Weird Burn. Did I do something wrong?

[NovelCandles]

Hi everyone,
I am new to candle making and I had a really weird burn where all of the candle sides stayed and did not burn/melt.

I used parafin wax (ArtMinds from Michael's) and an extra large wick; for large containers - 9" / 22.8cm. These wicks are meant for containers 3" to 4" (7.6 cm - 10.1 cm). Also, ArtMinds from Michael's.

My container is 3.5" wide. I trimmed the wick down to a 1/4".

I'm not sure about how to calculate fragrance load. So, maybe that's what went wrong? I used 3 and a half of the pre-cut bars of parafin. That's 18 oz (weighed it). I know I used 4 tsp of fragrance oil which is supposed to be .666 ounce.

It burned with a great smell; filled my apartment. Burned all the way down -- except the sides.

Not sure of my temps. For this candle, I did not measure temperature. :-(

Did I do something wrong??

Best,
Novel

 

[earthling121757]

The wax you used was probably meant for pillars and not containers. The wicks may have been rated for soy wax, which generally has a lower melting point. Your fragrance load is about 3.7% which should be good.

 

[NovelCandles]

Thank you @earthling121757! I researched and found right here on this forum that the ArtMinds wax is indeed a pillar wax -- newbie mistake! Sheesh. Haven't been able to find out what the wicks are good/best for. The packaging says 'various candle making projects' so it's extremely vague.

I did purchase soy wax flakes last weeks from CandleWic (W6072 - Golden Food 444 Wax). So, will research and see if this is good for containers and purchase the wicks that are compatible.

I guess I am lucky this candle burned all the way down, huh?

Thanks again! This is a bit unneverving, but I do enjoy it. I used to bake and it was very scientific, left-brained, so this is very much like it and I love it! The challenge of figuring out a 'formula' only for it to change years later *for no reason* -- I totally get it! Happened to me with my most popular recipe! I was bummed. But, that is the way it goes sometimes. It's part of the creative life.

Looking forward to reading and communicating more with everyone!

Best,
NovelC

 

[earthling121757]

I don't make candles much anymore but when I first started I tried using stuff from Micheals/Hobby Lobby. Never had any luck. Finally started ordering from Candlewic & Lonestar, had much better luck. It's still a challenge to come up with the proper wick size.

To calculate fragrance load simply divide the amount of fragrance by the amount of wax. So for this candle you had .67 oz/18 = .037 or 3.7 percent.

There are paraffins made for containers, it has a lower melting point of around 130F. Even then it might be difficult to get a tunnel free burn in a 3.5" container.

I never sold any candles but did make a bunch for a friends wedding. That took weeks of experimenting, the best part ; ) Now I mostly make soap.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Hi everyone,
I am new to candle making and I had a really weird burn where all of the candle sides stayed and did not burn/melt.

I have found the following guides extremely helpful. The product guidelines are limited to what Candle Science sells, but most of the waxes are widely sold. I found the wick guideline to be a starting point, particularly for unusual shapes. I live by their burn guide, any time I try a new wax, wick, or container. I can't stress how important it is to conduct a burn test, particularly if you want a good quality candle.
Also, particularly for soy candles, you want at least a 2 week cure time to test the fragrance throw.
https://www.candlescience.com/learning/wax-guide
https://www.candlescience.com/learning/wick-guide
https://www.candlescience.com/learning/how-to-conduct-a-burn-test

 

[NovelCandles]

Also, particularly for soy candles, you want at least a 2 week cure time to test the fragrance throw.

Hi Nona's Farm! Thank you for this! That last piece blew my mind. I had no idea a 2-wk cure time was necessary! Still plugging away but much more gun shy. Taking my time.

Again, thank you.