Candybee Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 (edited) Its good to see you are asking a lot of questions about your candles craftwerks. Also, that pic you posted says a lot. Wick is definitely oversized for that jar and you can see the wick is off center. Check with your supplier and see if you can't buy a wick sampler kit or at the very least try some smaller wicks for testing. One of the hardest things to get right in candlemaking is finding the perfect wick for the wax and jar combo you are using. Once you nailed that it gets easier. Re the wick tab. As others have mentioned you need that to anchor and center your wick and keep it from 'traveling' around. The wick plus the wick tab together is called a tabbed wick or wick assembly. A wick assembly also works as your safety system for extinguishing your candle before it reaches the bottom of the jar. Another thing to keep in mind is if you do not have a wick assembly system in your jar candle you could be in trouble if anyone came after your with a lawsuit. Wick assemblys are recognized as the industry standard when it comes to making a safe burning candle. If you tried to use a substitute or make something else it would be on you to prove its safety. Edited March 2, 2017 by Candybee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 18 hours ago, Jcandleattic said: 0.o Umm, yeah, what the others have said, way too much wick for that sized jar. You need something much smaller. Maybe try a tealight wick for that jar? Also are gluing or sticking your wicks down so they don't move? As TT has mentioned it looks like the wick has moved off center either by the whole wick moving, or the wick itself not being pulled tight and has floated off center. On 2.3.2017 at 5:26 AM, TallTayl said: A couple of things are going on: That wick is way, way, way too big for that jar. the wick tab has moved out of center potentially heating one side of the glass much more than the other putting the jar at a risk for shattering. 30ml is a very small candle and will be very hard to wick. I should have explained that this is the first jar I have wicked and I knew that it was done wrongly. Now, I am trying to find a glue to use for the bottom of the wick. How do you usually stick your wicks? So for future reference, if the jar heats up too much, it is a sign of the wick being too big? I will order smaller wicks for my little jar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 19 hours ago, Candybee said: Its good to see you are asking a lot of questions about your candles craftwerks. Also, that pic you posted says a lot. Wick is definitely oversized for that jar and you can see the wick is off center. Check with your supplier and see if you can't buy a wick sampler kit or at the very least try some smaller wicks for testing. One of the hardest things to get right in candlemaking is finding the perfect wick for the wax and jar combo you are using. Once you nailed that it gets easier. Re the wick tab. As others have mentioned you need that to anchor and center your wick and keep it from 'traveling' around. The wick plus the wick tab together is called a tabbed wick or wick assembly. A wick assembly also works as your safety system for extinguishing your candle before it reaches the bottom of the jar. Another thing to keep in mind is if you do not have a wick assembly system in your jar candle you could be in trouble if anyone came after your with a lawsuit. Wick assemblys are recognized as the industry standard when it comes to making a safe burning candle. If you tried to use a substitute or make something else it would be on you to prove its safety. Thanks for the reply. I am happy that I have found this forum so I dont end up making terrible mistakes. My next step now is to find the appropriate wick and I think I will go for a tea light wick and see how that holds up. I have seen candles that have 30 mm containers so it isn't impossible I am also on the hunt for an appropriate solution to stick the wick tab correctly. I have read that it is important to find a glue that can withstand high temperatures. Maybe it is the worrier in me ( I do tend to overthink everything) but would it have to be a glue that is especially for making candles or just a glue that has the right temperature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 14 hours ago, craftwerks said: So for future reference, if the jar heats up too much, it is a sign of the wick being too big? There are several indicators of a wick being too big. Jar too hot, too deep of a melt pool, smoking/sooting, mushrooming, no scent throw, and some other indicators I may be missing right now. A lot of people either anchor the wick assembly with wick stickums, silicone glue, glue dots and some other solutions but these are the most common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 On 3/3/2017 at 6:32 AM, craftwerks said: Thanks for the reply. I am happy that I have found this forum so I dont end up making terrible mistakes. My next step now is to find the appropriate wick and I think I will go for a tea light wick and see how that holds up. I have seen candles that have 30 mm containers so it isn't impossible I am also on the hunt for an appropriate solution to stick the wick tab