Wick suggestions please

[JAYRU620]

Hello everyone! I use 4630 wax and make 5 oz honey pot and apotherapy jars. They are really small. I have been trying 44-24-18 zinc core wicks and my hot throws are still not what I would like them to be using various different peakes fo. (I tried 44-32-18 and the hot throw was worse) I doubt if I have candle nose because I don't make candles often. I'm thinking of trying different wicks. I tried LX 12 with the same results as the 44-24-18. Are there any other wicks or any additives I should try? I pour at 160 and add the fo right before the pour stirring well. Thanks.

[bugtussle]

Add the FO @ 185-190! Carole

[JAYRU620]

Alright, but should I pour at that tempurature too? The suggested pouring tempurature is 160 and I saw on one board that if you don't pour in the FO right before you pour you could "burn it off?"

[MissMary]

Taken from the posts here, you add at 190ish to make sure the wax fully incorporates. Adding too cool could leave some separation between the wax and the FO.

Another thing, that you may not realize, if you wait until 160 then add FO, the FO will cool the wax 15+ degrees almost instantly. So you don't really start stirring until 145 or so by that time.

I think it was Topofmurrayhill, not sure, but had mentioned in a thread awhile back, that the amount that actually burns off would be so minute that it's not even really worth fretting over. If you keep track of your weights to the hundreth, you won't even move the mark.

Gathered from the great minds here, I now heat my FO on my griddle in a pour pot to around 150ish so it's not so cool, and add my wax that's at about 200 degrees to the FO. Put in additives, then I stir stir stir, and wait as it cools to about 150-160.

[topofmurrayhill]

Miss Mary, personally I'd be nervous about mixing FO with 200* wax. Not that it burns off per se but I worry about loading up the wax with FO vapor and affecting the look of the candle. Also 150* seems really hot to me for pre-warming pure FO. That's sometimes over the flashpoint. If these things are working fine for you that's good, but maybe you could be a little more conservative with the temps because it sounds like pushing the limit.

Adding FO at 160* seems a little low but pouring at that temp could be OK. Just FYI, the wax manufacturer recommends pouring this wax between 160 and 180 into slightly warmed containers. It can be worthwhile to experiment and see what pour temp gives the best result. Sometimes with smaller containers like this, the higher end of the range can produce a flatter top.

Now none of this necessarily has much to do with the scent throw question. I don't know if the amount of FO you're using could be off. To avoid using too much or too little, maybe stick to 1 oz per lb while you're experimenting. A lot of the Peak FOs throw very well. If you have the candle working well I think you'll know it.

You shouldn't necessarily expect a 5 oz candle to fill a house, but with many FOs and a good wick selection, you should be able to get a nice throw. Make sure you're getting a full melt pool in a reasonable time, but with not too big a flame. A big flame in a little candle can sometimes be bad for scent throw.

Sometimes you just have to experiment a lot to get a good result, so keep at it.

[debscent]

I would definitly add FO around 180-190 and let cool (and stir) and pour to around 160. That's what I do for my candles, but I use a 50/50 blend. I'm not so positive on the heating the FO first though.

Good luck and let us know. I have a 6 oz tin going now (lit it less than 15 minutes ago) and it's starting to fill up the room already, but it is a great FO (Candle Science's Cranberry Marmalade) using CD wicks.

[MissMary]

Miss Mary, personally I'd be nervous about mixing FO with 200* wax. Not that it burns off per se but I worry about loading up the wax with FO vapor and affecting the look of the candle. Also 150* seems really hot to me for pre-warming pure FO. That's sometimes over the flashpoint. If these things are working fine for you that's good, but maybe you could be a little more conservative with the temps because it sounds like pushing the limit.

Well, the wax is heated to 200 in the presto pot, by the time I get it into a pour pot (which is cool) and with the FO, it's probably 190ish, that's why I said a lot of ish's. I should have been a bit more clear. The FO, haven't seem to had a problem yet, I've measured a few times on the temps and it sorta varies, but the griddle sits at 150 most times, so that's the temp, give or take a few degrees.

I hate using a light of "ish"'s, but my thermometer's aren't exactly precise, I've been thinking about digital now, since it's hard to get a precise reading with the candy type thermometers.