henhao Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 So far I have only used pre-primed, tabbed wicks, but for my next candle I am going to buy some square braid wicking and some wick tabs. Since I'm using a wick pin, I gather I will need to prime the wick before inserting it. My question is about the wax needed for priming. One article I read said to prime the wick using "pure paraffin only." However, the only wax I have at the moment is a granulated "paraffin blend" from natures garden. Should I be okay with that, or is it really necessary for me to purchase pure paraffin for the priming to be effective? Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Just wick your pillar mold, priming the square braid probably won't fit through the wick pin hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 It's useful for the part of the wick sticking out of the candle to have wax on it. That helps when lighting it up.The wax often soaks into the wick just from the process of making the candle. If your candlemaking procedure results in a wick that's too dry, you could just dip it ahead of time in whatever wax you're using to make the candle.Other than that you don't have to worry about priming wicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henhao Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 Well, I am using a pillar mold with a wick pin. So I would be inserting the wick after the wax has set and I've removed the candle from the mold. No chance of wax soaking into the wick that way. That is why I thought I would need to prime it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 The wick pin isn't going to save you any time and certainly won't produce a better result than wicking the mold directly. If you want to use it, try dipping the wick in the melted wax while you're making the candle and hold it straight while it cools. That will make it easier to insert through the wick hole later.If the point is to test different wicks, I think the best way is to get some short molds in the diameter you want to test, then make multiple candles with different wicks.It can take several burns to get a really good idea of how the wick is working. Once the candle has been burned down that way, it isn't really suitable for testing a different wick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenancy Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I tab & prime my own votive wicks and found it impossible to use wick pins. The wicks are not rigid enough. It seems to me that pillars would be even worse. I think you would have to use a high melt paraffin to be abe to do it. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 (edited) Depending on what kind of candle I'm making, I prefer using a wick pin on my pillars, and inserting a primed wick after. As to your original question, sure - go ahead and prime it with whatever wax you're using. If it does not give you the results you're looking for, you can do with with the pure paraffin.I like to prime wicks ahead of time, and how I do it is just drop a long piece in the pot of melted wax, pull it out, squeegee it out, and then dip it in again, gently running my gloved hand down, removing the excess. Then I hang it up to dry, hooking it over the hanger (I have some hangers hanging on a rod on the ceiling) and then they are ready when I need them. Edited September 23, 2009 by Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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