love_the_light Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Hello! I have only been making soy candles for about 3 months and have been using the EcoSoya CB Advanced for containers. I have a problem with the finished container candles showing a big crack that goes right across where the wick sits in the center of the candle. It never shows up until you light it so it starts right below the top. I have noticed it when I have made tumblers and 8oz apothecarys. I have tried several different pouring temperatures and room temperature changes and still seem to get this crack. I am using no color or scent. I have never used a forum before so I hope I am not having anyone repeat information on this issue but I tried to look and could not find a thread about this. Any help would be much appreciated!! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NattyCat Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 There are several people here who will swear blind that ecosoya waxes do not form cavities, but having used both advanced and cb-135 extensively, I have experienced the exact opposite.Sometime a cavity appears when it is setting up - a big hole appears near the wick which I then have to fill in with a heatgun so I now poke relief holes and either heatgun or do a top-up pour. When a candle set up without me poking relief holes, and DIDN'T sink, I just thought I was lucky - but 9 times out of ten it was those candles that formed a crack from one side of the container to the other across the centre of the candle.I initially heatgunned the crack to fill it in, but one day I noticed a small air bubble coming up from the crack once I had created a very small layer of molten wax across the top of the candle with my heatgun. I got a skewer and poked holes along the length of crack and then bingo - my skewer hit the sweet spot which was the cavity - my molten wax disappeared into the hole I had created and I had to do a repour. As soon as I had filled in that cavity - no more cracks.So, in my experience - if you have a crack across the centre of your soy candle it is because it has formed a cavity. Try melting the top of the candle with a heat gun and then poking along the crack with a skewer and see what happens.Nat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_the_light Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 Thanks Nat! I really appreciate your help! I was wondering since you said other people swear that this doesn't happen, that maybe this is wick related? I am wondering if you are wicking the same as me and maybe we can figure out if we could be doing something differently. I have used HTTP1212, LX-26, and LX-30 and am getting ready to test LX-28 all in a 8 oz. apothecary. I have read somewhere that it is good to "prime" your wicks by dipping them in wax. I have never done this because I thought these wicks were pre-primed. Do you have any thoughts on this? Do people prime their wicks? It's just a real bummer that this happens because this is suppose to be a one pour wax and I love the way it looks and how it adheres to the container so well! I hope I am not asking too many questions here! :embarasse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmeroo Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I use CBA for myself and I have never had that problem...what temp. do you heat your wax to? As far as priming your wicks..nope..they are already pe-primed.I use CD wicks..they seem to work the best for me.HTH! Kimmeroo:cheesy2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_the_light Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 Kimmeroo, I usuall heat the wax to 155 but I have heated it up to 170 before. I have poured at 110, 115, 120, & 125 to see if it made any difference and the only luck I have had was on the last one I tested when I used the LX-26 wick and the crack was still there but filled itself in very quickly and never showed again. All the other cracks don't even fill in when test burning. The only thing I haven't tried that I know of is heating the container. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patka Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I had the same problem with CB Advanced and I don't feel it was because of cavities. I just made a candle with it a few days ago. I had a crack form after pouring and cooling. I lit the candle a few days later, got a nice meltpool and after cooling the crack re-appeared. It seems that this is something this wax likes to do, sometimes. I am not sure what is causing it, or what would help to eliminate it. I don't use the wax very often any more. I pour fairly cool, no additives, no dye, no FO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southern.scents Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Wow, this is really weird. I have been pouring this wax since I started and never have had a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_the_light Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 It is so crazy how so many people get different effects with this wax! That just makes me even more facinated with candle making!! I am going to try to heat my containers, maybe check my room temp and try some different wicks. Maybe heat the wax higher I dont know. To me it seems that air is somehow getting trapped like it does in molds but this is a one pour wax so I have to find out what is going wrong. I can't give up on this wax it is too perfect looking outside of the crack! I may have to get on ngiwax and ask Dr. Al! Thanks for all your responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 It is so crazy how so many people get different effects with this wax!Different climates, different pouring conditions, different atmospheric conditions, different indoor temperatures, different humidity readings, different times heating the wax, different times cooling the wax, different FOs...Yep, LOTS of differences! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernCharm Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I use the CBA wax. I do tend to get the cracks in the wax in my smaller jars; they seem to cool down a lot faster than my bigger jars. What I have been doing lately to help with the cooling down is; placing the container back in the box that it came in and pouring the wax. It has helped with the cool down time and I haven't noticed any cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_the_light Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 I use the CBA wax. I do tend to get the cracks in the wax in my smaller jars; they seem to cool down a lot faster than my bigger jars. What I have been doing lately to help with the cooling down is; placing the container back in the box that it came in and pouring the wax. It has helped with the cool down time and I haven't noticed any cracks. That is an awesome idea! It seems easier to do that than worry about heating the containers and/or trying change the room temp. Will definitely try that, thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmeroo Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Kimmeroo, I usuall heat the wax to 155 but I have heated it up to 170 before. I have poured at 110, 115, 120, & 125 to see if it made any difference and the only luck I have had was on the last one I tested when I used the LX-26 wick and the crack was still there but filled itself in very quickly and never showed again. All the other cracks don't even fill in when test burning. The only thing I haven't tried that I know of is heating the container.Try pouring at 140* that's what I do...works great..I lways heat to 170-175* then add fos,1tsp USA pp,color...stir for about 3-4 min.then pour at 140*..I have never had any cracking or frosting..love this wax..I also have tried mixing it 50/50 with 415..it is the best of both worlds that way..looks nice like CBA and has a great hot throw like 415...I have only made 10 candles w/this combo..and am still testing.I like the straight CBA also I just use STRONG fos.HTH! Kimmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_the_light Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Try pouring at 140* that's what I do...works great..I lways heat to 170-175* then add fos,1tsp USA pp,color...stir for about 3-4 min.then pour at 140*..I have never had any cracking or frosting..love this wax..I also have tried mixing it 50/50 with 415..it is the best of both worlds that way..looks nice like CBA and has a great hot throw like 415...I have only made 10 candles w/this combo..and am still testing.I like the straight CBA also I just use STRONG fos.HTH!KimmerI am so glad you gave me this info cuz I was just thinking that I have never poured at a high temp with this wax to see what it does and I usually take it away from the heat as soon as the wax melts because I pour so low. So you helped confim the little theory in my head! Thanks so much for your help. I am also going to get a CD and ECO wick sampler to try, the LX is ok but if I can find better i'm gonna try! Still lots of testing to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmeroo Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Keep us posted!! Kimmeroo:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_the_light Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 NO CRACK! Definitely needed a higher pour temperature. It was cooling too fast I guess. Thanks for all your help! :highfive: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmeroo Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 YAY!!!! I am glad pouring hotter worked for ya! Good luck in the future testings!!! Kimmeroo:cheesy2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beechcreekcandles Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 CBA should be heated to at least 170 before adding FO and dye in order for the FO to bond properly with the wax. Try pouring between 130 and 140. This should cut down on any cracks that may appear....cooling too fast will cause the cracking. Though there are other factors that can cause cracking, the above mentioned will help resolve the majority of it. IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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