How do you tighten Your Wicks?

[smellywax]

Okay, am I the only one that has problems with wicks coming out of their tabs when you go to pull them straight into a wick holder bar? This frustrates the heck out of me. What do you do to make sure your wicks stay straight? I use wick stickums and have used wick holder bars and clothes pins...but I can get them to stay straight because when I go to pull it gently they always pop out of the tabs.

[Kaybee23]

I give them a little squeeze with some needle nose plyers on the neck of the tab, careful not to bend the base too much. I use hot glue to put mine in.

[Ahseyac]

What I do is wait until the candle starts to set on the bottom and then pull the wick through through the wick bar. It stops the problem of the wick seperating from stickcum and centers the wick in the candle before it sets. HTH

[The_Dallas_Texas_Dean]

smelly...if they ALWAYS pull out of the tabs, I think you need to either change suppliers or have a serious talk with the people you are purchasing from. We ALL know what you are talking about and it is very frustrating! There is not one of us that likes to clean jars!

I am using these (now at Lone Star) and loving them:

BOW TIE WICK BARS

This is a new version of our wickbar. Due to its design, the wick hole is automatically centered in the container ensuring a perfectly centered wick. It has three holes which allows you to single-wick or double-wick your container.

Sold separately - Only $0.59 each

OR BUY IN BULK AND REALLY SAVE!

100+ ONLY $0.49 EACH

Qty:

They take some getting use to, but they will hold your wick taunt for you and keep it centered.

I just give mine a GOOD tug BEFORE wicking the containers and hope for the best. I would say that about 1 in 75 still pull out once the heat hits them....nature of the beast, I guess. I am too lazy to be as good as Kaybee about it...guess I would rather grab a new wicked container and bitch about it:o

Honestly....if you are having that many pull loose....give them back to them!

[Luci]

Very interesting. Thanks for sending the pic so I would know what you're talking about. Gotta have a few of those!

[AngelaVA]

Are you pulling on them after you've poured in the hot wax? I find that if I pull on mine after I pour, they wll come out of the tab much easier. I use the wick centering tool http://www.ezwicksystem.com/default.asp?S=503&A=E&PKV=WCT-MD|0 and never have any problems if I set it up before I pour. After I pour, I don't touch it. Works great and they are really cheap too. I would highly recommend these

[Beth-VT]

I agree with The DTD. If this is a common occurance, there might be a problem with your supplier.

I use wick bars and stickums, and have no problems. I do, however, place them before I pour.

[Jane42]

Which wicks are you having trouble with? I started testing with HTP's and two out of the four slipped out when I gave them a "tug". Very frustrating!!

I do this before I pour the wax in, so I haven't had to clean jars, but we were testing another wick (can't remember which one right now) that would be just fine until we poured the wax it.....then it would come out of the tab and float to the top....AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!

[smokymountainraine]

When I wick the jar I straighten the wick before I stick it. Then all I do is slip it into the centering tool. I don't tug at all.

For centering I use the Bow Ties for my larger jars and these for my 8oz masons: http://www.buywax.com/product.asp?specific=jrrrdqd8

[deanna]

I tighten the base with pliers, then put wick stickums on the bottom of them until I am ready to use them. When I use them, I stickum to the bottom of my jars and then pour my wax. I line them up 3 jars at a time. I use bamboo skewers to keep my wicks straight. I place the skewers across the middle of the jars, pull them up straight, and then bend the wicks over the stick - which doesn't put any pressure on the wick tabs. I have great luck with this method. Since I double wick all my jars I needed a method that would keep both wicks uniform. This does it!

[Sharon in KY]

Well, I just got a batch of wicks that would pull out when I straightened them. Too much of a pain to check every time. Called the supplier and bitched so they replaced them. She had the nerve to tell me to squeeze with the pliers just in case. If I wanted to tab each wick my self I would buy them separate and I don't. So call your supplier and tell them you want them replaced. The new batch I got are great. You can even see the difference in the crimp. But if you do want to just go ahead and crimp instead of complaining, just get a jewerly crimper, it works great.

[j1workman]

I use silicone sealant to fix my wick tabs to the bottom of the jar. I let it sit overnight to have good adhesion, and let me tell you - they will not come off the bottom of the jar after that. I use a clear silicone sealer that I got at Wal-mart. Just my $.02.

[Sharon in KY]

I use the clear silicone calking too, wick tab will not pull out of jar but the wick will pull out of tab if it is not crimped tight.

[BruceCarvesWax]

I think using clear silicone is about the best way to set a wick. I use wick stickums and the wick centering tool. I think hot glue is the worst way to go, the MP of the hot glue is not high enought to keep the wick from floating when the melt pool gets close to the bottom. I know... they are not to be burned all the way down, but some people try to milk them for all the smell they can get. Bruce

[Sharon in KY]

I'm one of those "milkers" and the jars I'm using now have a curved bottom so I have to use the silicone. Once you get use to the calking it's not that bad.

[cindym]

This is why I buy all my wicks from Peaks

[Sharon in KY]

Does Peak's crimp the wicks they sell?

[redjello2000]

Just like Kaybee, I use needle nose plyers! Works like a charm. I crimp them when I buy them, so that I don't have to do it as I go along. But as Kaybee was saying, be careful not to crimp too much or it will warp the base of the tab.

Beverly S

[candlesprite7]

I tab mine myself, I dont make enough containers to buy the asembly..lol...needle nose pliers or jewelry crimpers both work great for this...never hurts to check...

[kuepie]

you should bring this up. I have been having problems with wicks I recently purchased. this was the first time I ever experienced this with the supplier. I e-mailed them last night so now I'm waiting for an answer. It is very frustrating when you have to redo what should have already been done. I mean this is why I buy them already tabbed. To save time not to make it more time consuming.