Beeswax votives

[mamababs!]

My beeswax votives have preassembled 3" wicks of paraffin coated cotton.  

I use metal molds with removable metal pins to create the holes for inserting wicks.

Some votives burn perfectly, but some have a "tunneling effect" that causes the wick

to burn straight down and then go out.  

 

Is this phenomenon related to the pouring temperature of the beeswax?  Or some 

other cause?  

[Vicky_CO]

It sounds like there might be some air pockets in some of them.

[TallTayl]

Could be air pockets or just not the right wick combo. Beeswax Votives are not as easy as you would think. The only harder beeswax form is tea lights.

 

beeswax continues to dry/harden over time, making wicking that much more challenging. 

[mamababs!]

Vicky_CO,

 

thanks for for your prompt response.  Do air pockets result from a too high or two low melting temperature when pouring into molds?  

[mamababs!]

TallTayl,

 

thanks for your reply.  At first I used 160 degrees but after that I got sloppy and just poured into molds when the beeswax was all melted.  Not sure what temperature, but hot enough that the wax did not accumulate at the top of the pouring pitcher.  What temperature would you recommend?  

[Vicky_CO]

I pour around 175 you do want your wax to stay liquid long enough for the air to rise to the surface, votive are not like pillar where you can pock relief holes. 

[mamababs!]

Vicky_CO,

 

that tip is very helpful.  Thanks!  Next batch I will heat to 175.  I also find that beeswax candles do not create wells, as do paraffin candles.  The beeswax votives have a nice appearance since topping off is unnecessary.  

 

I give these votives to my daughter (among others) because she is sensitive to chemical fragrance additives, and the beeswax candles have such a lovely natural fragrance.

[mamababs!]

So now I had a failure on one of my old votives.  The candle went out about 1/4 of the way down, and its wick was off center.  Odd, since I use metal pins which center the wick holes.  Can air pockets cause this result?  (BTW, I was able to relight the votive even with the off center wick.)

[TallTayl]

1 hour ago, mamababs! said:

So now I had a failure on one of my old votives.  The candle went out about 1/4 of the way down, and its wick was off center.  Odd, since I use metal pins which center the wick holes.  Can air pockets cause this result?  (BTW, I was able to relight the votive even with the off center wick.)

Air pockets would more than likely have caused a flare. Wax drains into the caverns leaving less of a melt pool and exposing more wick. The flame gets higher and higher til e wick burns back down to a reasonable length. It's possible during the flare a lot more heat generates causing a temporarily bigger melt pool. 

 

Square  braid and ply wicks typically used in beeswax don't stand up well in deep melt pools and tend to slump. That would explain the off center.

 

it really helps to photograph the candles throughout the burn to diagnose the problems. I personally dislike pure beeswax in votives. The beeswax hardens over time wrecking the melt pool and extinguishing the candle. I have had luck adding coconut oil to votive candles to improve the burn.