Now I'm getting confused/frusterated

[rebeccajo99]

Things were all starting to fall into place, getting candles nicely wicked and I was all happy. NOw my testing has been terrable.

This all started yesterday. I'm on my 3rd 3 hour test burn with 9 oz hex jars. Not anywhere near the bottom half of the jar and I couldn't even hold the jar above the melt pool for more than 4 seconds. The HT throw is GREAT. I love it, but hate the jar temp. My instinct is to wick down, but I'm also getting mushrooms (which my research shows that I should wick up)

Now the temp around here today is low 80's. I have the air set in my house at 77.

Now the question is... should I lower the temp in my house a few more degrees and test again and see how it goes, wait until the outside temp goes down or just pour ones that are a smaller wick.

For those who want to know- here is my candle specs.

Ecosoya 135

6 % fo

no dye, additives

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank-you

[Brenda (OH)]

I'd wick down. When I get mushrooms it usually means I have over wicked. I use a parasoy wax though, not your wax.

[topofmurrayhill]

I know what you mean. Things are always falling into place on those initial burns. It's a shame we have to bother testing the whole candle.

It does sound like you should try a smaller wick. There's no one rule for how to get rid of mushrooms. It could be a wick up or a wick down or some other change that does it. In the case of CB-135, I suspect you'll get some shrooming no matter what. Just concentrate on the overheating for now.

It's really hard or impossible to keep testing conditions consistent year round. I don't think that's the critical thing in your testing at this stage, but it can make some difference. I like to aim for testing at 75 degrees. Maybe a little lower in the winter and a little higher in the summer. In your shoes, I would use the air conditioning as long as I could keep drafts off the candle.

One thing that helps with drafts year round is to get some window screen material from the home supply store and make a tube of it to put over the candles.

Good luck with your testing.

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks guys. I'm in the process of pouring one a wick down. Praying my scent throw is not compromised. :smiley2:

[rebeccajo99]

ok... so the one that is the wick down was WAY to hot on the first burn and the mushroom was huge. I let it cure for 48 hours and then started burning. The hot throw great after curing for only 48 hours, nice and strong. Could smell it carrying into other rooms. I would say it was better than the wick up.

This is a 9 oz hex jar with a 3 inch diamater. If I wick down again, I'll be down to a CD 8 which is off all the wicking charts. I know those are just a guideline in wicking, but a CD 8 still seems so small for these jars.

Things were going so nicely that I thought I would make my "Start selling date" now i don't think so anymore.

[tootie04]

and just when ya think ya got it.....its gonna get COLD and everything will change!! You will get it though...

here it is pretty cool in the mornings...like 50's and we have the windows open and no heat on. I have been lighting my testers EARLY to get an idea of how they will do in cooler weather....

[rebeccajo99]

Ok, I decided to pull out a candle that I had curing for scent throw. I tested this one once before and did not have a scent throw, so I decided to wick that one down. It had a great throw, and only got slightly hot.

So I decided for grins and giggles that I will pour another one with a CD 8 and see what happens. It seems really weird where most people can wick these jars with a 10-14... but we will see what happens. I'm going to be gone tonight, so I won't be able to do it until tomorrow. I'll post my results when I test them (probably not until Saturday)

I will win this battle...:laugh2::laugh2:

[Buttercup85]

Maybe the reason you need to wick down could be you are not using Dyes or addatives were others are. I know nothing about candles but been testing a different type wax and was having very similar problems.

Good Luck. Hope the new wick works out for you.

[rebeccajo99]

Maybe.

[Stella1952]

I don't use your wax (I use C3) but I do use that jar. A CDN 10 works very well for me. Because those jars are taller (rather than squat), and they have shoulders with a smaller mouth, the screw-top part of the container will be warmer than I personally like at the end of the candle, but the sides are not so hot that I cannot handle it. I prefer containers whose mouth is not narrower then the sides, but hexes don't come that way! :undecided I tested a CDN 8, but the throw wasn't real special for the particular FO I tested... not surprisingly, there wasn't a huge difference in the heat of the mouth of the container either. Now if they just made a CDN 9.... :rolleyes2

BTW, you stated the measurement for this jar is 3" and that's not accurate... When measuring an angled container, measure flat side to flat side rather than point to point. The inside measurement is 3" point to point, but only 2 3/8" from side to side.

Despite the challenges, I really like hex jars and continue to use them. While 8 oz. jelly jars are usually easier to wick, of all the screw-top containers I have seen & tried, this one is the showiest.

[rebeccajo99]

Thanks Stella for the information. I am still going to try the CD 8 for grins and giggles. Maybe the difference between c3 and 135 will still create a nice ht with the 8. We will see. Otherwise I will have to figure it out. The second one I tried, may still survive to the end. It wasn't too hot, but for it still being at the top of the jar, was wondering how hot it would get by the end. The first one I couldn't touch it at all without my figertips being singed.

Thank-you for also telling me about the jars. I just took the measurements from the website I purchased them from. Didn't think twice about checking them. So when people say to measure the widest part of the jar, that is for those wierd shaped ones like the tureens??? (little off topic, but just wondering)

It may be before Saturday when I can post. For some reason I was thinking that it was Tuesday all day yesterday.

[Stella1952]

when people say to measure the widest part of the jar, that is for those wierd shaped ones like the tureens?

Round is different. For, say a tureen, I would pay attention to the mouth diameter and the diameter at the largest part and the diameter at the bottom.

[rebeccajo99]

Ok... I tried the CD 8. Waited 48 hours then lit the candle. I put it in my master suit (about 1/2 the size of a room I would like to fill) and walked in room 30 mins later and starting a nice throw. Walked in there an hour after burning and it filled the room nicely. I am not smelling it wandering out into the hallway yet. I felt the jar and it was luke warm. I'm a little concerned about the jar being lukewarm 1 hour after lighting, but we will see what happens. My next burn I am going to put it in my great room and see if it fills that room which I like. I put it in the master bedroom since my husband is not home and I cannot leave for 30 mins and come back to see how the throw is.