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Posted

Another of those questions for which anyone making candles should already know the answer - but I don't.

Got that my votives need to be in a holder. Makes perfect sense.

Now since they are basically container candles, should I get a melt pool that goes all the way to the edges of the candle or is a rim of still-hard wax supposed to be there?

Posted

I don't know I don't know!!! I'm at work and my candles are at home!

Actually I DO know they are 75% EcoSoya CB and 25% the container wax that came in my Peak Container Candle kit! And for the wicks I got a zinc sample pack and I've tried the 3 smallest, whatever those are - the web site doesn't list what they are! I'll tell you when I get home tonight!

Posted

I sometimes get a bit of a "shell" after the melted wax has sort of spilled over the top, but that melts down in with the rest of the wax & fills the votive holder. All my votive holders are a bit bigger than the votives so I'm going to get some that are a more snug fitting & see how they work.

Sally.

Posted
What wax ya using woman?

Yeap, you should get a full melt pool across the top. Sounds like a wicker upper. What size wick you got in that thing?

Specifics, we need specifics! :D

OK - 75% EcoSoya, 25% IGI 4630

Using zinc core wicks from Peak - 44-32-18Z and 44-36-18Z. (I also tried slimmer ones but they didn't do well - just kinda tunneled down.) I do have a half-inch deep melt pool with both, but they don't get all the way to the edges.

Posted

How long are you burning them for? How many burns? I know its a votive but some can burn a votive a few times. If the hang up is not much, it is possible that it will catch up with subsequent burns. Especially with soy - soy tends to burn down then out. And you don't always get a full mp on the first burn and sometimes second with soy. These are just ideas since you are blending with paraffin which I don't do. Another thing, typically, soy does not like zinc wicks so the soy in your blend might not like them. There are some that do swear by zincs, but a change of wicks might help you too. I tried zincs but did not care for them at all. They didn't burn hot enough for my wax. My guess is the majority of soy users don't care for them in soy either. :undecided

Posted

on the third burn the 44-32-18Z finally went all the way across. I burned for 2 hours each time. Still a little hang-up on the sides of the mold but looking better. Maybe I should go exploring other wick types - any suggestions?

Posted
Why are you blending the two waxes? That might be your problem. I like the Ecosoya VB for tarts & votives but I use different wicking than the zinc.
I was wondering the same thing. Why not try just straight ecosoya first, before you go shopping.
Posted

Some people like to make blends. While I don't think its necessary sometimes because of the variety of waxes out there, its not unusual. I make my own blend cuz I couldn't find what I liked. And who knows, if you play around like that, that is how you discover stuff - stuff that can be really cool. Blends that can throw and burn awesome that are exclusive to you. Its the mad scientist in us that makes us do these things. We can't help it.

Posted

I blended because the votive wax was so brittle that I was getting cracks going down the length of the candle. When I took one out of the mold it actually fell apart into chunks in my hand! And I was gentle with it!

My house is pretty cold, which could have contributed to that, I guess, but I ain't gonna turn up the thermostat for a hobby, KWIM?

Posted

Hmm, I'm not sure your cold house is making them brittle. Because my house is cold too, heated to only 60*F in the winter, and I have an easier time in the winter than in the summer. In the summer I have a much harder time with unmolding and sometimes they do break / crack which is a real bummer.

Posted

Well, this weekend was my first foray into votives ( or any candle, for that matter) - it was just my first guess. They ARE easy to unmold - they just fall out into my hand! I LOVE that in comparison to battling soaps that stick in my kelsei mold!

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