Is this going to result in tunneling or does the pool look about right?

[Gbhunter]

140 mp 30ply wick i tbs sterine per lbs added.

http://www.angelfire.com/on3/shellandpaulsphoto/cdletesttester.jpg

[topofmurrayhill]

It's not the pool but the flame I'm concerned about. Looks very big.

[Gbhunter]

Any suggestions? I get minimal soot but being in the basement does not help since there are drafts all over.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Gbhunter

[Gbhunter]

Im making another candle with one wick size smaler. But I expect it to drill straight down the wick. Does that with 132 mp also just with smaller wicks.

[topofmurrayhill]

Smaller wicks is better. Add more stearic to make the melt pool wider.

[Gbhunter]

:mad:I will try this but at this point I have had it. The cost is not worth it i will try 2 more candles then its off to ebay. with all the junk it been nothing but failure after failure after failure. Either it tunnels soots or both.

I but the candle in a jar (huge jar) after about 5 hours+ of burning noticed soot on the jar. Tosed the whole thing out. I just cant get thing straight I was told that parafin will soot to some extent no mater what by some and other say it should never soot.

Also what effect dows staric acid have on a candle. It makes the wax more opaque and harder but there is something that has to be sacrificed here there is nothing for free, and I have not been able to find a straight answer to that question. Aslo how much do you add. is it the 1 lbs per pound or more as needed it.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Gbhunter

[candlemama]

I feel your frustrations! I have yet to make a successful candle, but I don't think I'm ready to give up. I haven't tried pillars yet, just sticking to containers because I read those were the easiest to start with. I actually thought your candle looked great and was thinking I'd be pretty happy with a candle if I bought one at the store and the melt pool looked like yours does. I'm no expert, obviously, but it looks to me like you're getting very close to a well-made candle.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Since I've become more educated on what a proper candle is supposed to do, I can't believe how much money I've spent on candles from major suppliers (Yankee, B&BW, Pier 1, etc.) that never burned correctly. I've had store-bought containers with tons of black soot around the top and lots of hang up, and pillars that broke through the wall and spilled melted wax everywhere.

Hang in there!

[topofmurrayhill]

It's not supposed to be worth it in a financial sense. If you just need candles to burn, you're better off buying them. Where candlemaking is concerned, the expense can be justified if you are interested in it and enjoy the process of experimenting and learning. In other words, it has to be a hobby. If you're not feeling it's the hobby for you, just don't pursue it further.

To answer your question: For unscented candles made from just paraffin and stearic, the typical amount of stearic is about 5% to 30% by weight. It adds opacity, prevents the wax from slumping when it gets warm, and lowers the melt point. Generally it will slow down the burn and widen the melt pool. Higher amounts may require a larger wick.

[Gbhunter]

Wow.. ou are the first one to actually tell me it lowers the meltin point too. Thanks! Is there a formula how much sterine lowers temp by how nmuch.. Lol and if you saw the candles my wife buys it IS finacialy benficial. She bought at one small candle just because it had a design on it for like 14$ Eeeek,

[topofmurrayhill]

The only specific information I have is a graph from an old book. I previously posted it here: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showpost.php?p=825135&postcount=10

The exact numbers won't help you. It's just a matter of experimentation. Try different amounts of stearic and get a feel for the results. You could maybe use 10% as baseline, but there's no set amount to use. Just whatever works in your design.

Making an unscented pillar candle is easy. Where it gets interesting is when you care about how it burns. There are lots of variables involved: not only the melt point but the composition of the paraffin; whether you use it out of the box or blend it; what type and amount of additive you use; what type and size of wick you use.

That's what makes designing really good candles hard. People don't suspect that it's not as simple as it looks. The way those variables can be combined is practically infinite. Experience helps you narrow them down to a manageable number of possibilities and then find the best design by testing. That's why you have to be willing to experiment and persist--not to mention blow some money on it.

Unfortunately, the best approach for unscented paraffin pillars is practically a lost art among handcrafters. People care more about containers of goop saturated with fragrance chemicals. I'm one of those people who likes the retro candlemaking too. It's about beauty and light.

You want me make a wild-ass guess for you? It may not work perfectly, but it could be a starting point. Make a paraffin blend with 90% 132 MP and 10% 140 MP. Make a candle with 90% paraffin blend and 10% stearic acid. Wick it with 24-ply flat braid. Burn it for 3 hours at a time, without any wick trimming. See how it works and then make some variations.

[radellaf]

The expense should be reasonable if you can get started with two waxes, a mold or two, bag of stearic and maybe a dozen wick sample packs. Even if you don't like experimenting (it's my favorite part), then the pain should be over shortly. If your supplies are reasonably chosen and you're not a perfectionist, then I have great confidence that within 10 or 20 tries of the same type and size, you'll have a winner. Be systematic, and not afraid to remelt one to try a different wick (or yank and drill...) or more stearic.

I might say I have few I'm thrilled with, but then I make all sorts of sizes and types, plus scents, which complicates the matter greatly, but the variety keeps it interesting. Other benefit is that I _always_ have candles to burn and, unlike storebought ones where I used to think of every burn as costing something, now every burn is justified as a further experiment

Like was said, the commercial candles out there are highly variable in how well they burn, and most of my "failures" are no worse than some.