Newbie: Mixed up wicks

[evolver]

Greetings Everyone!

I poured my first candles last night. Before I poured I created this form in order for me to take good notes on the details of my progress. I also made sticky notes to put on the actual container. Silly me took off the sticky notes that were on my containers when I placed them in the oven to warm them. I used to different wicks in my tins. My question is: Is there a way to differentiate between the two wicks? They look almost identical according to my virgin eyes.

Enchanted-Lites 100% container; 6 oz tins; Wicks: 44-28-18(a), FT-2.164 (EL); FO: Oakmoss & Amber 6% (CS) added @ 170; Poured @ 110.

Enchanted-Lites 100% container; 12 oz Libbey Cube; Wick: HTP-73 (EL); FO: Vanilla Hazelnut 6% (CS) added @ 170; Poured @ 105.

My tops are extremely crusty but look better with the melts and especially the tealights (probably because I poured them last and the wax cooled.

*Do you think that they will smooth out if I poured @ a lower temperature? Maybe 100?

Observation: I'm looking at the bottom of my tealights now and I can understand now why members don't use glue dots: the wax seeps under the wick tab...

I'm going to let my new babies cure for three days and will be doing some more reading within this forum to soak up some more knowledge in the meantime.

Any suggestions/advice for me? I could really use some...I wouldn't gotten this far without you all.

[Stella1952]

Sorry, but you're screwed. If you didn't mark the candles and have no idea which witch is which, there's really no way to tell conclusively. Next time, warm the containers with a heat gun or write the wick type/size on the bottom.

I recommend Sharpie pens. Let the ink dry and you're covered. They write on anything and easily survive ovens and even dishwashers. I write the wick type/size on the bottom or side. It is easy to remove with alcohol or nail polish remover. I write the data in more than one location in case I smear it. I also use repositionable paper dots (which fall off).

As for the rugged tops, try pouring slightly hotter. Stir the wax constantly as the temp comes down, so that when the wax changes from clear to cloudy as it cools, the wax looks satiny. Pour while satiny but before it becomes slushy. Whatever temp that is... If that doesn't work, try pouring hot (heat to 185°F - Add warmed FO -stir down to 165°F & pour).

Any suggestions/advice for me? I could really use some...

My best advice is to have a glass of wine, go forth and mess thyself up no more. :smiley2:

Edited November 7, 2011 by Stella1952

[evolver]

Thanks Stella1952. I don't know why I was thinking that my containers were too pretty to write on.

After taking a break from candle studying, I was able to determine which wick was which (try saying that 5 fast). One is slightly thicker than the other and the braided material is tighter on one wick than the other. I'm going to give EL a call to verify though.

As for the rugged tops, try pouring slightly hotter. Stir the wax constantly as the temp comes down, so that when the wax changes from clear to cloudy as it cools, the wax looks satiny. Pour while satiny but before it becomes slushy. Whatever temp that is... If that doesn't work, try pouring hot (heat to 185°F - Add warmed FO -stir down to 165°F & pour).

Oooh, I only stirred about 4 or five times while the wax cooled down...I'll keep your suggestions in mind.

Will melting and repouring the wax affect the candle and/or throw of the FO?

One more day and I'll be able to do my first test burn.

[Lorelei]

Seriously you want the temp of your wax to be even when you pour. Around the sides and bottom of the pot, it will be cooler as time ticks down... if that makes sense. I now just give it a few good swirls in the pot before pouring.

[Jillsthings]

If you keep your thermometer in the wax until you're ready to pour, watch how quickly it goes up when you stir. Mine will be at 150, but when I stir, it goes up to 165-170.

[Stella1952]

Live by the thermometer, die by the thermometer.

[EricofAZ]

Raw the cotton core (44-28-18) are almost round in shape and the HTP's are closer to a flat or rectangular shape. Primed they could be about any shape but I think they tend to still have that distinction. If you can see the raw wick inside the prime wax, the HTP probably has a dark brown thread in it and the cotton cores do not.

You should know after a test burn. The cotton core will be round and straight and the HTP should be rectangular and curl.

[evolver]

Seriously you want the temp of your wax to be even when you pour. Around the sides and bottom of the pot, it will be cooler as time ticks down... if that makes sense. I now just give it a few good swirls in the pot before pouring.

Ok. That does make sense. I think I was pouring too slowly and took too much time in between my pours.

If you keep your thermometer in the wax until you're ready to pour, watch how quickly it goes up when you stir. Mine will be at 150, but when I stir, it goes up to 165-170.

Do you recommend a digital thermometer or a candy thermometer will work just fine?

Live by the thermometer, die by the thermometer.

Raw the cotton core (44-28-18) are almost round in shape and the HTP's are closer to a flat or rectangular shape. Primed they could be about any shape but I think they tend to still have that distinction. If you can see the raw wick inside the prime wax, the HTP probably has a dark brown thread in it and the cotton cores do not.

You should know after a test burn. The cotton core will be round and straight and the HTP should be rectangular and curl.

