Teach Soap

You don't. Candlemaking is an expensive hobby. Unfortunately there is no way around that. Testing your candles can make you feel like you are pouring your money down the toilet. But when you do find the right wax and wick combo it will really make you feel good. Remember you still have to test that combo with different dyes and fragrance oils so its a never ending job.

I am now using palm wax and have been working with it for a couple of years. Out of all the waxes I have used palm has been the trickiest to wick. But it colors and scents beautifully.

When using soy it was easier to wick than color and scent. Soy has a lot of issues and takes some practice working with it. I like wicks unlimited because it gave me a good starting point for trying out different wicks for the application I was using.

Ok, so I am in my trial and testing phase now...Trying out the 26oz jar and its about 3.5-4 in in diameter. I was having alot of problems with tunneling, so I figured I would try what someone else in here mentioned, about double wicking. The wicks I am using are spread evenly apart but they are meant for 2.5-3inch candles (that was all I had) Anyways, if the candle is about 3.5 -4 inches wide, do I use two wicks that are meant for 2 inches diameter each, or do I still buy the ones meant for the larger diameter, and just put two in? This seems to be working ok...probably would be better if it were either the larger size that the candle would have if I only used 1 wick, or two of the ones meant for smaller candles. There only seems to be a little bit of candle that hasn't melted up against the rim -about a 1/4 inch-but I've only been burning it for about 45 minutes.

My main questions are I guess, like I said. If you double wick, do you keep the same size wick for that container as it should be, and just do two, or do you go down a size since the diameter is split.
And also, in your experience does double wicking cut your burn time in half? Seems like people are saying no it shouldn't, but then I also read that if you take the diameter of your candle, it should take about that many hours to get a quarter inch melt pool all the way across. I am just thinking that if it hasn't even been an hour yet, maybe it is making it burn faster after all because it is almost all the way across. Or maybe I did something wrong? Not sure. Either way, Thanks for any help!!

I hope I can help answer all or most of your questions.

Yes you should try testing with smaller size wicks when you are double wicking. And double wicking will make your wax burn down faster. I can't tell you what wick to test with but there are wicks specially designed for 'natural' waxes like soy. So check out different suppliers for that and read up on wick selection to find a starting point.

When you are test burning a candle you should measure the diameter of the jar you are using to be sure what it is. It is either 3 1/2 or it is 4 inches. Not both. You will find wicks are made for specific jar diameters so know the size of your jar and wick accordingly.

A good rule of thumb for candleburning is to burn it 1 hr per inch of the candles diameter. So when you are test burning a 4 in diameter candle burn it for a minimum of 4 hours. It may take several burns before all the wax starts to burn down the candle or even to get a full melt pool. Don't worry about that. What you are wicking for is actually the bottom of the jar so you will need to test burn it to the very end of the candle. You don't have to do it all in one burn-- just remember the rule of thumb for burning your jar and test it that way. The reason you want to test for the bottom of the jar is because the candle will burn differently towards the bottom due to the flame bouncing around looking for oxygen. The candle also gets hotter and the jar may heat up more nearer to the bottom.

So--- when first starting out you can narrow your wick size down til you think you have the right wick. Then, once you think you have the right wick then test burn your candle to the bottom or the jar to make sure its the one.

A correctly wicked jar candle will burn all the way down with little to no wax hangup and not be too hot to pick up the jar during burning. It should also have little or no visable soot buildup around the lid area or top of the jar. If you have soot buildup it may be due to poor wicking or even too much fragrance oil.

Adding fragrance is a whole 'nuther catagory but seems some people think that if 1 oz smells good in your candle then 2 oz will smell twice as good. Wrong. You should always follow the wax manufacturers guidleines for how much fragrance oil to add. Each wax has a fragrance load that it can handle. Too much can cause the candle to smoke or seep out causing the wax to 'sweat'.

Have fun. I love testing out new candles. And if you decide to start selling you will find that it is a never ending job. But after a while you will have more experience with wicking and have a good idea which wick or wicks to start out with. Good luck!

I have only ever done 1 oz per lb of wax, never any more. And actually sometimes if is pretty strong I just even do less than that.

Thats pretty much what I do. The majority of my FOs I just use 1 oz per lb. Thats mostly with parrafin, parasoy, and palm waxes. With soy I sometimes use more but not more than the wax will hold.

Hi silverpegasus! are the GW444 and 464 the golden brands soy waxes? I have only used the Ecosoya and C3 waxes.

