CSN 11, 12 and 14 using starburst

[lrbd]

ok so here I go again

6% FO honeysuckle vine for MC

3 drops of CS yellow liquid dye

NO STEARIC

I am trying to burn for 6 hours . not sure if I mentioned why previously but I think that's a nice amount of time if haveing a dinner party for instance . On a daily basis I think most people burn containers ( I could be wrong )

her is 50 seconds of video at the end of the 1st 6 hour burn

http://www.box.net/shared/jyc5nhgzh8

[lrbd]

The photo of the 12 and 14 is not accurate they had nice flames . you can see it better in the video. I can't comment on the throw since they are all burning in the same room . It seems at the end of this burn the 11 and the 14 were doing a bit better than the 12 .

[topofmurrayhill]

Wow. I should probably keep a state of Zen and not try to expect or predict anything--but 6 hours, huh?

You know how I was saying that the feather pillars only blow out at the top, before the shell starts melting down? That's the part where I was experiencing a time limit. If I was testing in 3 hour sessions, a lot more wicks would have passed. Wicks that failed could actually be pretty usable. It's just that 4 hours was kind of a torture test, so I'm wondering how they'll survive 6.

Once the candles opened up and the top edges of the shell started to get consumed, that's when I could burn them for a long time. But in the early burns, I think 6 hours would have killed them all. I was only imagining the possibility of such long burns with the votive sizes.

However, I'm really just getting into the starburst. Maybe it's more different from feather than it seems.

Edited April 12, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[lrbd]

Wait I am not sure I understand

Wow. I should probably keep a state of Zen and not try to expect or predict anything--but 6 hours, huh?/QUOTE]

So is this a good thing or a bad thing what I am doing?

[lrbd]

here is the end of the 2nd 6 hour burn

PS Flash on my camera is not opening

Edited April 13, 2010 by lrbd

[topofmurrayhill]

So is this a good thing or a bad thing what I am doing?

Pretty much every feather pillar I wicked would have blown out if I'd burned it 6 hours at a time right near the top.

I was able to burn for extended periods only after the wax hangup melted down and the candles started to look like little volcanos. For example, check out the CSN 12 in this post. Before they get to that stage, they'll melt through the side if you burn them too long. That's what happened to the CSN 11. It wasn't big enough to get to the "volcano" stage, it left too much of a shell, and eventually it blew out.

That's why I think the whole "wicking for a shell" thing is a load of hooey. The wick burning deep into the pillar with an intact shell is the formula for a blowout. That's why everyone gets frustrated trying to follow this advice. The only candles I've seen pictured that were being burned into lanterns had pathetic little tealight flames that had to burn all day long.

Even some of my best-burning pillars were worrisome until they started melting the shell down. That was with 4 hours burns. If starburst is anything like feather, you won't be able to burn for 6 hours until around the time that the top edge of the shell starts getting consumed. But who knows.

Edited April 13, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[lrbd]

Ok I think I get what you're saying. I pretty much gave up wicking for a shell. I have mentioned that in the other tests.. I am just trying to wick it correctly now. So are you saying that I should be giving up on wicking a pillar to burn for more than 4 hours at a time as well? Do you feel that 4 hours has to be the max for a correctly wicked pillar? thanks Laura

[lrbd]

I think I like the CSN 14 ... so far .Top I have not been trimming and i started these with a 1/4 wick . would you keep the CSN 14 at 1/4 in or should I let it go ? It is longer than the others

Edited April 13, 2010 by lrbd

[topofmurrayhill]

Ok I think I get what you're saying. I pretty much gave up wicking for a shell. I have mentioned that in the other tests.. I am just trying to wick it correctly now. So are you saying that I should be giving up on wicking a pillar to burn for more than 4 hours at a time as well? Do you feel that 4 hours has to be the max for a correctly wicked pillar? thanks Laura

You can burn longer than 4 hours--often a lot longer--but not at the beginning. The biggest melt pools in my feather pillars were from burns 2 to 5. That's when blowouts happened.

The wicks that failed didn't make it to 4 hours during those burns. They usually failed in the final hour. Choosing 5 hour burns might have eliminated most of my wick choices. That's why I'm wondering if 6 will work out.

[topofmurrayhill]

I think I like the CSN 14 ... so far .Top I have not been trimming and i started these with a 1/4 wick . would you keep the CSN 14 at 1/4 in or should I let it go ? It is longer than the others

My call would be let it go.

