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Originally Posted by violet0019 Does anyone have any tips on large tub type or in a glass - candles?
i.e. How to avoid having the liquid wax pool in the center and cause the flame to be very very weak and eventually go out?
Are there any candles that DO NOT have black soot/smoke?
What are the ROLLS ROYCE of candles - i.e. wax type, wick type?
What are the names of any ROLLS ROYCE type of manufacturers of candles?
Any other tips, advice, etc. would be appreciated. THANKS!!  |
my wife and i have a small candle business, run primarily through fundrasing events through schools, organizations, churchs...
i assume you are talking about making candles?
the first question about the wick comes down to testing and supplier help. candles that develop a good melt pool, the liquid layer, melt more of the wax. when we make candles one of the criteria is that the candle does not tunnel... where the wick burn the wax locally, but leaves wax on the sides and further out. our candles must develop good melt pools and melt all the wax or we wont use that combination of wax and wick.
when we try a new wax well get several wicks from suppliers to test. most wicks are rated by the diameter of the candle they are intended to burn. you still cannot take a wick rated for a 5 in container and not test it in the container. the hardness of the wax also comes into play. might sound complicated, but it is not. you just make several candles with several wicks, burn then all at once and record your observations. which ones burn strong, which ones have a weak flame?
in several of our candles we have two wicks. this allows for the melt pool all the way across and also two sources of combustion.... the candle burns faster, but it also burns better. so the number of wicks can help also. we have made candles using heart glass from walmart and these usually take three wicks.
you are fighting two battles.... you want a wick strong enough (or a combo) that it burns well, but small enough that it burns as slow as possible, extending the life of the candle (longer burning hours). given a choice, we always sacrifice hours to ensure a strong burn.
also... it is always better to burn candles longer. very short burns dont allow a melt pool to develop, then you get tunneling. then when you do burn it longer the wax drowns out the wick. we tell our buyers to try to burn no less than 2 hours each time if possible.
also, while we try to reduce inventory by using the same wick in as many diff jars as possble, sometimes you'll find a great wick just wont work in a certain container and you need a diff wick.
rolls royce of candles? well... you can seach some candle sites and forums for help here. do a little work and youll see some of the popular waxes used. or simply call one of the big distributers, such as candles with class, and ask for help. they'll be very happy to match you up with wax and wick combos.
parrafin wax is easy to use and the wax that most people probably start with. it can burn cleanly and throw scent well when matched right with the proper wick... but again, you need to do a little testing. some combos will smoke and soot.
weve used a palm wax that is gorgeous, but doesnt throw scent as well, so it depends on your goal. its a popular, visually interesting and pretty wax, but not my fav for a strong scent throw.
weve just started moving into soy wax. its popular, said to have good scent throw and very clean burning. all natural so not petroleum based like paraffin, so some like it also for the marketing. soy is a little trickier to work with sometimes, but its popular and used by many, so the issues with pouring temp dont outweigh its popularity. people simply wouldnt use it if it was too tough to use.
when we started we used zinc core wicks. they tend to burn hot and are easy to work with. they also tend to mushroom (where the wick gets funky on top, spreading out like, well, a shroom) and some smoke.
lately weve gone to coreless wicks. burn cleaner, little to no smoking.
as for a large tub, im not sure what you mean. weve never made anything in a container that was more that, say, 8 inches wide. that was the heart jar i mentioned and it took three wicks to burn the way we liked.
so dont be intimidated. just ask a few questions and do a little work. if you are uncomfortable talking to suppliers over the phone you can email many as well. also, many distributer sites have pages to help you learn how to make candles.
a few links:
http://shop.candlesandsupplies.com/
good distributer and will help you match wax to wick
Wholesale candlemaking supplies, Natures Garden candlemaking supplies Ohio, Fragrance oils
another good supplier
Candle Making Techniques: Message Boards and Forums
a website forum that has lots of info... search the site a little before you ask whats the best to use. that question gets asked over and over....
Candle and Soap Suppliers by State
a site that lists suppliers by state, so you can try to get local pickup w out shipping costs
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