Tunneling candles

Don't know if this helps

www.purcellandwoodcock.com/blog/burn-candles-evenly.html#Melt_Wax_Fully

Thanks, but it's the bit about ensuring an even melt that I can't get right.

This is the first melt on a lovely candle, and I can see already that it's tunnelling.

i use candle daily this works
www.harlemcandlecompany.com/blogs/journal/how-to-make-your-candle-burn-evenly-every-time

also use a container that is close to size of candle/votives

I think it's because the candle is too thick for the size of the wick. Some of the more expensive candles have thicker wicks, which helps the wax to melt and burn out nearer the edges. Try buying taller, but narrower candles and they may be better. I've just looked at some of mine and the ones in jars seem to be better. Perhaps because they're protected from draughts and the heat melts more of the wax?

The wick is a sort of thin lolly stick, rather than a string - you can't see from the photo, but it burns right across, although the photo makes it look like only the centre is alight. The candle was a present, and has a lovely smell, but this has also happened with Jo Malone and Diptyque candles - it must be something I'm doing, as it always seems to happen.

The 'jar' is concrete (the outer ring) and the smaller circle in the middle is the tunnel - I'm not sure if that's obvious from the photo. It is protected - it's been in the centre of the coffee table, nowhere near a draught.

I read that you should always let a candle burn for at least an hour for every inch of diameter to help avoid tunnelling.

V3ra, I also read that, but after an hour or so the candle looked like on the photo, and was getting worse. I have melted the wax around the tunnel (with the flame of a gas lighter) and will leave it to set, as it suggests in the article dotpocka linked to. I'm not 100% convinced that it will solve the problem next time I light it, but I figured it was worth a try.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I've got a large diameter candle which has three wicks so I hope it will burn evenly.

Candles aren't really my 'thing' but it was a present and it could come in very useful if we have power cuts.

Can you push in a couple more wicks from a cheap candle, when it's soft?

They aren't the sort of thing I have hanging about .

I do think that more wicks might have helped, but the candle is only three inches across, so maybe it would have been overkill.

It is a salted caramel scented one, and tbh it smells nice enough without being lit, so I might just leave it. I lit it because it was from my daughter, and I didn't want her to think I didn't like ti when she comes for Christmas and sees it unused. I shouldn't overthink things, should I? 🙄

I lit mine a while ago because it was a present.

I've never worried about the dips, perhaps you could spread it around a bit with a wooden lolly stick when it's soft.
Sometimes they reset and the wick disappears.
A couple of mine melted in the sun and set lopsided in the summer.

As for the Christmas ones in the attic, they come out, go away again and change shape every year when it gets hot up there.

I am not a candle person.