No matter what I try, I CANNOT get rid of the cracks around my wicks

[Lovejoy444]

My test candles KEEP cracking in a circle around the wicks. The very first batch of candles I ever made about 6 weeks ago were BEAUTIFUL. But EVERY candle I've made since then (for wick testing) gets that damned crack around the wick. I'm pulling my hair out. Everything I've found during research says air bubbles in the melted wax or cooling too fast or both.

If there are air bubbles in my melted wax, they're microscopic, cuz I see NOTHING. I stir gently. I tap the pitcher before pouring to release any invisible bubbles, then I tap the vessel after pouring for the same invisible bubbles. I pour slooooowly so as not to create bubbles.

 

I've tried heated containers, unheated containers, foil around the vessel, no foil. I've poured at 170 degrees (CandleScience recommendation), 165, 160, 155, 150. (Tomorrow I'm gonna try 145 and 140, a Flaming Candle recommendation.) I've cooled them on a wire rack (which CS recommended on their troubleshooting page). I've cooled them on a wooden cutting board. I've cooled them in my kitchen where there *might* be a draft or two just from people walking past, but I've also cooled them in the spare bedroom with the door closed and a Sterilite container inverted overtop of them. I've used a heat gun to melt the top 1/8" or so. The temperature in my house is a constant 73 degrees while I'm doing all this. And STILL cracks.

 

That first flawless batch was 100% GW 454 soy coconut wax. The second batch, when the crack started to appear, was also 454, and one of those candles cured with a fugly top. Since I also didn't like the fugly tops after soy candles burn, I decided to add a bit of parasoy. So now, my personal wax blend is 80% GW 454 and 20% parasoy (Blended Waxes brand BW 910). No more fugly tops now, just, ya know, that fucking crack. 🤬

So, if anyone has any advice at all, I'd welcome it. Cuz I'm fresh out of ideas beyond just continuing to try cooler and cooler pour temps--and eventually, I'm gonna reach a temp that's not pourable. LOL I can't be a chandler if I can't get decent candles. How can I be so deficient at this? I've made nearly a dozen candles (one at a time) over the last week, trying one thing and another, and they crack every single time. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer. ❤️

[NightLight]

It’s the wax if you tried all of the above. You can adjust the wax to make it softer and less pronto to cracking. You will have to test various additives. You may have to skip the parasoy and get a very soft paraffin to get the cracks to go away, but adding paraffin you get other problems like loss of adhesion after you burn, and in cold weather.

When I use C3 I always get circular cracks, so I blend it to make it behave. Because we don’t know what’s is in the waxes, it’s all out testing to control the wax.

[BusyBee]

On 5/7/2022 at 8:19 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

If there are air bubbles in my melted wax, they're microscopic, cuz I see NOTHING. I stir gently. I tap the pitcher before pouring to release any invisible bubbles, then I tap the vessel after pouring for the same invisible bubbles. I pour slooooowly so as not to create bubbles.

You might want to stir vigorously so all the ingredients can be blended well together.  I stir gently when I started candle making.  But I found out that the harder I stir the better it is.

 

How hot do you heat your wax up to?  Your blend would be mostly soy, so I am guessing that it would be better if you don't go over 185F.  As for the pouring temperature, most soy wax would work well between 130 to 140F which I prefer to pour 130F.

*Your mixture can be little different.

 

Who said fugly tops after burn of soy is normal?  This is picture of 100% 464 after burn.  Fugly tops after burn of soy wax can be solved by using right wick.  It's hard, but it can be done.

[Lizzy]

On 5/7/2022 at 11:19 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

No more fugly tops now, just, ya know, that fucking crack. 🤬

 

I had to laugh at this ....lol...because I know that frustration so well....although for me it's 6006 and wetspots. I tried everything but in the end I switched waxes to save what little brain matter I had left. 

 

One thing I noticed when using waxes that are straight soy or mostly soy is that if I keep the wick too tight in it's holder I tend to get a crack near the wick. This happened with 444, C6 (coco soy) and C3 as well. 

If all fails - just switch waxes. There's better waxes out there. 

[AdeleWilk79]

Hi, do you know if there is any other way to get the glitter to go all the way through your candle rather than using ice? 

[Lovejoy444]

@Lizzy what wax do you use now? I have read that parasoy tends to have more wet spots, so maybe that's just unavoidable when using 6006? As far as a too-tight wick causing the crack, I'm not even using wicks yet! lmao I'm just trying to get a decent pour & cure so I can do wickless wick testing. Most of what I"m seeing says this particular circular crack is that the candle is cooling unevenly, so I have to work that out... somehow... *sigh*

[Lovejoy444]

@AdeleWilk79, you should probably start a separate thread with your specific glitter question so that people will see what the topic is. Sorry, I don't know much about glitter in candles other than it's generally not recommended. Fine glitter can clog the wick (get drawn up into the wick along with the wax) and cause the candle not to burn well or to extinguish itself from lack of fuel. Also, most glitter is made from plastic materials that gives off toxic fumes when burned. You could probably get away with applying glitter to the outside of a pillar candle, though. Anyway, that's my two cents. But again, starting a new thread with your glitter question will probably yield better results. You can also do a search to see if this question has already been answered.

