# Flickering and wick issues



## SRatcliff

I am working with a 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" votive. I first tried using a #2\0 square braid wick and the flame was way to large. I then tried using Mann Lake's 4/0 wick and it still seems like a large flame and flickers quite a bit. Do I need an even smaller wick?


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## odfrank

Their catalog shows a 2/0 wick for a 1 1/2" votive.


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## SRatcliff

odfrank said:


> Their catalog shows a 2/0 wick for a 1 1/2" votive.


Yes, but 4/0 is smaller than 2/0 and the flame is still burning too high and hot.


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## odfrank

I have been experimenting with some wick sizes in a jar candle and found that the flames die down as the candle forms a puddle. Maybe burn them down and watch what happens after some time.


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## Bee Bliss

Stuart,

Look at the flame itself. Is it quite pointed at the top instead of a gentle roundish top? If it is pointy, then your wick is too long! Trim to 1/4 inch and relight the wick if this is the case.

I use 4/0 (pronounced four aught) for birthday candles and they are perfect for that diameter. My birthday candles burn for 30 minutes and have a stuff left. A 4/0 is too small for a votive candle.

That said, we are talking 100% beeswax candles, right? These are heavy duty wicks and are meant for beeswax. Do not ever blend beeswax with paraffin. That blend burned as a candle is reported (I read)
to do harm to electronics. 

Ollie,

Jar BW candles are different than the same size candle without the jar holding in heat. You are getting more wax melting than the wick can handle. A drowning wick means either the wick is not heavy enough or, in your case, the jar is holding in heat and causing too much melted wax at once........or else the wick is too long and the flame is too big causing too much melting too soon. You could pour off a little wax (and reuse it when making more candles).


~ Bee Bliss


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## Bee Bliss

Edit (which I could not do to my post for some reason): I meant to say there was a stub (not stuff) left after burning the birthday candle.

Also, I use 2/0 braided for votives.


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## odfrank

BB - I tried CandleWic #2, 3 and 4, and then double #2, 3 and 4's in these jars and no combination worked well. Do you have a wicking recommendation for me? I inherited 180 of these jars. I guess I could go into hand-cream making. They are not good for honey as the plastic gasket has a small hole in it and is unsitely with honey.


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## odfrank

Is there a good video somewhere on wick selecting?


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## odfrank

My wax has never been melted in water. It was first solar melted and then Presto Pot melted. Could there be too much honey in it? How should beeswax be melted for candle making?


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## Bee Bliss

odfrank said:


> BB - I tried CandleWic #2, 3 and 4, and then double #2, 3 and 4's in these jars and no combination worked well. Do you have a wicking recommendation for me? I inherited 180 of these jars. I guess I could go into hand-cream making. They are not good for honey as the plastic gasket has a small hole in it and is unsitely with honey.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Double? You mean you put two wicks in?? I would personally not use a glass jar that does not have straightish sides. Your jar gets narrower at the top. Sometimes a person just has to experiment to find what works. Not familiar with your wicks. Are they for paraffin or beeswax?

You could perhaps use the jars for creamed honey or creams like you said. You could be the next Bert...........but Ollie!  . Or, sell the jars. Or figure out a wick that works.

Sorry, not much help.


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## SRatcliff

I think the wick length was my main problem. My current votives have a more rounded top and not flat, so I think they will need to be trimmed not long after the first light.


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## Bee Bliss

Ollie,

Your jars are on the thin side and I am not sure how much heat they can take. I have made candles in canning jars (they can take heat) and I had problems figuring out wicks that would work. I gave up narrow, taller jelly jars even though they had straight sides and instead went for shorter jelly jars as I felt the wick did not have to fight for oxygen and there was less heat buildup. Also, the heaver wicks like #3 made the jar hotter than hot. I now use jelly canning jars that are 2-1/4" tall and use a 2/0 wick.

The wick numbering is confusing to me and I wonder how that came about. Like why 2/0 and #2?? They are different.

As far as honey in the wax..........I don't know how you clean it. Someone on BS said if you take a chunk of BW and split it, if it is shiny, there is honey in the wax. It should be dull. Are you able to use distilled water when you melt it in a solar melter? 



Stuart,

Are you burning the votive in a votive container? They are supposed to be as they are reported to not keep their shape and that seems to be true.


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## SRatcliff

I think I've sorted my issues for now. It seems there's as much to lighting candles as there is to making them!


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## Bee Bliss

SRatcliff said:


> It seems there's as much to lighting candles as there is to making them!


And both are fun! Flickering also occurs with drafts or from a wick that is too long. So, was your flame pointed? The flames can get quite long and pointed and tend to give off smoke then.

Candle maintenance!!

Did you see the glowing around the flame? Probably more noticeable at night.


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## SRatcliff

Bee Bliss said:


> And both are fun! Flickering also occurs with drafts or from a wick that is too long. So, was your flame pointed? The flames can get quite long and pointed and tend to give off smoke then.
> 
> Candle maintenance!!
> 
> Did you see the glowing around the flame? Probably more noticeable at night.


Not nearly a pointed as it was. As long at the wick is about 1\8" when I light it I haven't had any issues so far. What do you do if you cut it too short?


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## Bee Bliss

Wicks are recommended to be at 1/4" no shorter.


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## knute

SRatcliff said:


> I am working with a 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" votive. I first tried using a #2\0 square braid wick and the flame was way to large. I then tried using Mann Lake's 4/0 wick and it still seems like a large flame and flickers quite a bit. Do I need an even smaller wick?


If the wax isn't really well filtered, tiny particles of slum clog the wick and make it flicker & sputter. After I started double filtering my wax (one melt to separate most of the slum gum, and then another pass through the solar melter filtered through t-shirt material) my candles have been much better behaved.

Hope that helps!


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## Candleman

We use 3/0 wicking in votives but don't burn them in votive containers , beeswax candles made with clean beeswax produce a big flame and require lots of air , candles made in jars/containers
become starved for oxygen and the flame wavers back and forth , soot is being released due to incomplete combustion. Not a good idea. Lots of good info at www.happyhoneybee.ca


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