sugarysweet95 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Hi everyone. I've searched the archives but can't really find an answer to my specific question, so i'm hoping you can help.Basically i've been having trouble wicking a few odd shaped candles. I use straight paraffin and LX wicks to make pillars.What's been happening is in my tester candles (with no FO and very little dye - so it can't be that) they seem to start smoking whenever i light them. If i then blow the candle out, after aout half an hour, and trim the wick again and re-light them straight away, they're fine!!! I of course trim the wick (to 1/4 inch) before i burn them and it's happening with both the smaller wicks and the larger ones, so i can't even try wicking up/down as i'm not getting a full melt pool anyway!!!So does anyone have any idea on why the candle's are smoking?Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 a wick smokes when it's too big, when there is a draft, too much FO.Maybe the "odd shapes" you are talking about are pyramids? the wick could be too big for the first few cms of the candle, then as the candle becomes larger it can begin to burn better.Wicking odd shapes pillars is a problem, my suggestion is to begin with round or square pillars, a diameter of 3 inches is ok to start with.what shapes are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarysweet95 Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 I have the same problem with a pyramid, this one now is a 3d pentagon type shape, but i've also had the same problem with my ordinary square and round moulds too!I don't have this problem with my smaller diameter candles, just the larger diameter ones!!! I just don't understan why it's smoking, the melt pool is not very good, so one would think i would need to wick up, and there's no draught (my votives also burning r fine) and no FO!!!!!Seems very strange to me, oh and there's no bits of debris in the candle either!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 if it's tunnelling you should wick down.Is the flame getting high? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarysweet95 Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Wick down if it's tunneling? I thought i should wick up if it tunnels, and usually i would, but it's smokingThe flame is quite high yes and it flickers and smokes, until i blow it out, re-trim the wick and then it's fine if i re-light it straight away!!!!!All very strange!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 if I were you I would try with a smaller wick, are you wicking the mold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarysweet95 Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Hmmm, but surely a smaller wick would cause even more tunneling? And yes, i always pre-wick my moulds. I've tried lx16, 18 and 20 on this mould and it's a good 5 inches in diameter in the middle, surely any will just tunnel?And do you know why it is smoking, but not giving a very good melt pool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 The bigger the wick the bigger the tunnel, it's like a drill escavating in the candle.Just a thought, are you selaing the wick hole with some sealer directly on the wick? This may leave some dirt on the wick that will burn and smoke.5 inches diameter should require a bigger wick, so my suggestion is: start again using the wick size suggested for the mold, then one size up and one down, and look at the differences. It takes a lot of patience.Anyway a full melt pool is not given by a big wick, but the right wick burning at the right rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 5 inches in diameter in the middleand on top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarysweet95 Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Hi, thanks for all your help btw cyber six, sos keep on asking qs, just want to make sure i'm completely sure whats happening!!!I think i get now what you're getting at. The candle didn't smoke when it was first lit (and neither did the rest - sorry, should have mentioned that) seems to be a problem that comes up half way thru the candle. The mould i'm testing now is about 1 1/2 inches at the top. But i'm very confused because it happens too with my other moulds, which are the same thickness all the way down. They burn fine at first, then after a few burns, start smoking, but leave a bit of a hollow - not too much of one, about 1/2 inch round.Anyway hope this makes it all clearer. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmp Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 I haven't read all the posts here so forgive me if I'm repeating someone.I also had trouble with LX's smoking, also with shooting flames at times. After my jar candle burned for a while, the smoking stopped and it burned well. But I ditched the LX's for that reason. Too unpredictable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarysweet95 Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Seem to be having the opposite problem, as my pillars burn fine at first, but then start smoking / flickering on later burns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.