Ugghhhhh!!!

[Spellkast]

Ok, so I've been playing around with these cute new containers I got- about 4" wide, IGI4627 Comfort Blend and I've tried like every wick in existence- either they don't produce a full melt pool, or they get CLOSE to producing a full melt pool, but turn the tops of the containers almost completely black!!! I'm ready to pull my hair out, I'm so angry! Right now I'm experimenting with the Low Smoke Zincs- most of them don't produce a full melt pool even with the 17's, which are pretty darn big! And then if I use the 15's, they soot and smell burnt after I blow them out. The LX30s were too small even on the lightest scents, HTP's and CD's smoke too much. Uch!!! I love this wax once I figure out the wick problems, but when I'm testing, I wanna throw it out the window. Ok, well, that's enough ranting- thanks for reading, guys!!!

[eugenia]

You need to double wick that baby. :smiley2:

e

[faerydust]

have you tried just regular zinc? i know that they say htp is the best for this wax but i tested (very little testing though) regular zincs in jj's and they worked good for me! i really didn't like the texture of this wax so didn't to to much more testing.

i actually just used it for wickless candles:grin2:

[Trish]

You need to double wick that baby. :smiley2:

e

Ditto that.

[Michi]

I know you probably don't wanna double wick it (I try to avoid it at all costs) but at 4" acrossed you may just have to especially since you said you've tried just about every wick in existence.

I feel your pain girlie, I'm surprised I'm not bald by now. LOL

Hang in there, you'll get it.

I'd love to see your new container.

[Spellkast]

I know, I know...I've thought about double wicking, but I have other 4" containers that burn fine with the Low Smoke Zincs!! Weird, huh? These are terraced jars from fairway, so I'm THINKING that maybe because the opening gets smaller at the top, that's why soot is collecting on there. I thought I might try one of the large RRD wicks soon, but regular zincs- I just can't bring myself to do it...I tested regular zincs in this stuff early on in my experimenting and I HATED it...I wouldn't just get a mushroom from them, I would get like whole people growing on the tops of the wicks...it was bad, but as a last resort before double wicking, I will attempt the zincs. I'll try the RRD's this afternoon and see how it goes. Sigh.

[topofmurrayhill]

I know, I know...I've thought about double wicking, but I have other 4" containers that burn fine with the Low Smoke Zincs!!

I think this may depend on someone's definition of "burn fine". Comfort blend is a 131 MP wax loaded with petrolatum. Maybe I shouldn't talk without trying it, but it seems impossible to me that you can get a 4" melt pool out of it without sticking a blowtorch in there and generating smoke. Maybe the fact that your new jar catches the soot offers a new perspective on your previous wicking solutions...?

[Spellkast]

LOL..and what wax do you use, my dear topofmurrayhill? Ya know, with all this hype about paraffin being horrible, I'm starting to think I should switch to soy...And I've tried IGI6006, and I can't stand that stuff- I feel the scent throw is so much stronger on the comfort blend...Just getting so frustrated right now. I love these new jars- and you're completely right Top, it got me thinking about my old jars- I never SEE them smoke, and there's never soot on the containers, but that doesn't mean there ISN'T any soot! But I'm ready to do my first show next week and I just ordered 5 cases of comfort blend...and I love it, I really do..but now I'm just worried about the hazard these candles might pose to my customer's health. I mean, does anyone else use this stuff? Am I the only horrible person subjecting people to my awful comfort blend? I should start a "people who love comfort blend, but know it's wrong" support group!

[topofmurrayhill]

Soy is fun but won't help you in that way. The melting points are all in the same range as paraffin based container fills. Get too ambitious trying to single wick and it will smoke too. Waxes and wixes, it's all the same deal.

[Grumpy Girl]

I should start a "people who love comfort blend, but know it's wrong" support group!

Girlie, I'll be the first in line to sign up.

I totally feel your pain. I got a great new oil, (pink sugar) love it, and my usual wick for my 8oz jj's won't work with this new oil. I'd never seen an HTP with a mushroom the size of Cleveland before today. I just ripped out every series of HTP's that they make and I'm starting on the LX series. Maybe we could go in halfs on extensions to cover up the hair we pulled out.

I refuse to give up, I have two cases of this stuff and I finally got a method figured out to portion it up for ease of use.

[Spellkast]

Yeah, the stuff is great once you get it figured out- but sssssshhhhhh*****tttt, I just can't figure this stupid jar out. There's only like 3 oils out of the twenty that I've tested that aren't sooting- and their melt pool isn't reaching the sides of the container...I know that if I wick up, it'll soot just as bad as the others. I just feel as if I double wick, I'll lose customers. I think people see two wicks as the candle burning faster and then they think they're wasting their money. I'll give the RRD's a shot, and then the regular zincs...then I'll just throw them all out the window

[topofmurrayhill]

Double wicking isn't so bad once you finally give in.

Submit. Submit.

[siberia]

Are you using the Elevation jars from Fairway? That's the jar that I use and it was a bugger to figure out the wick. I was determined to single wick that bad boy and I finally succeeded. However, my wicking advice might not help you because I use soy for my containers.

<Clinton>I feel your pain</Clinton>. Wicking issues really stink!

Kimberly

[Spellkast]

You got it to work with a single wick?!?! How?! I'll try ANYTHING! I love these jars- they're just the cutest! And I know soy acts differently than paraffin, but I know they're both very viscous waxes, so something you did might work!! Please, please, please share your secret!!!

[siberia]

Here are the results of the testing I did on that particular jar.

Wax: EcoSoya CB Advanced, no additives

FO: 1 oz pp of wax (4 different types, light to heavy)

Dye: 1 drop liquid dye (Bitter Creek brand) pp of wax

Jar: Fairway Elevation 8 oz & 16 oz

Wicks tried that failed:

RRD55 - flame height too small; never reached full melt pool; large amt. of hangup.

LX 20, 24, 28 - flame height too small on the 20 & 24, too big on the 28; never reached full melt pool; large amt. of hangup, mushroomed like crazy.

HTP 126 - flame height too small; never reached full melt pool; large amt. of hangup.

The winners:

HTP 1212 - perfect fit for the light FO's. Great melt pool, no mushrooming and no hangup. However, this wick did fail on the heavier FO's with hangup and small meltpool.

HTP 1312 - works beautifully on the heavier FO's. Perfect melt pool, no mushrooming and no hangup. This wick could be used in the lighter FO's but I am picky about flame height. IMO, the flame was too tall in unscented or light FO situations.

Kimberly

[Spellkast]

really? HTP's? I know they are the "recommended wick" for the wax I use, but they always smoked so badly, I couldn't stand it. I will try them next (I put RRD's in yesterday and I'm gonna burn them for a few hours today to see if they're even close) And Top, you'd be proud, I even double wicked one Thanks so much for your info- I'll definitely give the HTP's another shot.