or not is irrelevent. There is something within the wax that increased the flame, then the heat to exceed the wax/FO flash points and do what it did, both for the customer and the one I tested last night. I also may not be able to pinpoint exactly but knowing what the cause and affects to certian issues narrows down the root cause. I also have wondered if there was/is something in this batch of FO I received. I have done recalled all my product in this FO from my customers, which wasn't a lot thank god until i resolve and know. Now as far as the documentation, you bring up very valid points, something I truly never thought of. Not because i wasn't taken any of this serious but just didn't even cross my mind about lot numbers, coding, batch data, etc... it will be from now on and thanks for bringing that to my attention. I would love to take a poll to see how many of us out there code each product they sell, I would tend to bet i'm not of the minority, right or wrong.

understand and i agree.. its not like this was a test batch, i made these particular ones to sell... i did write down the ratios before i made them on a scratch pad but not nothing i kept.... which i know is part of the problem here perhaps. I still would like to know if by chance if i had figured it wrongly would it even matter as far as the fragrance load being heavy causing this flare up... on a side note unless each batch is somehow date stamped or batch stamped once on the shelf or in shops or in peoples homes, etc how would anyone know what specific batch each and every candle is made from. again a learning experience for sure. again i'm pretty confident i did have my ratio's correct but have to question my entire process to know the technical aspects as to why this batch of candles reacted the way it did thanks for your input Dave

You're missing the whole point of my reply, but thats ok i respect your opinion and no offense taken... I have no intentions of just giving up because someone said it can't be done, thats its "obvious"... There was a reason this particular batch of candles reacted this way and i intend to, if nothing else, figure out the technical aspect as to why it occurred when all the other batches and hundreds of tests, etc, etc have been proven fine. If it was the wick, then obviously i would have to re-analyze that process and maybe it was. But it would had happened to probably most of the 4 dozen or so of wicks made from their wick making batch and I have yet to see any others react from any other fragrances or the probably 6 or 7 i've personally burned from that batch of wicks, so i can see where its "obvious" from your stand point to come to your conculsion as you didn't know this portion of the story. But i first want to rule out and know about the FO loads, etc, etc and hear professional and other experienced candle makers comments about those aspects if thats alright...

First off I'd like to personally thank all of you for your input!!! Your comments and especially your concerns will not go unnoticed. I want to say I have zero intentions of producing any product that would cause harm to anyone or their lively hoods. When i found out about this my stomach dropped like i lost my first born. Make no mistake about it, I have and will continue to have all my concerns towards safety. Stella as well as others make good points and this "event" for lack of a better word, brought a whole new light on to candle making for me and my wife. To date we have literally tested and burned hundreds of our candles throughout the home, none producing what was noticed in the picture. Looking back at hind sight, here's what happened thou. As a person burns one of these hardwood wicked candles you learn fairly quickly that they do burn differently. They are unique in thier own way. Some crackle, some pop more than others. Some i've noticed put up a very small amber above the candle when lit and some do nothing but burn nicely. I have had some that the wood has burned off quicker and creates a smaller flame like it wants to drown out in the melt pool. My point to all of this is I've burned hundreds, I've become educated, and by burning hundreds you learn how to burn them, how they react, to accept how unique each one of them is and when its a low flame you tweek. Or if the flame become to high from burning too long, you blow out and trim. No different than cotton braided wicks as you all know. To achieve optimal burn you have a correct flame height. However the customer only burns one every now and then, therefore its imperitive that we as candle makers make sure they are as safe as possible. This hit home with me. Last night i took one of my candles from inventory, same batch, same fragrance as the "event" one and lit it and here's what i learned from it. To date I have intentionally left the wicks trimmed just a little bit high, knowing from past experience the wood will start to burn a little big and then tone into a good burn in about 15 to 20 seconds as I hate to dig out wax or not have the candle burn at a good height to burn out to the edge of the jar. However last night i noticed that the flame kept increasing and increasing. If this would had happened any other time, and it hadn't, I would had blew it out immediately and trimmed the wick accordingly. This time thou and left it go. About another 20 seconds or so into the burn the flame was now at least 2 1/2" to 3" tall. Like a flipping torch. I had never seen any of my candles do this. At that point i carefully watched as the wax around the wick was burning and increasing almost like if someone had dropped a little alcohol on the wax and spread across the top of the wax. Of course then i blew it out before it got out of control as it surely would had. Why my customer didn't blow it out by now is beyond me, but i never want to make a candle thats gets to this point in the first place. So i'm here to continue to analze with everyone so I know exactly the whats and why's to all of this, from a technical standpoint. As I have learned each fragrance burns a little different. The Lemon one has always burned a little more aggresively. Easy to light, always a nice flame and more so than not i've noticed these want to crackle more so than others. I want to analyze whats going on here. I realize the extremely high flame caused the wax to exceed its flash point, therefore causing what happened in the "event". Now my question is why. I question everything i've done in the process to make this batch of candles. Why didn't the flame tune in like everything i've always done in the past? Did i calculate my fragrance load correctly? What would happen if I didn't, say I had 12% or 15% load, would that cause this? I know the wax is rated to hold 12% or 2 ozs per lb. but did i push it to its extremes by mistake? I didn't persay take notes on each batch i make, cause 1st off i thought i had it down, maybe i should from now on. I consider myself fairly good with numbers, I estimate costs all day long but I'm human like everyone else, did I mess this batch up and cause all of this? Would an over load of FO in wax, puddle up to the top, maybe just below a skin of wax and cause this? If not puddle up maybe just its extreme content reduced its flash point to the point where a flame up would happen easily? Does FO rest to the top? And maybe its not the FO at all? And just so you know, once I blew out the candle, let it cool, trimmed accordingly and re-lit it burned fine the rest of the evening.. Without getting into great detail. the process I go about making the wick is very precise. I know from trial and error this past year to keep it as consistant as possible the process i go about making them. They have the same thickness, drying them to have the same water content, etc, etc and conceiled in wax by dipping each one of them afterwards so they remain at their constant state. And this process has proven to me their constancy is as good as it gets. I will say thou they are unpredictable to some point, not to the extremes some of you have mentioned but to the point from each one to be unique in its own way. Some of you may still believe the wick to be the problem and if so its only because of how i trimmed it a little high to begin with. Something happened for it to react and continue to grow in height instead of tuning in like the rest and i will continue to try to find the answer as to why. I look forward to your analysis and and comments Sorry for the long read

