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Swapping wicks with tabs using Apple corer


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Trial and error with wicks is a total pain. When using untabbed wicks with a hole poked with a skewer I find the wicks lean very easily in my soft-ish waxes. So, I dug through my kitchen utensils and figured out that the old fashioned Apple corer is perfect to remove a plug of wax with wick and tab intact to swap to different sizes.

 

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twist and twirl the corer on the way down to cut through the wax and lift straight out to pull the wax plug, wick and tab.  Now these tabs were not superglued in place, so they come out easily.

 

i push the plug out of the corer, carefully remove the wick and tab, replace with  the new wick and tab, and push the whole plug back into place. It has been working perfectly. . 

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4 hours ago, Trappeur said:

That hole looks way big for a wick TTayle.   What do you do?   Slap a wick in and refill the big hole with more wax and wait to harden?

 

Nifty idea....hey if it works, great!   

 

Trappeur

Trap, the plug fits the tab down to the base of the candle.

The plug part in the corer holds the wick. Thread the wick into that plug.

Push the threaded plug with wick and tab down into the hole.

it is very secure. Far more secure than a tabless wick. The candle can burn right to the bottom, versus to within 1.5” or so from the bottom. 

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22 minutes ago, NightLight said:

Buy a metal straw on Amazon it makes a smaller hole 👌🏻

The Apple corer fits the tab size perfectly, though.

 

Pull a wax plug with the tool.

Push the wax plug and tab up through the tool to remove.

Pull the old tab connected to old wick out the bottom.

Stick the new wick in the now empty wick hole.

Push the plug back in the hole in the jar.

 Done. Tabbed wick in the candle. 

Takes less than 10 seconds to replace an entire wick assembly. 

 

This also works on finished candles that have been miswicked. Saves a TON of time and money. 

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2 hours ago, GoldieMN said:

@TallTayl How is the tab secured originally to the bottom of the jar?

GoldieMN

Wick sticker

 

ETA I also pour some wickless, changingnthe process one tiny bit.

poke a hole for the wick with a skewer

then Pull the plug

The new wick hold can be threaded into the poked hole

thenrest is the same. 

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15 minutes ago, NightLight said:

I never use the tabbed wick, just cut a section and insert hence straw method. Also remove shortie test wick with pliers , reskewer then insert different wick. Less width around wick.

A lot of us used that method. The problem comes with shorter containers and soft waxes.  The untabbed wicks lean very early in a burn causing the wick test to be invalid. You need a tab to hold the lit end solidly.

 

in short containers like votives and tins untabbed stems have tipped over to hit the sides of the containers. I’ve had a glass shatter from the flame falling sideways in the wax, 

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Great idea TT... I noticed the same thing with the skewer method.  All of a sudden you check the burning candle and the wick is WAY over to the side putting soot on the side, or it flops over and goes out.  Will have to get an apple corer. Thanks.

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