The wick is a crucial element when making a candle. It allows heat to be transported from the flame to the wax, which melts and in turn fuels the flame. It is important to choose the right size wick to prevent it from drowning or not producing enough fuel. Quality wicks guarantee optimal operation.
How to choose your wick? Waxed, wooden or on a spool?
- TCR, ECO and LX waxed wicks : wrapped in wax, they are ideal for allowing all types of projects thanks to rapid lighting.
- Wooden wicks: they will add a cocooning crackling effect when the wick burns. They never sag unlike cotton ones. They do not spread unpleasant odors. Be careful, their use is much more complex than all the other bits.
- Roller coil wicks and their flat, square or round braiding: their design is simpler and generally allows for a creation that is easy to make. You will find wicks made of linen, hemp or even cotton.
We invite you to read our previous article on the different types of candle wicks in order to understand everything before continuing reading.
How do I know which wick is best suited to my candle?
Each wick has a different impact on your candle. The latter will react to combustion, to melting, but also to its capacity to diffuse the perfume.
Each case will require testing and adjustments on your part to maximize the performance of your final candle. No rule is universal.
However, we can give you several indications depending on the type of candle, the diameter of your glass/mold or even the nature of the wax.
Important general information:
- A low power fuse will cause a crater.
- A wick that is too powerful will cause a large flame with greater consumption.
- A well-suited wick melts the wax over the entire diameter with a height of 10 mm (pool).
A different choice depending on the type of candle
Depending on the type of candle, you will have to use different types of wicks.
- For candles in containers where the wax will be poured into a glass or aluminum pot, it would be advisable to use wicks on waxed bases (e.g.: TCR) or wooden wicks.
- For molded candles, braided spool wicks are perfectly suited to this type of use. We find flat or round locks without waxing.
- Finally, for tea lights, the waxed TEA Lights Series represent the best solution.
The type of candle you want to make will influence your wick selection. Waxed and wooden wicks are more suitable for candles in pots and those woven from cotton will be more suitable for candles made in molds. But the most important aspect remains the diameter of your container or mold.
What diameter & height of container for your wick?
Another parameter to consider: the diameter of your container or mold. If we take the example of our flat bits, the word P represents the size of the bit (P0, P1, etc.).
- For a container candle, the more elements you add, the more you will have to adapt the size of the wick accordingly. If you use a vegetable wax and perfume, prefer 1 to 2 sizes larger.
- For a molded candle, if your mold does not have a regular diameter, you must calculate the average diameter.
Also, depending on the wax used, you will have to choose a more or less thick wick.
The nature of the wax: vegetable, animal or mineral?
Last important parameter: the nature of your wax will have an influence on the choice of your wick.
- For vegetable waxes and beeswaxes, opt for waxed wicks, in round spools or in wood.
- For mineral waxes (except gels), prefer waxed, flat, coil or wooden wicks.
In both cases, you can select a waxed or wooden wick, but be careful to favor round ones for animal or vegetable waxes and flat wicks for mineral waxes.
For an optimal choice of your drill bit, it is important to simultaneously take these 3 parameters into account and adapt it according to the desired result and your tests. This information is not general. There remains one last detail: understanding our reference system.
How to recognize the correct wick reference?
After taking into consideration the 3 main parameters for your candle wick. It is important to understand its classification system in our catalog.
On each wick product sheet, you will find a table showing the different sizes by variations offered for the same reference. If we take the example of a TCR 18/10 drill bit, this gives us: TCR 18/10 Ø32 – Ø38.
- TCR = Wick Category
- 18/10 = Weaving reference
- Ø32 – Ø38 = Internal diameter of the glass
The table shows manufacturer default values for raw candles (without fragrance, dyes). It is important to carefully study all these parameters and adapt your selection in relation to the 3 crucial factors for choosing the right wick, but especially what you are going to put in your candle or not. It is entirely possible that you will need to use 2 to 4 sizes larger.
Conclusion
You have understood, the choice of your wick will influence your entire creative process. You must therefore choose your wick according to the type of candle, the diameter of its container as well as the wax used. It's not enough ! In particular, extensive testing must be carried out for each different candle recipe.
Now you may be wondering how to properly use your chosen wick !? Our dedicated article addresses this question!
