Gbhunter Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I have been at this #$%& candle thing for a year. I cannot make a candle that does not soot. I tried every wick under the sun,every size and I always end up with a nice black ring at the rim of the glass container. I give up. I'll just buy candles at the store and eBay my candle making gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deb426 Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Go buy a big Yankee Candle and burn it. By the end of the candle, you'll be thinking how good yours really were. Seriously, don't give up. Maybe change container shapes and sizes. Some containers are really hard to wick without sooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I agree and I do not even make candles!Could you pause, make some melts and get really comfortable with FO's and waxes, then resume and try jars and wicks again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tam1116 Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 What wax, wicks, and FO percents are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted December 24, 2012 Author Share Posted December 24, 2012 Paraffin140 MP and soy 125mp so 30/70 mix. I use no fo. Wicks I used, lx,http,CD,square braid,paper core, cotton core,flat braid,hemp etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldGlory Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Are you using apothecary jars? Like the 16 (or is it 18) oz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Use straight soy & CD wicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Over wicking is the quickest way to get soot with any wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B@BlissStreet Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Have you thought about maybe sending a few of your candles to the experienced members here to test? Find out who uses your blend, and ask someone with success to test. Just a suggestion. It would be worth it to me to get a good opinion from experienced chandlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorseScentS Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Why not buy the candle making kit from Peaks and try that for fun and a change of pace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanie353 Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Maybe you would consider giving Eco wicks a try. The only time I get soot with my parasoy (80/20) is if it is overwicked or FO load too high. Don't look for a full MP until the 3rd-4th burn. If you get it sooner your candle is burning too quick/too hot.Mine sure are not perfect or I'd be selling but they beat the expensive and cheap store bought ones.Maybe take a break and try again after the holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantItgreen Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Please don't take this with offense, I ask this question sincerely: Do you trim your wicks before each burn? Please say yes! That is the #1 reason for black jars, #2 is over wicking. You can have a properly wicked candle, but it the wick isn't trimmed, you will still end up with a black jar.What jar are you using and what wick size/type have you tried in that jar? I make parasoy candles too, use ECO wicks and have soot free jars (if the wicks get trimmed). Let us help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joym Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 A blend with a lower melt point paraffin might work better -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) OK OK so I was hasty, I just finished two candles one with eco 4 wick and one with a stabillo 12. the largest paper core left hang up and sooted a little bit. According to my research at wicks unlimited ,eco 4 has a consuption is .20 and has a wax pool of about 2.4-2.5". The large paper core I was utilizing had a consumption rate was about .26(I'm getting this from memory so the numbers maybe slightly off). The wax pool for the paper core was like 2.1. Soooo I'm keeping my fingers crossed. With no f/o how long should I cure these candles before burning them? I also want to try stabillo wicks on my 3" palm pillars. So far the best wick I have used is a flat braided 45 ply, it works great. Still get the occasional blow out, I might reduce the ply wick one side smaller for a thicker shell. Edited January 4, 2013 by Gbhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 With no FO you can burn them the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Well the eco 4 is a bust. I will step it up to eco 6. The stabillo 12(aka CD 12) seems to have a melt pool that goes edge to edge, the flame is nice and stable unlike the eco 4 which seems to fliker non stop. I have a mixture question. I use 140mp parafin at 30% and a soy with 125 mp at 70%. Why do people mix parafin or beeswax into soy? What are the advantages of a parafin/soy mix? More f/o? Also what does beeswax offer to soy.The 30/70 mix I have had great scent throw for my container candles. I do make palm pillars I use 45 ply wick for those, I will try the stabillo 12 with the next palm pillar just to see if its better. Now to my question, what effect would adding f/o have on the wick size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chefmom Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Why do people mix