[Lovejoy444]

@BusyBee, a lot of makers and suppliers say fugly tops after burning is normal with soy--not guaranteed to happen, just within the realm of normal. Even CandleScience says that in their troubleshooting guide on soy wax. I'm very glad that you've been able to find a solution, though! The first batch of 6 candles that I made never had any problems with fugly tops after either curing or burning, but then my second batch did. And subsequent... 🙄 So... I dunno. LOL

And I'm sorry I forgot to mention how hot I heat the wax: yes, 185. Thank you so much for the tips on stirring and pour temp. I will definitely be adding your ideas to my lengthy list of things to try! 🤪

Edited May 11, 2022 by Lovejoy444

[Lizzy]

10 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

@Lizzy what wax do you use now? I have read that parasoy tends to have more wet spots, so maybe that's just unavoidable when using 6006? As far as a too-tight wick causing the crack, I'm not even using wicks yet! lmao I'm just trying to get a decent pour & cure so I can do wickless wick testing. Most of what I"m seeing says this particular circular crack is that the candle is cooling unevenly, so I have to work that out... somehow... *sigh*

Ohhhhhh well hot dawg! Good luck with that! 

I switched to another parasoy for Jars. One that has more soy than 6006. Pro Blend 600 from TFC. It's got great adhesion, throw is fabulous at 8-9% even after a short 3-5 day cure, it burns beautifully and looks great . It's (mostly) a one pour with the occasional sinkhole near the wick. 

 

6006 is a great wax but I can't get past the "dollar store candle look" with it's wet spots. 

 

[Belinda]

On 5/11/2022 at 3:49 AM, Lizzy said:

Ohhhhhh well hot dawg! Good luck with that! 

I switched to another parasoy for Jars. One that has more soy than 6006. Pro Blend 600 from TFC. It's got great adhesion, throw is fabulous at 8-9% even after a short 3-5 day cure, it burns beautifully and looks great . It's (mostly) a one pour with the occasional sinkhole near the wick. 

 

6006 is a great wax but I can't get past the "dollar store candle look" with it's wet spots. 

 

The para/soy from Flaming doesn't leave wet spots? I've never tried that wax, just their para/soy tart wax which is the same from RE and Virginia.

[Lizzy]

1 hour ago, Belinda said:

The para/soy from Flaming doesn't leave wet spots? I've never tried that wax, just their para/soy tart wax which is the same from RE and Virginia.

Hasn't for me so far. Adhesion is great for me with the PB 600 and also 464. I love the throw from 6006 but on it's own...the wetspots are too much for me. I have been testing some blends with it. BUT....BUT....I am kinda sick of having to buy multiple waxes. Especially with prices sky high not only for wax but shipping as well. 

[Belinda]

4 hours ago, Lizzy said:

Hasn't for me so far. Adhesion is great for me with the PB 600 and also 464. I love the throw from 6006 but on it's own...the wetspots are too much for me. I have been testing some blends with it. BUT....BUT....I am kinda sick of having to buy multiple waxes. Especially with prices sky high not only for wax but shipping as well. 

I hear you on not wanting to keep buying multiple waxes. I think I've settled and then BAM! I change my mind. I was using 6006 for containers and to mix with 4625 for clams but it gets so hot here in East Texas that I thought I needed a harder container wax so now I'm trying 133 because it can be used with containers and shapes too but I hate the dimples it leaves on the shapes and I'm not sure yet if the throw in containers is as good as 6006 but I've only poured one candle with it so far so it's too early to tell. After 10 years you'd think I would have it together by now but nope, not yet.

[Lizzy]

10 hours ago, Belinda said:

I hear you on not wanting to keep buying multiple waxes. I think I've settled and then BAM! I change my mind. I was using 6006 for containers and to mix with 4625 for clams but it gets so hot here in East Texas that I thought I needed a harder container wax so now I'm trying 133 because it can be used with containers and shapes too but I hate the dimples it leaves on the shapes and I'm not sure yet if the throw in containers is as good as 6006 but I've only poured one candle with it so far so it's too early to tell. After 10 years you'd think I would have it together by now but nope, not yet.

