Jenny Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I decided to try and make a couple of votives tonight, but found that my wick pins seem to be too small for my votive molds. I have never made votives before, so I am not sure what to expect-but when I pulled the votive out of the mold, there was wax on the bottom like it had leaked around the sides and under the wick pin because the pin doesn't touch all sides of the mold. I always assumed that the wick pin would touch all sides of the mold. Is it supposed to? I mean, wouldn't you need that to happen in order to properly center the wick!? I did buy both separately, so that could be my problem. If only I hadn't bought 50 molds on ebay a year ago from who knows where.......So, now the goal would be to purchase both from the same supplier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 That's normal. Votives aren't really a perfection kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Yep totally normal......sometimes that happens in my pours and sometimes not. The coating pops right off with a knife! It honestly wouldn't matter if you bought mold and pins from the same supplier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted April 9, 2010 Author Share Posted April 9, 2010 :)Thanks for the replies! I think if this is the case, I will try out the self centering wick tabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmhoneybear Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I mostly make votives and have only used wick pins. I couldn't imagine doing them any other way. I'm not sure, but I think the self-centering wick tabs might be a more time-consuming way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane42 Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I would love more info on the self-centering wicks also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I mostly make votives and have only used wick pins. I couldn't imagine doing them any other way. I'm not sure, but I think the self-centering wick tabs might be a more time-consuming way to go.With centering wicks you just drop the wick into the votive cup and it self centers. Much faster and easier than using wick pins.Plus I found the centering wicks to be accurate and the wick pins often get bent and don't always center. Plus you still have to pull them out of the votive and put in your wick.You can also get centering wicks for tea lites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane42 Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Interesting...what type of wick is "self-centering" ? We use LX's now and are happy with them, but if I can save some time and get the same results, sounds good to me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I'm not following how self-centering wick tabs solve the problem. I would think the bigger concern is having the wick centered at the top of the votive, but the tabs only help with the bottom. The wicks themselves are probably less straight than wick pins, especially after a hot pour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grama Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I have tried those yrs ago and didn't really like them. The plus to me for the wick pin is that I don't have to keep "pulling" the wick to center as wax cooled and pulled wick with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted April 10, 2010 Author Share Posted April 10, 2010 Good thought. Of course, the first goal would be to make sure you begin with the wick or pin centered on the bottom, so that you can then worry about the top being centered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I just peer down at them to make sure they're in the middle. Occasionally I get one that's a little off or maybe the wick pin itself isn't totally straight, but it's just a votive and perfection isn't absolutely necessary as long as it burns well.I would like to be able to mold the wick totally into the candle instead of using the pins, but it doesn't seem very practical. The wick is even more likely to be off center at the top of the candle than the pins is, and it can also bend as the wax contracts. Paraffin wax in particular can shrink a lot and warp the wick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I never had any trouble with the wicks centering when using centering wicks. If you are using a wick pin you still have to make sure the pin itself is centered and straight. With a centering wick its easy to straighten the wick itself and then just drop it into the votive mold.In my experience I prefer centering wicks over wick pins. I hated how the wick pins would get off center and I was always fussing with them. I had more problems with off center wicks using the wick pins. When I switched to using self centering wicks no more problems. I couldn't believe how effective and simple they are to use.Personally I would never go back to using wick pins. Especially if you are doing votives or tea lites in volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 What wax are you using them with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I also tried those wick tabs years ago and hated them, as it was a pain to constantly have to check and keep the wick centered while cooling. I don't have many wick pins get bent in the hundreds I have. If one does get askew, it doesn't take much pressure to get it straight again and you can see if it's off immediately when putting it in the mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I used them with pillar blends of both parrafin and soy waxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I also tried those wick tabs years ago and hated them, as it was a pain to constantly have to check and keep the wick centered while cooling. I don't have many wick pins get bent in the hundreds I have. If one does get askew, it doesn't take much pressure to get it straight again and you can see if it's off immediately when putting it in the mold. Funny. I feel the same way about wick pins. They are a pain in the butt to use because they are always off center and I have to constantly fuss with them to make sure the pin is centered. Then the pin itself would be bent and I have to straighten those out too. Then I have to pull the wick pins out of the votives and they always left an impression on the bottom of my votives I didn't like.Thats when I tried the self centering wicks. I find them much easier and faster to use. I always get centered wicks and no more ugly impressions on the bottom of my votives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 LOL Candybee, that's why there are soooooo many different ways to do the same thing in candlemaking. The choices the newbies have today are 10 fold more than I had years ago. I'm kind of glad I'm not starting out new today, I think it would drive me crazy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted April 10, 2010 Author Share Posted April 10, 2010 I guess you are either a diehard wick pin user or a diehard centered wick tab user. I will have to try both and see which team I'm on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I started out without wick pins, and the wicks always wandered off-center when the wax was cooling. Apparently it is contracting and that pulls the wick around. Now I use wick pins. To those of you bending them up, I can't imagine what you're doing to cause that because mine don't get bent and I'm not treating them in any way delicately.So coming from someone who's tried it both ways, wick pins are the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I'm a little confused about the bending too, but it might be because there are a few different kinds of pins you can run into. The ones I use are very sturdy and mostly true when purchased. It takes some abuse to mess them up. The base is thick and slightly conical rather than flat.More than one supplier sells them, but the one I know for certain is Candlewic. I'm curious as to whether CandleScience is selling the good ones now too. If so, they have a good price on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Mine came from Peak, and they seem sturdy, relatively heavy, and have the conical bottom. May be the same ones you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Mine came from Peak, and they seem sturdy, relatively heavy, and have the conical bottom. May be the same ones you have.Sounds like it. Let's add Peak to the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane42 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 (edited) We use 4794 and it contracts a lot during cooling. Do the self-centering wicks have a metal core, to keep them straight? Since the bottom of the wick pins fit well into the molds, we do not have to worry about it going off center. I believe we are the ones that actually bend the wick pins when we have a stubborn votive to remove...then it is easy to remember to check and straighten it back up if we did bend it.I haven't tried the self-centering, so I can't comment on those but when we use the wick pins, it is pour and walk away......no checking to see if wicks are staying centered.If I ever get a chance to try them, I will...I am curious now.... Edited April 12, 2010 by Jane42 spelling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybersix Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 I have a lot of off-centered wick pins. Maybe due to the long trip they have to make to get here, who knows. I bought new, from candlewic, and used on here on the classifieds.It's really hard for a woman who wants to have everything perfect to learn to love votives as they are, if the wick is only a bit off center the votives is still good.I just put aside the worst pins I find and use the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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