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Flickering Flame ???


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Hi again.

Last night I made my first container, I used a cheap glass tumbler from Sainsburys :D it is 3.5" in diameter. Paraffin container wax from Candlelights, Cinnamon Strudel f/o (to die for!!), coloured red with dye block. The wick i used was either NT32 or NT35 - yes like a silly cow I forgot to take a note of which one!! Dohhhh.

Anyhoo, after burning it for nearly 3 hours now I sooo very nearly have a full melt pool (YAYY) BUT although the flame isn't overly large or too small, and definately isn't smoking, its flickering! I have checked for a draught and there is none. Is this just one of those things or does it indicate a problem?

How long should it take to get a full melt pool on a container this size? And if I don't get one have i failed ..... sob, sob.

Anjie,x.

OHHHH CRAP!! Just realised i posted in wrong section dohhhh! Can someone move this to General for me please - and i apologise profusely!!

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I let the candle burn for just over 4 hours, didn't get the wax to melt right to the glass wall, but it was soo close! This morning the candle looks like new, smooth flat surface on the wax with just a very very thin ridge/slope of wax at the edge. Should I get the heat gun on it and flatten it off completely then start burning again? Or just light it and let it get on with it?

I've never done this testing thing before and need a bit of guidence.

Thanks in advance.

Anjie,x.

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Said candle is now smoking. What does this generally mean? Wick too big or too small?

If the wick is too big then surely going down a size would leave my melt pool even smaller? Confused!

Anjie,x.

Could be neither; perhaps you did not trim it enough.

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Your second or third burn could catch up the sides of your candle. Sounds like your wick was not trimmed enough. (This is the aggravating part of making candles). I do trim to 1/4 of an inch of less depending on the candle. 3.5 in diameter, while not overly large, could reasonably be double-wicked with smaller wicks if you choose (remember that's an option). I do not double wick, but I know many that do.

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I think you could be right, the wick isn't trimmed enough. It's on its 3rd burn now and the glass is actually emptying with no wax left on the glass, so althought the burn pool isn't reaching the sides, it must be melting off the glass or it would still be there dohhh. Sorry, that must have sounded really stupid LOL. Another problem that I noticed on the first burn was that the wick was slightly off centre, sooooo....... so was the burn pool!! On the 2nd burn the melt pool reached one side, but not the other. Next go I will rectify this and burn again and see what happens. Fun, fun, fun.

I am having soo much fun candlemaking!! As my hubby says 'it keeps me quiet' :grin2:

Anjie,x.

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