[lrbd]

Here is the end of the 3rd 6 hour burn on the CSN 11, 12 14

[lrbd]

This is the end of the 4th 6 hour burn for the CSN 11 12 and 14

[topofmurrayhill]

Very nice. It kinda looks like they're all working pretty well, except that maybe the 11 is leaving a little too much shell. The 14 looks especially nice from the photos. I'm feeling good about it in my current tester too.

Edited April 14, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[lrbd]

Top... do your startburst candles leave all that unmelted wax on the inside as mine are? Do you know what I am asking? Like a thin roof. YOu can see it best in post 11

Edited April 14, 2010 by lrbd

[topofmurrayhill]

Top... do your startburst candles leave all that unmelted wax on the inside as mine are? Do you know what I am asking? Like a thin roof. YOu can see it best in post 11

I get that when the flames have been smallish towards the end of a burn. I haven't seen it a lot in starburst yet, but I'm only on my second candle. I'm curious as to why your testers are leaving that hangup and aren't burning out wider, but I figured it's either the different fragrance oil or maybe the flames fade a little when you let them go to 6 hours. Maybe it'll clean up with another burn or two, once the flames are flickering around more.

Edited April 14, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[lrbd]

5TH 6 HOUR BURN

small mushrooms on the 12 and 14

[Meridith]

5TH 6 HOUR BURN

small mushrooms on the 12 and 14

That pretty much looks like the burns we've gotten with the 12 and 14, minus the mushroom. Our flames for the most part didn't struggle either. My 11 looked like that too but it was about the point yours is at, maybe a little higher up the candle (its hard to tell from just pictures), that it began to really struggle and never got a great melt pool. It left alot of hangup that never burned down and the shell was too thick to see a the candle glow like I would want.

I've been thinking about this for a while, and think I even mentioned it in a previous post, but I'm really considering not trying to wick for a shell. On the few candles that I babysat continuously and fussed with, they got a beautiful, even burn leaving a nice shell. But that took a lot of work, more than I'm willing to do. Also, the shells have been pretty fragile and easier to break than what I am comfortable with. I broke one just moving it and the darn thing just fell in a ton of pieces.

If I don't babysit the candle, I get a bit of an uneven burn with the 12 and 14, but not too bad and some of the edges get a bit thinner than the other side because of the wick. Its not what I really want, but I'm also not that displeased with it either. I'm really considering wicking to consume even though the shell allows for such a beautiful glow. I do love that look but its too much work for me, and for me to expect of my customers to get it. JMO

So far, I like my overall burns with the 12 the best out of all the wicks I tested. I have to pour some more testers this weekend that I'm wicking with RRDs that I just got in. As long as JBN has been out of the CDNs, I won't even consider those as I'm not sure if I can replace them should they work well for me.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Meridith

[lrbd]

I am over wicking for a shell as well. All I have done with these is light them and put them out.when i put them out I check to make sure the wick is centered for the next burn and move it a bit, No trimming either. Up until this last one with the mushroom. I didn't really trim it I just used my fingers and took the shroom off , kinda of trimming i guess. I am on my 6th 6 hour test now. Thanks for sharing Meredith

[lrbd]

This is the end of the 6th 6 hour burn.

I still think the CSN 14 is working the best . this time around the only one the shroomed is the CSN 12. The flame on the 14 was good. the video shows that much better than the photo so I included it this time .

Video

http://www.box.net/shared/8vnl4j60z6

Edited April 15, 2010 by lrbd

[lrbd]

This is the end of the 7th 6 hour test burn.

I lost the CSN 14 it blew out somewhere between hour 5 and 6 . It burned 41 hours total. not sure what happened cause it was fine at start .

[lrbd]

I am on the 8th 6-hour burn with my CSN 11 and 12 testers. As you can see above I lost the 14 during the 7th test burn.

The CSN 11 and 12 are still burning ok with a bit more shell on the 12 than the 11 at this time.

I am not sure what my conclusion is...

When I made a 12 with stearic acid it burned fine as seen in this thread with my watermelon candle and is doing fine now.http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90669 I was able to continue that candle down to the end . However the CSN 11 with stearic acid in this thread did not do well and is ok now. Though I am not sure of the scent throw http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90737

I blew out the CSN 14 without stearic but after 41 hours.

So I still am not sure except to say I think I have to test the CSN 12 and the 14s a bit more. I also think depending on color and FO it may the 12 wins in some cause and the 14 in others. Either way I am not sure the stearic at the small amount I use will factor in except in helping me with mold release.

Would love to hear what others are thinking cause I am almost as uncertain as I was in the beginning. Thank you in advance for any helpful participation.