What Is A Wick Pin

[Ogier Dudley]

Iam using IGI 4630 and I am struggling to find the right wick for a 16 oz apothecary jar. I prefer to use either the LX or HTP wicks. Is it best to use a single wick or double wick? And which wick size would work best for the wax I am using? TIA!

I use a similar wax, HTP 104 usually does the job for me. Some oils I need to wick up to a 126. If the 126 didn't do it, then I might consider double wicking with 52s, but then I would be concerned about sooting with that narrow neck.

I keep all three on hand but use CD-10, CD-12 and LX-16 the most for my wax and fragrances. Your goal should be finding the perfect wick for each fragrance - don't expect to use the same wick for every fragrance. There are also very seasoned chandlers on here who use different waxes too, which would make my head spin! Also, don't expect to have a full melt pool (FMP) during a first burn. You don't want tunneling, but within four hours, you should shoot for 1/4" or less of melt pool with some cling on the sides and a nice, steady flame. You might want to check into the mathematics of figuring out Rate of Consumption rates. The other thing that helps to establish a baseline for wicking is to use an old cake pan or old muffin tin. Wick up several different wicks, fill the muffin cups or the entire cake pan with PLAIN wax, let it set up, light the wicks and observe burn pool, flame height, and any carbon mushrooming at one-hour intervals for four hours. This will give you a good idea of how your unscented wax performs with different wicks. Then you can start testing different fragrances. Testing can be frustrating and expensive but you will never regret it.

Last question... For testing purposes can I use an 8oz apothecary jar (both 8oz and 16 oz have 4" diameter) so I don't waste as much wax? At least until I think I've got the correct wick, then I can try it out on the 16oz.

Lulu, as long as the jar is the same design and same diameter, but once the 8 oz gives you a good burn, you'll need to burn a 16 oz from top to bottom before you can be completely certain that it's the very best wick.

Sorry I didn't see that question Lulu! I do that all the time if it's a fragrance that I'm not sure I'll like. 16oz is a big commitment, lol. It definitely works well to narrow down your wick choices, and makes it less painful if the fragrance is a dud. ?

These three candles have been burning for 2 hours. The candle in the middle has the proper wick size. The flame is appropriately sized and does not flicker. The melt pool has extended to the edge of the container and is about 1/2 inch (13 mm) deep. The wick is burning cleanly with minimal to no carbon build-up. This is what a properly wicked candle looks like.

The candle on the left is under wicked meaning the wick size is too small for the candle. An under wicked candle will not burn out to the edge of the container but will instead burn down the middle, or 'tunnel'. Often the flame will extinguish itself before all the wax is burned.

The candle on the right is over wicked meaning the wick size is too large for the candle. It's easy to tell because the flame is too tall and flickers continually. The melt pool is deeper than 1/2 inch (13 mm), and the wick is producing excess carbon that causes the 'mushrooming' you see on the end of the wick. Wisps of soot can be seen leaving the flame periodically. If left to burn all the way, soot will collect on the inside of the container. The container can also become very hot and could damage the surface underneath or even crack.

Looking at the side of the candles shows the difference in melt pool depth between the properly wicked candle in the center and the over wicked candle on the right. It is also apparent how much faster the candle on the right is consuming the wax. An over wicked candle will not burn as long as one wicked correctly.

All the wicks available through CandleScience follow the same rule. Within a series the larger the number, the larger the wick. So an ECO 14 is always bigger than an ECO 10, and an ECO 4 is always smaller than an ECO 6. But the numbers between series are not comparable. For instance, an LX-22 may or may not be bigger than an ECO 8.

Because your fragrances and additives like dye can affect the overall burn performance of your candles, we recommend using the CandleScience Wick Guide to find a starting point for your testing. So if you test your candle with an LX 14 and after testing it appears to be under wicked, try the next size up, in that case, an LX 16.

I think I've tried them all. Most were reasonable once I found the right size, and likely would have been fine. I actually liked the Ecos, but from my reading online, it appears that many 4630 folks prefer zinc core, so I went with that. If you prefer a particular series, grab a sample pack and just run a few tests on different sizes.

I usually start my testing with the LX wicks from what you mentioned. For that size container, probably something like the LX 22 as a starting point. Or the HTP can do well too, HTP 83 if I were to start testing. I haven't tried the CDs in that wax yet though.

Just wanted to post an update. I'm almost finished with my test burn (3" tumbler, 7% FO from CS). So far you all have been spot on! The HTP 83, LX 22, and LX 20 are performing the best. I tried several CDs but they flames have been way too big (even with trimming) and they have given off a lot of soot.

One of the most important aspects of candle making is knowing which wick to choose. Our guide on how to choose the correct wick for your candle will provide you with a more in-depth understanding on how important and vital this process of your candle making journey is and will also help you to jump straight into candle testing knowing the basic starter points on how to select the right wick.

With many different brands of wick on the market, knowing which waxes the wicks work best in will help you get off to a very good start. Take a look below at some of our most popular waxes recommended for the wicks we supply here at Craftovator.

This is purely down to the blend of the oil with the wax which causes the wick to burn differently than that of an unscented candle. In this instance, you may need to use one or two wick sizes bigger (sometimes referred to as 'wicking up') in order for the wick to perform at its best i.e. a Stabilo 10 or 12.

The diameter of your vessels will play a big part when choosing the right wick to start your testing. Once you have the diameter of your vessel, you can use our handy wick sizing guides on the wicks product page to help determine which wick you would need.

See the wick brand/size example suggestions below for some of our most popular candle vessels. Remember, these suggestions are just a starting point so you may need to go up or down a size or more depending on the fragrance oil you choose.

As you can see, the diameter of each vessel is different so you would need to use a wick suited to this diameter specifically. Some vessels may need just the one wick, some may work better with two or even three wicks.

You can also find out more information about a burn test and what makes up a burn test on our blog post, 5 Things Every Beginner Candle Maker Gets Wrong. It will certainly help you with your note taking when conducting your very own burn tests.

Hello, thank you for your guide! I will be starting off with a single-wick candle, but I have a question about a future project. I would eventually like to reuse a 140mm diameter candle which previously had 4 wicks. When choosing wick size for this candle, should I use wicks that are the right size for a 140mm diameter, or for 1/4 of the diameter of the candle (in this case 35mm)? Thank you :)

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