Tinas Candles Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Hello everyone. I am very new to candlemaking (3 days). I made a few candles over the holidays and its a fun time. I tested my first candle and it was awesome. Great throw,pool etc... No complaints. My second one is totally different. I used all the same products and the temperature was the same when pouring and adhesion was great. My problem is that the second will not burn correctly. I cannot get a large enough flame to pool the wax and its almost like its burning straight down in a very small pool through the center. I was given a candle kit from my husband and it consists of GB-415 WAX and the wick is an RRD-47 cotton core wick. I poured 8 oz jars. They are scented and dyed. Hope this is enough info for someone to try and help. By the way I can see candlemaking becoming a disease! All I want to do now is make make make. LOLThanks in advance,Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccajo99 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 couple of questions...Are they scented with the same scent and amount?Are they dyed the same color and amount of dye?When were the jars poured and how long after pouring did you start test burning them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinas Candles Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 Same amount of scent but different flavor. Used 1 oz per pound.Same amount of dye but different color. Used 1 diamond shaped dye chip per pound.Poured 2 days ago. The 1st one I burned in 24 hours after pouring for about 3 hours, the second approx 48 hours after pouring and its been burning about 2 hours so far and getting worse as time goes on.Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wessex Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 (edited) Different FO's (scents) can burn very differently. Many of the FO's I use require a larger (or smaller) wick size if all other variables are the same. My guess, at this point, is that that particular FO needs a larger wick size. Welcome to the wonderful world of "what the heck..." ! BTW, soy candles tend to need time to cure after pouring to get good scent throws (HT or hot throw). Some a day or two, some more than a week. Depends on the FO in most cases. You should use the search feature located in the top navigation bar. Just put in "415", or go to the advanced search feature (in the main search box) and put in "415" and choose the vegetable wax forum. HTHCheers,Steve Edited December 28, 2010 by Wessex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Another possibility is that you had a large air pocket under the top layer of wax that ran close to the wick. I started heat gunning the tops even if they look smooth to reveal those air pockets and if I find one I poke around the wick with a skewer and then either overpour or just heat gun again depending on how much air space is in the candle. I've had an air pocket candle burn exactly as you described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccajo99 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 (edited) TinaSeeing the answers to your questions makes me think that you did not search the forum first for the answers. There is a wealth of knowledge on this board and you will want to learn to use the search feature to gain that knowledge. People do not mind answering questions as long as it isn't something that is asked multiple times (and sometimes daily). That will help you out in the long run in your candle making venture.I will now quickly answer why your 2 candles are not burning the same. You used different fragrances and dye colors. Those 2 things effect how the candle burns and you may have to use different wick sizes for those combinations that you used. So my suggestion. 1. Do a search for wick guides. There are websites that give some nice starting points for wick testing. 2. Keep burning both of the candles that you made until they are gone. Keep track of flame height, melt pool, temp of jar, flame height and all that stuff. Many candles who look like failures at the beginning turn out perfect and many canldes who look perfect at the beginning turn out to be failures. 3. do some more reasearch on and off this board to gain knowledge on your wax, jar your using and your wick choice.I have been testing candles for almost 2 years now off and on. As one of the other posters said, this craft is very confusing at times and you are like ... what just happened there. Keep trying, keep researching, and keep asking questions. You will get there. Edited December 28, 2010 by rebeccajo99 accidently hit post before finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 You have very quickly learned lesson #1: The slightest change can make all the difference in the world. Your second candle was a different scent (candles aren't edible; therefore, no "flavors" are used). Every scent must be tested. You might make a new batch and increase your scent load by .5%. It must be tested again. Different container? Test again. Different dye? Test again. Candles even burn differently under different ambient conditions. As far as searching, good luck with that. There's nothing wrong with asking questions. The only silly types of questions are those asking what color to make something or how much inventory to take to a show. Those types of questions are subjective and unanswerable.But for candle "making" questions, if nobody asked questions, the forum would fade away. Definitely keep reading,but don't be afraid to ask technical questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoalaGirl Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Tina the answer to your dilema could be any of the above but before giving up on the wick etc, I would test to see if it is indeed an air pocket that caused the dismal burn. To do that, scrape the wax out of the jar, down to the bottom of the {previous} melt pool and level the top off as best you can {all across the top of jar}. Trim the wick to 1/4 inch and re-light. If you then get a decent burn, an airpocket was most likely the culprit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinas Candles Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 Thanks for all the responses. I have spent most of my day here searching and learning so many different things. As I said earlier this kit was a gift and it consisted of 50 lbs of wax and enough material to make numerous candles. I dont have any other or extra raw materials to experiment with so I am kinda stuck for the moment with what I got. I have burned 2 more candles and they are also burning beautifully without any problems. I know I will be purchasing other materials for candlemaking in the very near future and I will not hesitate to order different wicks so I can try them. I found a wick chart but have to study it to try and understand it. Really looking foward to learning more .Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinas Candles Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 Koalagirl I will also try that.Thanks,Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccajo99 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I found a wick chart but have to study it to try and understand it. Really looking foward to learning more .TinaTinaI'm glad that your other candles are going well for you. Don't hesitate to ask if you are having troubles figuring out your wick chart. Best of luck to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sttheresa Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 With the info given, this is what I would do.I would scrap the soy out of the container, remelt it and do pour it again. If I were going to use the same container, I would use a larger diameter wick..if I didn't have a larger wick, I would pour the wax into a smaller container. Hope this helps a little bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantItgreen Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 Make sure when you go to purchase more Frangrance Oils (FO) that you but good quality ones from a reputable supplier. My favorites are Candle Science (CS), Peak Candle Supply (Peaks) and Kentucky Candle Supply (KY). There are more. These are the ones I stick to and have had good results from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ring of Fire Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 (edited) TinaSeeing the answers to your questions makes me think that you did not search the forum first for the answers. There is a wealth of knowledge on this board and you will want to learn to use the search feature to gain that knowledge. People do not mind answering questions as long as it isn't something that is asked multiple times (and sometimes daily). That will help you out in the long run in your candle making venture.I will now quickly answer why your 2 candles are not burning the same. You used different fragrances and dye colors. Those 2 things effect how the candle burns and you may have to use different wick sizes for those combinations that you used. So my suggestion. 1. Do a search for wick guides. There are websites that give some nice starting points for wick testing. 2. Keep burning both of the candles that you made until they are gone. Keep track of flame height, melt pool, temp of jar, flame height and all that stuff. Many candles who look like failures at the beginning turn out perfect and many canldes who look perfect at the beginning turn out to be failures. 3. do some more reasearch on and off this board to gain knowledge on your wax, jar your using and your wick choice.I have been testing candles for almost 2 years now off and on. As one of the other posters said, this craft is very confusing at times and you are like ... what just happened there. Keep trying, keep researching, and keep asking questions. You will get there.Why did you feel the need to post to this thread if that is how you feel? If it bothers you so just skip over them. The search feature sucks a lot of the time. Edited December 29, 2010 by Ring of Fire not finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 (edited) The search feature sucks a lot of the time.There are two search features here that one can use. One is the forum search (on the toolbar between New Posts & Quick Links), which is somewhat limited in scope (to prevent server issues), but generally quite effective. The other is the Google forum search (instructions on using it can be found HERE - post #2). One does have to sift through some threads & information that may not be pertinent, but I have found a lot of information "accidentally" along the way that proved to be very valuable. Between the two tools available, I've been able to locate answers to many, many questions.Why did you feel the need to post to this thread if that is how you feel?Many new folks (and quite a few not-so-new ones) have no idea of how much great information is right here in the threads! I see nothing wrong with rebeccajo99 (or any other member) encouraging folks to use the search tool to find as much information from as many people as possible when trying to learn. Studying and reading are good things that help make better chandlers. JMHO Edited December 30, 2010 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wessex Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I like the search feature. Both the general search box and the advanced feature, where I find it helpful to search just under certain forums. I kinda like that it is fairly broad and pulls up many, many posts. For instance, I am researching soy waxes right now. So I can simply put "415" or "464", etc. in the box and it brings up all posts that mention these. There is alot of repetition, which I love, because I find it very helpful to reread posts. Always something new to process! Just my opinion.Cheers,Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisinpa Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 There is nothing wrong with the search feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ring of Fire Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 There is nothing wrong with the search feature.In your opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisinpa Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The search feature sucks a lot of the time.In your opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leisa2003 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I also love the search feature,..thats what I'm doing 90% of my time on here,..reading the threads through the search feature. :smiley2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SliverOfWax Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Well, if it helps, I did a search for GB-415 and came up with a total of 4 threads, one of which was started after this one.Big whoop! I'll search for just about anything on the internet, but on forums, there's usually simply too much babbling and self-proclaimed expertise to get to the heart of the question. You know.....like this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wessex Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 use broader terms, "415" brought up hundreds of threads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 (edited) What a siggy, SoW..."Some people seem brighter after being set on fire "And some people are like Slinkies...not good for anything, but amusing when pushed down stairs. Edited January 3, 2011 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMullen99 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I like the search feature. Both the general search box and the advanced feature, where I find it helpful to search just under certain forums. I kinda like that it is fairly broad and pulls up many, many posts. For instance, I am researching soy waxes right now. So I can simply put "415" or "464", etc. in the box and it brings up all posts that mention these. There is alot of repetition, which I love, because I find it very helpful to reread posts. Always something new to process! Just my opinion.Cheers,Steve Speaking of the search feature...everytime I search I get 8 pages and pages only. Somteimes less if the topic isnt as well covered. How do you change the default so you get all the posts just not 8pages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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