flowerbaby Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I am baffled by this new thing. I have been making candles for 3 years the same way and now I am having soot float on the top of my candles. Gross. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Could it be your wax has been reformulated? It happens a lot more than you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Or your FO? Or are the wicks and wick wax the same? Suppliers and manufacturers change things without notice, so it never hurts to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerbaby Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 I think if anything may have changed it could be the wicks. I use the Eco series. It was the wick most recommended by Candle Science for the 2 waxes I combine and for the size jars I use. But the question is, how do you find out if they have changed and where do you start in trying other wicks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I use Eco almost exclusively and have never had soot floating on my wax - (purchased from CS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerbaby Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 Well that is good to know. I buy my eco's from CS as well. It doesn't happen with all scents. I have had it happen with their vanilla hazelnut and their mistletoe. Not sure why this is happening. I haven't changed anything that I am doing. I mean yes, if you don't trim the wick of your candle each time it will soot on the jar, but I don't understand the soot depositing on top of the wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I could be wrong but it could be the wax treatment on the wick is somehow melting into the candle as its burning. If so then its the wick. Try a different wick and see if it burns clean without leaving soot on the candle surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerbaby Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Great suggestion. I have been reading a lot of threads and I use 4627 and 6006 and it sounds like LX is really good with those waxes. Maybe they would work better. I wonder for an 8 oz. jar with a 3" diameter and an 18 oz. jar double wicked, what would be a good starting point on wicks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerbaby Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 I have noticed that when I trim my wicks the black burned wick is very sticky and won't come loose from the wick trimmer unless I use a paper towel or tissue to remove it. Maybe the coating on the wick is the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantItgreen Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Actually, I think it may be a combination of several things. I had soot on the top of my wax when I used pink sugar FO in one wax para/soy blend, but when I changed one of the waxes, the problem was solved. I've also had some gooey wicks that I blamed on the wax & fo combo: I made several candles using the same jar, fo & wick, but different wax/ wax combos when this happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Actually, I think it may be a combination of several thingsI completely agree.Since I make veggie wax candles, I've always used wicks with high temp natural wick wax and have seldom experienced this, although I have had a few FOs clot up the wick pretty badly... I have seen it happen when a container is not wicked correctly, especially if overwicked, and there is more sooting than normal because the wick isn't burning efficiently. I've also see it happen when a candle is powerburned or burned in a draft...Without having test data from the OPs candles before and now, there's no way to really tell exactly what is causing this - a good reason to test candles methodically so you have a basis on which to compare if something goes wonky in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerbaby Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Which wax do I need to change, the soy or the paraffin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantItgreen Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I changed the paraffin, but since 6006 is mostly paraffin anyway, why not try using it straight? Try a zinc or cd wick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerbaby Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 I think I am going to experiment with wicks first. I like 6006 mixed but not straight. As far as the jar being over wicked, I don't see that as the problem because it is not sooting the jar and it actually wants to bog down in the fat part of the jar. The jar is an 18 oz. Victorian Keepsake and I have it double wicked. If it was depositing a lot of soot on the jar or was burning really hot, I would say that is the problem. I really think it is something screwy with the coating on the wick, but may be wrong about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.