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Wick trimmed too short or bigger wick?


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I hate being new and stupid, but here I am anyways.:o

I just want to make candles for myself, I'm tired of buying expensive soy candles, paying the shipping, and finding wick issues, fuel smell, yucky scents, etc. so instead of paying $10-$25 for a jar of mess, I can make my own mess for a few bucks less (and it's really kind of FUN!):D

I get my supplies local so I work with what they offer (Zinc core, RRD and Eco wicks). I've only been at this for a few months and this was my first 8 oz. jj attempt. (My double-wicked 16 oz. apothecary jar is great, but that was just for fun, I want all future candles to be small jars I can get locally.)

I used 415 in a quilted 8 oz. jj. 1 oz. of fo (Chestnuts & Brown Sugar) pp of wax and a size Eco 10 wick. (I made two 8 oz. candles and 3 big tarts) I trimmed one candle to around a 1/4" and lit it after curing for two days.

After 4 hours it still had some hang-up. (I'd like to have a clean burn the 1st burn and every burn thereafter. I've read on here about candles catching up later, but I've cleaned far too many sides of candles after every burn so that makes me nervous!) On the second burn (trimmed again), after 4 hours, still had issues so I cleaned the sides with a paper towel and let it burn until bedtime. It finally cleaned up.

Today, I didn't trim the wick at all and almost 4 hours later, small flame and more hang-up. I'm trying hard not to clean it up again and see what happens after another power burn (or if it goes out), but I just can't imagine from what I've read on here that an Eco 10 is too small for this jar. Is it?:confused:

So, to all you experts. Can this candle be saved if I've trimmed the wick too short on the first burn? Do I light the other 8 oz. jj, but leave the wick longer and see what happens or yank this wick and put in a bigger one? How do you salvage your results when you screw up something simple and know that your research isn't flawed (or would the 2nd candle answer that question?)?:undecided Scent throw is fine, I actually got pretty smooth tops (but a wet spot and a tiny bit of frosting), but I don't really care what it looks like as long as it smells good and burns clean. So, is the wick too small or did I trim it too short? Can you reset a test candle's memory?

I'm still having fun and reading tons!:cool2: Thanks for helping yet another newbie!

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I am finding the eco10 is to small for my 8oz jj using C3. Didn't have a 12eco so am trying cd12.

Actually I just checked my jj and it is about to catch up after couple of hours. I still think a larger wick may be better. I used 1oz pp of Nostalgia from JS. Smells good!

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How wide are the JJ's at their widest point?

I'm testing C-3 in a 8 ounce status jar, 3 inch diameter, and an eco 10 was too big even trimmed to 1/8. Big dancing flame, smoking... 8% Pua Pikake FO.

Eco 8 is perfect after a 4 hour initial burn. Full MP, clean sides...

Waiting for another hour to re-light it.

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I have to agree with Moonshadow. After mine had been burning for 3-4 hours it caught up and the flame is big. ECO8 might just be OK. It was just that the 10 had a very slow start and it looked like it was going to tunnel. I left it burning though and now ECO8 might just be the one. I am afraid if it starts out as slow as the 10 though, people might give up on it to soon. Don't know, knew I should have left soy alone!!!:)

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I lit my jj this am and the flame is perfect. With anything smaller I think it would be to small. I would have got the cdn but candlescience did not have them and that is where I needed some things. Will burn the jj with the cd wick later today and see how it does. My understanding it the only difference is the coating?

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I've used CD14's with C3 soy with mostly good results, some hang up, burns ok but scent throw isn't always there as much as it should be and the jar isn't as clean as I'd like it.., but I'm about to try HTP 105 on the jelly jar I have left from last fall. I've heard (on here and elsewhere) that the 105's work well with the jellies. If you'd like, I'll post my results.

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Okay, I lit the 2nd candle yesterday and left the wick at 1/2". It was going great and then around 4 hours, the flame just shrunk and the full MP started to cool and solidify!!! What in the world????? :confused: It's on a 2nd lighting today, but still has the small flame so I'm guessing the 1st candle I trimmed too short was a wick size issue and not my clipper happy fingers b/c this one's doing the same thing. I'm still burning both of these all the way down though. The 1st one is half done and seems to be doing much better so maybe the 2nd will catch up too. I'm also going to continue with the Eco 10's (I have a bunch) and try other FO's. Maybe my wax, Chestnuts & B S, and wick just don't get along, but other FO's will. Thanks for all the replies!:D

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Hi,

I started testing the HTP 105's yesterday in my 8 oz jelly with C3 wax. I had a nearly a full melt pool within 3 hours (had to end the test at 3hrs to go to bed). The hot throw as good, was probably better but I think I've got candle nose since I've been pouring so many different scents! Ugh. I used CandleScience's Hansel & Gretel's house, a super yummy scent, by the way.

I'll post more later when I do a 2nd burn.

:D

Violet

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Hi Again,

I promised I'd post my testing results with the 105 wick.

I've burned this twice since the original test.

Four hours the 2nd burn- nice even melt pool, good throw, no hang up.

Three hours the 3rd burn- great melt pool, great throw. Wick mushroomed but only a tiny bit.

I think the 105 may be a winner! And if the 105 is a bit too hot, try the 104.

Hope this helps you!

Violet

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