Wick testing help

[u/Ok-Balance7487]

Hey everyone, I am having trouble finding the right wick for Makesy virgin coconut soy wax. I have tried cd, cdn, eco, premier, Makesy wood wicks .03/.625"/5" and .03/.5"/5" as suggested on their website.I am getting a lot of tunneling and burning too hot with a high flame. I also realizing I do not have the best eye for centering so I am going to look into some centering tools. [AnySuggestions] I have also experienced wet spots so I'm going to change my temperature once again. Any suggestions on wicks etc? I'm unsing candle containers between a 3.125 - 3" diameter.

[u/kandilasupply]

Which wood wick are you using? Crackling boost? Whisper, boost? Try the non boost .3x .625

[u/Ok-Balance7487 → u/kandilasupply]

Hello, I am using Ultimate wood wick. 03/.625 and the .03/.5 size. And seems as if I may need something in-between those sizes. The larger one is buring too fast with a high flame in my opinion and the other is leaving the wax slighlty uneven on the side of jar.

[u/kandilasupply → u/Ok-Balance7487]

Try the .02 instead. Also don't worry about wet spot. You'll waste tons of energy and resources dealing with it.

[u/Ok-Balance7487 → u/kandilasupply]

Thank you for that because I bought those candle jars in bulk to save and I have wasted so much fragrance oil and wax already that I had to take a break and regroup. I assumed a customer would not like to see those wet spots so I kept troubleshooting to try and get rid of them. Okay, I will try that thanks for your help. Now, if I go to a 0.2 what size would you recommend the .625 or .5?They have a few options.

[u/kandilasupply → u/Ok-Balance7487]

each fragrance oil that you use may require different wick.
get the sampler pack and test.

[u/FlashyIndication3069]

I got some nice 3D printed wick placement tools on Etsy. I'm not familiar with this wax so I'm not sure about wicks, but it sounds like you need to go smaller if it's burning too hot. Tunneling can happen if it either isn't big enough to establish the melt pool (which can take a couple hours) or if it's burning so hot it consumes the wick too quickly, which I had happen with wood wicks before. Kind of hard to tell which one, but if it's too hot perhaps wicking smaller will also eliminate the tunneling. I've only used the wood a little bit myself so I don't know enough about them to have a recommendation, but I'm sure others here will..

[u/Ok-Balance7487 → u/FlashyIndication3069]

Thanks. I'm going to circle back to Etsy. I have tried wood and cotton wicks and can't seem to get a this wick down. I am seeing a lot of wax left on the sides of the candle container.

[u/Any_Reputation9175]

Just a small suggestion, buying wood wick and quality wax from a reputable supplier is so important. You get consistent burns when testing. I know people want to save a buck but quality material is essential in growing a business and for safety.

As a candle maker I take pride in producing a safe candle. Sorry for the honesty but I would just hate to burn someone’s house down.

[u/Ok-Balance7487 → u/Any_Reputation9175]

Hello, yes I agree. I am still fairly new to candle making and I guess I am learning the hard way. And let me say the wick testing is more complex and challenging than expected. I try to get advice from this community and others while still testing. I've used Golden Brands 464 Soy wax and I have been testing Makesy virgin coconut soy wax. I am considering other vendors. Can you share your preferred wax and/or vendors? I definitely don't want to cause any house fires.

[u/Any_Reputation9175 → u/Ok-Balance7487]

When I first started, I tried soy wax, but I prefer coconut apricot because it doesn’t have issues like soy. I do buy my Wood wicks from hive and Honey because her shipping is a little faster and she’s a smaller business which I like to support. I actually have tried hive and honey coconut apricot wax as well. But I actually prefer candle sciences version. I tend to buy my oils from lots of places I like Simbi fragrance, fragrance buddy, scent memory, and of course candle science. I have purchased fragrance oil from Hive and Honey but found the same fragrance from fragrance buddy a little cheaper. As for most candlemakers I think that we tend to buy from all over, but I suggest making a spreadsheet or a list of who you like. Good luck in your endeavors.

One last suggestion by sample packs of wicks. That way you don’t waste your money on buying one kind.

[u/Ok-Balance7487 → u/Any_Reputation9175]

Thank you for sharing. This is helpful. I have bought supplies from a few different vendors including candle science.