How soy jar candles look while burning?

[Desertrose]

Hi there...

Just starting out here in the world of candlemaking(I am the wife of RichardLOZ)

What a complex business this is turning out to be!

Our children are beginning to complain because all we ever talk about these days are wicks and wax!

I have yet another soy question.

Our soy jar candles seem to leave a film, where they have burned down around the glass - kind of like the residue buttermilk in a glass might look?

It looks messy to me.

Is this how they are supposed to look?

Tracy

[Stella1952]

What kind of wax/FO used & amt.; any additives used & amt.; what kind of FO used & amt.; what kind/size wick; what kind of container & dimensions?

Having asked all that, some soy waxes do leave a residue on the jar - some more, some less - just depends. With a little more information, we can be of greater assistance.

[imprimis]

I use GB 464 and have the same thing. I don't think it's all that bad since I am getting a complete burn. I believe it's just the additive in the soy that helps it adhere to the container.

[Jane42]

When we made soy candle jars with Enchanted Lites Millenium wax, it did leave a residue also. I didn't like it either, but we never had any customers complain about it. I think they just want a clean (no soot) burn with a good scent.

Good Luck!

[Desertrose]

Thanks!

See, here we are experimenting with making soy candles and we've never actually bought one and burned one to see how they look!

Seems a bit silly, I know.....but that's why I'm asking because we don't have a clue how they are "supposed" to look.

We've used two different sorts of soy waxes, one is 100% soy and the other has some sort of vegetable additive.

All our soy candles in the jars, regardless of colour or fragrance,type of wax, and even wicks seem to be doing the same thing, leaving this milky residue.

I have noticed though that the more burn time we allow, the more that milky residue seems to melt - but it's still there.

I'm guessing then, that this is quite common?

Does it perhaps have to do with the lower meltpoint of soy - as in, it's not getting AS hot in the container as say palm wax would, therefore the residue is not melting as much?

Basically, I just want to know if our candles look like this, if this is acceptable to sell, or whether this is simply undesirable and we should keep trying different things?

I guess upping the size of the wicks? Though we have varied size wicks in each jar as it is and there doesn't seem to be much of a difference?

Tracy

[hellen]

Hi,

Mine leave a small residue also...sort of looks like the glass is a ittle dirty. Most people don't mind, however I tell my workshop participants that if they DO mind to wipe the jar clean with a nappy tissue (we call them wet ones). Glass will be sparkling clean then. (just make sure they understand not to clean it when the candle is actually burning...hehhehe)

Cheers,

Hells

[Stella1952]

This is where knowing the exact brand of wax helps... Each manufacturer has a slightly different formula...

When I use NatureWax C3 (NOT a 100% soy wax), and it is wicked properly, there is very little residue on the interior of the container. If it's slightly underwicked, it tends to leave a milky residue. The container has to get hot enough to fully melt the wax from the sides. Sometimes, it's hard to get a perfect balance to "clean" the sides perfectly - an example would be single wicking a 4" container. While the burn and throw are very good, this size container is more prone to leaving some residue because of the distance between the wick and the sides. Lower container temp = more residue. The ambient room temperature comes into play also. If you are burning a candle in a 78° room and one in a 55° room, guess which one is more likely to leave residue?

Veggie waxes are more viscous than are paraffin formulas, therefore they are harder to burn completely. The problem sometimes isn't the size of wick so much as the type of wick. I use and recommend CDNs because they are treated to resist oxidation from the acids in veggie waxes. They do not clog as readily as do untreated wicks. While the sizing is similar to CDs, I generally find that it takes a smaller CDN than it does a CD to achieve the desired results because the CDN burns more efficiently.

If you are using a wax/wick combo that tends to leave residue, Hells is spot-on: wipe the interior of the jar clean after the wax has cooled. HTH

[Desertrose]

Thanks, that makes sense yes...

Last night we had a whole lot of varying sized jars burning and it was the very smallest one - with a huge melt pool - (too big as the jar was getting too hot) that left absolutely no residue whatsoever.

Trick is, as you say, getting that balance right.

We will continue to test different wicks.

For the excellent scent throw we're getting though I shouldn't imagine too many people would complain about a little residue.

[Circle]

Hey, unless the customer wants to drink from the glass ( they will have to clean it anyway) it is totally acceptable to have a slight residue on the glass. Customers don't want a tunnelling effect so they are left with huge amounts of wax on the outside but a slight residue is totally acceptable. Live and let live. If you have a residue on 100% natural soy this is generally the norm.

[Desertrose]

Good! thanks