Overlooked but Definitely Not Overrated
In candle making, there are many terms which end up being common terms: fragrance load, topping off, pre-wick assemblies, fragrance retention and many others. Ironically there is one term that never seems to be used but you could argue is ONE of the most important in terms of maximizing the performance of your candle. Even after identifying the term, further explanation is necessary to identify why it is important.
Overlooked But Definitely In candle making, there are many terms which end up being common terms: fragrance load, topping off, pre-wick assemblies, fragrance retention and many others. Ironically there is one term that never seems to be used but you could argue is ONE of the most important in terms of maximizing the performance of your candle. Even after identifying the term, further explanation is necessary to identify why it is important. Center, is a very common term in sports, social and every walk of life and candle making is no exception. Seems like these days no article is complete without its Google reference therefore we include that if you "Google" the term "center", there are over 1 billion results and my guess is that you would have to look very long and hard to see any purposeful references to candles. However, all these facts do not minimize how extremely important it is. No matter what type of candle you are making, the performance will hinge on the wick being centered and straight. You can go to painstaking lengths to ensure you have the proper wick for your application but if the wick is not centered and straight it will not perform optimally. Pretty tough to imagine that an item other than a raw material of the candle could have such an impact. Container Candles
Hover securing on top can also be simply done by taking a popsicle stick and drilling a hole for the wick to slide into. It really does not matter which method you use just make sure the wick is centered. Votive Candles Pillar Candles While it may not seem like a big issue, it is imperative the wick is centered and straight to ensure the wick perform at its best. An off centered wick in a container can leave wax on a portion of the jar, can cause the glass to get hot at a small concentrated area and cause the candle to burn uneven causing it to smoke and soot. With a pillar an off-centered wick can cause the side of the pillar to have blow out and run down the sides of the pillar.
CHANDLER'S CORNER How do I get the wood wicks to perform optimally? Without doubt the wood wicks continue to generate interest but for them to perform best it is important they are used properly. The first items is using the proper wax, while they will burn pretty much with any wax to get them to crackle and burn effectively the entire candle a soft paraffin soy blend is best. Most Customers find CBL-130 performs best. The wick also needs to be sized properly to the container size. The chart below can serve as a starting point. But testing is necessary to ensure they work best with your color/fragrance combination. Small wood wicks Medium wood wicks Large wood wicks Extra large wood wicks
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October 2011
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Equally important is to have the wick centered at the top of the container. The bow tie clip is the perfect choice for most glassware. The clip can adjust to many different glass openings. If you are using two wicks, it will help space the wicks equally apart from one another. When you slide the wick over into the smaller hole it will help keep the wick in place. 
