If you’re looking for a new wick, try testing our Ultra Core wicks! NorthWood Distributing carries all 18 sizes of Ultra Core wicks. What makes these wicks unique is their rigid, all-fiber knit structure. Because of this rigidity, you don’t have to worry about your wick sagging or bending over as you pour your candles.
Tools like bowtie wick centering bars or standard wick stabilizing bars are still helpful for ensuring a perfect pour. However, you may find it works just as well to not use any wick tools. If you’re producing a large number of candles at once, you can speed up your process by skipping these centering tools.
You Might Also Like: A Complete Guide to Testing and Using HPSP Wicks for Coconut Wax
How do Ultra Core wicks perform?
Ultra Core wicks are designed to burn with a smaller, hotter flame compared to other wicks. The knitted fiber construction of the wick allows for more capillary flow. That’s just a fancy way of saying that the knit construction makes it easier for fuel (wax/fragrance) to flow into the wick and burn off – which is what you want to happen. The end result is a candle with excellent scent throw and a wide melt pool without any tunneling.
These wicks are designed to have no curl when they burn, as well as minimal mushrooming. This results in little to no soot as your candle burns. However, it’s still a good idea to trim your wicks to about ¼ inch to make sure your candles continue performing at their best.
Compatible Waxes
Ultra Core candle wicks can be used with essentially any type of wax. As with any wick, it will take a little testing to find the right wax and wick combination. Ultra Core wicks work well in coconut wax, beeswax, soy wax, paraffin wax and even gel waxes. Note that because UltraCore wicks tend to burn hotter, you may need to size down for waxes with a lower melting point such as coconut wax or paraffin wax blends. On the other hand, hard waxes like beeswax may require you to wick up.
Read more about choosing the right wicks for your candle wax for more information.
Choosing a Wick Size
It’s important to note that the sizing system for Ultra Core wicks is a bit different. Whereas the sizes for other wicks are usually based on the diameter of the wick itself, Ultra Core wick sizes are based on the diameter of the melt pool when the candle is burning. Specifically, these numbers are based on the size of the 140° melt pool of a paraffin wax candle that has been burning for 2 hours. For example, a UC 2.000 wick will result in a 2.000” diameter melt pool.
The table below can be used as a reference for choosing a wick size. Note that the melt pool sizes listed in the table may not match your results when you test your candles. For example, the type of wax, type of container and type of fragrance are just a few factors that can affect your results. Colorants and other additives can affect your candle’s performance as well. It’s always a good idea to keep detailed notes when testing so you can repeat your successes.
|
Wick Number |
Melt Pool Diameter (in inches) |
|
UC 1.300 |
1.300” |
|
UC 1.375 |
1.375” |
|
UC 1.450 |
1.450” |
|
UC 1.600 |
1.600” |
|
UC 1.651 |
1.651” |
|
UC 1.705 |
1.705” |
|
UC 1.792 |
1.792” |
|
UC 1.832 |
1.832” |
|
UC 2.000 |
2.000” |
|
UC 2.076 |
2.076” |
|
UC 2.164 |
2.164” |
|
UC 2.283 |
2.283” |
|
UC 2.300 |
2.300” |
|
UC 2.402 |
2.402” |
|
UC 2.592 |
2.592” |
|
UC 2.672 |
2.672” |
|
UC 2.775 |
2.775” |
|
UC 3.000 |
3.000” |
Testing Fragrances with Ultra Core Wicks
When testing any wax and wick together, it’s also a good idea to test each fragrance you intend to use. Because each fragrance oil may behave differently, you may find that a different wick size is required depending on your chosen fragrance. This may be the case even if the same wick size worked perfectly with other fragrances.
It’s not only the type of fragrance oil that affects how your candle burns – it’s the amount. If you experiment with different fragrance loads, you’ll also want to test each FO load to see how the wick performs. A heavier or lighter fragrance load can affect your end result.
Read our blog on testing candles for more information.
Because of their knitted structure, Ultra Core wicks are capable of handling heavy fragrance loads. However, you don’t want to exceed the recommended fragrance load for your wax. If your wax recommends no more than 12% fragrance, for example, you don’t want to exceed that amount.