parafin or beeswax into soy? What are the advantages of a parafin/soy mix? More f/o? Also what does beeswax offer to soy.Okay, here is my personal opinion. I think the main reason to add paraffin to soy is stability. From my SMALL scale 100% soy tests, it is weird when you re-burn it, it frosts and pits. All this disappears when you add paraffin. Soy wax seems to have a shorter life as to how many times you can take it from a solid to a liquid back and forth and still keep it's quality. So paraffin helps to stabilize it, and in my opinion it probably helps with scent throw as well, but I'm not a big enough soy tester to really stand behind that.As for beeswax, well, soy and beeswax can help each other out. I don't know about adding beeswax to container candles but I have made some very lovely beeswax/soy pillar candles. I first made 100% beeswax candles and I didn't like how they burned, so I started mixing it with paraffin and it was okay, but then I started mixing it with soy and I got a nice stable burning pillar candle. They are both a thick wax when liquid, so they take a larger wick, probably like palm wax (I have never used palm up to this point), but I'm just guessing on what I have read about palm.I think a small amount of beeswax can help make paraffin a better candle. It firms up the finished pillar without making the candle brittle. I don't like the 100% soy pillar candles for that reason, they burn weird and are very brittle.Now to my question, what effect would adding f/o have on the wick size?Fragrance and color both can mess up a good system. Fragrance can be thinner in viscosity than wax, so adding it makes the finished candle less viscous and so the wax is wicked up by the wick easier, so a smaller wick will work. It can also go the other way, if the fragrance is thick and makes the candle wax MORE viscous, then it isn't wicked up as easily and the flame is bogged down by the heavy liquid wax, so a larger or a different type of wick is used.Back in the day, before all these wicks most candles were either tallow, beeswax/bayberry, stearic or paraffin. So there were two wicks, flat braid and square braid and the many sizes they offer. You could add stearic and beeswax to your paraffin to change your viscosity of the liquid wax, and there are also microcrystalline waxes out there as well. Unfortunately in this day, you have the manufacturers making the mixes for us, so they figure out the recipe and play with the additives so the average home candle maker doesn't have to.I like to play with the recipes, so that I know what is going on in case I need to fix it, but I also like the ease of melt, color, add and pour as well.This hobby can be maddening, but it holds a great satisfaction when you light up that candle, and watch it burn.....perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) As far as eco wicks go should i put a twist in the wick to have it rotate as it burns? The eco 4 burned on one side,it caused fliker and that resulted in soot, I hate soot! The stabillo 12 burns smoothly with no fliker but it leaves a bit of hang up in the jar. The jar is 3" diameter 3" high. Will square braid work in a 70/30 mix, what about adjusting the paraffin soy ratio? The soot is what drives me nuts. Even underwicked I still get soot, but the flame is constantly flikering so that is most likely the case. Ugh this is frustrating. I can't even buy a candle that does not soot. The parafin is 140mp soy is 125mp could that 15 deg seperation be causing this? I will keep plugging away until I get it right. I talked to a specialist and was told that some jars will cause soot especially near the end due to the way the air moves through them. All I can do is minimise soot but never fully eliminate it. HELP! Edited January 6, 2013 by Gbhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerWicks Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Are you testing near an airvent by any chance? Do you get the soot on the 1st few burns or near the end of the jar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chefmom Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 If purchased candles are also sooting, I agree with ChandlerWicks and I would look at your environment. To check for air flow that you are not aware of burn a plain taper candle where your regular container candles are burning. If the flame burns straight then you don't have air flow, if it flickers then you have an air flow that may be messing with your container candles.I make candles for my daughter in the 8-ounce jelly jars and her's always have soot. I have some fragrances that will produce more soot, but usually at the end of the jar if you let it burn itself out. She doesn't like to trim the wicks, so she usually gets some soot around the top of the jar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) It soots near the end of the candle. For eco wicks should i twist them to get an even wax pool? Edited January 6, 2013 by Gbhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerWicks Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I don't twist Ecos but maybe some others might. Since it's near the end of the jar & I'm getting the same thing at the end of my jars, it must be the depth of the jar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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