what is this?

[pughaus]

I've been burning a "premium" candle purchased at retail and as I'm burning it I'm seeing all sorts of interesting things- 1st a large sinkhole revealed itself next to the wick, and now I noticed this odd layered cracking all along the side... how did it get there? what causes this?

 

 

 

[birdcharm]

That candle must have a lot of air pockets!

 

[Kerven]

Maybe wet spots being filled in? I've seen this a few times; the wax of a burned candle sets up and pulls away from the glass, creating wet spots, which fill in during the next burn. Sometimes all that can happen in a single burn, which I've only seen once in a test blend.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Kerven

[pughaus]

thanks @Kerven I must say this little candle has shown me several mishaps that I'd read about here but never seen in person.  It arrived pretty much with a puddle of FO sweat, barely stayed lit for an hour on the 1st burn, revealed a big sinkhole on the 2nd burn and now this interesting pattern popped up against the glass.  It may not be the best made candle but at least I'm learning from it.   Can't wait to see what else it does. 

[Kerven]

That's the FO sweating out? IMO, that calls for a return. Was it shipped from a region that's still cold?

[pughaus]

It did travel across country and yes, it's FO.  I ordered it since it was marketed as a coconut wax, and only coconut wax, candle.  Since I've been struggling so much with coco wax I'm always curious to see how others perform.  I'm not convinced this is an all coconut candle now but I'm still really curious to see how it burns all the way through, so I'll keep it.

[Flicker]

If it is a natural wax, it may not be FO. Soy, coconut etc can all sweat, even with no FO added. My bet is it is more a sweating than an FO issue.