Benefits of Using Fiberglass Wicks Or Cotton Wicks
By Daniel of Dan’s Daughters’ Containers
Which Wick Choice Is Best For Lanterns, Rock Candles, DIY Mason Jar Oil Lamps, Candle and Tiki Torches?
Flat or round cotton wicks are a natural material and will be consumed by the flame. Many people say that fiberglass wicks will last indefinitely. However in my testing experience you will eventually need to trim the burning tip to get good performance. I always make sure my wick is primed from top to bottom before lighting. In fact a wick with dry spots has got to be the number one reason for poor flame performance and flame-out. Fiberglass wick will outperform braided cotton wicks when it comes to “wicking” up fuel. Fiberglass wicks are said to be able to pull fuel up to 6” above the fluid level of your lamps reservoir. I think I was even able to top 6” of wicking in my ½” round fiberglass wine bottle candle test on You Tube.
That ½” round fiberglass wick and ¾” round fiberglass wick is perfect for DIY lamp and candle projects. I also find that many Tiki Torches take a larger diameter wick. Tiki torch wick diameters can vary widely. Dan’s Daughters’ Containers carries ¼” round fiberglass wick, 3/8” round fiberglass wick, 7/16” fiberglass wick, ½” fiberglass wick, and ¾” fiberglass wick to serve a wide variety of needs for Tiki Torches. I also stock the smaller sizes for your rock candles and other oil lamp creations. Dan’s Daughters’ Containers stocks 1/16” round fiberglass wick and 1/8” fiberglass wick. The 1/8” round fiberglass wick is perfect for my thermal glass wick tubes. You may also call these wick holders. They capture the wick and provide a flame arrestor. They are perfect for turning metal lids like mason jars have into your own DIY storm hurricane emergency light.
I find you can use just about any wick for your DIY Mason jar candles. I have run anything from a ¼” flat cotton wick just pulled through a drilled hole to a thermal glass wick tube (wick holder) and 1/8” round fiberglass wick. I found the craziest version I came up with was very unsafe. Do not try this at home! This is for watching entertainment purposes only and not to be duplicated. It could have easily exploded on me from the heat. I ran six ¼” round fiberglass wicks in one mason jar candle. It was crazy. It made over one foot of flame when I lit it. Again, watch, don’t try this yourself.
One area where the round fiberglass wick would appear to fail compared with cotton wicks is natural oil. I ran some initial testing on an olive oil lamp creation. I DIY a simple natural oil lamp using a plastic tube and my thermal glass tube wick holder. The ¼” flat cotton wick held a very impressive candle sized flame and drained the entire tube. The 1/8” round fiberglass wick running in a thermal glass wick tube holder would not keep a flame. The ¼” flat cotton wick which you would typically run in a lantern performed beautifully. I was amazed. The olive oil takes quite a bit to get going. I used a weatherproof lighter which provides a torch like flame. If you need flat cotton braided wicks, Dan’s Daughters’ Containers carries a full range of popular wick sizes.
¼” flat cotton braided wick
½” flat cotton braided wick
¾” flat cotton braided wick
1” flat cotton braided wick
These flat cotton braided wicks are traditionally seen in kerosene lamps and lanterns. As stated before flat cotton wicks are ideal if you plan on experimenting with natural oils. I have successfully tested olive oil with my ¼” flat cotton wick only.
When you leave a wick outside it may become water contaminated. This contamination can occur in as little as one evening if the humidity and other conditions are present. I have done testing and found that oil lamps or candles will absorb enough moisture in one evening to necessitate trimming the wick and priming with fuel again. Your wick can become contaminated with water or poor quality fuel. Always keep your lamp oil, kerosene, or other fuels closed tightly to prevent moisture contamination of your fuel. You may need to replacement wick if your wicks have become contaminated. You should always run new wick when changing fuel types. Your wick will not pull kerosene through your lamp oil very well. Always make sure your torch fuel, paraffin oil or other fuels have thoroughly soaked the wick through. Fiberglass wick will look wet dripping with fuel when primed properly. If you are running thicker wicks such as the ½” round fiberglass wick or the ¾” round fiberglass wick you may want to let it soak for at least ten minutes before lighting. I also like to drip a few drops down the top to really make sure it is primed. A proper prime (wick is soaked through top to bottom) is essential to establish and keep capillary action wicking your fuel to the burn tip.
Your replacement wick height will greatly affect your flame height. Too much wick exposure also can cause smoking and unsteady flames. I did extensive testing with my 1/8” round cotton wick. I tested flame performance using my trusty DIY mason jar oil lamp. I run a thermal glass wick tube holder to capture the wick and control the flame height. I found the 1/8” round cotton wick is very impressive at wicking fuel. In fact I had to run the wick with almost no exposure. What do I mean? I ran the wick almost flush with the top of the thermal glass tube. That is what was needed to provide a consistent candle sized flame. That is right with my 1/8” round cotton wick I was able to run almost no wick showing. Check it out in my You Tube test video.
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Thank you,
Daniel
Dan’s Daughters’ Containers
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