Votives

[jgcurtis1961]

I just recently decided to try wicking some votive candles. I am using 4794 wax. I have been heating the wax to 175 and adding 6% FO. and peaks liquid dye. I have been burning them in a snug votive holder for 2-3 hours at a time.

I have tried 36-24-24z, 44-20-18z's, and rrd 29's. I get a good burn for the first 1 or 2 burns then with all of the wicks the burn gets weak to almost drowning out. Does anyone here have any suggestions as to why this might be happening. It seems like the wicks I have tried should be working. I know many people use a 36-24-24z with this wax. I am able to get away with an rrd 29 or a 44-20-18z wick in a jelly jar with my para-soy blend so I am not sure why I can't even get either of these two wicks to at least burn in a votive.

Do I need to add less FO in this wax for my votives to burn right? I have tried with several different scents, so it is not just a single scent this is happening with.

[NewOrleansLady]

I haven't used that wax in years (I now use JS5050) but when I did I always used 44-32-18Z's with no problems other than the damn mushrooms (the reason I switched to Ultra Core Wicks).

I heard something about "memory" burning. Never made any sense to me but some people say you have to burn a candle for at least 3 hours the first time it's lit or it won't burn properly for the next re-lights. I've had to light candles and then unexpectedly have to leave the house after only an hour or less and they always burnt fine....so this theory never made sense to me.

The only difference I see is I use a 44-32 and you use a 44-20. I've had that happen randomly here and there but not every votive. Maybe you got a bad batch of wicks? Were they trimmed? could they have been trimmed too short??? Sorry I wasn't much help....but you know how fickle candles can be!

You may want to try making them with no dye....I stopped using it because of clogging problems. Just a thought....were they dark colors where a lot of dye was used?

[jgcurtis1961]

Wicks are trimmed with wickman wick trimmers which trim them to 1/4", so I don't think the wicks are to short.

I don't think it is the wicks because I've tried with 3 different sizes of wicks, from different suppliers.

I am wondering if I somehow got a bad batch of wax. I have been using this wax but only for tarts before now. I've never made anything that had to be burned with this wax.

I guess my next step is going to be to try using less FO., To me wicking up to a 44-24-18z would be to hot being as they get to hot in my jelly jars when I tested them, but then what do I know since this is my first time trying votives. Maybe since the votive holder is so small and it doesn't burn down into a jar which traps heat like the jar candles do then I will need a bigger wick.

I just thought some more experienced people than me might have some suggestions. I'm farely new to candlemaking only a few years compared to many others on here, who have been at this a long time.

Oh, on a side note with the zinc wicks there is some white ash on the tips of the wicks and the metal is showing.

[Scented]

Would you mind taking pictures and posting so I can see better what you're saying. You do have a clean melt pool right? I mean it isn't polluted with a bunch of wick trimmings is it?

I'd like to see a before and during ... something that shows me your wick length and something that shows me your melt pool as well as the depth.

The wicks you're using should work fine with the wax you have. Not really sure about the RRD29 though ... isn't there a low RRD30 something like a 32? Maybe try it.

What fragrance(s) are you trying to test or burn? Are they reformulated fragrances (that pthalates (??) free).

[diamondk]

I use 4794 with 6% FO and I use 36-24-24 in them unless it is a heavy scent and then it is a 44-20 or 44-24. You could also try an LX14. HTH

[jgcurtis1961]

Scented,

I am at my shop right now but when I get home I will take some pictures and try to figure out how to post them. The fragrances that I used are all peaks fragrances, I have tried blueberry muffin, cinnamon and balsam, and banana nut bread. I haven't been able to get a good burn on any of those. They are all doing the same thing.

They might burn ok for the 1st burn, then they start getting really really small flames, to the point of almost going out. The zinc wicks will get a white ash on top, and leave just the wire. Then for the next burn the flame might be slightly better ( still a small flame and no white ash), but still not cleaning the container. It will kinda cycle like this all the way through the votive, small flame and ash on one burn then maybe a slightly bigger flame and no ash.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong I got those scents wicked just fine in my jelly jars, with my own para-soy blend which should have taken a bigger wick than just a strait paraffin. I might try something like botanical orchard and nectar which was an easy wicker for me so it seems like it should be easier to wick for me in the votives too.

I know the wicks I have been using should be working that is what has got me baffled. The only other thing I can think of trying is to mix this wax with soy, or to try a lower percentage of fragrance oil in my votives.

Right now I am just burning to test them and try to get a good starting point for wicking on them.

Thanks for the help!

[Ingrid]

Try using CD wicks - 5 or 6 depending on the scent.

[Cap n Crunch]

This must be the week for 4794 questions! The Votive testing protocol thread I started below gets into wicking 4794, so the answers in these two threads may compliment each other.

I have been using 4794 for 8 batches of F.O.s now, and four of them are about right (Maybe a bit hot, but pretty close) with the 36 24 24. One works best with 44 24 18. Three of them would like a bit less wick. They are getting wax pools of 1/2" or more.

I have just adjusted my testing system, and I have been burning all four hour burns now. I retested four of the F.O.s and they all run a bit hot. I am right around 4% to 5% with all of them. I am using the dye chips, at 1 chip per lb of wax. ( am cutting some of the dye chips with a pill cutter to mix colors, but I am keeping the total dye load the same to make testing simpler.)

The only one that I needed to wick up to 44 was Nag Champa at 5 and 1/2% It behaved like the ones you described. It started to drown out about halfway through. The only thing I was told was that Peak Nag Champa burns almost as well as asbestos! (It is a fragrance worth wicking up for though. )

I am switching to LX wicks, and I will also try to get some CD wicks. I hope that these will work a bit better than the zinc ones. (Besides, people see the metal wick, and think, "Lead!" ) Right now, I am fairly happy with the wax, but I would like a touch more throw. I don't know if any pillar or votive waxes will get the same throw as a good, soft, sticky container wax.

Good luck,

Dave