RTV Silicone for wicks

[classiccandle]

For those of you who use the hight-temp RTV silicone to hold your wicks in place could you tell me if one that is rated at 400° is acceptable or should I use the higher 650° stuff?

Thank you.

[ksranch]

I don't know off hand what mine is 'rated' - but it's the red one - permatex - hth

[classiccandle]

Thanks ksranch. The red is rated at 650°F and the clear is rated at 400°F. Would like to use the clear if 400° is high enough.

[EricofAZ]

its not just the temp but the ability to stick and resist oils. I never liked the clear.

Though I have to qualify that and tell you it was in aviation. The clear never stuck if there was even a trace of oil and it burned off fast in engine heat. The red was way better. I used to seal J tubes on Allison engines (the 600 degree air flow tubes from the compressor to the turbine section) with the red.

The price should be pretty close. There is also a copper color that works and I use it now sometimes for wicks. I also use a glue gun sometimes. Works fine. Mostly I use wick stickums and have no problem with those. The glue dots suck so the roll I bought went to the office for nick nacks and paper glue stuff.

[classiccandle]

Thanks Eric. The reason I was interested in the clear was twofold; 1) I can get the clear at our local auto supply store in a cartridge instead of a tube and, 2) Buying the clear cartridge is much cheaper than buying a single tube of red (clear is $11.99 for 11 oz. vs red at $6.99 for 3 oz). However, if it doesn't work then the savings isn't worth it. I do use glue dots for my original container candles and they've been working fine because the container bottom is flat but now I'm adding a new container and its bottom has a dome shape to it and the glue dots simply won't stick, making the wick slide off center, hence the need for something better. I went ahead and bought a tube of Permatex red last night and tried it and checking this morning, after twelve hours of cure time, the wicks are stuck to the bottom of the new containers. I'm probably going to have to use a little less than I did since the silicone is squirting out of the bottom of the tab on the wick and you can see it...lol

For those of you who use the silicone about how many containers can you do with one 3 oz tube?

[TacoWax]

They do sell the red in in a cartridge. When they put in wiring in homes, to seal up the holes, only the red stuff is allowed by code. So try home centers or lumber yards. They should have it. Few years back I had a hard time finding them.

[robertgibbens]

I stick hundreds of tins with 3 oz. of permatex. You don't need to use much.