Candle making require a balance between wick and the wax. The wick and the wax must work together to create a succesful burn for a candle. If the wick is too small for the candle container, the candle will develop a tunnel.
Additionally, if the wick is too large for the candle container, the wick will burn too hotly for the candle. Using a wick that is too hot will make the candle smoke and can make the containers of the candle too hot to touch. The diameters of the container will determine the amount of heat that is required to melt the wax.
How to Choose the Right Wick for Your Candle
Wide containers require more heat to melt the wax than narrow container. The wick must act as fuel system for the candle because the wick will draw the liquid wax up to the flame. If the wick is too thin for the container, it wont be able to draw the wax to the flame enough to melt the wax to the edge of the container.
Therefore, you should choose the wick according to the diameter of the container to ensure that the wax melt to the edges of the container. The material of the wick will also impact the way in which the wick burn. For instance, some wicks is made of cotton.
Some cotton wicks has a paper or zinc material in the center of the wick to help the wick remain upright. Other wicks are made of wood. Wooden wicks produces a wide flat flame.
The type of wax that is use in the candle will also impact the performance of the wick that is used in the candle. Wicks must be chosen according to the type of wax that is use. For instance, paraffin wax is one of the most common type of wax used in candles.
Paraffin wax is easily wickable. Soy wax and coconut wax, however, are more viscous than paraffin wax. Because of the viscosity of soy wax and coconut wax, a larger wick is required in candles that use soy wax or coconut wax instead of paraffin wax.
Using a wick that is designed for paraffin wax will not effectively melt the soy wax or coconut wax to the edge of the container; the candle will likely create a tunnel. Additionally, fragrance oil will alter the chemistry of the wax. Using a large amount of fragrance oil will make the wax harder for the wick to burn.
Therefore, a larger wick may be required in candles that use a heavy load of fragrance oil to maintain a steady burn of the candle. The size of the wick can be determined by the way in which the candle melt the wax. When tested, the wick should melt the wax to the edges of the container in a few hour.
If the flame of the wick is small, the wax will not melt to the edges of the container; the wick is too small. If the flame flickers wild or there is a carbon mushroom on the tip of the wick, the wick is too large. For containers with a very wide diameter, a single wick will not distribute the heat necessary to melt the wax to the edges of the container.
For these containers, you can use a multi-wick candle setup. For multi-wick candles, the wicks must be even in relation to one another. If the wicks are not even with relation to one another, there will be a difference in the temperature of the various portion of the container.
Evenly spaced wicks will melt the wax to the edges of the container and ensure the fragrance throw properly from the container. Overall, the success of the candle is dependent upon the balance between the wick, the wax, and the container that contain the candle.
