Mushrooming wicks on first burn only

[Wessex]

Hoping someone out there can offer some help. Using GG palm and mostly CSN wicks. Seems like on about 75% of the first burns of almost all FO's in many different containers I am getting the "Mickey Mouse Ear" looking mushrooms. On subsequent burns, after trimming, the mushrooms do not come back. I am not overwicking, the rest of the burn tests go beautifully. It even happens when a container is clearly underwicked.

Can it be that when I cut the wicks to length it is leaving some fraying on the corners of the wicks that collect carbon? I am at a loss to figure this one out.

Cheers,

Steve

[LuminousBoutique]

Steve I've had that happen too... and I cant even track what fragrances do and dont because one candle will, and the exact same candle wont.... so, I assumed something similar was happening. Big mushroom with the first burn, trim it off, and the mushroom doesnt come back. always perplexed me before and I just said... I'll just accept it. lol.

[soy327]

Steve, Ive been using the CD wicks but did test burn the CSN"s I think that you are right about the fraying. I tested the candles and had the same thing, so I burn the end very quickly blew out trimmed again and relit no mushroom. I use wick trimmers and the are pretty well used, someone ask me if my trimmer is sharp:confused: well how do you sharpen those little buggers. Made sense to me.

Edited September 15, 2010 by soy327

[KoalaGirl]

Steve, Ive long suspected the 'devil horns' had something to do with the the way the wick is cut {by me}. Some of them are huge and look damn ugly!

I will do an experiment and push two wicks into the same wax/fo combo. One wick with the cut end {cut by me} exposed and the other with the manufacturer's 'cut' end exposed. If my cut causes ears and theirs doesnt, then thats the problem. I will then have to try and find a different way to cut the wick. Like you, Ive always thought that the cutting of the wick, squashed the fibres somewhat, causing them to fray at the edges.

I just compared the my cut with the manufacture's cut and mine makes the end more oval in shape. Theirs is perfectly round!

[lovemylabs]

Hey Steve....we just started another test burn of GG early this morning and we're using all CSN wicks this time around. We're trying (if we can) to use just these wicks. I too noticed the mushrooms on the first burn and then nothing on the following burns. This may "sound gross", but we went out and got a new pair of toe nail clippers (not fingernail...too small) and we trim the wicks. They are very sharp, cut straight and never leave behind any frayed wicks. This entire batch we're currently testing all have been cut with the clippers, none of the wicks frayed and all have mushrooms in various sizes. But as LuminousBoutique said...there are no mushrooms on any of the following burns for us either. But this makes me think...when they are cut the first time, the very end of the wick is now "untreated". And maybe because of this, the inital burn has the mushroom. Hmmmm. But hey...I guess if I had to deal with mushrooms, i'd like it to be the first burn with no more after. Wonder if we could "treat" these by dipping them in wax prior to burning?

Edited September 17, 2010 by lovemylabs