# wick choices



## AlpineJean (Apr 3, 2005)

Hi there,
I'm new to making candles and I am trying to keep straight which wick is best for what kind of candle.... I have a woman who has asked me to refill glass religious candle containers that are 7.5 inches tall and 2.75 inches wide for her and I am wondering if I should use 1/0, #2 or 60 ply wick and secure it to the bottom somehow so it will stay centered or use zinc wire cored wick. If the zinc wire core is best which size? I'm using only beeswax.
Any help is much appreciated. 
Jean


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi Jean. Candle wicks are determined mainly by the width of the candle. It also is affected by the type of wax, and preference for flame height and burn rate. For a candle 2.75 inches thick the 1/0 (IMO) is too small. I would opt for either a #2 square braid or #24 Flat Braid. Some people pre-wax their wicks with several layers of wax to keep them straight. I would make a small test candle using a common kitchen container (soup can etc) of simlar size to test first. In a container I like to use a very small washer (like a nut and bolt accessory) to weight the wick to the bottom and keep it tight at the top tied around a piece of wire or Dowell. Keep in mind that is quite a bit of wax to put hot into a container. You will need the candles to cool slowly to avoid cracking at the top and seperation from the sides of the container. If your customer is a bit finicky make sure you filter the wax well and and pour it from the top of a container as any impurity will rise to the top of the candle after the pour. Best of luck.


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## AlpineJean (Apr 3, 2005)

THANKS Joel for your help - here's another quick question 

So when if ever would use the zinc core type wick?


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