dublon Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I am test burning my first square pillar... and I would like to know if this is burning right. I think it looks ok, but I would your expert opinions, please!!Wax is PB Pillar Ecosoya, fragrance lilac, color - lavender chips..This was on its second burn... after 3½ hours.. Melt pool was a little more than 1/4 inch deep.Hopefully the pic will upload properly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scentlady Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I've never made a pillar so I can't answer your question about the burn but I wanted to say how great it looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Good job Suzanne, that looks nice. Seems like the melt pool is a touch off center but the size looks perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryk Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I don't know -- I made that same size and shape with a different soy pillar wax and I'd say as you go down in that pillar it may not do as good if one burns it any longer than 3 or 3.5 hours (it seems close two spilling now from what I can see). You just have to let it go and see what happens. I'd be curious as to what happens if you let it burn for an evening - say about 5 hours without babysitting it (IYKWIM). Really pretty candle and plate I have to say!Let us know as I'm curious about that wax myself.Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I used to use that wax and make the same square pillars with it. This one seems burned out pretty far for only 3.5 hours. The flame looks strong enough that you could try one size down on your wick. You have to remember other people burning your candles are just going to burn them for many hours, not trim the wicks, and all that other candle neglecting stuff. Squares are funny. The sides never melt down. But they can still have blow outs.It is a very pretty candle though, good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted January 23, 2006 Author Share Posted January 23, 2006 Thank you so much for your very valued opinions!!! It really is appreciated!I'll relight this one in the morning, (I've got a Mystic Breeze burning at the moment) and just let it go... see what happens after 5 or 6 hours.. take a pic and let you all know!!For a wick I used an HTP 105, just in case you were all wondering.. and I will wick down after my test, if you think I should. I'm here to learn, so I'm open to your comments and suggestions!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie2004 Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Suzanne, Its looks great, you might want to put it on a bigger plate. Just in case it does blow out the side and you didn't notice right away. In the picture it does look a little off center, but that could the camera angle deceiving how it really looks. Keep on Pouring,John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 Hi all!Ok, now we have the same candle, after 6 hours of straight burning today..No blow outs ... yet.... but it seems to be burning more down now, instead of out!! This isn't what I want is it.In last nights pic btw, the center was right on, it was just the camera angle.. but now............. it's not so hot!As stated above, my wic now is an htp 105, so a few of you suggested to wick down... I have all of the HTP sizes except for HTP 93, which my supplier doesn't have unwaxed, although she has it tabbed. So should I try for an HTP 83??? I also have some CD 8's, CD14's and some CD16's..on hand for the moment, but I suspect I'll be getting more wicks soon enough. I did want to just try with the htp's for starting out though..Suggestions, help, and comments (good or bad... I've got big shoulders:D ) are very, very welcome!!!And again thank you all very much in advance!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted January 25, 2006 Author Share Posted January 25, 2006 Just bumping this up, as I think I need some advice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breanna Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Now personally Im not sure BUT this wick looks weak and is not allowing the sides to melt down,, I would say wick up,,some great people to ask would be Geekrunner and Topofmurrayhill or dustpuppy,,They have some great advice. Sorry I could not be more help,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted January 25, 2006 Author Share Posted January 25, 2006 Hi I am new to this soy business BUT I have made a square candle with paraffin and I ALWAYS prime my wicks,,,I dont use them raw,,I put my wick into the wax I am using. Oh and I ALWAYS hug my pillars,,round or square.Now personally Im not sure BUT this wick looks weak and is not allowing the sides to melt down,, I would say wick up,,some great people to ask would be Geekrunner and Topofmurrayhill or dustpuppy,,They have some great advice. Sorry I could not be more help,,,, Yes I do realize that one has to prime the wicks.... I have learned that has to be done. I was just stating the sizes of unwaxed wick that my supplier has. Sorry if it came across the wrong way...You hug square pillars too????? Oh... I tried and it wouldn't give. Ok... something else learned!!! Thank you!!:highfive: I am actually hoping that Topofmurrayhill or one of those guys/gals will guide me in the right direction for my wick size though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breanna Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Yes I do realize that one has to prime the wicks.... I have learned that has to be done. I was just stating the sizes of unwaxed wick that my supplier has. Sorry if it came across the wrong way...You hug square pillars too????? Oh... I tried and it wouldn't give. Ok... something else learned!!! Thank you!!:highfive: I am actually hoping that Topofmurrayhill or one of those guys/gals will guide me in the right direction for my wick size though!!Those guys are the best!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 I'm also working on square pillars at the moment but I'm using paraffin instead of soy so my wick testing won't be appropriate for your type of wax but thought I'd share anyway. I've never used soy.Making 2x2x2", started with LX 20 and it worked the same as your first pic: close to the sides but in danger of blowing: wicked down to LX 18 and it tunneled, just like your second pic. So I changed type of wicks - went to C75. It has burned down little over 1/2 way and so far it's perfect. The corners are leaning inward on their own and isn't requiring much attention in regards to hugging. I stayed away from the HTPs in this 2x2 due to their curling - being a square candle, I wanted a wick that stayed straight and so far it's good. But, I'm also testing a 3x5 retangular and did use 2 HTP 105s in it - positioned the wicks so that they'll curl toward each other - just lit it so don't have any results yet.Our waxes are totally different but thought you might be able to extract some useful info from my testing results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 "You hug square pillars too????? Oh... I tried and it wouldn't give. Ok... something else learned!!! Thank you!!"Sorry for the weird quote, but I couldn't get the other way to work right... soy doesn't hug like paraffin does. It's more brittle and tends to break if you try and hug it... learned this one the hard way several times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted January 25, 2006 Author Share Posted January 25, 2006 So I changed type of wicks - went to C75. It has burned down little over 1/2 way and so far it's perfect. A C75????? I've heard of HTP, Heinz CD, LX, Square Braided Cotton, Zinc, Cored Cotton, Performa, and Cored.... Is this C75 Cored????:embarasse I'm sooooo sorry if I seem dense, but I still have a tremendous amount of learning to do, and its the wicks that I'm having most problems with. There are so many different kinds!