Wax and Wick recommendations for beginners

[Lnewbie76]

Hello! I apologize for such a very basic question but  think when I began candle making ( I am making glass jar container candles at this tie but hope to eventually make pillars also!) I put my cart in front of the horse a bit . In your opinion, what would be the best wax and appropriate wick for that wax for a beginner to start pouring with? I am really interested in more organic and natural waxes but am not opposed to paraffin-just hoping maybe to start with something that is a little easier to deal with then the Starburst glass glow 2322A palm that looks gorgeous when poured yet seems to be more of a bonfire in a glass instead of a candle and  The Candle Maker natural 444 soy which is rather easy to use for the most part but I am having a heck of a time with wicking-seem to get inconsistent results despite sticking to a 1 oz by weight fragrance load to 16 ounces by weight wax (maybe it is the wick ? I have been using Eric X 5" wide 13mm thick wooden wick for a 16 ounce jar, picture included). I am also finding that the hot throw in the soy isn't always the best either (heating to 185, adding fragrance at 165, stirring for at least 2 minutes and pouring after that which is usually around 153-155) Thinking maybe if I can find something that is a little easier for beginners I can learn a little more consistently  and then eventually  expand into some of the more difficult waxes/molds and etc. I am so excited to find a craft I really, really like-it is kind of a bummer that I feel like I am struggling more than succeeding . Thank you! 

[TallTayl]

4630 paraffin i found to be dead easy to learn on. 

 

I used paper core wicks and liked them. Some use zinc core. 

 

The natural waxes have a steep learning curve. 

 

Wood wicks have a narrow narrow range of waxes and containers they work safely with, especially those from eBay sellers where you don’t know exactly the width or thickness or consistency. The wooden wick company holds the patents on pretty much all US wood wicks, and have the widest range of sizes available. 

[Trappeur]

Add your fragrance oil at a higher temperature 175 - 180 so it incorporates well.  165 is too low.

 

Trappeur

[Sarah S]

I would also recommend a nice easy low-melt point container wax like the 4630. And I love HTPs.

For me, being successful with parrafin wax has given me the confidence to tackle other waxes now, and try more complicated containers. 

I consider it mastering the basics, which then provide a jumping point for more complex projects.

[Pam W]

I'm with the others on using the 4630 paraffin wax...it's pretty easy, doesn't require additives and for me, has always produced nice results.

And like Sarah said, it is a good wax for a beginner and once you master/understand all the ins & outs of container candles, then you can venture out to other waxes & jars.  I use Eco wicks (4 & 6) in most of my jars.

[Lnewbie76]

Thank you so much for the feedback! I placed my order for 4630 wax, HTP 104 and Eco 6 wicks, can't wait for them to arrive! 

[Sarah S]

1 hour ago, Lnewbie76 said:

Thank you so much for the feedback! I placed my order for 4630 wax, HTP 104 and Eco 6 wicks, can't wait for them to arrive! 

Are you using the jar from your first post? 104 is a little big for that one, unless it's a really heavy fragrance. For that jar, I mainly use 73, 83, or 93, with an occasional outlier at 62 or 104.

[Lnewbie76]

I was going to,(I also have wide mouth salsa style jars- would it be a better fit for that?)I used one of the charts where you enter the wax you are using and the dimensions of the jar and it tells you what wick would be the best and that was the recommendation.  I think it was from candleScience, but honestly I have visited so many sites it’s hard to remember for sure. I will try and get some smaller per your recommendation also. Thanks!!