Candles - burn quality

[Stedic]

As the season comes to a close, I've been messing about with my wax pile, trying to make some candles to gift and sell.

I bought a couple of moulds from the place with the big shop in Lincolnshire, and used the recommended wick. They start out OK, but then don't burn too well, dribble wax out of the side and what have you. Reading candle making things on Facebook would suggest this is totally unacceptable.

I've tried tea lights but they just don't burn nicely with any of the wicks I have tried.

My question then is, how much attention do you pay to how well things like the skep candles burn? Or do you see them as primarily decorative items that are not designed to get you repeat business?

 

[ShinySideUp]

I recovered only enough was for one small candle but thought I'd give it a go. The candle burns but not particularly well as I suspect the wax does not become runny enough to 'wick' up the wick (if you see what I mean). I'm wondering if commercial beewax candles are mixed with a more volatile substance to make them burn better.

 

[enrico]

I gave up in the end. I tried mixing with parafin wax, tried different wicks. In the end I decided it wasn't worth my time. Look nice but they either flood the Wick or smoke. I leave it to the experts!
E

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unfortunately the 'recommended' wick they give is sized for paraffin wax rather than beeswax, buy the next size up and you will get a perfect burn.

 

[Beefriendly]

Unfortunately the 'recommended' wick they give is sized for paraffin wax rather than beeswax, buy the next size up and you will get a perfect burn.

Many give the wrong wick sizes. Best buy a few and experiment. We sell 100's of the skep candles each year, no spluttering nor dribbling over the side. We use a 1.5mm wick. The other "secret" is to tell customers to trim the wick down by about half after the candle has been burning for 10 minutes. This slows down the burn time giving about 6 hours for those small skeps and over 36 for the massive pillar candles.

 

[Compost Kid]

Unfortunately the 'recommended' wick they give is sized for paraffin wax rather than beeswax, buy the next size up and you will get a perfect burn.

Ah, this explains why the cheap tea light wicks from eBay didn’t work, the flame just got smaller and smaller and eventually drowned in the wax. The dipped candle I made using Thorne’s wick was much better and burned perfectly and as you say, the wick was much thicker. Thank you

 

[enrico]

I was always told that the Wick needed to be twice the thickness for pure beeswax but.....
E

 

[Beefriendly]

I was always told that the Wick needed to be twice the thickness for pure beeswax but.....
E

It varies Enrico. My wife makes all our candles from tealights to 12oz pillar with a variety of other shapes and sizes in between. It is a matter of trying a mould and wick and burning and if okay stick with it. If they burn too or slow too fast remelt and try another wick size until you get it right.
You also need pure filtered (kitchen towel) wax standard...or you get spluttering with the impurities.