Fast, straight wicks?

[caryfh]

Help!! I'm trying to find a way to speed up my candle-making process. I currently am making large quantities of soy candles in 2 ounce deep tins. For wicks I have been using zinc cored wicks with a large disk. This allows me to pour the wax, and then I straighten and set the wicks in by hand before the wax even starts to cool. It works okay, but is a rather tedious process and am looking for ways to speed this up. It seems that most wick clips are for individual wicks, and might keep the wicks straight, but wouldn't speed up the process. Any tips out there? Note, I would like to purchase a large wax melting pot, but don't see the point until I can get the wicks in faster. Thanks for any input.

[Scented]

So you don't glue your wick to the tin to keep it from going afloat during the burn?

[caryfh]

Nope. The discs are about 1/4 inch smaller in diameter than the tin, and they have about 20-30 small holes in them, so they are heavy enough, wide enough to be stable, and the wax can flow pretty freely through the holes, thus they sink right to the bottom when inserted in the hot wax, and don't typically move around.

[Scented]

Then I don't see how you can speed up the process unless you work more quickly. Though could you just pre-wick instead of waiting to drop in? You may still have to tug the wick back to center, but that might speed up the process, though I wouldn't think by much.

[caryfh]

No, I guess I'm trying to see if anyone out there has come across devices that hold the wicks at center and would allow me to drop in rows of wicks at a time. Thanks.

[Vicky_CO]

I think I know what you are talking about and I have never seen anything that would do that short of an actual machine.

[Stella1952]

Since your wicktabs are the big based kind, set up a row of wicks, then slap on a row of centering devices. I can't see how it could get any faster than that without the use of machinery.

Even in the video at the site below,

http://www.coogarproducts.com/products/pumpers/mark.htm

the centering devices are all placed individually. Looks like some are placed before pouring, some after. The ones placed before have to be recentered in case they have been bumped during pouring.

[Cissy]

For a device to keep the wick centered, check out this site....don't know if the wick centering tool for containers will fit the 2 oz tin or not, but you can email Robert or Stephanie with the top diameter of your tin and they will know. You will still have to wick each container individually, so you won't actually save much time. The WTC will at least keep the wick centered much better than anything else I have tried or am aware of........unless you find a expensive machine to do the work for you.

www.wickcenteringtool.com

[Sharon in KY]

Since your wicktabs are the big based kind, set up a row of wicks, then slap on a row of centering devices. I can't see how it could get any faster than that without the use of machinery.

Even in the video at the site below,

http://www.coogarproducts.com/products/pumpers/mark.htm

the centering devices are all placed individually. Looks like some are placed before pouring, some after. The ones placed before have to be recentered in case they have been bumped during pouring.

Man it's been awhile sine I visited the Mark site. Thought about buying one but my business just isn't at that level. Was $20,000 for the Mark 5 who knows what it is now.

[caryfh]

Thanks for all the help. I checked out the coogar website, and am so envious of anyone who is using that equipment!! Someday. Perhaps for now I will try to fashion my own holders for multiple wicks that will at least keep them centered while I pour around them. Thanks again.