mterrell77 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Hello, I bought some square mold tapers 1" by 9". It came with no instructions and I am having a hard time finding anything about making tapers. Any suggestions on making and wicking?Thanks so much!!Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 A lot of it will be trial and error. You'll definitely need a pillar type wax. What size wick will depend on the wax as well as taper size. Pourette recommends square braid #5/0. Now that's for a round, but still 1" diameter, so it's a good place to start.Pour temp will vary as well. Too hat and the mold could melt, assuming it's plastic. Too cool and you'll have a rough surface/air bubbles. You may want to grease/use mold release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hello, I bought some square mold tapers 1" by 9". It came with no instructions and I am having a hard time finding anything about making tapers. Any suggestions on making and wicking?Thanks so much!!MarieUse some kind of pillar wax. Either a pillar pre-blend or plain paraffin with a hardener added. Get an assortment of wick sizes to test, either flat ply or square braid (personally I think the flat ply makes a more appealing flame for a taper but square braid might be a teeny bit easier). If you try to guess and just get one size you'll only drive yourself crazy. Without making the same candle with the same wax, nobody can guess what you'll need. The first time you make them, put a different size wick in each mold, then test burn them top to bottom or until they start to drip badly. The candles that drip have too small a wick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 I have those molds. I haven't tested flat braid like Top recommends. He is truly the expert on wicks. I used #0/5 and they work. I have some that I was burning last year....I'll see if I can locate them and take a pic. I spray in WD40 and use a long chopstick to clean them. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 I have those molds. I haven't tested flat braid like Top recommends. He is truly the expert on wicks. I used #0/5 and they work. I have some that I was burning last year....I'll see if I can locate them and take a pic. I spray in WD40 and use a long chopstick to clean them. DonitaI wouldn't call myself a wick expert, but I've played around with molded tapers. Standard flat ply or SB is convenient and what everyone uses. I like the flat ply because the flame is prettier to my eye, but the curl can weaken one side and cause a drip. With a molded taper you have the advantage of being able to twist it so the curl goes round and round, but SB is probably just less frustration-prone to start with.The thing is basically to find the smallest wick that doesn't drip, and remember that you have to wick up if it does. It's sensitive, so there's no way to guess the exact size if you haven't tried it with a particular wax formulation. If I had 4 molds, I wouldn't hesitate to try a different size in each one.Probably the higher the MP of the wax, the smaller the wick you can use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donita Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 As I was coming through the house on my way to the studio to refill my beautiful, if I may so myself, mottled pink "Pink Sugar" pillar, I found this old dusty rainbow taper. You can see that it dripped a little. That is the #0/5 SB wick and 4045 wax. I made three and they all had one drip....now they might not have been level in the sand but a smaller wick might be better....just have to experiment. Donita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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