Pillar Candles

[rjdaines]

In your opinion, how should a pillar candle burn throughout it's life? I've haven't bought many in my life left alone burn them. Now I'd like to make them but I really don't know how a 3" diameter pillar candle should burn.

Thanks

[Pam W]

1st pic is a 1 hr burn, 2nd is a 6 hr burn

[Scented]

Not being a jerk here, but with a flame, down to the bottom, have good scent throw, not wilt on the sides and become deformed like a Walmart pillar, not leave thick walls, but not burn through the wall either to where the meltpool runs out, have a decent meltpool so that it does give off scent even though the people at B&BW say pillars are just for decoration anyway.

Am I missing something?

[rjdaines]

Interesting, I can't tell from the 6 hour burn if there is a reduction in height, so many that I see just burn a hole down into the candle. It is totally bad form to have the candle drip a little wax down the sides?

[Pam W]

Interesting, I can't tell from the 6 hour burn if there is a reduction in height, so many that I see just burn a hole down into the candle. It is totally bad form to have the candle drip a little wax down the sides?

When you see a candle that burns a hole down the middle (tunneling) it's a piss-pour candle.

And yes, it is bad form for a candle to over run the edges. If you want the look of wax dripping down the sides, then they CAN be made to look that way.

[rjdaines]

OK, my first attempt a a paraffin 3" pillar (light color, no scent) has an LX-18 wick. It has not leaked wax but the top is deforming, becoming squat and bulging while the upper most part is curling inward. In this case does one wick up or down?

This link has a photo.

http://rjdaines.com/pillar.jpg

Edited March 12, 2011 by rjdaines

[Wessex]

I think you will get a few different opinions here. I work with palm wax, which behaves a bit differently than soy and paraffin waxes. Some people like to wick a palm pillar to leave a thin shell, so the flame will show through and show off the pattern of the palm wax. I wick them so the entire pillar will be consumed. With paraffin (and I assume soy, never tried), if a shell is being left, you can "hug" the sides so all the wax will be consumed. But I would say in that case the candle is not wicked correctly. Of course, if someone burns a pillar incorrectly (e.g. in a draft without rotating) even correct wicking will not let the candle burn correctly. My opinion is that there should never be any wax running down the sides. But, sometimes, it happens.

Cheers,

Steve

[Scented]

It's bulging because the wax pool is too hot. If you have a LX20 or LX22 try that and see if that corrects it.

[Pam W]

What wax are you using? Did you use any additives? How long has it been burning?

[EricofAZ]

See, I would wick down in terms of flame height/heat, but would also consider wicking up in terms of rate of consumption.

If the sides are bulging and even lean over in a tongue, then the flame is either too hot (hence wicking down for FH) or the rate of consumption is too low (hence wicking up for ROC).

You may find a wick that consumes more and burns cooler and that would be my first instinct.

[rjdaines]

This is paraffin wax from Hobby Lobby, not that I will be using it in the future but I wanted to get some experience with paraffin. It is a 133 -135 melting point wax, no additives other than a little green coloring.

I can pop out the LX-18 wick and try the LX -22, I have some LX-16 on order if I need to go that way. I realize I may have to relearn this when the wax I want to work with arrives but in the mean time I will have learned some basic principals (hopefully).

[ladysj]

This is paraffin wax from Hobby Lobby, not that I will be using it in the future but I wanted to get some experience with paraffin. It is a 133 -135 melting point wax, no additives other than a little green coloring.

I can pop out the LX-18 wick and try the LX -22, I have some LX-16 on order if I need to go that way. I realize I may have to relearn this when the wax I want to work with arrives but in the mean time I will have learned some basic principals (hopefully).

The Hobby Lobby paraffin is the only kind I use I do add a little vybar & stearic to eliminate mottling. I typically use a LX16 and gently hug it as it burns I"ve never had one bulge like that.

I recently wicked with a CDN 14 and it was consuming as it burned down.

[rjdaines]

Thanks for the replay ladysj, I have the LX-16 wicks on order but in the mean time I'll try the LX-22, should prove interesting if the correct size is LX-16. I found the wax at HL to be rather pricey and even worse at Michaels and have taken to ordering paraffin from Peak Candles. It's nice to know that I use HL as a back up.

[Pam W]

What type of wax did you order?

I started out with craft store stuff too but it didn't take me long to find this forum and Peaks.

[rjdaines]

I ordered:

Straight Paraffin Wax-IGI 1343A;

Mottling Wax-IGI 1274;

Pillar Blend-IGI 4625

That should keep me busy for a while

[ladysj]

I've always used the HL wax purchased with their 40% off coupon, no shipping. Always had great results with it.

[rjdaines]

Where does one get the coupons? Unfortunately HL is a 40 mile drive for me (V8 truck too).

[soy327]

Sign up for the newsletter at HL and they will e-mail you a coupon weekly for 40% off 1 item. Then print it. HTH and good luck with your pillar making.

[Candybee]

My favorite pillars are made with paraffin. I love the softness of the warm wax and how you can 'hug' your candle as it burns down. Not so with palm waxes. But I do love the glow of a burning palm pillar as it burns down inside the shell.

I think a paraffin pillar/votive wax is the perfect wax to start out with to learn how to make a pillar candle. Once you learn how to make a good pillar then try a soy or palm pillar wax. Very different from paraffin but lots of fun to learn how to work with.

[rjdaines]

I actually did start with soy and made some awful messes, some candle just collapsed within a few minutes of burn (Ecosoya Soy Pillar Blend). This is why I am backing up and trying paraffin. Are soy pillars supposed to burn down and leave a shell? I have a 2 inch pillar mold which the wicking has completely elluded me, soy or paraffin.

[Scented]

I used to use the LX series, but bumping up may not help you if you don't have additives in it. I've since switched from the LX because I don't like how they behave when relighting. I was willing to trade to have a candle that you didn't have to hug for a wick that had to be trimmed more often. I found in my experience with the buggers that if you went up, you didn't have so much shell left over. Get some of the additives to help with your bulging ... you're still going to need it with the 1343 and 1274 waxes.

[rjdaines]

Oh gosh, another variable, additives. Besides the LX, what wicks would be worth trying.

Thanks

[Pam W]

2" pillars are a b*tch to wick. In paraffin, you could try 16 - 18 FB - prime & twist the wick before inserting or if you're prewicking, twist it fairly tight and secure before pouring. For me, a 2" really is a waste of time w/the MP being so small there isn't a lot of throw but they pretty & decorative. Whenever anyone requests 2", I try to talk them out of it.

In IGI 1274 I use Eco 8 in most of my pillars - sometimes 24ply FB. With a little hugging, the pillars burn all the way to the bottom with no breach or bulging.

When I used IGI, I added 3 Tbl stearic pp to help control/eliminate that awful bulging.

Edited March 13, 2011 by Pam W

[SatinDucky]

I didn't like the HL wax... to soft for pillars to me. I use the 4625 and LX wicks, 16 or 18 depending on FO. No additives are needed with the pillar blend wax except UV inhibitor. It will also burn different with and w/o FO...

[rjdaines]

Excuse my newbie-ness but what does FB stand for? Thanks for the informative posts.