Wicking question

[doris]

I don't make a lot of candles, but I just got some new molds, and have been playing with them. As far as I know, if you have major mushrooms, the wick is too big. If you don't have a full meltpool, the wick is too small. So what is the problem when you have a mushroom and an inadequate melt pool? I'm using beeswax and 3" pillar molds and a #3 wick. The wick also curls a lot, so there is a thin wall left on one side, and a thick one on the other. Grrrrr!

[2rottndogs]

I don't have an answer to this, but I'd be darn curious to see what's said!

Kim

[Gdawg]

I get larger mushrooms when I use a higher % in FO. Try cutting back the FO if you can and see if that helps with the mushroom part

[doris]

I'm not using fo, just natural coloured beeswax.

[Gdawg]

:undecided sorry got me then...hopefully someone else will pipe in. Oh where oh where oh where is stella? lol

[Stella1952]

I'm hiding 'cause I don't know nuttin' 'bout beeswax and I don't know what a #3 wick is...

Here's a decent discussion of wick problems with illustrations by the makers of Heinz wicks...

http://www.infoceratec.com/id79.html

and recommendations from their product line...

http://www.infoceratec.com/id17.html

These folks seem to know a lot about beeswax...

http://www.beehivecandles.com/faq_beeswaxCandles.html

AHA!!

http://www.rusticescentuals.com/wickchart.html

Square Braid Wick

Used in Beeswax, Soy Wax, Veggie Wax & Citronella...

#3

8.09 3 1/2" - 4" dia. pillar candles

These folks seem to think the mushroom is a good thing...

http://www.santafecandle.com/learn/candles/wick.htm

When burning a candle with a Square Braid wick, a carbon cap forms on the top of the wick. This property is especially useful in tall glass container candles. The carbon cap radiates heat outward, which helps melt wax which is further away from the flame, reducing the amount of wax hanging on the sides of the container.

So that's what I found and am reading to learn more...

[Gdawg]

lol stella...great info though

[jbement]

Hi Doris,

Are you keeping your wick trimmed? As I am sure you know, if it is longer than 1/4" or so, that may contribute to the problem.

Also, there are many variations in beeswax, and we have used both #3 and #4 wicks in our 3" pillars depending on the wax, with #4 being the norm as the #3 usually results in tunnelling. How much wax is left around the side of the pillar? ideally, these should burn down evenly with minimal edges left.

How the beeswax is processed and where it is from in the hive can play a factor in how it burns, some are better than others. (We have some wax from bees in buckwheat that is really hard, and needs to be mixed with other beeswax just to burn well!)

Not all cotton wicks burn the same either, some are treated, others are just plain cotton. Sometimes you can solve some burning problems by soaking the wick in a boric acid solution, too.

I would try the larger wick and see how that works. I would focus on getting the candle to burn well first, and then worry about the mushrooming later. I have that on several of the pillars I am looking at, but as long as the candle is not smoky, or the wick is too long (>1/2") I would not worry about it.

jb

[doris]

Stella, thanks, I'll check those out tomorrow.

jbement, I trim my wick every time I relight, but I was aiming for a wider melt pool before I blew it out. My wax is natural coloured, very clean "commercial" beeswax, other candles I made with it burned well. (I have in the past had beeswax that didn't burn, this, however is beautiful). On one side of my pillar, using a #3 wick, I have a shell of about 1/2" thick, on the other side, the side towards which the wick curls, it has burnt down completely. I would post a picture, but I am severely challenged that way.

I'll try another one with a #4 wick. Thanks for your help.

[Sharon in KY]

Try twisting your wick so it turns as it burns. That helps with a wick that bends.

[kandlekrazy]

I love my shrooms...kind of miss them when they don't show up!

[Stella1952]

One can always recenter the wick if it is burning off-center. And twisting DOES help.

[Pam W]

One can always recenter the wick if it is burning off-center. And twisting DOES help.

While testing square pillars, I found that twisting the wicks definately worked. The wick would turn about 1/4 of the way around during a 4-5 hrs burn. But I did have to pre-wick in order to twist the wick - I tried priming & twisting the wick but the twist wouldn't hold very well - so had to pre-wick the mold.