LX wicks giving me no scent throw.

[Janette]

I have recently been testing LX-18 & LX-16 in my 3" pillars (paraffin/vybar) and got no hot throw to speak of. Normally use #1 SQ and will stick with it (throws great). I was thinking of switching so I could buy pretabbed wicks. I tried several different FO's and had no reasonable throw with any. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Janette

[creativecandles]

I am so glad to read this, because I am experiencing the same thing in my container candles! I have been testing the lx wicks for double wicking in my apothecary jars with my 50/50 blend.......since testing these, I get very weak throws. They burn well, but the throw sucks! I have been thinking it was the fo's but now I am sure it is the wick. Back to the CD's for me

[Candle Man]

I get a great throw in jars, I haven't used LX's in pillers.

[Ring of Fire]

I have recently been testing LX-18 & LX-16 in my 3" pillars (paraffin/vybar) and got no hot throw to speak of. Normally use #1 SQ and will stick with it (throws great). I was thinking of switching so I could buy pretabbed wicks. I tried several different FO's and had no reasonable throw with any. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Janette

That is too small of a wick for a 3 inch pillar.

[ChrisR]

I've been using LX wicks in my containers and pillars for a couple years now and get great scent throw. In my 3" pillars (soy/paraffin) I use LX24 - LX28 depending on the scent.

[Janette]

The LX-18 actually does a good job of burning, leaving a thin wall that was huggable. The LX-18 also needed trimming more often than #1 SQ. LX-16 was definately too small. I should try LX-20 sometime, but can't wait the time it will take to get more wicks here. #1 SQ does a great job, so I'll stick with it for now. Thanks for the replies.

Janette

[Smokin'Hot]

I agree with ChrisR - I use the LX series wicks in my 3" pillars either LX22 or LX24 and get great throw and burn. I use 4625 pillar wax and granite wax.

[Scented]

That is too small of a wick for a 3 inch pillar.

Ditto to that.

[Fern]

I think that is way too small as well. I use the LX wicks and it takes at least an LX-28 or 30 in 3" paraffin pillars. Anything smaller and you're going to be left with a fairly large shell and not much of a scent throw. I'd also be careful with the vybar...any more than 1 tsp per lb of wax can inhibit your scent throw...or cancel it out all together.

[topofmurrayhill]

I think that is way too small as well. I use the LX wicks and it takes at least an LX-28 or 30 in 3" paraffin pillars. Anything smaller and you're going to be left with a fairly large shell and not much of a scent throw. I'd also be careful with the vybar...any more than 1 tsp per lb of wax can inhibit your scent throw...or cancel it out all together.

Her wick may be too small, but I think LX-28/30 is overshooting. That LX-30 I tried turned into a blowtorch after the first burn, even with a careful trim. I don't really understand our different results unless you're using Vybar 343.

[Janette]

Her wick may be too small, but I think LX-28/30 is overshooting. That LX-30 I tried turned into a blowtorch after the first burn, even with a careful trim. I don't really understand our different results unless you're using Vybar 343.

LX-28 is too large, smoked like crazy and needed trimming constantly. I will have to wait for more sizes to arrive. On Candlewic's chart, LX-20 has the same Gm/Hr burn rate as #1 Sq (7.3 gm/hr). I will try LX-20/22 next and see how that goes.

Top, do you know the gm/hr rates of LX series above LX-20? Candlewic's chart only shows burn rates up to LX-20. Thanks for the help.

Janette

[topofmurrayhill]

Top, do you know the gm/hr rates of LX series above LX-20? Candlewic's chart only shows burn rates up to LX-20. Thanks for the help.

You can find it for the whole series at http://www.wicksunlimited.com/candle_wicks.php.

The wick test comparisons aren't always useful because they come from different sources for different wicks. There's a standard for testing, but in reality the manufacturers vary in how they implement it.

Within a single manufacturer the comparisons can be good, as well as between the 2 German manufacturers. -A

[Fern]

We've got some other folks here on the board that have to go up to a 28 or a 30, so I'm not the only one. I hope they chime in here, because they usually do when this subject is brought up. It could also depend on the wax that's being used. I've had to use a 28 or 30 with 1343 and 4045...anything smaller and I'm left with a large shell. I'm not trying to argue here, just trying to tell you that it's not so off base since I'm not the only one who's had to use these larger sizes.

[topofmurrayhill]

We've got some other folks here on the board that have to go up to a 28 or a 30, so I'm not the only one. I hope they chime in here, because they usually do when this subject is brought up. It could also depend on the wax that's being used. I've had to use a 28 or 30 with 1343 and 4045...anything smaller and I'm left with a large shell. I'm not trying to argue here, just trying to tell you that it's not so off base since I'm not the only one who's had to use these larger sizes.

My perspective on it is simply that we could learn something useful by finding the explanation. The fact that you have to use one of the largest flat braids in existence on a 3 inch pillar is no small difference. The only thing I've run into before that caused this was Vybar 343, but you never answer when I inquire as to whether that might account for it. I think it can't be just the wax because you use the same waxes as many other people.

[Fern]

Sorry Top...didn't realize that you were asking me if I used Vybar 343. Yep, I sure do. It could very well be the reason why I have to wick up so much. It didn't even occur to me that the vybar was the cause. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[topofmurrayhill]

Try making a candle without it and I'm certain you'll find that's the reason your wicking requirement is unusually high. That stuff can bump it up 2 or 3 sizes easily depending on how much you use. It's crazy.

I've spent weeks, even months, testing Vybar 343 every which way. You can be fooled into thinking it's doing something useful because with certain usage levels the candle comes out of the mold cleaner. The important thing is whether it's subsequently more resistant to bleeding like the manufacturer claims, and it's not. Under hot conditions it actually makes it worse.

I can give you a long list of findings but the bottom line is I concluded the stuff is half a scam. Using the right amount of stearic makes a better product. Strangely, it seems to be the palm candle makers who have ended up getting value out of it.

[Scented]

And I don't. I use steric and it's not uncommon for me to use anything between an LX 26 and 30 depending on the scent on a 3" pillar with 1343. So I don't think it's just a 343 thang.

[topofmurrayhill]

And I don't. I use steric and it's not uncommon for me to use anything between an LX 26 and 30 depending on the scent on a 3" pillar with 1343. So I don't think it's just a 343 thang.

It's nice to be able to wick up when you need to. I'm not saying you'd never need those sizes. It can even help avoid "the bulge" with 1343 if you raise the rate of wax consumption. But routinely using those sizes with 4045 is pretty unusual unless there's 343 in there.