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breanna Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 "You hug square pillars too????? Oh... I tried and it wouldn't give. Ok... something else learned!!! Thank you!!"Sorry for the weird quote, but I couldn't get the other way to work right... soy doesn't hug like paraffin does. It's more brittle and tends to break if you try and hug it... learned this one the hard way several times!Thanks for letting me know,,,Im new to Soy,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 A C75????? I've heard of HTP, Heinz CD, LX, Square Braided Cotton, Zinc, Cored Cotton, Performa, and Cored.... Is this C75 Cored????:embarasse I'm sooooo sorry if I seem dense, but I still have a tremendous amount of learning to do, and its the wicks that I'm having most problems with. There are so many different kinds!!They are a cotton cored wick - got them from Peak. Had a heck of a time wicking my 2" round pillars till I tested these. They do have a slight curl but didn't cause my candles to burn off-center.http://www.peakcandle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PCMS&Product_Code=WCK-C-75-6.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 There are so many different kinds!!Suzanne: I'm still pretty new to candlemaking and have trouble deciding which wick to start with and why...with emphasis on the WHY. that's exactly why I ordered about one of every sample that Peaks offered.... I could test the various types to see first hand what their pro/cons would be.The LX wicks have a really nice flame but I find I have to trim often or it gets too aggressive too fast..one friend I make candles for flat refuses to trim so I don't use LXs in her candles.I don't know how any of these perform in soy as I haven't ventured there yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Suzanne, I only use soy for containers. My pillars are paraffin. I just know with soy it's supposed to burn down the middle and leave a shell, and the wick size determines the size melt pool it's going to make. Looks to me like you hit the nail on the head or came pretty darn close.How picture-perfect it burns from top to bottom depends partly on how you burn it. The reason you got a smaller melt pool this time is because wax was melting off the sides to feed the melt pool and keep the flame a little smaller. The length of your burns and little variations in how the wick gets trimmed will make each candle burn down differently.Of course nothing beats experimenting if you want to learn. You could try a size bigger and a size smaller with the same FO and mold, just to see what difference it makes. The results might be predictable or you might make a more subtle discovery that increases your guru factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Thank you for the explanation Pam!!! Super appreciated!! Cotton cored.. yup, I should be able to find them here in Canada, as Peaks doesn't ship here as far as I can tell!! Darn... those free samples..........and they have such super sounding fragrances too!!!And to Top!! Thank you so much for your excellent advice!! I was hoping that you would come back to this thread!!Of course I want to learn, so I will take your advice and experiment!I admit I was totally confused, as I didn't know if I had to wick up or down!!I'll learn with experience and all of your help!!You guys and gals are really super!!I'm off to remelt and repour whats left of this pillar...I'll let you know how it turns out!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Ok, after repouring and test burning for 16½ hours... 3 separate burns of 5 to 6 hours each. This is the result. As I'm not used to square pillars... obviously,:rolleyes2 does this need to burn further out or????? I rewicked it with HTP 105 again, as I was fairly close the first time, but I'm wondering if an HTP 1212 would be better.At least this time it is burning down the center. One achievement I guess!!Any help would be appreciated!! TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 boy, that's pretty close to the wall already - the 1212 might cause a blowout...but that's just a maybe...might as well give it a try and keep a close eye on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 One problem with wicking candles is that we don't know how people will burn them. No matter what you do, it won't work ideally for everybody. So we follow certain conventions and hope for the best. In the case of 3 inch pillars we generally test for good performance in 3 to 4 hour burns.Since you're making candles for yourself, you can feel free to wick them according to your own burning habits. It's not necessarily a matter of right or wrong.Based on burning it the way you did, this one doesn't need to burn out any further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublon Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 One problem with wicking candles is that we don't know how people will burn them. No matter what you do, it won't work ideally for everybody. So we follow certain conventions and hope for the best. In the case of 3 inch pillars we generally test for good performance in 3 to 4 hour burns.Since you're making candles for yourself, you can feel free to wick them according to your own burning habits. It's not necessarily a matter of right or wrong.Based on burning it the way you did, this one doesn't need to burn out any further.Thank you sooooooooo much for your input! As usual, your advice is extremely valuable and helps me to learn.This particular pillar... I've melted it down 3 times already. The first time the wick was wayyyyyyyyy to small. The second time, well, they were the first pics I posted. The last time I burned that one it went way off center, after the third burn! But I realized what I had done wrong!! My wick wasn't tight enough when I poured, and it must have slipped. I also discovered that my kitchen counter has slight slant to it which doesn't help when pouring!!Now this one. I'll obviously keep trying though. I can pour them just fine, but to wick 'em.... phew!! But I will persevere!! I can make a pretty nice long burning, nice smelling tealight though.... :laugh2: And my votives are coming along nicely too!! To Pam: I was thinking the same thing, for the 1212... I'm almost too afraid to try it, but I guess maybe I should... just to satisfy my own curiousity!Thank you also for your input!!Believe me.. it is really appreciated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 My wick wasn't tight enough when I poured, and it must have slipped. 2 words - pick pins :smiley2: If you try the 1212 just keep that big plate under the candle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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