Oh, great. Thanks EricofAZ. I see exactly what you're saying. I'll post the results of my first burn tomorrow.

(thinking to self) live by the thermometer, die by the thermometer. Thanks Stella1952.

[Jillsthings]

I just bought my second candy/deep fry thermometer to use with my second pour pot. :-) They were $8 on Amazon and are 12 inches long. It's not digital, but they work just fine for me. HTH :-)

[Stella1952]

Maybe this is different for paraffin chandlers, but for veggie waxes, especially soy,

LIVE BY THE THERMOMETER, DIE BY THE THERMOMETER is your mantra for reliable, consistent results. Good temperature control from melting until completely cooled is essential for predictable results. If you live in an area of high humidity, having a hygrometer in your pouring area is a very good idea, as the relative humidity can play havoc with soy candles. I have a dual thermometer/hygrometer hanging over my pouring/cooling area to measure the ambient air conditions. Unless you like surprises, keeping track of ambient air temp and the temps of all phases of melting, pouring and cooling is extremely important.

Thermometers are essential pieces of equipment, reasonably priced, so it pays to have a BUNCH of them. Every melter, pouring pot, warming container, etc. should have a thermometer in it. Only buying one or two is damned annoying when pouring a lot of candles, having to switch them continually, dropping them in the wax, making more of a mess. Screw that!! Buy a BUNCH, use them in everything and always have extras on hand.

For pour pots, I prefer the little top-dial, coil spring type, clip-on thermometers. Because these are "el cheapos", it's important to calibrate them by testing in boiling water (212°F at sea level), or freezing water (32°F at sea level). There's no way to adjust this on el cleapos, but if you know a thermometer is "off" by a certain margin, you can add or subtract that value to have an accurate idea of the temp. I have used the mid-priced digital clip-ons and they are okay, but the electronics can fail at inopportune times.

Remember, when testing, to check both the high and low range - sometimes a thermometer will be accurate at lower temps, but off by several degrees at higher temps. For melting pots, I like the standard glass candy thermometers. If you have a deep, larger melting pot, check in the area where BBQs and propane boiling rigs are sold. They have extra long thermometers there. When you purchase new thermometers, take a few extra moments to pull several off the shelf and compare the readings. Some are off by several degrees right off the shelf. Choose one to purchase that agrees with most of the others.

I have never purchased an infra-red thermometer (the point & shoot kind). They are far more expensive and measure the reflected heat of the surface temperature. I would rather use a thermometer that has a probe of some sort that is located at mid-level in a heating vessel. When using a thermometer in a melting pot, be SURE the tip is NOT resting on the bottom and preferably is not snugged up to the side. If your thermometer is clipped to the side, take it off and take your reading from the middle of the container. Stir the wax thoroughly right before taking a reading because different areas of the pot (bottom, middle, sides, top) will be hotter or cooler than others. Keep a pen & paper handy to write down the temps because YOU WILL NOT REMEMBER later (in my case, 60 seconds later!!).

SPEAKING OF THERMOMETERS - CHECK THEM OFTEN!!! Even expensive high-tech thermometers can become inaccurate over time (or suddenly) and 5 or 10 degrees of inaccuracy is plenty enough to cause a kink in the getalong when pouring soy waxes. I was having some frosting and surface issues at one point that were really annoying me and someone here (thanks to whoever it was!) suggested to check my thermometers (I have MANY). When I did, no two were reading the same values and there was a range of almost 20°F between some of them!! If you pour a lot, it isn't a bad idea to check all thermometers weekly or, at least, monthly. If you go for weeks between pours, check before pouring each time for best results. Ya can't get good temperature control if your thermometer is LYING TO YOUR FACE!!!

Edited November 9, 2011 by Stella1952

[evolver]

^^^^^^^This is awesome information. I'll have to look into a hygrometer especially because I live in Florida. I never realized that thermometers could be so temperamental. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because scales can be as well. I'll look into investing into an additional thermometer to keep the other honest.

How do you warm your FO's? At what temperature to you warm it to?

Edited November 10, 2011 by evolver

[evolver]

I am towards the end of my first 3 hours of testing. I am a little concerned about my 12 oz Libbey Cube. Looking at this burn, it seems as if it's going to tunnel. I used Enchanted Lites container wax, 6% FO with a HTP-73 wick.

Also, the diameter of the candle is 3'' but 4'' diagonally. I know I should test burn 1 hour per diameter in inches but I'm not too sure about this one.

Should I burn 3 hours or 4?

Should I melt and use a different wick?

[deb426]

Personally, I would burn 4 hours at a time. Keep testing to the end.

[evolver]

Ok. Will do. Thanks for the quick reply.