Yeah the dimples is what turned me off with 133 when I tried it years ago. Is 133 only available from RE? That would be another turn off for me personally because I just got burned by a supplier discontinuing the wax I was using (and loved) 

[Karen Ov]

On 5/7/2022 at 11:19 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

My test candles KEEP cracking in a circle around the wicks. The very first batch of candles I ever made about 6 weeks ago were BEAUTIFUL. But EVERY candle I've made since then (for wick testing) gets that damned crack around the wick. I'm pulling my hair out. Everything I've found during research says air bubbles in the melted wax or cooling too fast or both.

If there are air bubbles in my melted wax, they're microscopic, cuz I see NOTHING. I stir gently. I tap the pitcher before pouring to release any invisible bubbles, then I tap the vessel after pouring for the same invisible bubbles. I pour slooooowly so as not to create bubbles.

 

I've tried heated containers, unheated containers, foil around the vessel, no foil. I've poured at 170 degrees (CandleScience recommendation), 165, 160, 155, 150. (Tomorrow I'm gonna try 145 and 140, a Flaming Candle recommendation.) I've cooled them on a wire rack (which CS recommended on their troubleshooting page). I've cooled them on a wooden cutting board. I've cooled them in my kitchen where there *might* be a draft or two just from people walking past, but I've also cooled them in the spare bedroom with the door closed and a Sterilite container inverted overtop of them. I've used a heat gun to melt the top 1/8" or so. The temperature in my house is a constant 73 degrees while I'm doing all this. And STILL cracks.

 

That first flawless batch was 100% GW 454 soy coconut wax. The second batch, when the crack started to appear, was also 454, and one of those candles cured with a fugly top. Since I also didn't like the fugly tops after soy candles burn, I decided to add a bit of parasoy. So now, my personal wax blend is 80% GW 454 and 20% parasoy (Blended Waxes brand BW 910). No more fugly tops now, just, ya know, that fucking crack. 🤬

So, if anyone has any advice at all, I'd welcome it. Cuz I'm fresh out of ideas beyond just continuing to try cooler and cooler pour temps--and eventually, I'm gonna reach a temp that's not pourable. LOL I can't be a chandler if I can't get decent candles. How can I be so deficient at this? I've made nearly a dozen candles (one at a time) over the last week, trying one thing and another, and they crack every single time. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer. ❤️

Try pouring the wax down the wick

[Belinda]

8 hours ago, Lizzy said:

Yeah the dimples is what turned me off with 133 when I tried it years ago. Is 133 only available from RE? That would be another turn off for me personally because I just got burned by a supplier discontinuing the wax I was using (and loved) 

You can get it at Flaming, Just Scent and there's one more place but I can't remember right off the top of my head. Their para/soy wax is also sold at Flaming and Just Scent and also Virginia Candle Company.

[Lizzy]

1 hour ago, Belinda said:

You can get it at Flaming, Just Scent and there's one more place but I can't remember right off the top of my head. Their para/soy wax is also sold at Flaming and Just Scent and also Virginia Candle Company.

Ahhhh ok. I knew about the para soy just not the straight paraffin. But....DIMPLES...and the only thing I found that works to get rid of them is to blend it. UGH

[Lovejoy444]

@Karen Ov, I'm so sorry that I forgot to mention, there are no wicks yet. I'm just pouring jars of wax for later wickless testing. I thought I mentioned that in my original post. Oops. 🙃

[Lovejoy444]

@Lizzy, is the Pro Blend 600 more on the white side since it has more soy? I really dislike the semi-opaque yellowness of the soy-paraffin blends I've tried so far. I just think they're ugly. LOL I really love the creamy white of the cocosoy, and would love to get it to work for me.

[Belinda]

2 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

@Lizzy, is the Pro Blend 600 more on the white side since it has more soy? I really dislike the semi-opaque yellowness of the soy-paraffin blends I've tried so far. I just think they're ugly. LOL I really love the creamy white of the cocosoy, and would love to get it to work for me.

I haven't used that one yet but 6006 sometimes has a yellowish tint to it to me but the batch I have right now is white. It seems like it's sometimes tinted just a little bit when I get it from Aztec which has the best pricing but I color my wax so I'm ok with it.

[Lizzy]

9 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

@Lizzy, is the Pro Blend 600 more on the white side since it has more soy? I really dislike the semi-opaque yellowness of the soy-paraffin blends I've tried so far. I just think they're ugly. LOL I really love the creamy white of the cocosoy, and would love to get it to work for me.

It's more creamy and opaque when poured yes but it still gets that paraffin look when burned....if you know what I mean....lol....that glossy, soft, shiny translucent look. 

[NightLight]

If you are not using wicks you will get a circular crack on cooldown. It can change with a wick, though C3 is famous for circular crack unless blended with paraffin.