Why does the wick move during burning?

[Lori berlin]

 

 

The following problem occurs now and then and nerfs me enormously:

While the candle is burning, the wick wanders outward after a while, so I often have to correct it with a chopstick. This usually happens when the candle has burned down about 1 cm. 

In doing so, I basically do nothing wrong. I adjust the wick exactly in the center of the glass and then fix it with a wick holder, just as it should be. Even after I pour in the wax, the wick sits straight and yet this happens. Can someone please explain to me what this could be? 

I am currently using CS 1 wax (paraffin mixture similar to Sasol container wax), 7% fragrance, Lx 12 wick.

Best regards 

Simone

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[TallTayl]

Is the wick tab (base) detaching from the container and sliding/moving, or is the wick tipping over?

 

if the wick  tab is sliding:

you’ll need a much better adhesive to stop the “wandering”. 

 

If it is tipping over, but the tab is still firmly stuck to the container:

soft waxes, especially when wicked hot for early full melt pool, destabilize many “floppy” wicks causing them to tip over. If you hold a wick directly from the package on a tabletop or countertop by the base, core-less wicks (such as square braid, ply, cd, CDN, lx, htp) will tip right over. The wick tab crimp pinches the wick and makes a bend where the tab top meets the wick material.  It can’t help but fold over.  gravity takes over when the candle wax is softened during a burn and topples the wick like a tree being felled.

 

some possible solutions:

use a wick that has a core. Zinc core, paper core, filtec ultra core, etc

 

use a rigid flat wick like wooden wick or wooden tube wicks

wick so that the pool is less hot. Soft waxes like coconut blends, soy, soft-ish paraffins get practically liquefied even though they look solid through the glass.  
 

Use a harder wax, like palm, beeswax, or very firm paraffin that does not create the soft melt area and can support the floppiness of the wick.

[Lori berlin]

Thank you for the quick and detailed reply. 
It is not the wick flap, which sits bombproof to the end at the bottom of the glass. Also the wick thread is always fixed firmly and straight on the wick holder. 
But what you have explained regarding the stability of the wicks, makes sense to me.  I have never looked at the differences between the wicks in this way. Thanks for this valuable info.
 Since I need to use up the existing wax first, I will try other wicks (although I love the LX wicks) and see if changing the wick solves the problem. 
One more question: How can you tell if a wax is hard or soft if there is nothing in the description about it?

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[TallTayl]

3 hours ago, Lori berlin said:

One more question: How can you tell if a wax is hard or soft if there is nothing in the description about it?

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Sometimes the technical documents mention the needle penetration, which can hint at the hardness, at least when completely cool.  
 

some waxes, like soy, just always turn to a soft mush when it warms during a burn.