CareBear Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I have been wicking my pillar attempts as per the instructions on this site (http://candletech.com/metalpillarmolds/) and just now realized that these pillars have no wick tab. Is that a safety issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyvega Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Tabs in pillars to me ARE a safety issue - they let that pillar burn too close to the bottom of the candle - if I use pre-tabbed wicks, I actually insert them tab side up from the top of the candle, leaving the bottom of the wick about 1/4" or 1/2 inch from the bottom of the candle, and clip the tab off at the top so that the pillar will self-extinguish. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 um - no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyvega Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Ok, after you unmold your pillar you turn it upright (before you level it), stick the wick in from the top, stick it all the way out the bottom of the pillar, then pull it up a little, 1/4-1/2 inch, say. Then, when you level it, the hot wax will go up the hole and secure the wick. THEN, you trim the wick at the top, which means you will be cutting off the wick base and tab --- does that help?ets: I can give you a pic in the morn if you're not sure what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 it's late and I'm too tired to think.But you cut off the tab?oooh I have to go to bed LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyvega Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 yes. The tab is cut off. It's more convenient for me to buy pre-tabbed wicks right now. But yeah, the tab is wasted. But I'm not the only one who does this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 oooohhhh. I get it.But I thought I should be trying to find a way to get tabs onto my pillars ...so do I want tabs on my pillars or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grama Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Took me a few minutes to understand what Judyvega meant Carebear. Actually the wick does not go all the way down at the bottom of the candle. The tab at the top just helps to hold it until she can heat the bottom with heat gun so the hole seals up. Therefore when about an inch or so of pillar is left it will "burn out" Right Judyvega? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyvega Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Took me a few minutes to understand what Judyvega meant Carebear. Actually the wick does not go all the way down at the bottom of the candle. The tab at the top just helps to hold it until she can heat the bottom with heat gun so the hole seals up. Therefore when about an inch or so of pillar is left it will "burn out" Right Judyvega?That part is true. So it self-extinguishes before it burns through the bottom of the pillar.The part about the tab at the top "holding it" is not true. It just sticks out above the top two or three inches, doesn't serve any purpose - just gets cut off. :smiley2:And ets: I don't use a heat gun to level my pillars (to seal the hole up) - I use a small griddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh-MYo Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I agree. There is no need or even a good reason for a tab in a pillar.And even when you wick right to the bottom as those of us who prewick must, the candle will self extinguish when it gets to the bottom because there is nothing to hold the wick from flopping over into the melt pool. A liquid melt pool and the softened wax below it wont support a wick. It is the firm wax beneath it that supports the wick.If you did happen to have a tab in a pillar and planned to burn it to the very bottom you would also want to ensure that you were burning it in a receptacle that would hold as much wax as as may leak out the bottom when the melt pool gets to the "floor" of the candle.Having said that, I have seen many pillars that did have a tab. I dont think tabs are really about safety, more about burning as much of the wax as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grama Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Yeah - knew the tab got cut off But wicking the way you are talking about it would help to hold it to keep it from going all the way to bottom. I normally use the spooled and use the heat gun to seal the wax around the wick. Tried using a griddle to level mine but I couldn't make it work. I use a little knife and just keep shaving until it is level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyvega Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Yeah - knew the tab got cut off But wicking the way you are talking about it would help to hold it to keep it from going all the way to bottom. I normally use the spooled and use the heat gun to seal the wax around the wick. Tried using a griddle to level mine but I couldn't make it work. I use a little knife and just keep shaving until it is level.Well, it's hanging an inch above the pillar, so it really isn't helping hold it in my case. But I understand what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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