Melt Pool

[Grani L]

Should I expect a good 1/4 inch melt pool in at least 2 hours? My candles reach a Good FMP in the 3-4 hour range using 6006. I am a little stumped... I reluctantly gave someone a candle who kept bugging me and bugging me. So any way, when I followed up on feedback, he told me that the candle tunneled down the middle.  I think the person that actually burned the candle only let it burn an hour or two. I know that I had the right wick size because I made 2 of the candle so I could test burn it to see how it burned. -- So should I expect a FMP sooner - in case people only burn the candle just 2 hours? If I was at the point of selling, I would educate customer on how to burn my candles. Would adding Stearic acid enable me to still use the smaller size wick, but achieve a MP quicker?

[Jcandleattic]

I don't get a FMP on the first burn unless I'm marathon burning for about 12+ hours. It usually takes until the third burn of about 3-4 hours each burn before I reach a FMP. 

I guess the question would be, what size candle? I'm talking about my 16oz apothecary candles. my 5 oz apoth's I get FMP usually on the 2nd burn of about 3 hours each burn, with a 1/4" - 1/2" deep MP (on the 16 - the 5 usually never gets deeper than 1/4" deep) 

The faster you achieve FMP the faster your candle will be consumed, and in some cases if you get FMP on your first burn, by the time the candle reaches the midway point, the jar will most likely get too hot to quickly indicating a wick(s) that is too big. 

 

In order to best help you, jar size, wick type/size, any additives, % of FO, etc., and possibly some pictures of the burn itself will help us better help you, because we will be able to better understand your needs. 

[bfroberts]

I worry about the same thing.  I don't know about stearic, but I'd be willing to bet there was nothing wrong with your candle.  I think if you get a full melt pool within 2 hours, you'll probably have a container that is way too hot when the candle burns further down into the jar.  I use 6006 too, and I wick for the last half of the jar.  The downside is that it does take my candles longer to give off a good throw, but the upside is a clean burn, a safe product, and a candle that can be enjoyed in it's entirety.

 

I've noticed that one of the more popular mass produced candle lines have multiple wicks, burn hot as heck, and give a fantastic throw very quickly.  They also soot a lot.  I'm sure most customers consider them to be excellent candles.  Personally, I am a little scared of them because they are hotter than I like.  I could produce that product, but I prefer not to for liability reasons.  The problem is, I hate that is the standard by which my candles are probably judged....and yours too, it sounds like.

 

My customers are more the power burn type, from what I hear, and that works well with the way I wick.  Sounds like your guy is the short term burner type.  I don't know if it's possible to produce a product that satisfies both types of burner every single time.  So I stopped trying, and focus on making product that satisfies me.

 

I'm rambling and being no help.  I'm sorry.  That pres. debate has fried my brain.

 

Edited September 27, 2016 by bfroberts

[birdcharm]

Adding stearic acid hardens your wax and makes it more opaque, so a meltpool would take a little longer to form.  I haven't read here long enough to see what everyone uses as their candle usage/safety tags or labels, but one of the lines I put in mine is to periodically trim the wick so it is about at 1/4" -- I wonder if maybe they didn't trim the wick and it caused it to tunnel ...?  I know that with some wicks/candles, they need a little trim after about their first hour.  May I ask? ...what length is your wick to start with?  I see many candles with long wicks, but it's my preference to start them at 1/4" -- I could be doing it all wrong, but it works for me.

[TallTayl]

Did you get the candle back to see with your eyes what happened? Tunneling could just mean a little hang up. 

[Grani L]

No..I never got the candle back..but I also wick for the bottom half of the jar. I am currently testing in 16oz.mayo jars. I am satisfied with the flame height and wick size...and also do notice my throw gets better as it burns down. So FMP for me is 3-4 hours. At the last third of the jar the MP of about 1/4 - 1/2inch around the 3 hour mark.

[Grani L]

I trim the wick just below a 1/2 inch before lighting.

[wthomas57]

I think your candles are wicked properly from you described. Some customers light their candle.. burn it for an hour and then decide to blow it out. ANY properly wicked candle is going to tunnel if you do that. If you start wicking up to deal with that behavior... then all your other customers are going to have other issues. Especially the ones who burn longer and dont trim in between burns (most customers).

 

It's standard on warning labels to say "Don't burn for longer than 3 or 4 hours", right? Well, I also included on mine to "burn for at least 2 hours..."

In other words.. I advise customers (assuming the read the label) to burn somewhere between 2 and hours.

 

We can only do so much.