First attempt failure...help!

[Maddy Rose]

Hi! I just made my first candles w

ith soy wax and fragrance oil and this is happening with the burn... what should I do differently ? Please help!

 

[Megan]

So, disclaimer: I'm not an experienced candle maker...more of a hobbyist in this area...so hopefully a more experienced candle maker can chime in.

This is tunneling and from what I know, happens most often when the wick is too small. It can also happen if you test your candle with two many short burns because the first burn is what gives the candle it's "memory".

I do also notice that it looks like there are droplets on top of your candle. If so, I would be worried that you used too much fragrance.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

When making candles, the hardest thing for me is finding the right size wick. So you are on the right path by conducting a burn test.

I have found the following guides extremely helpful. The product guidelines are limited to what Candle Science sells, but most of the waxes are widely sold. I found the wick guideline to be a starting point, particularly for unusual shapes. I live by their burn guide, any time I try a new wax, wick, or container. I can't stress how important it is to conduct a burn test, particularly if you want a good quality candle.
Also, particularly for soy candles, you want at least a 2 week cure time to test the fragrance throw.
Wax Guide
Wick Guide - Find The Right Candle Wick For Your Candles
How To Conduct a Basic Burn Test

 

[Cosmo71]

When making candles, the hardest thing for me is finding the right size wick. So you are on the right path by conducting a burn test.

I have found the following guides extremely helpful. The product guidelines are limited to what Candle Science sells, but most of the waxes are widely sold. I found the wick guideline to be a starting point, particularly for unusual shapes. I live by their burn guide, any time I try a new wax, wick, or container. I can't stress how important it is to conduct a burn test, particularly if you want a good quality candle.
Also, particularly for soy candles, you want at least a 2 week cure time to test the fragrance throw.
Wax Guide
Wick Guide - Find The Right Candle Wick For Your Candles
How To Conduct a Basic Burn Test

Thank you for posting this. I am waiting on my supplies to make my first candles with "IG 6006" I chose my wicks based off candle science recommendations and am excited to make my first candle but also expecting disappointment.

 

[jcandleattic]

Thank you for posting this. I am waiting on my supplies to make my first candles with "IG 6006" I chose my wicks based off candle science recommendations and am excited to make my first candle but also expecting disappointment.

Don't expect disappointment. It's a fun adventure. Just don't expect it to be as easy as soapmaking. The learning curve for candles is much higher than soapmaking, and the testing process NEVER ends. LOL Not kidding, you need to constantly test to make sure you have a safe candle, and if using soy (which I think 6006 is parasoy?) every batch will need at least 1 test candle done from it since every crop of soy beans can be different depending on environmental factors.
Just note, that candle science wick chart is just a guideline, and I often find they recommend wicks that are too large (which can also tunnel, soot, and not burn well)
I don't use 6006, as I find it's a bit too soft for my liking, however, I do use paraffin, not parasoy or soy. (is 6006 the parasoy blend? I can't remember) but 6006 is a pretty soft wax so if you find your candle is burning okay but is sooting more than you'd like, wick down a size, possibly 2 and start testing from there. Heavier scents will typically take wicks CS suggests, but I find most scents and the lighter ones will usually need to be wicked down from their chart.

 

[Cosmo71]

Don't expect disappointment. It's a fun adventure. Just don't expect it to be as easy as soapmaking. The learning curve for candles is much higher than soapmaking, and the testing process NEVER ends. LOL Not kidding, you need to constantly test to make sure you have a safe candle, and if using soy (which I think 6006 is parasoy?) every batch will need at least 1 test candle done from it since every crop of soy beans can be different depending on environmental factors.
Just note, that candle science wick chart is just a guideline, and I often find they recommend wicks that are too large (which can also tunnel, soot, and not burn well)
I don't use 6006, as I find it's a bit too soft for my liking, however, I do use paraffin, not parasoy or soy. (is 6006 the parasoy blend? I can't remember) but 6006 is a pretty soft wax so if you find your candle is burning okay but is sooting more than you'd like, wick down a size, possibly 2 and start testing from there. Heavier scents will typically take wicks CS suggests, but I find most scents and the lighter ones will usually need to be wicked down from their chart.

thank you for the information! I am just excited to try but definitely see there will be a learning curve to candles.