Wick Crazy ??

[Judette]

First let me say I like to test with my wick adhered to the jar. I do not like the poke the hole routine because I want to test to the bottom of the jar. I have poured four 9 ounce hex jars, same FO, same dye - J223 wax.

1st- 51 zinc, 2nd-CD10, 3rd-LX18, & 4th-HTP83. Doing burn test. Now do I go with the best one burning with all factors - throw, mushrooming, soot, hang-up? Say the LX18 was the best in all factors but the flame was a little small - leaving a little hang-up. Do I then try an LX20?. OR should have I from the very beginning poured 3 different zinc wicks, 3 different CD wicks, 3 different LX wicks, and 3 different HTP wicks? I have found that with some FOs the zinc aren't worth a darn and vice versa. I know you are all going to say that is why we test. And I know that. I guess I am always thinking that maybe something still might have been a little bit better. Sorry so long.

[Sherl]

How long are you burning? 3 hours each time or do you let it go for 6 hours.. a little hang up doesn't bother me because most people light candles and let them go all day. By hangup I mean a thin film, not a 1/4" ridge all the way around. I have a 4" jar and I test over the course of testing everything from 2-8 hours. Sometimes they get forgot about and go a tad longer. Heat from that kind of burning takes care of hangup. If a customer leaves a candle in the bathroom burning all night because they forgot about it, I don't want a blowtorch. So personally I'd err on the side of being a bit small on the wick, everything else being good, rather than perfect at several burns that are 3 hours long because I have a 3" jar. I just don't find the general population burning a set time every time they light a candle.