Tea Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I am new to candle making and I was interested in finding out whether my tests are what everyone else experiences.I have rewick the same filled votive holder numerous times, and I am finding that the eventual wix that I use can be wicked up three or four times up from the original suggested wick size. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong.Example 1: parafin wax, 1.5% vybar, 10% F & M, 1 chip colour, RRD 40, votive 2, same as before but wicked with LX 18. Votive container size 2"Example 2: same as above but spiced pomegranite.The F & M seems to be burning well with the RRD 40, but the LX 18 seems to be drowning although melting to the edge.The S/Pom again is burning well with the RRD 40, but unfortunately not quite out to the sides, and the LX seems to be drowned again.If I rewick these, this will be the fifth time I have rewicked them up. Is this normal for the final wick to be so much larger than recommended.Curious,Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Recommended wick sizes may not relate very well to your candle. It will vary with your wax, additives, FO and dye. Obviously you'll want to choose a larger wick as a starting point when making candles similar to these.By the way, 10% is a large FO load. Is your wax sweating or feeling greasy at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I agree with Top. I've never tried pomegranite, but my F&M has to be wicked up about 3 sizes from any other scent I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetacea Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I am new to candle making and I was interested in finding out whether my tests are what everyone else experiences.I have rewick the same filled votive holder numerous times, and I am finding that the eventual wix that I use can be wicked up three or four times up from the original suggested wick size. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong.Example 1: parafin wax, 1.5% vybar, 10% F & M, 1 chip colour, RRD 40, votive 2, same as before but wicked with LX 18. Votive container size 2"Example 2: same as above but spiced pomegranite.The F & M seems to be burning well with the RRD 40, but the LX 18 seems to be drowning although melting to the edge.The S/Pom again is burning well with the RRD 40, but unfortunately not quite out to the sides, and the LX seems to be drowned again.If I rewick these, this will be the fifth time I have rewicked them up. Is this normal for the final wick to be so much larger than recommended.Curious,TraceyMore than normal. Remember that wicking charts are just suggestions to start, not absolutes. 10% FO is quite a bit, you might try cutting back to 8% then 6% if you are not sacrificing scent throw and see how that does with your wicking. If you want to stay at 10% and you don't have seepage, then you might try a different kind of wick if you've exhausted RRD and LX's...like HTP. If you do have seepage (either an oil slick at the bottom of your pour pot or your container) then try just cutting back the amount of FO with the same size wicks, and you might get the burn you want.Remember also that some oils are heavier than others so that will also throw off the burning qualities.Its really nice to see someone new asking about testing like this. Good Luck! HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Posted January 19, 2006 Author Share Posted January 19, 2006 Thankyou everyone for your replies. I started out scenting with 6%, then saw everyone talking about scent loads of 12%, so for this batch I decided to try 10%. There was no swetting or oil feeling, so must be able to hold.I have just ordered in other wick, HTP included, as I am not happy with what I have tried.Just getting tired of re-melting and re-wicking, I want to experiement with other things, but not until I get the container down first. Patience.Thanks again,Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Tracy, Cetacea is right. Cut back on the heavy FO to 6% (1 oz pp) and you should be OK. I use LX in all my votives and in 2" standard LX-10 or LX-12 are the norm. Occasionally, I might need an LX-14. LX-18 is way too big. Something's not right.Additionally, 10 or 12% of FO is a real waste. I want fragrances that perform well at 6 or 8% or I'm just not interested. Keep good notes for the wick/scent combo's that work for future reference.e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuuppy Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Aside from what others have metioned...The amount of Vybar seems a bit high. This may be why you can hold so much FO, but it might be raising your melt point a bit and might cause the FO to be 'bound' and hurt your throw. I say seems high, because a lot of this is purely subjective.Also, check the melt point of your wax. Sometimes you can find pure parafin with different melt points. If I recall corectly, it seems I've seen parafin ( not blends, supposedly ), with melt points from 129 to around 140.Your biggest mistake is in asking THIS bunch about what's normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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