SSL
Home > Candle Making > Wicks

WICKS - GENERAL INFORMATION SECTION

Welcome to our general information section on Wicks, to shop and purchase for wicks please click to the left

*Disclaimer - read bottom of page.







Wicks are the most important item for a well performing candle and so it is important that you have a wide selection of wicks to choose from. At Natural Candle Supply, you will find wicks in several sizes of both length and burn rate and it is here that we will describe all the wick variables. note: It is most important that you select a variety of wicks for your intended application as testing will be required to ensure that you find the most suitable wick for the product, for this reason we offer wick sample pack for sale.

How do I select the correct length of wick ?
Our wicks are available in the 27mm, 33mm, 150mm, 300mm or on spools
27mm -These wicks are for use in Tea Light candles only
33mm -These wicks are for use in Tea Light candles only, but due to the longer length they are suitable for the larger Tea Light Cups.
150mm length -These wicks are for use in tins and glassware and have what is called a tab on the bottom, this is used for 2 main reasons, firstly to anchor and secure the wick to the bottom of the container and secondly to stop the flame near the bottom so that the heat does not transfer to the base of the container.
300mm -These are the longer wicks suitable mostly for Pillar type candles, they have no tabs on the bottom, but if need be the tabs can be manually applied, note: for customers wanting larger tabbed wicks beyond 150mm, Natural Candle Supply can custom make special wick sizes and length for you.

What wick should I select and what do the numbers mean ?
One of the most common questions in candle making is what wick should I use and this can be a complex process, but we aim to take the confusion away. The most important advice that we can give here is that when you visit the products make sure that you click on the images or more information as this is where you will find the wick suggestions for each product. Wicks are numbered from the lowest to the highest, for example the CDN(stabilo) 6 is the smallest wick in the CDN(stabilo) range and this means that it has a smaller flame and is suitable only for the smaller type products such as tea lights, on the contrary the CDN 22 is for large tins and glassware and has a larger flame. The same applies to the HTP range of wicks with the HTP 31 the smallest and the HTP 1312 the largest.

The general rules for wick type selection is below-
Palm Waxes -Use CDN(stabilo)wicks
Soy Waxes -Use HTP wicks
Bees Waxes -Use HTP wicks
Paraffin Waxes -Use CDN(stabilo)wicks

How am I going to know if I need a smaller or larger wick ?
In order to find the perfect wick you have to examine the entire burning process, for example if you would like a candle to be burnt for 1 hr intervals, this will need a different wick to one that is burnt for 3 hrs intervals, the reason is that the candle wax burns out and then down so for small durations the wax may not reach a full molten pool and residual solid wax will remain on the sides of the container or pillar. If you intend to do burn the candle for shorter or longer durations then you may have to vary your wick sizes up or down from our info, so the general rule is that for longer burn durations, go down in wick size and for shorter burns, then go up in wick size. We estimate that an average burn is 2 to 3 hours.
Another variable to keep in mind when selecting a wick is wax with colour and or fragrance, as this can affect the burning process, the rule is that the moment you change any variable such as fragrance or colour or container type/size or mould type/size, then you will need to test as the most suitable wick may differ. The perfect wick is all about testing, so we highly recommend that you purchase a range of small wick packs and only then buy the larger packs, once you find the ideal wick for each application.

What is wick wax coating, raw spooled wick and wick tabs ?
Why do we need wick wax coatings ?The vast majority of wicks are coated with wax, this is to ensure that they remain upright during the burning process and it is particularly important in container candles due to the larger melt pool, to use an uncoated wick in a container candle will result in the wick falling over and flaming-out. On the contrary, it it possible to use raw wicks such as spools in Pillar candles, this is due to the fact that the pillar candle wax is harder and will support the wick itself.
Raw wicks and spools-As outlined above, you can only use the raw wick spools in pillar candles. If pouring your pillars and using a wick pin, you may find it difficult to thread the wick through the pillar hole after the candle has set (due to the lack of rigidity in the raw wick), so for this reason we do offer a wide range of pre waxed wick with no tabs and these will allow you to easily feed the wick through the hole. Some Candle Makers, do place and secure the wick into the mould/s before pouring and this is where raw wick can be effective.
Wick tabs-These are an essential items for container candles so that you can secure the wick to the bottom of the container, they also act as a safety cut out so that the candle does not build up too much heat at the end of the burn. If you intend to make pillar candles, then you can also leave the safety wick tab on, however if you do intend to make pillar candles without wick tabs, then use caution and always place the pillars on a heat resistant surface.

Do you have a need for custom wicks ?
No problem, Natural Candle Supply operates the most advanced wick production technology in the world, so no matter what wick type or size or tab, we can custom make these to suit your needs, having the most suitable wick will reduce your labor costs and also our quick turn around times will mean that you can manage your cash flow and only order when you soon need the product. note: minimum quantities are required for custom production runs.
*Disclaimer
Website Disclaimer - References to other sites are provided as an information service only and should not be construed as an endorsement of any organisation or product. Conversely, omissions should not be construed as non-endorsement. Although care has been taken to provide links to suitable material from this site, no guarantee can be given about the suitability, completeness or accuracy of any of the material that this site may be linked to or other material on the Internet. Natural Candle Supply will not accept any responsibility for the content of material that may be encountered
General Disclamier -While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness, no guarantee is given nor responsibility taken by Natural Candle Supply for errors or omissions in this information and Natural Candle Supply does not accept responsibility in respect of any information or advice given in relation to or as a consequent of anything contained above. The above information is issued by Natural Candle Supply Pty Ltd for guidance only and we acknowledge that other important precautions may be applicable and that are not contained in this document, therefore we take no liability for the information contained above in any way shape or form and we recommend that you seek further information from the relevant authority.