dez25 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 I am having a hard time keep the wick centered in the candle. I can place it in the middle fine but once i do my second pour it moves some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 There are wick centering tools you can use to keep the wick in place. Most candle suppliers carry them and they are cheap.Until you get some you can use the poor mans wick centering tool-- chopsticks, pencils, popsicle sticks, etc. Wrap the wick around the stick to tighten and hold the wick in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 (edited) Poor man wick centering tools . . . Actually I have wick holders from various suppliers but still like & use clothespins with the spring. They work great in jars less than 3" in diameter.Dez25 - don't forget wick stickums, or something to adhere the wick to the bottom of the jar. You didn't mention if you are using them or not. Edited April 2, 2011 by Brenda (OH) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dez25 Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 no i am not using the stick ums i was reading somewhere that you really don't need them??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 no i am not using the stick ums i was reading somewhere that you really don't need them???Oh no, I think sticking the tabbed wick to the bottom of the container is very important to keeping the wick straight. Yes there are other techniques, like pushing down through the semi-hardened wax but that's not for me. I use Yaley Tacky Wax that I get from Michaels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 As a safety factor I wouldn't NOT adhere my wick to the jar with something. At the bottom of the candle the wick will float and could end up too close to the side of the jar causing it to break :tiptoe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whisper Girl Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Get some "stick um" and use your wick holders and that should take care of the problem. W always adhere the wick to the bottom of the container. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sporadic Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I use a hot glue gun and adhere wick tabs to the bottom of the container. You don't want a candle burning down low and then the wick begins to float. To keep it tight & centered when you pour, you can use popscicle sticks and wooden clothes pins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnvyCandles Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Agree with EVERYONE above- wick centering tools are a lifesaver, and not sure how we ever lived without the stick ums! My zinc wicks I only use stick ums, because they are rigid enough on their own, just tug lightly after pouring and I have no issues. Kind of like the feeling you have when you start using wick pins for votives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAgirl89 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) I use a glue pot and it works great for adding glue to the bottom of the tabs. Edited April 4, 2011 by PAgirl89 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I use Yaley Tacky Wax that I get from Michaels.does the tacky wax hold firm when the candle burns down to the bottom? I use stickums but might give the TW a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 The Tacky Wax holds my wick tabs to the bitter end, I usually need a small screw driver to pry them off the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thanks RJ. My wick stickums have been coming loose lately but they are old & maybe I just need some newer ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I use the glue pot too...bought it in Michael's in the floral supply section. I couldn't find it in the Michael's stores around here. There was a Michael's not too far from our vacation home in DE and I was able to buy one there. I loaded up on the glue while I was there. I must have 8 BIG bags of the specific glue sticks you are supposed to use in it. I have never had a problem with a wick coming loose and shifting. Even when I melt the wax out of the bottom of test jars...I still have to use a butter knife to pry the glue off of the bottom of the glass jars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricofAZ Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I vote for glue gun glue (gun or glue pot) and I vote for stickums. Both hold well.Glue dots, on the other hand, are terrible. I don't know why candle suppliers sell them. Maybe for decorations or packaging, but I've had 100 percent failure when I pour the wax in the jar. I'm sorry I bought them and even more concerned that the supplier advertised them for holding wicks in glass containers. They don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) Sticking the wick down securely has more purpose than just holding it in place while the candle is poured. In fact, it's most important function is one of safety.I use Permatex High Temp Silicon Gasket Sealer (Red). It's rated for temps of 600°F. At the end of a container when the wax is liquid, if the temp gets high enough to soften or melt the adhesive, it will break the seal allowing the wick to continue sucking liquid wax from the bottom and not self-extinguishing at the top of the wicktab as designed. Not only can this occur, but if the adhesive lets go, the wick can "wander" (via heat currents in the wax & container) to the side of the container, sooting the glass, superheating and possibly shattering it.This is what happens when high-temp hot glue softens at the end of a candle:(black stuff on the lower left of the test candle is writing; the black stuff on the right is soot. The candle glass became hot as a chili pepper before the wick finally sucked all the fuel it could from underneath and went out).Stickums, glue dots, hot glue are all fine for testers but for candles to be sold to the public (or given away, etc.), wicktabs should be secured by an adhesive that will not soften or melt. It only takes one failure to cause a safety hazard. The idea here is for the candle to self-extinguish even if the customer doesn't follow the rules of saffe candle burning and fails to extinguish it when there's only 1/2" remaining in the bottom of the container. Edited April 5, 2011 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Never heard of those Permatex things, Googling right now. Safety is paramount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Get it at Autozone or in automotive sections.http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_makers/auto_Permatex_High-Temp_Red_RTV_Silicone_Gasket.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Here's what I do. I bought one of those meat thermometers (straight metal stick with meter on top) and it has a plastic sleeve. I place my wick in the sleeve (you can use a pen barrell too) and then place a piece of 3m mounting foam (walmart green plaid in squares or on a roll) and holding onto the end of the wick, center it on the bottom of the jar. I place a large craft stick with a hole drilled in the center on top of the jar and secure the wick with a clip. Some folks twist their wick several times (especially cd wicks) so that they turn as they burn and give an even burn through the life of the candle. Easy peasy. HTH Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) Some folks twist their wick several times (especially cd wicks) so that they turn as they burn and give an even burn through the life of the candle.I use CDs & CDNs and am a twister. Only a few turns does the trick. Despite concerns about differences in how the wick may perform, I have not found that a few twists alters the performance at all, except to make a more concentric burn. I use bowtie wick holders to hold the wicks securely at the top. Can use them for a variety of sizes in the position shown in the link below, or upside down. They work great. http://www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/products/candlemakingequipment_bow-tie-wick-bar.html Edited April 5, 2011 by Stella1952 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evesorto Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Get it at Autozone or in automotive sections.http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_makers/auto_Permatex_High-Temp_Red_RTV_Silicone_Gasket.htmStella,Do you put a dot of this adhesive on the wick tab and secure to glass? How long to dry before pouring? About how many wicks can you secure with a tube of sealant? thanks in advance,Eve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleAddict_RN Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Get it at Autozone or in automotive sections.http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_makers/auto_Permatex_High-Temp_Red_RTV_Silicone_Gasket.htmI just told my DH about this and he said he has a ton of it at work & could get some for me to try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3bees~1flower Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 There are wick centering tools you can use to keep the wick in place. Most candle suppliers carry them and they are cheap.Until you get some you can use the poor mans wick centering tool-- chopsticks, pencils, popsicle sticks, etc. Wrap the wick around the stick to tighten and hold the wick in place.i haven't read all the replies, but even with the centering tools, my wicks shift as the candle hardens. why is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 i haven't read all the replies, but even with the centering tools, my wicks shift as the candle hardens. why is that?Do you attach the wick base to the bottom of the container? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3bees~1flower Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 yep...i use stick-ums. it's quite frustrating. i do mine own blend of soy with candle source wax. i'll see if i have one i can show a picture of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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