Baseline tests, not only for wax these days

[TallTayl]

We know many waxes have varied quite a bit from lot to lot for a few years. The coconut craze has produced some evidence of not being fixed formula and wicking a size or two different on occasion. And paraffin is no perfect angel. For those not in the baseline test habit  by now, you may want to start. 
 

If you have not purchased wicks for a while, you might want to baseline test any new ones you buy. We know that slight variations in the same brand happen depending on who tabs them, but with Covid induced supply chain problems now the changes can extend to the wick fibers too.

 

HTP were the first.  A spokesperson from a wick tabbing company forewarned about that a while back.  A few members have written to me confirming they do actually burn a good bit hotter with bigger flames than the prior wicks of the same sizes.
 

CD are now acting oddly. Yes tried and true, trusty reliable CD have been OOS in many places for a while. A new bag of CD12 side by side burning against an old one burn quite different. The new cd12 has tall thin dancing sooty flames where the old has short, wide, pretty still flames.

 

CDN (KST) are a variation of CD with a different chemical treatment, so please do watch your new purchases of those also. 

 

please do test all of your new materials when they arrive. It is cheaper than a recall  if things go wrong.

[bfroberts]

Thanks for the heads up about CD wicks. I'm using those in C3, and most of what I'm using I've had for years. It never really crossed my mind that they could be different than CD wicks I purchase now.  
I'd have to agree, baseline tests are a must.

[GoldieMN]

UGH!  So might as not buy a sample pack of any wick to test as they may be different from a 100 pack.

GoldieMN

[TallTayl]

37 minutes ago, GoldieMN said:

UGH!  So might as not buy a sample pack of any wick to test as they may be different from a 100 pack.

GoldieMN

If only al supplies had a lot number so we would KNOW what we were getting... 

[ErronB]

I feel really bad saying it, but I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of noobs businesses crumble from making tons of candles without any testing. I don’t think the whole ‘oh just trim the wick shorter!‘ card can be played this time.

 

Its always the really smiley ones that show off their stuff how amazing they think it looks, and how blessed they are to make such amazing candles that end up losing the most.  Their posts in Facebook Groups are straight comedy for me, like ‘oh don’t worry! We’ve been using a Eco 20 with our mini jelly jars forever! There you go! Praise the Lord have a nice day!’ Okay so i over exaggerated the wick a bit but you get the point. Anyone really experienced knows it’s a death trap.
 

Then you have the totally paranoid chandlers who don’t show off their stuff or say a hell of a lot that sometimes make big discoveries just from testing new batches of supplies.

 

I use HTP’s in some of the tins I’m doing at the moment, I’m about to buy a ton of old ones just so I got time to figure out the new stuff within the next year or so. I’m wondering if the newer yarn they are using might actually end up burning better in the smaller sizes, might be a blessing in disguise.

[TallTayl]

18 minutes ago, ErronB said:

I use HTP’s in some of the tins I’m doing at the moment, I’m about to buy a ton of old ones just so I got time to figure out the new stuff within the next year or so. I’m wondering if the newer yarn they are using might actually end up burning better in the smaller sizes, might be a blessing in disguise.

Htp changes happened a few months ago,so new purchases have already been noticed😢

 

the CD was a new one noticed 

 

makes me glad to be a wick hoarder. All the cut offs I saved can be retained to ride this out a little longer. 
 

i sincerely hope your new wicks work fantastically for you. 
 

and you are 100% right that the overly cautious are just as frustrating. A dear friend of mine has been testing for several years. Her worst candles are better than pretty much all other candles on the market. I am more excited about her candle venture than she is because I know she will succeed wildly. 

[ErronB]

1 minute ago, TallTayl said:

Htp changes happened a few months ago,so new purchases have already been noticed😢

 

the CD was a new one noticed 

 

makes me glad to be a wick hoarder. All the cut offs I saved can be retained to ride this out a little longer. 
 

i sincerely hope your new wicks work fantastically for you. 
 

and you are 100% right that the overly cautious are just as frustrating. A dear friend of mine has been testing for several years. Her worst candles are better than pretty much all other candles on the market. I am more excited about her candle venture than she is because I know she will succeed wildly. 

 

The Flaming Candle told me they are not selling the new ones yet, still selling old stock, and will put a notice in the description of each size when they actually do the switch instead of just the warning. But I will only buy a smaller bag first just to check after you said that lol..

 

I sometimes buy candles just because I like the smell and want to watch them burn to hell and fail, but there have been those odd occasions where I've finished it and wanted to do a slow clap because I was impressed with the burn. I'm sure there are others on here who do the same.

 

Your friend has obviously done things the right way. Even if you had every single wick and wax to test all at once, there is no fast-forward button to burn a candle, and if you've actually spent the time to learn the burn characteristics of the waxes and wicks then you can pretty much make anything a lot faster after that. I had never even touched a parasoy until about a year and a half ago, just soy for a long time before that, but it's taken me this long to 'comfortably' be able to use it. I think I'm gonna spend more time with palm next, I can already tell this is gonna be 'fun'.

[Kerven]

The variability of pre-blended waxes is why I'm switching to blending my own using base materials that aren't as prone to unannounced changes or inconsistencies. Wouldn't recommend it to a novice candlemaker; it requires a lot of homework.

 

Shoot, I didn't expect wicks to be such a problem with everything that has happened. I'm a little baffled by this because, from the videos I've seen, the process of braiding wicks seems fairly straightforward and not as prone to unseen mistakes as with wax. Are the braiders intentionally using different fibers - blending to cut costs? Has the source changed, resulting in a quality change (cotton fiber lengths can vary by source location)? Is there something different about the processing and treatment of the cotton?

Any word on LX and ECO?

 

 

[TallTayl]

18 minutes ago, Kerven said:

The variability of pre-blended waxes is why I'm switching to blending my own using base materials that aren't as prone to unannounced changes or inconsistencies. Wouldn't recommend it to a novice candlemaker; it requires a lot of homework.

 

Shoot, I didn't expect wicks to be such a problem with everything that has happened. I'm a little baffled by this because, from the videos I've seen, the process of braiding wicks seems fairly straightforward and not as prone to unseen mistakes as with wax. Are the braiders intentionally using different fibers - blending to cut costs? Has the source changed, resulting in a quality change (cotton fiber lengths can vary by source location)? Is there something different about the processing and treatment of the cotton?

Any word on LX and ECO?

 

 

Seems to be raw material shortages. Was led to believe cotton types but could also be chemical treatment as well. 
 

have not heard specifically about lx or eco, but would surely test to be certain. 

[NightLight]

I have noticed this with CD wicks. First saw ordering CD 5 wicks and they looked quite different. The newer cd 5 I have are skinner wick with a tighter braid.

 

I also the C3 has been reformulated slightly. Haha or either I’m better at making candles. Anyway seems a lot left champagne bubbles than when I first starting using it. Also the company is trying all kinds of formulas. I had an additive I liked and tested it for a long time then they decided to stop selling it!

 

[TallTayl]

12 minutes ago, NightLight said:

I have noticed this with CD wicks. First saw ordering CD 5 wicks and they looked quite different. The newer cd 5 I have are skinner wick with a tighter braid.

 

I also the C3 has been reformulated slightly. Haha or either I’m better at making candles. Anyway seems a lot left champagne bubbles than when I first starting using it. Also the company is trying all kinds of formulas. I had an additive I liked and tested it for a long time then they decided to stop selling it!

 

I'm sorry this is happening to you too