[Jillsthings]

I use GB 464 and tried a Wick-It Premier in this jar...790, I think...can't remember off the top of my head right now. Anyhow, it tunneled pretty bad the first 3 or 4 burns, but by the end of the 5th, it had pretty much cleaned up the sides. Still a little bit of residue in places, but definitely much, much better. I was concerned about it at first, too, but now I'm happy with the way it finished. I just ordered some CD wicks, though, so I'll be testing with them, next. They are much easier to find. I order some scents from Lonestar, so that's who I ordered the samples from and who I'll be getting them from in the future.

[Stella1952]

Should I burn 3 hours or 4?

I would burn for 3½ hours myself (when there is a variation in the diameter, I average the diameter and burn for 1 hour per inch of diameter, so the average of 3 & 4 is 3½), but what matters more than 3 or 3½ or 4 hours is that you burn the candle for the same amount of time each time.

How do you warm your FO's? At what temperature to you warm it to?

I weigh the FO in my pour pot then add the dye and stir. I set the pour pot on a warming tray or in an old electric frying pan with water in it. I heat the FO to about 110°-125°F. The idea is not to make it so hot that the volatile components will begin vaporizing, but to warm it so there is not so much variation between the FO and the wax temps. When one mixes room temp FO directly into hot soy wax, it drops the temperature suddenly 10-15° or more. This sudden change can promote the development of the crystal phases we do not want in soy wax - frosting, cauliflowering, graininess, etc. This is sometimes called "shocking" the wax. We do this for the same reason we warm the glassware. Prewarming also allows the dye to blend more fully with the FO so there will be no color specks, etc.

When I am ready to pour the wax, I set the pour pot back on the scale (put a potholder on the scale to protect the electronics from the heat), tare, and add the required amount of wax to the pour pot. I even pay attention to the temp of my spoons & whisks when pouring. I keep them on a saucer set almost under the Presto, so the spoons & whisks stay warm.

Edited November 11, 2011 by Stella1952

[evolver]

Me again! I'm testing in 6 oz tins with 6% fo using enchanted lites 100% soy -no additives. I've tested htp62, htp73, 44-28-18, and FT 2.164. htp62 and 73 seemed to be too small for my tins (about 2.5 diameter). The first 4 rounds of testing with 62 and 73 i did not receive a full melt pool and the flame was no taller than the wick itself.

44-28-18: full melt pool within first test, flame height 1/2 in then about 1/3 through other rounds of testing, mainly strong ht, took a while to clean up sides as it burned down (towards the end of testing), mushrooming (small) about 50% of the time, total burn time: 38 hrs.

***I just noticed something. when I tested tin in bedroom, there was not full melt pool and the throw was not between medium and strong. yet when I tested in bathroom, I got a full melt pool and the ht was strong. Does the room size determine the melt pool that I get or is this all in my head?

ft 2.164: full melt pool every time, flame height between 1/2 - 3/4, mushrooming (medium sized) about 60% of the time, did clean up sides of container as it melted down, about 1/4 in of wax left over, barely medium ht and sometimes strong ht through testing (is there a such thing as a bipolar ht?), total burn time: 30 hrs.

Note: All of my testing was in 3 hour increments. Half way through testing, I realized that it should have been 2.5 hours since that is the diameter of my container but I wanted to remain consistent (thanks Stella1952). Will be testing 2.5 hours at a time next time around.

I was looking into testing the rrd series 37, 83, 93. Maybe a HTP104, and also a 51-32-18. Any suggestions on what I should start with?

ALSO: I poured @ 165. Made my top look my better then I poured at 170: a little smoother. Is this the best that my tops will look for 100% soy wax with just fo? Or is this when a heat gun/hair dryer comes into play?

Switched from glue dots to permatex...is it ok to have a little red seep out from under wick as I press it down?

Edited November 22, 2011 by evolver

[franu61]

Hi Evolver,

I wanted to chime in cuz I use EL wax too, (haven't seen too many who do) anyway..I have a square tin I use that is 3" in diameter and 3 1/2 diagonally..HTP 1212 works for most of my (EL) fragrance oils. HTH

Fran

[evolver]

Hi Evolver,

I wanted to chime in cuz I use EL wax too, (haven't seen too many who do) anyway..I have a square tin I use that is 3" in diameter and 3 1/2 diagonally..HTP 1212 works for most of my (EL) fragrance oils. HTH

Fran

Hi Fran, thanks for the chime. I didn't think anyone was going to respond. I really like EL although I haven't tried any other. I found a company 20 minutes from me that sells EL. Yay! Hmm...I'm using the htp 1212 in a libbey cube that's 3'' and 4'' diag. It's working great except its mushrooming. Do you get the 'shrooms too?

My tins are 2.5'' in diameter. So I think the htp1212 would be too big for my 6 oz tin.

[Stella1952]

Switched from glue dots to permatex...is it ok to have a little red seep out from under wick as I press it down?

Yes, but I found I didn't have to use that much to get the job done and less makes the wick tab easier to remove. Remember: for testing purposes it really isn't necessary to use this... hot glue works fine for that purpose.

It's working great except its mushrooming.

Have you tested CDs or CDNs? Might wanna give 'em a whirl just to see if they work better for you...