jennie12

I use C-3, so keep in mind that this might not apply depending on the manufacturer's directions for 415, but the main factor I pinpointed when I was struggling with weak hot throw was not adding the FO at a high enough temp. Adding it consistently at 180* made a big difference for me. HTH.

With the wax that I use (c3) and two different container sizes, the wicks that Candle Science's guide recommended were two sizes bigger than what eventually ended up working. Although, I use the term "working" loosely, since wick testing has been an absolutely never ending process for me... P.S. I had to chuckle when I noticed that there are several other similar threads listed at the bottom that all have the word "frustrated" and numerous exclamation points. Just goes to show that we've all been there, I guess!

Thank you for the reply. I have identified a few other factors so I think you're right that is not weather/heat-related.

I am using C3 and htp 105's were performing great for me in my standard container, with most FO's, until the past two months. I am now seeing things like mushrooming, bigger melt pool/faster burn rate and some soot on the rims. I live in PA where we experience all four seasons, so my house is kept at about 68-70 in winter and 72-74 in summer with central AC, although it always feels warmer than that with the humidity. Here are my questions: 1. Do you notice this significant change in performance from cold weather to hot? 2. If so, how do you make a determination about the best wick size? (i.e., settle for a candle that appears to be slightly under wicked in winter so it doesn't go too crazy in summer?) Thanks in advance for any input.

I had trouble with sink holes when pouring at warmer temps with c3 as well. I now pour at 130 and cool in a covered box and rarely run into this problem anymore.

Same here. A while ago I read on BCS' website: 1 pound of Soy wax by weight will equal approx. 18 oz of liquid when melted. http://www.bittercreeksouth.com/waxes.htm I have found this to be accurate. I add 1 oz. FO to this amount of wax for most fragrances.

Tam - I am a novice, but I'm really thinking that relief holes are the way to go. Other things I have read are things like pouring at a cooler temp, pouring slowly, cooling on a rack and/or covering the tops while they're cooling, and thumping containers on the table during cooling. In order to get good glass adhesion with c-3 I have to pour hot. I've had mixed results with cooling in a covered box. For now, at least for me, relief holes seem to be the most viable solution. It would be more of a pain if it truly required a second pour, but from what others are saying and my own limited experience, the heat gun works fine to melt wax on top to fill them in.

this is usually what I see as the effects of the air pocket. Sometimes the wick will even get drowned out completely.

Thanks Chris and Sharon for the replies. This is also my understanding. I'm experimenting with doing relief holes in an attempt to prevent the air pockets.

At what point do you poke them? How many do you make and how big do you make them? How do you fill them in? Does it always require a 2nd pour or can the top just be heated after the candle cools and then the melted wax will fill them in? TIA!

Update: I was doing a test burn of the tumbler with the LX 24 this morning, and after 45 minutes half of the jar was black around the top. I didn't notice smoke wisps from this one like I did with the Eco, but apparently this issue isn't specific to that wick. I've used this FO & wax combo before...why the heck am I getting all this soot all of a sudden? Stella, what does this mean and is there anything I can do about it? Thanks again.

Thank you both for the replies. I do have some CDN's - 10, 12 & 14 I think, so I'll give the CDN 14 a try.

I'm using C-3 with no additives and 6% FO in a Madison Jar from Fillmore which has a 3" diameter. Eco 8 wicks perform really well in these with the exception of some occasional smoke wisps. I'm wondering how concerned I should be with this. The flame size is good, I am getting barely any mushrooming, and reaching FMP around the 2nd or 3rd burn, all of which seems great to me. I've also tried an LX 24 which has pretty decent performance, and does NOT produce smoke in this same wax/jar/FO combination, however, it does mushroom a lot. Maybe I need to reduce the FO load? Would appreciate any feedback about this. Thanks.

These are the FO's I've tested and can vouch for: Honeysuckle Caribbean Dreams Mayan Gold Oriental Musk English Lavender Cedar and Saffron Ginger Lime I have several others which I love in the bottle, but haven't had time to test yet. I can tell you that they test FO's very thoroughly before adding them to their line. I'm still testing with both C-3 and 464, but trying my best to problem solve with C-3 so I can stick with it for the obvious reason of having a supplier just down the road. I did mention some of the issues I was having with it to Kim once when I went in to pick up an order and she was able to give me some helpful suggestions on how to work with it. Good luck and have a safe trip to Lancaster. -Jennie

The best shipping rates I've seen are CandleScience's. According to the site, they offer "Over 30% off the standard Hundredweight rate". It's also much easier to calculate shipping costs by just throwing things in your cart and entering your zip code. A lot of other sites make you go through most of the checkout process before you can see what the shipping cost is. HTH So true. Imagine my delight when I first started out and discovered that Fillmore is only 5 miles from my house!