correctly. I have read that it is important to find a glue that can withstand high temperatures. Maybe it is the worrier in me ( I do tend to overthink everything) but would it have to be a glue that is especially for making candles or just a glue that has the right temperature? Permatex. You can find it at hardware stores, Walmart, Kmart, others. Its a silicone based glue that permanently fixes the wick tab to the jar. I am currently using up the rest of my Gorilla brand hot glue sticks. These are the kind that take on high temps. So far they are working but my experience in the past is that most glue sticks, even the dual high temp kind don't hold the tab in place 100% of the time. I use palm wax and pour at temps of 200 F plus. I have had tabs come loose with that heat or when the candle flame burns towards the very end of the wick. So once my Gorilla sticks are gone I am switching to Permatex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 1 hour ago, Candybee said: Permatex. You can find it at hardware stores, Walmart, Kmart, others. Its a silicone based glue that permanently fixes the wick tab to the jar. I am currently using up the rest of my Gorilla brand hot glue sticks. These are the kind that take on high temps. So far they are working but my experience in the past is that most glue sticks, even the dual high temp kind don't hold the tab in place 100% of the time. I use palm wax and pour at temps of 200 F plus. I have had tabs come loose with that heat or when the candle flame burns towards the very end of the wick. So once my Gorilla sticks are gone I am switching to Permatex. I have read about permatex on this site; seems like it is a popular choice. I live in Scandinavia so it isn't so easy to find that one. Im looking for something similar, but I really prefer something that would be easy to remove after using the candle. I did buy a hot glue gun. I read that one user on here applies the glue, and then poured wax to the bottom of the wick to keep it in place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehatch1 Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 1 minute ago, craftwerks said: I have read about permatex on this site; seems like it is a popular choice. I live in Scandinavia so it isn't so easy to find that one. Im looking for something similar, but I really prefer something that would be easy to remove after using the candle. I did buy a hot glue gun. I read that one user on here applies the glue, and then poured wax to the bottom of the wick to keep it in place. I use high-temp hot glue, and it seems to work fine, when I wick with the correct size. If I've over-wicked a jar and it gets too hot, the wick starts moving around. It's also easy to remove after the candle burns down; part of the thing I like about candles is that I can use the jars for other things after they're done. I am not sure how "environmentally friendly" or "natural" hot glue is... haven't looked into it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 5 minutes ago, ehatch1 said: I use high-temp hot glue, and it seems to work fine, when I wick with the correct size. If I've over-wicked a jar and it gets too hot, the wick starts moving around. It's also easy to remove after the candle burns down; part of the thing I like about candles is that I can use the jars for other things after they're done. I am not sure how "environmentally friendly" or "natural" hot glue is... haven't looked into it. Well, as it has been pointed out, safety is more important than having 100 % natural candles, so a little dot of glue is definitely worth it. I will try and see how it goes. Im not selling yet, so I will test out a few candles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 16 minutes ago, craftwerks said: I have read about permatex on this site; seems like it is a popular choice. I live in Scandinavia so it isn't so easy to find that one. Im looking for something similar, but I really prefer something that would be easy to remove after using the candle. I did buy a hot glue gun. I read that one user on here applies the glue, and then poured wax to the bottom of the wick to keep it in place. Permatex is amazing for selling for testing myself personal I use the wick stick ums so I can easily remove it to clean jar and keep using for testing only 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 2 minutes ago, moonshine said: Permatex is amazing for selling for testing myself personal I use the wick stick ums so I can easily remove it to clean jar and keep using for testing only ah, Im looking but I only found the Blue permeated in the shop over here. Is a glue that can withstand +150 c (302 f) enough or should I keep looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 (edited) https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81160-High-Temp-Silicone-Gasket/dp/B0002UEN1A this is what I use that has been recommended on many of the threads in here rated up to 650 degrees in case you get that volcanic candle ? Edited March 4, 2017 by moonshine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 7 minutes ago, moonshine said: https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81160-High-Temp-Silicone-Gasket/dp/B0002UEN1A this is what I use that has been recommended on