Votive problem

[chriso38]

Hi from Australia! Can someone please tell me what im doing wrong! i have a 6 cavity votive mold, and im using beeswax. i filter the beeswax through a 135 micron filter to clean it and pour... . im using the wick pins to centre the hole.. and using 2/0 square braid from candle chem. i insert the un dipped wick, and trim the wick and light, burns for around 30mins and slowly drowns.. what am i doing wrong?... so i changed the wick to a #2 sq braid, and same thing.... the wax does not over flow and stays with in the candle.... does it need to be filtered more finely?

[Ravenseye]

I'm far from an expert but it might be the wick. I use the pre-made wicks when I do votives and I think that they are zinc. The cored wicks like that may burn at a different rate which might solve the drowning problem.

[honeyshack]

Enviroment does play a huge role when burning candles, as does the type or floral of the wax. So wick size could be your problem. I am guessing though you have honey still in your wax.
If you take a block of wax and split it ( I use a hatchet) look at the wax in the split. Shiny and crystal like, honey is still there.

[Bright Eyes]

G'day Chriso38,

When you feed this 2/0 through the hole where the pins use to be, is it easy to get it through or just right fit? I'm don't use wicks purchased in the states and the sizes differ here.

Try to search for local stockists, most in oz will describe the size in ply. For votives under 30 ply is where you want to start, buy small per cut quantities ranging down and then test burn.

I make all my wicks from scratch, I know some people have a preference to pre-dipping and not, I pre-dip all my votive wicks.

Good luck

Bright Eyes

[berkshire bee]

It sounds like dirty wax. I filter my wax over and over. Every time it goes from the presto pot into the pouring pot I run it through the filter. What doesn't get used goes back in the presto pot then filtered again. You'd be surprised at how much dirt will filter out of 'clean'wax. I recently had a problem with the pre-made zinc wicks. I didn't care for using them to begin with, but when I started using a darker wax, I had the same problem as you describe. I switched to #2 square braid and it's been fine.
One other thing you might want to try if your mold is silicone is string some wicking directly through the mold, center with large bobbie pin and pour a few candles and try burning them. let us know how things go.

[chriso38]

Yeah, dirty wax was the problem, it looked clean... so now i melt down with water in the pot, i do this 3 times, and when it cools i scrape the bottom every time.. and filter through a t- shirt twice... Now i DO have clean wax!!!! everything burning as it should thanks everyone for the help!

[JCA Beeswax Processing]

The wax I supply to a candle company is filtered through a 1 micron filter. This is after it is held over water.
http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSCI0060.jpg

[robherc]

Yeah, dirty wax was the problem, it looked clean... so now i melt down with water in the pot, i do this 3 times, and when it cools i scrape the bottom every time.. and filter through a t- shirt twice... Now i DO have clean wax!!!! everything burning as it should thanks everyone for the help!

Thank YOU for posting the update...I was going to blame it on the wick being un-dipped (I've had that prove to be problematic a couple times before), but now you've educated me as well

[George Fergusson]

Hi All-

Jumping in kinda late here. In any case, votive and tea light candles present a different challenge from tapers. In a taper, new wick is being exposed and put into service wicking wax up the wick and into the flame where it's vaporized and burned even as the top of the wick curls over into the outer hot zone of the flame where it's promptly incinerated. So maybe you're wicking up an ounce of wax total through 8" of wick.

With votive and tea lights, a whole lot of wax is going to get sucked up through the same short section of wick so maybe instead of wicking an ounce of wax through 8" of wick, you're wicking 1.5 ounces of wax through 2" of wick. Therefor the opportunity for impurities and such in the wax to build up and clog up the wick is much greater in a tea light or votive than it is in a taper candle.

One solution to the problem you've already discovered is cleaning the wax until it burns properly with the wick you've selected but that won't always work and can be problematic if you've got lots of wax to deal with. You can also look for another wick that better matches the burning characteristics of your wax, impurities and all. And of course, the burning characteristics of wax can vary considerably from batch to batch and the differences aren't just how much and what kind of dirt is in it.

One wick does not fit all needs!

George-