theresa t Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I have a question for everyone about how short you cut the wicks after you make your candles. I'm not talking about after they have burned but once the candles set up and you are ready to place the lids on them. I have seen some lately that the wicks have just barely been above the wax line. These are soy candles, which I make myself but I normally leave my wicks about half an inch once they set up. Is this a good length or should I go shorter? I just think with these wicks on the candles I have seen that they are just too far cut back for them to burn properly to give the melt pool needed the first burn. I thought about buying one and trying it since the lady is advertising them as "triple scented"....they are a single scent...just to see if they would burn the way soy should. I'm not knocking her product, they smell really good but I have never tried one of the candles so not meaning to sound as if I am, I am just curious about the wicks and wouldn't they "drown out" or bleed through if using triple the scent on the candles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michi Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I cut mine 1/4" which is what they should be cut to before every burn.As for "triple scenting" it's a crock IMO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverSoyed Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I believe the "triple-scent" refers to the industry standard of %. Cheap-o Candles - 3% FOStandard - 6-6.25% FOTriple - 9%The 9% can be achieved with additives (I've read), although, most suppliers of FO (the good ones at least) will tell you that the standard 6ish% or 1oz per pound is a good threshold for pouring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theresa t Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 On the wicks though, I was just thinking that if they are right above the wax that maybe they would have a hard time getting a good "burn" going. I should clear up that before sending my candles out I do cut the wicks back to 1/4", I just leave them longer when they are setting up b/c when using the heat gun sometimes I get the burnt look to the wicks where it looks as if they have been lit and blown out real quick. I get the heat gun too close to them some times so this happens. Anyway, like I said, these that I am talking about you can just barely see the wick sticking out of the wax so was just wondering if this would cause a problem with the way the candles would burn.As for the fragrance oils, I use the 1 oz. per pound in all of the candles I make. I've never needed to use more than the recommended amount of oils so this has worked for me. I know there is alot of debate about the triple scenting and that many people use this term when selling their candles. I've just always used the wording of "highly scented" and it has worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenleaf Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I would leave them long. It has been our experience that soy wax can expand in the jar when doing shows and going from heat and cold and back to heat. When this happens, the wick can get covered up by the wax when cut to a short length. We still have those soy candles to prove it and left them longer after that.HTHBrenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgirl Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 It could look something like this!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southern.scents Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 It could look something like this!!OMG, my wax has never done this. You guys have me all worried now. What if I sold a candle and it expanded like that*faint* . I have candles from the first batch I ever poured and, um, they didn't do that so, all I can do is hope that it hasn't happened with any other batches. SO, extreme temperature changes can cause the issue??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgirl Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 SS... This seems to happen when it gets hot out - then the soy wax expands.For me, It happens more with certain FO/Wax Combo??? Not all my candles do this.Hit it with you heat gun, and it will look as good as new!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tereasa Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 The 9% can be achieved with additives (I've read), although, most suppliers of FO (the good ones at least) will tell you that the standard 6ish% or 1oz per pound is a good threshold for pouring. I completely disagree...Most people who have been making candles for a while don't add vybar or stearic to their soy wax (some add UV inhibitor or USA, I do believe). I would suggest always following the manufacturers rec's. They've spent the money to test, and know what their wax is capable of. 415, for example, can hold up to 12% FO (although I'd never suggest using that high of a percentage). That's without a thing being added. I would strongly suggest to the OP to limit who they listen to for advice. There are many, many people on this board who have actually been making candles for a very long time. And then there are some who just started.As far as trimming the wicks, I leave mine a bit longer. A bit over 1/4", because I don't want to trim them too short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudiGa Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Ditto On The Wicks, I Leave A Little Longer Than 1/4"As For "triple Scented", I Just Tell The Peeps That Ask That The Wax Only Allows So Much Oil To Go Into It And If You Were To Add More You Would Have More Problems To Deal With. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I never add additives to my wax either. For me it seems a waste of time and money. When I used to use KY125 Vicky said to leave the wicks longer...which I did for that wax. Now I am using GB464 and have found I need to cut the wicks back to near 1/4 inch. Where I live I do NOT have to worry about heat!! It is cool here year round....except maybe 3 weeks in the summer....so I have been told.tootie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theresa t Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks everyone. My wicks are of course not exact with the 1/4", they are normally a little longer but very close. I just wonder tho how these candles will burn with the short wicks like that. I did notice that she has pulled a ton of her candles out of the shop this past month. Wonder why that is? She does advertising here on a local free board so maybe that is what she is doing now.Anyway, on the fragrance oils, I don't go over what suppliers of wax and oils suggest for maximum oil I add. I just don't want to get into any more problems than necessary and my candles seem to be very strong with using the amount I use which is 1 oz per pound. I also never test burn my candles until I wait for 2 weeks to let them do their cure, that way I know for sure how they are going to perform with the scents I use. Again, thanks for all the responses. I feel so much better about what I do with making my candles now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfcat Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I trim my wicks to just above a 1/4 inch and tell people to make sure they trim them before burning.As far as the "triple scented" thing, I can't help but feel that it's just a gimmick. 1 oz per lb has always been more than enough for me. I have tried more but it just didn't make that much of a difference to waste more. (Unless it was perhaps a really cheap FO!) Let's face it, FO and wax are expensive enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barncat Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I cut mine even with the jar, comes out to about 1/2". i've seen some do a 1/4" and some do about 2" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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