candlebean Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Ok, This may turn out to be a really stupid question and I have been wrestling with whether or not to even post it, but here goes. I just started making pillars - the first one turned out SOOO good - it looked awesome, burned perfectly and all that good stuff. I used the kit from Peaks and thought to myself "hey pillars are so easy, I can't wait to make another one." My second one was the exact opposite - the wick, I don't even know what that wick was thinking, it was so off center even though I did everything exactly the same. So, to make my life easier, I thought, hey, I'll just get some wick pins for my pillars - I use them for votives and don't have a problem centering my wick. But my question is, if I use a wick pin for a pillar that is 7 or 8 inches tall, what type of wick do I use? With the votives, I just have to melt the bottom of the votive and kind of shove the metal tab up until it is sealed in there. So here comes my stupid question - I don't see any wicks that would be long enough to do that, leading me to believe that I would need a spool-o-wick. But my brain is telling me that I won't have the metal tab to shove up into my melted wax, and I don't see how plain old wick would meld itself. So would I need to get wick tabs to do this? I've never had to assemble my own wick to wick tab, so I'm a little lost. Please be kind - it's my birthday today and I think I am on a cake high.Thanks for reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachf19 Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Ok, I've not been doing this that long, but from what I understand, you have two options: The first is to make your own wick assemblies by using the spool wick in the length that you need (either plain or primed w/ wax) and attaching wick tabs yourself, or Two-- Candlewic will make a wick to your specs, length up to 9 inches, I think. Option 2 sounds easier to me, but I haven't tried either one, so I don't really know. HTH...PS: Happy Birthday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlebean Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 Thanks! # 2 does sound easier to me too...unless anyone out there has put together their own....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvcandletarts2 Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Happy Birthday to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Thanks! # 2 does sound easier to me too...unless anyone out there has put together their own....?It's not hard to make the wick assemblies. Candles & Supplies sells machine-waxed spools of wicking that are handy for that.But yeah, for the utmost in simplicity you can buy longer assemblies. Candlewic is a great source if you're OK with buying 500 of each type you may need. Longwyck has LX in 8" lengths sold per hundred. Candle Cocoon has CD assemblies 12" long that you can even buy individually.I just noticed that Candles & Supplies has 8" assemblies too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuuppy Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I buy the tabs and wick by the spool. Really isn't very hard to do.I cut a piece of wick, dip it in wax, run your fingers down the length to squeeze out the excess ( use a paper towel between the wick and your fingers ), let it cool a bit, put the tab on one end, crimp it with needle nose pliers.Pretty easy. Only takes a second or two.Buying premade is easier. I don't know which is actually cheaper. The roll your own is more flxible, if you're using a few of *this* wick and a few of *that* and a couple of *the other* wick... etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I don't use tabs on my pillars. Just run the wick thru, bend over on bottom'bout 1/4" & hit w/heat gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesprite7 Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I do what Dustpuupy does, except for the tabbing the wick, I just heat up the bottom of the pillar a bit with either my heat gun or if I need to level it put it on the hot pan for a few seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sed8ed Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I have to agree with Pam. Why in the world would you need to use a tab with a pillar candle. I've never seen such a thing. Just prime your wick, let it dry on some newspaper and stick it through the hole made from your wick pin. Fold it over a bit on the bottom and level your candle as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustpuuppy Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 I have to agree with Pam. Why in the world would you need to use a tab with a pillar candle. I've never seen such a thing. Just prime your wick, let it dry on some newspaper and stick it through the hole made from your wick pin. Fold it over a bit on the bottom and level your candle as usual.One reason I do it, is so people can't burn the thing all the way down.When I do my repour, I don't quite top it off. I let the candle cool, pull the wick pin out, put in the wick, then top it off. The tab winds up just under the surface of the wax on the bottom. The candle will burn down to the top of the tab, then the flame will die. Leaves about 1/2 inch of wax.Call it an added safety feature, to protect the terminally stupid, out there. Your mileage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 One reason I do it, is so people can't burn the thing all the way down.The candle will burn down to the top of the tab, then the flame will die. Leaves about 1/2 inch of wax.Your mileage may vary.My mileage actually varies wildly from yours, to the extent that I draw the opposite conclusion about what's a safety feature.The pillars I wicked with tabs consumed themselves much more completely than the ones without, often leaving (besides the rim) little more than a film of wax on a glass pillar plate. They were happily sucking up fuel through the hole in the bottom of the tab and hanging on for a long time. In contrast, untabbed wicks topple over and go out much sooner.Supporting the wick when the wax liquifies is one of the major functions of a wick tab. Your untabbed ones seem to pull off a remarkable balancing act, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Top, read Dust's post again. His tab is above the bottom surface of the candle. I do the same thing, wick the mold and snip the wick below the surface prior to the final pour. We both get a smooth bottom with the wick ending 1/2" above the bottom of the candle. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 I don't use wick tabs for my pillars either. So many candle holders have that point that the candle sits on (brain fart, can't think of the term) and it doesn't work as good with a metal tab in there. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Top, read Dust's post again. His tab is above the bottom surface of the candle. I do the same thing, wick the mold and snip the wick below the surface prior to the final pour. We both get a smooth bottom with the wick ending 1/2" above the bottom of the candle. eE, yeah I did wonder if the way Dust is burying the wick tab is preventing the problem I saw. Even if that's the case, the tab is still doing nothing for safety. Your technique is foolproof, whereas leaving the tab in there could only make it go wrong.Think about what happens when you make a test container and just poke a wick into it. What happens when it gets close to the bottom? The tab is more for keeping it lit than putting it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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