Hmm, ok thanks for the info on the 444 and 464 waxes. The main reason I was wondering is there is a local company that carries that type of wax but that is all they carry. I think I would rather stick with the c3. But it is funny that you mention the white ring. I was thinking that I had finally figured out how to do this c3 soy with the large jar candle. It is 4 inches in diameter (i mentioned before that I wasn't sure). I tried using two wicks meant for 3 inc diam. and everything seemed to be working fine. I have burned it several hours a day for a few days now. No tunneling, no wet spots....but now (and I should say that this just happened yesterday, the 3 or 4 days before when I burned it didn't do this) at the bottom of where the melt pool was, I see a white ring, solidly around the jar, dividing the wax that was in the melt pool, and wax that had never melted. I can't seem to find my camera or phone to take a picture, but that sounds like what you are talking about. What causes this, and why did it not do it for the first few days of burning?
Thanks!

Candybee - Yep the GW are the Golden Brands Wax as purchased (only really useful to anyone who happens to be in Australia ).

Beautyinabasket - I agree. That sounds exactly like what I was talking about. It's strange to hear that that happened to you for the first time after I mentioned it. I've certainly had the white ring make itself more pronounced after being burnt several times (it gets really ugly) but there's been some degree of mottling and even a really pale start to the ring from the beginning when it's happened to me. I have to say I honestly don't know what causes it or a sure fire way to fix it. I only have my suspicions. It happened to me mostly when I first started making candles. I got annoyed and decided to try something else, moving on to my pillar waxes. I'm only now thinking about attempting the container candles again and have bought some more jars etc. I bought in the hopes that it may help stabilise the wax a bit and fix the problem but I haven't had the chance to try it. I also buy from a website now that offers the Ecosoya so I may give that a try. I didn't know the site existed when I first started so I only really had the choice of the Golden Brands. I have a day off tomorrow and hope to spend the time on some candles and soaps so I may give that additive a try in some containers and I'll let you know how it turns out.
Candle Making it is safe to say is one expensive, complicated hobby. I have all these problems and I still haven't even scented many of my candles. I was ironing out kinks and didn't need the added headache of fragrances (or the added cost when I had so much other stuff to buy). I am just now considering starting to work with fragrances as my finished products sans fragrance are starting to look much more professional and I'm almost ready to try and sell them! One thing I must say about the brand new experience of soap making is it lets you have a lot more fun and be a lot less scientific. It's easier to scent, and sooo much easier to clean up after!!

Yes, I have had good luck with my salt scrubs and glycerin soaps...they are so easy to make! I guess I am going to have to hold off on selling the candles for the time being, until I get everything perfect! As far as that "universal additive" goes, does anyone know where to get it in the states? I am going to be trying with the coconut oil (someone on here recommended that for the wet spots), whenever I get some more wax ordered, but really...if that doesn't fix all my problems, which i doubt it will, it's back to the drawing board! Thanks alot!

[quote="silverpegasus"]Candybee - Yep the GW are the Golden Brands Wax as purchased (only really useful to anyone who happens to be in Australia ).



This is a place in Memphis TN, (usa) that has the gw 464
http://bigriverwholesale.com/zencart2/i ... cts_id=947

Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes with a tapered jar, depending on the amount taper, you will have hangup on the first few burns (assuming the jar is fairly wide at the top of course) and will "catch up" as the candle burns further down the jar. There is no need to "wick up" to have an even burn from the get go. Wicking up in this instance will make the jar hotter like Candybee said which is something you do not want to do. Always wait it out with your testing to see what happens. JM2C.

If I am understanding a tapered jar is not straight, but angled slightly these are not tapered jars. These are the jars I am using, I am trying to make the best use of them without just wasting them because I have several I bought and need to get my money's worth you know?
http://www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/pro ... e-lid.html

Anyway, I am having quite a problem with how hot the top of the jar near the melt pool gets due to the double wicking perhaps? The solid area that has not yet melted is fine, but it is a serious concern to me how hot the candle gets at the top-could potentially burn someone if they kept their fingers there long enough. Could it be because the two wicks are making just too much heat, or is that due to using the zinc core wicks, or perhaps something else?
Thanks!!

Right, you have the correct understanding about the tapered jars. The jars you are using are very nice and I can see why your working so hard to get them wicked right.

Your testing them right? How deep is the melt pool with the double wicks? Is the wax melted all the way to the jar's edge?

How long are you burning them for in your test burns?

If your melt pool gets too deep too quickly you will have to wick down. Do you have any pics that you could post?