Mushrooming

[ladysj]

I was just curious as to whether gel wax is prone to mushrooming. I'm test burning a wine glass candle the melt pool & hot throw is absolutely awesome.

However, it's mushrooming pretty big after about an hour or so. I'm using the Gel Wax wicks from BCN. It's the large ones which is suppose to be for this size container.

Except for the mushrooming I'm doing the as far as the burn & scent throw.

Could not trimming my wick short enough cause this? It's really hard getting it cut short enough with a pair of scissors.

[Vicky_CO]

It is zinc wicks that are prone to mushrooming not the gel. I get very little if any mushrooms when I use HTP or LX wicks

[ladysj]

Thank Vicky for the quick reply. Do you have any suggestions as to which LX wick for about a 3" diameter wine glass.

Since it's just a test burn I guess I'll just have to deal with the big old shrooms lol

[Vicky_CO]

I would start with an LX 20 to an LX 22 depending on the gel density.

[ladysj]

I've been testing the LX wicks they do great no mushrooming. However, I am noticing that when I blow them out there is always a little bit of a flame on the wick & it smokes.

What causes this is and is there any way to fix this problem? I don't like that part.

[Vicky_CO]

Actually that is a problem with all flat braid wick. The flat braids seem to be the worst for doing it. That includes The HTP, CD, ECO ect.... It come back to the self trimming part. Those wick where originally designed to be self trimming now self trimming in gel or the other natural waxes rarely happens mainly because we have to use a larger wick than for paraffin candle of the same size.

[Bernadette]

I did some testing on this awhile back, and found that when you use a wick dipper to put the candle out, there isn't this problem. If you don't have a wick dipper, and want to try it, use a fingernail file(metal), and push the wick into the melt pool to put it out, and then bring the tip back up when the candle goes out. I think you will be happy with the result. But be sure to get a wick dipper to do it in the future.