Hi New here with some questions

[just]

Hi

I'm new here and I've never made a candle in my life.

But I do have a 5 gallon bucket of partially used votive candles.

What I'm wanting to do is make some candles in a pint jar.

I have a safe way to melt the wax.

What I'm most concerned with is what wick to use.I didn't realize there were so many to choose from.

Can someone help?

thanks and have a great day

just

[spark-me-up]

Hi just,

Can you tell us what the diameter of your container is?

& do you have any idea what kind of wax your votives are made from? Paraffin? Palm? etc...

Cheers.

[just]

I'll just be using pint canning jars. About 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

I've no idea what kind of wax the candles are but I suspect the cheapest you can buy.

They are left over (read thrown out) from the cancer society's relay for life.

Hows the weather down under?

just

[spark-me-up]

Ok,

Probably the quickest way to get your hands on wicks is at a craft store. Their range is usually limited & most (over here anyway) only have "flat braided" wick, sold by the meter. I would try a 15 ply. You will also need some wick "tabs" (these are the little silver bizzos, that sit in the bottom of your container & hold the wick). You will need to google or youtube a couple of tutorials to get a heads up on how to go about it all, because the type of wick I've mentioned will need to be dipped etc.

Keep in mind that you don't want your wick too big, as you run a serious risk of it over heating your container & shattering the glass, so be VERY careful! (also, you do know you should only ever heat your wax up in a double boiler, right? Never in a pot directly on a stove top!!!) Don't want to sound all preachy, but don't want you to burn your house down either

If you can afford to wait for a little while, you can check out peak candle supplies site & mail order your wicks (pre-tabbed... much easier!) from them. I mention them becuase I think they have a wick sizing chart on their site. You could also maybe mail them & ask what they'd recommend & maybe someone else will come along in here & give you a better suggestion than mine!

Even if you CAN find wicks at your craft store, still take the time to watch a few tutorials. It's better to have a really clear idea & some good tips in your head before you get going.

& finally, here in "Sunny Australia" it is a very cold 6 degrees, as we "speak", but it IS Winter & I am in Victoria, one of the coldest states =(

Anyway, Good Luck!!!!!

I hope all goes well... let us know =)

[JanetsCandles]

Hey just,

In reference to spark-me-up's reply, if you go to Hobby Lobby, you'll see some wicking labeled in fine/small, medium, large. The 15 ply is about the size of the "fine" or "small" wicking on the roll. I THINK they have it in smaller amounts too, otherwise they have it in 75 yd quantities.

[just]

Thanks for the replys.

I stopped in at Hobby Lobby last week and asked for the candle making expert. Then I told them what I wanted to know.The 2 clerks I was talking to just looked at each other and said "he isn't working today". lol

just

[EricofAZ]

I can appreciate what you want to do. Yeah, there are a ton of wicks out there. I think the count is just over 500 different wicks now.

I doubt anyone here can begin to help you with this basic information.

For example, I'd want to know the diameter and depth of the jar, and what kind of wax it is. I realize that you may never be able to identify the wax completely, but is it soy or paraffin? I'd guess that either would be around 140 MP or so, but wicking soy is different than wicking paraffin.

If we had a bit more info, someone might be able to get you started, but you'd have to test to figure out if the starting place was right or not. Nothing personal, but a lot of new folks really don't like the testing process.