yes.. i asked the question to him whether he seen the transition from just the wick burning to the wick and wax burning... and his response was no but it was definitely more than just the wick burning... I will get the jar back on Thursday and will light it up myself to see if i can duplicate whats going on

Sorry i should have stated out all the details in my initial post.... here's the letdown 4627 Wax 21 oz Status Jar, 3" dia. Wick, homemade hardwood... which has been extensively tested and know this isn't the issue FO load 8% typically, some slightly more some slightly less but always within 1/10 or 2/10 a ounce on 4 lb batches Pour temp 180, stirring well over 1 1/2 min and try most generally to stir 2 min b4 pouring The candle was burnt in normal conditions, from the look of the pic it was on the dining room table... i know the guy personally i sold it too, a good friend.. he poured the melted pool of wax out to try again assuming something was in it just there (trying to help analyze for me as to why this was doing it I'm sure)... i do test to the end and over the hundreds ive tested ive never had this happen.. in this case the candle was a fresh one just sold it to him yesterday, he went home and attempted to burn it for his wife, etc... and yes they have burned my candles before three others actually.. and loved them all.. again this is the only time out of the hundereds weve tested and over the hundred we've sold within the last month that this has happened with Hopefully this will give you with enough info to get to why this occurred and by fresh one i mean one thats new... i always cure my candles over a week before they are sold... again something ive learned from the posts on here and thru testing that actually does make a difference in most candles thanks for all your guys' help much appreciated!!

My thoughts as well that either the FO wasnt mixed good and it hit a pocket of concentrated FO... although my customer said he poured out the melted wax three times and this pic was from the last time, all other burns were the same way... in any case this is scary stuff... wouldn't had dreamed this would happen... makes me really wonder about the rest of my inventory. the FO is Lemon and the flash point is at 127.. which is somewhat lower than most but again i didn't think it was a problem... Id really like to know the root cause before i go selling anymore... or better yet seriously preventing this from happening again thanks Dave

I am a newbie here this morning, although a long time reader and have learned so much from all the reads on this forum. My wife and I have been testing and making candles for ourselves for over a year now, thought we had the process down and because of demand we have start selling them for just about a month now... Anyway I had one customer come to me this morning and show me a picture of one of my candles burning out of control. Has anyone had this before and technically speaking from the more experienced chandliers than me. what would be causing this? (first try at attaching a pic didn't work).. trying again