Gbhunter Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I have the perfect wick for my 3" pillars good pool and it melts nicely and does not tunnel. But the flame quickly gets a bit bigger and then begins to smoke so much so that after 2 weeks it visable on the ceiling.. My wife has the candle like 2-3' from the ceiling. Is that normal or do I have to keep trimming the wick every hour or so. I tried the wick one step lower and it instantly tunnels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 No, that's not normal. The wick should not soot at all, let alone put a spot on your ceiling. The wick also should not need to be trimmed during a normal burn session. It's definitely too big.If a smaller wick doesn't work, you probably need either a different type of wick or a change to your candle mixture (meaning a change in wax and/or additives and/or fragrance). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxSioux Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Have you tried burning the same candle in another location? I totally respect Tops opinion & skill, but 2-3" from the ceiling is a rather unique location. You're creating a condition that encloses the candle as it burns down & limits the air flow to properly provide a balanced source of fuel. I'd guess that this is a normal result, given the contained environment. Is there an air vent close to the candle? If so, you might be creating a reverse situation where the vent is providing too much air in the enclosed area & causing the flame to burn high. These are just my initial thoughts ...Susan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Actually, I believe the poster meant 2-3 feet: "2-3' from the ceiling"That should be plenty of room for the candle to burn freely.I agree with top. You either need to try another type of wick or adjust your additives. How much fragrance are you adding? Too much may cause sooting or mushrooming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I think what might be more helpful is if you tell us the wax, wick and size you are doing and if you are adding any additives. We could help you much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 (edited) Just use like 4 drops of blue dye and 140 melting point parafin I did not put scent into the candle.Its a 45 ply flat braided cotton wick. The next down is 38 I think.. But everytime I used that one it tunnels. No the wick does not mushroom. Edited March 29, 2010 by Gbhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Just use like 4 drops of blue dye and 140 melting point parafin I did not put scent into the candle.Its a 45 ply flat braided cotton wick. The next down is 38 I think.. But everytime I used that one it tunnels. No the wick does not mushroom.it's too big, for a 3" diameter pillar a 24 or 27 should work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 (edited) Just use like 4 drops of blue dye and 140 melting point parafin I did not put scent into the candle.Its a 45 ply flat braided cotton wick. The next down is 38 I think.. But everytime I used that one it tunnels. No the wick does not mushroom.140 MP is too high without fragrance in the candle. It may tend to tunnel and burn with a tall flame. See my previous reply to you. http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showpost.php?p=827590&postcount=4Try a lower MP wax and a smaller wick like Sabrina suggests. Edited March 29, 2010 by topofmurrayhill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxSioux Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Actually, I believe the poster meant 2-3 feet: "2-3' from the ceiling"ROFL -- thank you for pointing that out! I really couldn't believe anyone would be burning a candle that close to the ceiling, but I know someone who caught a bookcase on fire, so I'm an idiot for not reading correctly! And now I can't stop giggling from the weird visual of a random candle next to the ceiling ...Susan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 (edited) The main confusion I get is from the discription of the waxes online.. They lead you to think that 140 is just fine for all candle making. I do get a fairly tall flame as you guys have said and a tiny streak of smoke coming from it. With the 132 melt which I will get soon Should I really use half the wock size such as 27 ply flat core? or should I try like 35. It seems like im swinging between tunneling and sooting...man this is aggravating. Also I know it has been bosted before but is there some sort of online guide just to get an idea of what wick(ballpark figure) to use? To add insult to injury now im stuck with 200 ft of 45 ply and 60 ply wick lol.and when you read descriptions like this its easy to get confused:60 lbs. A fully refined, straight paraffin wax with a 139 MP. This is perhaps the most versatile wax we carry. Great general purpose wax for adding your own additives. Without any additives, this wax is very translucent and produces a charming glow.Add fragrance or mineral oil to create a mottled effect. Vybar to increase fragrance oil capacity and to increase opacity. Petrolatum to increase softness. Sterine to increase hardness and opacity. Recommended fragrance usage is 3%. Edited March 31, 2010 by Gbhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 The main confusion I get is from the discription of the waxes onlineSuppliers and manufacturers naturally have a vested interest in making their products sound like the hottest thing since sliced bread. I find it more helpful to use the Google site search tool (toward the bottom of the page linked) and put the name/number of the wax (or product) in and see what other folks have had to say about it. Frequently, you'll see a wide range of opinions, but after a bit, you'll notice the same issues and complaints (or cudos) and can get a feeling for the overall view of the usefulness & suitability of a particular product for a particular application. There's tons of discussion here that can help in making decisions about product purchases, etc. I know it's frustrating - hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbhunter Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 (edited) Wow I did not realize how much soot it really produced!! Its on every suface. Most likely been inhaling the stuff for a week. JOY!I will get the 132 melt point stuff with 24 and 27 ply wicks. Should I just toss the spools of 45 and 60 ply? I mean what are they good for other than sinking 20$ into 250 feet of the stuff?The wax I had before was 135 melt point and 32 ply wicks drilled a nice hole right down the middle so im not holding my breath for the 132 melt point with an even smaller wick. Ill let you know the results once the wax comes. I di throw out all the other candles seeing as they were nothing more than burning chimneys. Edited April 2, 2010 by Gbhunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Wow I did not realize how much soot it really produced!! Its on every suface. Most likely been inhaling the stuff for a week. JOY!I will get the 132 melt point stuff with 24 and 27 ply wicks. Should I just toss the spools of 45 and 60 ply? I mean what are they good for other than sinking 20$ into 250 feet of the stuff?The wax I had before was 135 melt point and 32 ply wicks drilled a nice hole right down the middle so im not holding my breath for the 132 melt point with an even smaller wick. Ill let you know the results once the wax comes. I di throw out all the other candles seeing as they were nothing more than burning chimneys.It the wick drills a hole in the wax it means it's too big. It's burning too fast and burning all the wax leaving no melt pool, and it becomes a torch.A small wick does the opposite, it melts wax without being capable of burning it, so the melt pool becomes wider and wider until it reaches the edge and can make your pillar buldge or drip. And it will likely drown. The right wick is a balance on melting and consuming the wax.Wax with no oil in it requires a smaller wick than one that's fragranced.I suggest you to do a search on here about waxes, on the internet about their properties and how oil content affects the results.Take a deep breath, start over again like today was your day one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmeroo Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Here is a great site for wicking..I love it..Stella posted this in a few of her older posts and I like to pass it along...also I used to make straight paraffin jar candles and loved the 125mp wax..I bought mine at C&S and I used CD wicks...HTH.http://www.wickit.net/recommendations.html#ecoKim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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