Starburst Palm Testing

[topofmurrayhill]

Here's the usual votive test with CSN 7 and CSN 9. This is straight starburst wax with 5% of our usual test FO. The burn photos are at 1 hour and 3 hours. CSN 7 has had a pretty small flame size for just about the entire time, so CSN 9 is the plausible-looking one at this point.

[topofmurrayhill]

This is the end of burn 3 for CD 16 and CDN 16. I think we're starting to see the divergence in performance.

[topofmurrayhill]

These are the votives at 6 hours and 9 hours. The CSN 7 tester has, on the average, had a smaller flame than I'd want and is right now a little shroomy. It isn't looking like the ideal size. The CSN 9 tester is burning pretty much perfectly and I think it's the right wick. I suspect these judgments to prove correct as the rest of the test plays out, but we'll see how the flames look a little later and what the final burn times are.

[topofmurrayhill]

12 hours. Looks like the CSN 7 might burn for a good bit more than 15 hours, which would confirm that it's too small. The CSN 9 still looks good to me.

Here's a question: If there's still solid wax and the wick tab is stuck to the bottom of the glass, how did the CSN 9 get off center? Answer: The wick pin had a conical base and the tab was slightly recessed in the candle. It wasn't at the bottom until the wax melted enough for it to drop down. They usually end up in the middle, but not always. Remind me to level those off from now on.

[topofmurrayhill]

Total burn time for the CSN 9 votive was 15 1/4 hours.

The CSN 7 votive looks like it could go for at least 16.

CSN 9 is the winner.

[topofmurrayhill]

End of burn 4 for CD 16 and CDN 16. The CDN tester almost melted through the side on this burn. My palm eye (I think I have one now) tells me that this candle is underwicked. That might make the CD 16 under-underwicked.

Despite the fact that the CD tester seems to be underperforming the CDN tester, much of the time the flames look just about identical. It's really a pretty small difference. I'd say it's like one wick size at the most.

[lrbd]

going over my notes from your test this morning and was wondering if you are still using the stearic acid with your votives as well as the CD and CDN candles. thanks

[topofmurrayhill]

going over my notes from your test this morning and was wondering if you are still using the stearic acid with your votives as well as the CD and CDN candles. thanks

No stearic in the votives; I made them with extra wax from the first tester. The pillars have about 2% stearic. I'm hoping that this isn't affecting the wicking significantly. When I tried 0% and 3% stearic side by side, the burns looked the same.

At this point I would follow your procedure and routinely use a small percentage of stearic in pillars. Maybe I would make votives the same way for consistency, but the stearic isn't necessary with those. The matter of sweating while burning isn't relevant, and the votive molds are tapered so the candles lift right out.

Edited April 26, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[lrbd]

I have been taking notes from you and me and trying to keep up . I am thinking the since the CSN14 blew out on me at the very end ( but I went 6 hours at a time) and yours didn't blow out at all( 4 hours at a time). The CSN 14 would be the starting point for testing different FO and Colors.

Do you agree ?

[topofmurrayhill]

I have been taking notes from you and me and trying to keep up . I am thinking the since the CSN14 blew out on me at the very end ( but I went 6 hours at a time) and yours didn't blow out at all( 4 hours at a time). The CSN 14 would be the starting point for testing different FO and Colors.

Do you agree ?

Yup that's what I'm thinking.

[Debbie73]

I want to make sure I understand. When I make feather or starburst I use a 3 x 3 1/2 " mold, starting out with a csn 11 or 12. Are you saying to start out with a csn 14 wick and adjust according to FO? I have to make some testers tomorrow, so this will be new for me.

Top, do you find that you would have to start out with a larger size wick if it is a taller candle mold?

I forgot to ask, this is for 4 hour test burns, right? Top have you tried to light one and just let it go?

[topofmurrayhill]

I want to make sure I understand. When I make feather or starburst I use a 3 x 3 1/2 " mold, starting out with a csn 11 or 12. Are you saying to start out with a csn 14 wick and adjust according to FO? I have to make some testers tomorrow, so this will be new for me.

Top, do you find that you would have to start out with a larger size wick if it is a taller candle mold?

I forgot to ask, this is for 4 hour test burns, right? Top have you tried to light one and just let it go?

