Alycia Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 i love this site! its so informative and i am enjoying reading the posts in the message boards!so i have some questions for you pillar makers....for a 3 or 4 inch diameter pillar:1) what is better to make, a flat top pillar or concave? what is the difference in such tops? does one burn differently than the other?2) should i use wick pins in the pillars or use the wick holder bar and an actual wick? which is best?3) what is a good mottling wax to use? i'm looking at peaks waxes beacuse i'm on the west coast but am unsure what to get ...thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alohagirl Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 Hi Alycia. Welcome to CT.1) Concave or flat--just a matter of personal taste. It doesn't affect the candle-making process or the burn.2) Wick pin or bar is also a matter of personal preference. Wick pins are generally easier, but some people don't like having such a big hole in their finished pillar.3) Peak's is a good company with excellent customer service. I like their straight paraffin for rustics, chunks and regular pillars, but I haven't tried using it for a mottle yet...maybe today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breanna Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I like flat top Pillars the best and use 3x6.5 pillar mold,,,It is not to big or to little,,I use peaks all the time for my wax & wicks and they have good prices and customer service. I dont use wick pins because of the hole,,I use a wick bar for them,,,I have not done any mottles yet but I know people use the straight paraffin,,,I am sure some one will chime in,,HTH,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garf Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I make "concave" top pillars because my "molds" are soda/beer cans. I fill the area after wicking them. I wick after pouring by drilling the candle rather than using pins. Wicking before pouring causes trouble because of wax shrinkage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I personally like the concave tops. I think (and maybe this is NOT true) that the concave helps the burn start out right, leaving just enough of a shell to self consume.Wick pins are my choice as well. You'll see so much is a personal preference, not that one way is easier than another.I haven't tried any of Peak's new waxes so I can't help you with the mottling wax.Where in No Cali are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycia Posted October 23, 2005 Author Share Posted October 23, 2005 thanks for all the replies guys!trish, i am in santa clara are you nearby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candle Kitty Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I use the concave tops for friends and family, but my business molds have a flat top. I like them both, no real significant difference in the way they burn unless I've somehow goofed on the wick itself.I'm kind of wishy-washy on the wick pins. To be honest, I see the good points of having them, you'll always be guaranteed a straight wick, which is important and as you're making candles, it saves a lot of time and effort. Not to mention if you test burn and don't like the way it's burning, all you have to do is pull the wick out after it cools and slip a new one in.On the other hand, I'm not seriously digging the hole as of late. When I test burn a candle, I'm forever poking at the melt pool and just a couple of nights ago, I poked an air bubble that had me bugged and it was the hole from the wick pin. The wax drained down into the candle. Granted, now I'm not so worried about that one having any air pockets, considering it didn't drain that much wax down into it, but still.I'm finding myself going back more and more to the actual wick in the candle and the wick bar. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, the only thing that would be logical in this sense is to try them both and see how you like them. Now if I start having issues with the actual wick in the candle, I'm going to go Garf's way. It's bad enough to have the wick issues when you're testing, it's another to just have a wick hole issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I'm kind of wishy-washy on the wick pins. To be honest, I see the good points of having them, you'll always be guaranteed a straight wick, which is important and as you're making candles, it saves a lot of time and effort. Not to mention if you test burn and don't like the way it's burning, all you have to do is pull the wick out after it cools and slip a new one in.Wick pins certainly seem more efficient but when I think about it I'm not sure where the all the big time savings would be coming from unless I felt compelled to prime the spooled wick. It also doesn't seem to me that there's a straightness guarantee unless you've figured out how to make a metal rod straighter than a taught string. Of course with all the tilting and magnetic field anomalies, I wouldn't be all that surprised.For testing and more casual purposes I use the pins, and definitely prefer using pins but I may not do it for actual production. To my sensibilities there is something more upscale about an "old school" traditionally wicked candle versus a pillar with the wick stuck through a hole. I figure the more you want to charge for it, probably the less appropriate that there should be a metal tab under the warning label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveinPA Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I prefer the concave top molds. Sorry, can't help you out with wax suggestions- I live on the east coast. I use wick pins and the wicks are always perfectly centered. I made some things out of metal to keep the pin centered on the open end of the mold. I don't use wick tabs on pillars. When I level a candle in a Presto Pot, the wax holds the wick in place after it cools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 I use concave top and flat molds, does not really matter to me. I almost never use wick pins once I learned to prewick the mold. Before the final pour, I snip the wick below the pour line and I get a nice flat bottom. The benefit to the pins is you can pull the wick out and rewick if you are not happy with the burn. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candle Kitty Posted October 23, 2005 Share Posted October 23, 2005 For testing and more casual purposes I use the pins, and definitely prefer using pins but I may not do it for actual production. To my sensibilities there is something more upscale about an "old school" traditionally wicked candle versus a pillar with the wick stuck through a hole. I figure the more you want to charge for it, probably the less appropriate that there should be a metal tab under the warning label.See, that's kind of how I feel as well. Not to mention, to me, it's like there's an extra effort involved in a wick in the candle versus a hole with a wick in it. It's a little more personal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I make "concave" top pillars because my "molds" are soda/beer cans. I fill the area after wicking them. I wick after pouring by drilling the candle rather than using pins. Wicking before pouring causes trouble because of wax shrinkage.I've wanted to try pillars but haven't had the extra $s for molds...cans I have! But what do you mean that you fill the area in after wicking?Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I figure the more you want to charge for it, probably the less appropriate that there should be a metal tab under the warning label.I've never thought of this. Can you explain your reasoning behind it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I've never thought of this. Can you explain your reasoning behind it?I don't think reasoning is the right word. It's more of a feeling and a marketing instinct. Normal wicking = traditional craftsmanship, old school quality, upscale. Wick assembly with metal tab = Made in China. Now of course that doesn't necessarily hold because there are cheap candles made in wicked molds, but for a really upscale product it seems most appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Hmmmm... something to think about... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I figure the more you want to charge for it, probably the less appropriate that there should be a metal tab under the warning label.I use wick pins, but do not tab my wicks. I don't think there is anything MORE upscale about NOT using wicktabs though. I would think the opposite actually... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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