What Happened?! Ugliest Pillar Test Burn!

[Tizimarezie]

So I made my first pillar and it was a beauty...until I test burned it. This is KY All Natural Pillar & Votive Blend wax and as suggested, I used an LX26 wick. The hole in the pillar lined up perfectly with the hole in the mold, so I know the wick wasn't inserted crooked. The flame was pretty nice...not too big, not too small. So.....why did this happen? The MP is BADLY off center and it's melted the side of the pillar. What did I do wrong (while I ruined such a pretty pillar )?

[tangerine]

Based on your results, I would say LX 26 was too big for that candle. Since the LX's are coreless wicks, they curl when burning so you would always get an off center melt pool. Try wicking down to an LX 24 and see how it goes.

[Vicky_CO]

The wick may not be to big try twisting your wick so that curled part moves slowly around your candle. LX is a flat wick and will always curl to one side. I put a very tight twist on my pillar wicking.

[Beth-VT]

Since the LX's are coreless wicks, they curl when burning so you would always get an off center melt pool.

This is exactly right, and Vicky's suggestion to twist the wick should help that greatly, and give you a much more centered burn. Then, you can determine if the wick size is correct or not.

[Stella1952]

I never thought of twisting the wick! I am gonna try that!:highfive:

The CDNs I use have a bend to them also and will burn off-center like that if left alone. I simply turn the candle every 15 minutes or so and adjust the wick if it is too off-center by pressing it in the right direction at the base of the melt pool.

[Tizimarezie]

Thanks so much for your responses!

In your opinion, is this pillar able to be tested again?...or is it junk now?

And...has anyone had any success with RRD or Eco wicks???

TIA

[Pam W]

Thanks so much for your responses!

In your opinion, is this pillar able to be tested again?...or is it junk now?

And...has anyone had any success with RRD or Eco wicks???

TIA

A pillar is never junk - just remelt and re-pour.

[Jeana]

Thanks so much for your responses!

In your opinion, is this pillar able to be tested again?...or is it junk now?

And...has anyone had any success with RRD or Eco wicks???

TIA

If you want RRDs not to curl put the weave that looks like - V upside down (^). They are a directional wick, and are meant to curl like many others, but they depend on which way the weave is in order to curl. I don't like the curl so I turn it upside down and they stay straight.

Another straight burning wick is Hemp. Hemps can look really pretty burning too. No curl at all.

I've been using Ecos in some of my pillars now. They curl also. I nudge them around if I see they are taking one side down too much.

Instead of repouring every time you don't like a wick, you can just pull the one you don't like out, and push a new one in. You may have to heat a wick pin and push it through first.

You can cut off the sides to make it have a flat top again, and start fresh. Your candle will be really ugly after a while but you'll know which wick you want to use. You'll save so much time not repouring every time you don't like how it burned.

HTH

[suzanneg]

Definitely not a junk candle!!!!! I use mine to remelt for firestarters! or any left over wax I am pouring!

[Tizimarezie]

Well, I've ended up with an LX24 and twisted it. Seems to be burning fine. The flame is a bit bigger than I'd like but the next size down (LX22) had a very small flame. If there were such thing as LX23, that might work :rolleyes2 . Anyway, I'm not getting much of a hot throw from this at all. I'm using KY All Natural Pillar & Votive Blend which should give a nice throw. Also, using BCN Mountain Lake which has an awesome cold throw. I surely thought this scent would knock my socks off.....but it's a disappointment. Could it be my wicking??????

Anybody use CD's in their pillars? And.....(WARNING!..really dumb question approaching!!!! ---->)..what is a "HEMP" wick? An HTP??

:embarasse

TIA

[Stella1952]

Cold throw is no guarantee that hot throw will happen. Sometimes FOs that throw cold and not in a candle work great in soap or tarts, etc. To test something, you have to use a few "known" quantities as controls. For example, to test a new wax or blend, I use a FO that time after time has been excellent, whose properties I can count on under a wide range of materials.

Hemp wicks are made from hemp.

We use CDNs in our pillars and like them very much. Although they do burn slightly off-center because they are a self-trimming wick, I just don't find that to be a big problem. I adjust the wick and I turn the candle as it is burning. Never thought about turning them upside down - wouldn't that have an impact on the self-trimming properties of the wick? Twisting sounds interesting and makes all kinds of sense because it would move the wick in a circle as it burns down, thus distributing the off-sided burn around the whole candle.

Don't mourn your beautiful pillar too much - you have been given some great suggestions about how to salvage it and continue its life as a test candle. Because you made this one, you can make another just like it that works even better!

If you are not familiar with the wax or the FO you are using, why not ask someone at your wax supplier to recommend a FO that really puts out in THAT wax... at least you will have a starting point for comparison. HTH

[tangerine]

In your opinion, is this pillar able to be tested again?...or is it junk now?

When I'm ready to test another wick, I level off my pillar. I put it back in the mold, put it on some paper towels then on an electric griddle. I melt it till the surface is flat again. Once it dries, I stick in another wick.