I think we are concluding that a good starting point is CSN 14 for starburst and CSN 12 for feather. The height of the mold makes no difference. Sometimes you may have to adjust the wicking for certain fragrance oils.

There are countless ways you can test burn and no way to guarantee that a palm pillar will work right under all circumstances. The standard instructions for a 3 inch pillar are to burn for 3 to 4 hours. I have been concentrating on 4 hour session for the purpose of these test threads. Laura has also done some experimenting with 6 hour burn sessions.

[Debbie73]

Ok, forgot to ask, but I do love to mix feather and starburst 50/50. Now which wick? Sorry!

[topofmurrayhill]

Ok, forgot to ask, but I do love to mix feather and starburst 50/50. Now which wick? Sorry!

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showpost.php?p=839098&postcount=48

[topofmurrayhill]

I get impatient watching testers fail slowly. Both the CD and CDN 16 candles struck me as underwicked (the CD more so). The CDN tester got close to melting through the side for two burns in a row. I decided to hit reset and make new candles with my best guess for size.

The photos show the end of the first 4-hour burn for the new CDN 18 and CD 20 testers. The CD had a rather large flame at the beginning, but the burns were much more similar by the end. This might be predictable because CD and CDN burn true to size when first lit, then decrease in performance thereafter. The CD is a larger size, so it started off with a taller flame, but I chose it based on the observation that CD slightly underperforms CDN. I might have overshot, but hopefully it will balance out in the longer run.

[Debbie73]

Thanks Top, I will be remaking my Plumeria with a csn 14.

[topofmurrayhill]

So here's burn 2 for CDN 18 and CD 20.

As I was watching this big old flame for 4 hours, I thought to myself, "Top, you have darn well overshot with that CD20." Well, actually, I don't call myself Top in real life. And "darn" is a little bland for my taste. But anyway, the CD tester melted through the side in the final half hour or so.

I may not even bother to try CD 18. I'm not so interested in wicking for CD as I am in whether it works and how it compares to CDN. I think I've gotten the idea now. The performance of the two might vary a little, but basically they both work and are very similar.

It's interesting. In feather and starburst palm, they both work. In tortoise shell palm, they both fry. That again raises that profound candlemaking question, "What is the CDN wick treatment really good for?" But I am convinced, without a doubt, that CDN is the perfect wicking for a certain type of candle. A candle that apparently nobody here makes.

But I'll continue burning the CDN 18 tester.

[topofmurrayhill]

A portrait shot of the new candle I'm adding to the lineup to test 36-Ply Classic flat braid.

This tester also demonstrates an alternative to adding stearic acid for mold release and fragrance retention. Simply add some feather palm! In this case I used it as 10% of the wax portion. This candle shrank from the side of the mold plenty and I'm positive that half that amount would do the trick. Who knows, maybe even less.

[topofmurrayhill]

First 4-hour burn for Classic 36-Ply.

[topofmurrayhill]

Burn 3 for CDN 18.

[topofmurrayhill]

Burn 4 for CDN 18.

[topofmurrayhill]

Burn 2 for 36-Ply Classic flat braid.

[topofmurrayhill]

Burn 6 for CDN 18.

[topofmurrayhill]

CDN 18, end of burn 7 and end of burn 8.

I'm testing more than the wick here. I didn't do a second pour with this candle and I want to see the effect of the hidden cavities. During the 8th burn, it reached the first of the small air pockets that start forming just around the wick. This wasn't really obvious until I peered inside, so I guess so far there hasn't been much effect. There should be larger pockets further down.

I'm not sure that wax actually drains into the voids suddenly. This wax has seemed kind of crumbly and pourous when I've cut into the candles and broken them apart. It may be that liquid wax seeps down and fills the cavities slowly. If that's the case, I imagine it could have a less dramatic effect on the burn.

Edited May 2, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[topofmurrayhill]

End of burn 9 for CDN 18.

I've been working on detailed instructions for all the palm waxes, and one of the open question has been whether starburst palm requires a repour. This candle is helping answer the question.

I shined a light directly into the melt pool so you could see the dark spot near the wick. That's an air pocket that we burned down to. It filled with wax very gradually, maybe during this burn or even the last one. The effect on the performance of the candle wasn't dramatic or even noticeable. The level of the melt pool may have been dropping faster due to the voids, but the wick has been trimming back accordingly and the size of the flame has been stable.