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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Types of Candle Wicks

Types of Candle Wicks

By Dawn R. Levesque, eHow Contributor

    • A wick's function is to draw the wax up to the flame.
      A wick influences a candle's burning performance. According to the National Candle Association over 100 types of wicks currently exist on the market, making it essential to select the right one. A candle that has a consistent flame size, a wax pool with no dripping and an afterglow makes a well-designed candle. Factors that impact wick choice include the wax type, candle's size, shape, color and fragrance.

    Flat

    • Composed of three braided strands, flat wicks have many plies per strand, cites Betty Oppenheimer, the author of "Making Hand-Dipped Candles." The number of plies in a flat braided wick determines its size. Sizes range from 15 ply (extra small) to 60 ply (extra large.) When lit, these wicks burn slightly off center, imparting a curl in the flame. Flat braided wicks break off as they burn called self-trimming. Select flat braided wicks for pillar and taper candles.

    Square

    • Originally designed for beeswax candles, plaited square wicks have rounded corners making them more robust than flat ones. Manufactures have devised a numbering system (differs between manufactures) to determine a square wick's size. Square wicks give a curl when burned to minimize carbon buildup or mushrooming. According to "The Candlemaker's Companion," square braided wicks maintain a centered flame in the candle. Find squared wicks in pillar, block and novelty candles.

    Cored

    • Braided with round cross sections, cored wicks stay upright while burning, according to the International Guild of Candle Artisans. Materials used for the interior core include cotton, paper, hemp, and zinc as the most popular. Zinc-cored wicks burns the coolest while paper core wicks do not burn as hot making them effective in paraffin-based wax candles. Cotton-cored wicks burn the hottest, making them more effectual for natural waxes. Find cored wicks in jar candles, pillars, votives and devotional lights.

    Precut

    • Cut to the candle maker's specifications, a precut, or tabbed, wick improves the beginner candle maker's craft by leaving out the guesswork. They also cut down the process time when producing in quantity. Make use of precut or tabbed wicks for votive, tea light and novelty candle-making.

    Special

    • CD series wicks have interwoven paper filament that offer increased rigidity, improving the burn of the wax. Generally used with paraffin and natural waxes, HTP series wicks have a rigidity often found in core wicks. As a self-trimming wick, it produces less mushrooming than other types.

Posted by Saddleup at 1:35 AM

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