jumping flame

[KTEC]

Ok went to light candle for fist burn.. 6 hours looked perfect.. good MP no shrooms.. blew it out. Couple of hours later lit it again and I got a jumping flame and mushrooms started growing ??? wick did not need trimming. anyone got any ideas ? why this happens? thanks. K

[chauntelle]

Was it burning in the same place? Maybe there was a draught make the flame act different? Had you trimed the wick? Really stupid suggestions but im just thinking that something must have changed and you obviously hadnt changed the candle!!

[KTEC]

No it was in a bathroom no drafts.... It burned fine and then when I lite again everthing went down hill.. Thanks for the reply. Now I am going to pull my hair out...

[gmp]

Are you using a self-trimming wick? I"m surprised that after a 6 hour burn it did not need to be trimmed. The jumping flame is characteristic of a wick that is too long.

[Henryk]

Or of one that is oxygen starved. I think folks need more info. Type of wick and size, container, how far down the flame is in that container ....

I'm surprised too - usually I get the worst shroom on the first burn - much, much less on subsequent ones.

[coconut]

Ok went to light candle for fist burn.. 6 hours looked perfect.. good MP no shrooms.. blew it out. Couple of hours later lit it again and I got a jumping flame and mushrooms started growing ??? wick did not need trimming. anyone got any ideas ? why this happens? thanks. K

I have had this and other inconsistent burns, including large flames in the bottom of the jar, on certain fo's. This made no sense since there is less oxygen so flame should be smaller instead of larger? I am testing a theory that my oil was not fully mixed into the wax despite stirring for two full minutes. I put my liquid color in the oil instead of the wax and added the oil to the wax. It sank to the bottom. Regular vertical stirring with my paint stick did not bring the color to the top! I tested this by dipping clean wooden picks into the wax and the color did not come to the top of the wax on the pick. I then tilted the can on an angle (I use a double boiler) and stirred like when making a cake and stirred it for two minutes, using a more horizontal motion which lifted the wax and oil from the bottom to the top and back down. The colored oil was now fully dispersed in the wax. My early results show test burns are much more consistent from top to bottom now. I would love to compare notes on this with anyone and will post more later if anyone is interested.

[gmp]

I have had this and other inconsistent burns, including large flames in the bottom of the jar, on certain fo's. This made no sense since there is less oxygen so flame should be smaller instead of larger? I am testing a theory that my oil was not fully mixed into the wax despite stirring for two full minutes. I put my liquid color in the oil instead of the wax and added the oil to the wax. It sank to the bottom. Regular vertical stirring with my paint stick did not bring the color to the top! I tested this by dipping clean wooden picks into the wax and the color did not come to the top of the wax on the pick. I then tilted the can on an angle (I use a double boiler) and stirred like when making a cake and stirred it for two minutes, using a more horizontal motion which lifted the wax and oil from the bottom to the top and back down. The colored oil was now fully dispersed in the wax. My early results show test burns are much more consistent from top to bottom now. I would love to compare notes on this with anyone and will post more later if anyone is interested.

This is very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[Bernadette]

I did a similiar test some time ago with a much better performing candle outcome. I work with gel and parrafin.

Hope I can explain this right, but I tried the "tornado mixer" method. Familiar with those? I stir only in the center of the pot, very fast. I put my stiring stick on the bottom of the pot while doing this so I don't stir bubbles in. Works like a charm, mixes everything thoroughly, and the candle performs great.

[coconut]

I did a similiar test some time ago with a much better performing candle outcome. I work with gel and parrafin.

Hope I can explain this right, but I tried the "tornado mixer" method. Familiar with those? I stir only in the center of the pot, very fast. I put my stiring stick on the bottom of the pot while doing this so I don't stir bubbles in. Works like a charm, mixes everything thoroughly, and the candle performs great.

:highfive: Thank you for sharing that, Bernadette! It helps validate my thought that it is necessary to confirm that everything is stirred thoroughly and not assume so just because the product is stirred for the right length of time. I am still in the early stages of this so I am sure my methods will evolve. I am not familiar with the "tornado method"-may I ask what kind of stick you use? I don't know if my flat paint stirrer would work. Julie

[Bernadette]

The tornado mixer is a drink mixer. They used to sell them quite alot on QVC, but I haven't watched QVC in a long time. The principle is stirring from the middle mixes better. The example they show is trying to put chocolate powder or slimfast in ice cold milk. With a normal stir, the powder clumps, and you get unmixed powder pockets on the bottom of the glass. I thought, hmmm, this would be interesting to try in wax. You just have to make sure that your stirrer is strong enough not to break with very fast beating.

You're not actually beating it. If you keep your stirrer on the bottom of the pot/container, you don't stir bubbles into the wax. Stir very fast in small circles in the middle of the pot. You will notice that the wax forms a hole, like a tornado(wider at the top, narrower at the bottom). You will really see what happens with the dye added. You can see it going down, spreading, and coming back up. Just be careful for hot wax splashes. After you've done it for awhile, you won't get any, and you can minimize them when your pot isn't full. HTH

[coconut]

The tornado mixer is a drink mixer. They used to sell them quite alot on QVC, but I haven't watched QVC in a long time. The principle is stirring from the middle mixes better. The example they show is trying to put chocolate powder or slimfast in ice cold milk. With a normal stir, the powder clumps, and you get unmixed powder pockets on the bottom of the glass. I thought, hmmm, this would be interesting to try in wax. You just have to make sure that your stirrer is strong enough not to break with very fast beating.

You're not actually beating it. If you keep your stirrer on the bottom of the pot/container, you don't stir bubbles into the wax. Stir very fast in small circles in the middle of the pot. You will notice that the wax forms a hole, like a tornado(wider at the top, narrower at the bottom). You will really see what happens with the dye added. You can see it going down, spreading, and coming back up. Just be careful for hot wax splashes. After you've done it for awhile, you won't get any, and you can minimize them when your pot isn't full. HTH

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing this great information!

[gmp]

I will be trying this technique tomorrow night. I've been having issues with stubborn fo not always mixing fully in the wax