Candle smells but only after you blow it out?

[funkymonkey66]

Candle smells but only after you blow it out? Can someone tell me what causes this?

The candle burns fine, flames are not too high, no soot or smoke. Actually a pretty great candle if you could smell the darn thing. It really makes no sense. Any imput would be appreciated. I used pure soy and htp wicks and had this curing for 2 weeks.

[PurpleHippie]

I am glad that you posted this. I've had that problem with some candles also. The candle burns nice but no scent throw until the flame is put out. I have never been able to figure out why. I am just guessing here and I hope someone else that knows more on the subject will post. Maybe it is burning too hot and when the flame is put out the wax is cooler and that is what is releasing the scent? Maybe it needs a wick that burns cooler:confused:

[jharper]

Where did you get your oil from? I had the same thing happen to me. I found out real quick that not all oils work well in it. - Julie

[topofmurrayhill]

Even candles that throw well often have a stronger scent throw for a short time after they're extinguished. If you take wax out of a candle that doesn't have a good hot throw, it will often work just fine in a tart warmer.

The positive side of the wick is that generates heat to melt the wax and release the fragrance, but it also consumes FO along with the wax. Presumably in some candle designs the wick skims the fragrance off the surface of the melt pool too quickly and burns it off before enough of it can escape. Sometimes you may find a smaller wick works better.

[Keith]

Most fragrances throw better when they're hot so the bigger the melt pool the greater the throw, if you have a narrow candle, say 25mm, then you won't get as good a throw as you do with a 75mm or 100mm one. The next problem is down to physics, we all know that heat rises, if you have a narrow candle then all the fragrance will be carried upwards with the heat and only after the flame is extinguished is the fragrance able to spread around at a lower level. All this is only assumption, it's many years since I did physics at school but it was one of my fave subjects ... anyway, I'm making assumptions but it could certainly be a contributory factor. One other thing, are you allowing the melt pool to develop fully? let the candle burn for 1 hour for each 25mm of diameter after that you should be getting a nice throw.

Funkeymonkey, you mentioned blowing out your candle. I don't know if you were just using that as a generic term for putting your candles out or whether you actually do blow them out but if so can I give you a tip and also one to all others the do this. Never, ever blow a candle out, first off you can blow molten wax all over the place, secondly you get that dreadful smoking that stinks the room out and thirdly it leaves your wick brittle and liable to snapping and you know what happens if the wick is too short when you light it ... it drowns. The only correct way to extinguish a candle is to take a small implement and dip the wick into the melt pool then lift it back out again. This action rewaxes the wick for relighting, keeps it supple so it doesn't break off, stops the smoking and of course you don't spray wax everywhere. Oh, and the other no-no is using snuffers, they are just about as bad as blowing the candle out.

I hope that's helped a lot of noobs, I'm sure the diehard chandlers amongst us already know about what I've just mentioned.

Good luck with your throw funkeymonkey and if you are making narrow candles, less than 50mm then have a go at a wider one or make one in a container, maybe a jar or tin, where you get a full melt pool and see if that helps your situation. Please keep us informed as to your results !

Keith