many of the threads in here rated up to 650 degrees in case you get that volcanic candle ? I managed to find this one....can almost handle up to 650 f https://motaman.co.uk/Permatex-Supra-Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incendia Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, craftwerks said: Im looking for something similar, but I really prefer something that would be easy to remove after using the candle. I'm not sure you'll be able to find both something really strong, and still be able to remove it from the bottom of a glass container. One of my other hobbies is making glass mosaics. I use a caulk with some silicon in it (not Permatex) to adhere my glass bits to the surface. I want 'permanent' and hot glue would not be enough. Once dry, it is impossible to remove the caulk I use from the glass. Once I changed my mind about something, and tried to salvage the glass and remove the dry caulk from the bits... I tried boiling it, chipping away at it - even soaking in straight pool acid. Nothing budges it. Edited March 4, 2017 by Incendia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 25 minutes ago, Incendia said: I'm not sure you'll be able to find both something really strong, and still be able to remove it from the bottom of a glass container. One of my other hobbies is making glass mosaics. I use a caulk with some silicon in it (not Permatex) to adhere my glass bits to the surface. I want 'permanent' and hot glue would not be enough. Once dry, it is impossible to remove the caulk I use from the glass. Once I changed my mind about something, and tried to salvage the glass and remove the dry caulk from the bits... I tried boiling it, chipping away at it - even soaking in straight pool acid. Nothing budges it. I see. I guess that my only option is the silicon then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incendia Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 2 minutes ago, craftwerks said: I see. I guess that my only option is the silicon then. If you are using glass containers and want to try a new product, try sticking something to a test piece/scrap of glass and see what it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 29 minutes ago, craftwerks said: I see. I guess that my only option is the silicon then. I've been using a high-temp glue gun with a corresponding glue and the wicks have been staying in place throughout the burn. To remove the wick tab after the candle has burned, I usually need to grip the neck of the wick tab with a pair of pliers and pull pretty hard to remove the tab. I know many people like the wick stickers, but I commonly order from suppliers that do not sell those, which is not convenient for me, so I decided to use a glue gun. I have aired my curiosity once before about using a glue dipping pot as they use with silk flowers, but I haven't ventured in that direction yet. 2 hours ago, craftwerks said: I read that one user on here applies the glue, and then poured wax to the bottom of the wick to keep it in place. If you squeeze glue to the center of bottom of the wick assembly; quickly center it in the bottom of the glass and press it down, it should secure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftwerks Posted March 5, 2017 Author Share Posted March 5, 2017 21 hours ago, birdcharm said: I've been using a high-temp glue gun with a corresponding glue and the wicks have been staying in place throughout the burn. To remove the wick tab after the candle has burned, I usually need to grip the neck of the wick tab with a pair of pliers and pull pretty hard to remove the tab. I know many people like the wick stickers, but I commonly order from suppliers that do not sell those, which is not convenient for me, so I decided to use a glue gun. I have aired my curiosity once before about using a glue dipping pot as they use with silk flowers, but I haven't ventured in that direction yet. If you squeeze glue to the center of bottom of the wick assembly; quickly center it in the bottom of the glass and press it down, it should secure. That is good to hear I realized my glue gun is a high temp. that melts between 165-200 c so I think I will take the chance and use the glue and see how it turns out. I will let the wick assembly dry for an hour before I start pouring. Thanks for your reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grama Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Be sure the glue sticks say high temp glue sticks, The dual temp does not work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Black Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 (edited) On 2/27/2017 at 1:12 PM, Trappeur said: It amazes me how people get away with putting up tutorial on how to make a candle when they put stuff like that up there. I just want to reach in to this computer and pull the hair out of the ones who do that. So very unsafe a lot of these tutorials are....I've seen some where they do just that to, just stick a wick in... and a lot of times I have even seen videos where they use any ole wick....Makes me shutter. Trappeur HAHA! Trap, I feel the same way! Edited March 18, 2017 by Clear Black Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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