Wooden wick, .03 Booster crackling, 12.7 mm, short

Wooden wick .03 Booster crackling, 12.7 mm, short – complete with stand

Flat wooden wick with a booster layer that crackles when burning, like a fire in a fireplace. Supplied complete with a metal stand that holds it upright on the bottom of the container. Designed for candle makers who want a wide, calm flame and crackling sound instead of a cotton wick. The Booster series adds a thin layer to the basic slat that helps the flame stay lit even in waxes where a plain wooden wick burns weakly or goes out.

The designation .03 is the slat thickness according to the manufacturer's coding; a higher number means a thicker slat. This is therefore the thinner variant, which should be tested in the specific wax and container. The behaviour of a wooden wick depends on wax type, container diameter, and fragrance load more than cotton wicks do.

Key features

• Crackling flame – the wood crackles gently when burning, giving the candle an acoustic effect that a cotton wick cannot provide.
• Booster layer – the Booster slat helps stabilise the flame and makes lighting easier, especially in denser waxes and at higher fragrance oil loads.
• Wide flame – the flat wick produces a lower, wider flame that melts the wax surface more evenly across the full width of the container.
• Stand included – the metal stand holds the slat upright and secures it to the bottom of the container; no separate holder is needed.
• Natural material – the wick is made in the USA from certified wood; the manufacturer describes it as natural, allergen-free, and biodegradable.

How to work with the wick

First slide the wick into the stand, then glue the stand to the bottom of the container – ideally with a sticker dot or hot glue – so it does not shift when the wax is poured. Pour the wax at the temperature recommended for the wax type. The wood must absorb the wax; without that, the wick will not burn properly.

Once the wax has set, trim the wick so that only a few millimetres protrude above the wax surface – less than a cotton wick. A wooden wick that is too long burns with a tall flame, smokes, and extinguishes quickly because the flame cannot reach the wax. Before each subsequent lighting, snap off or cut away the charred tip so the flame ignites from clean wood.

Which candles is it suitable for

The short version of the wick is intended for shorter containers – tumblers, bowls, tins, and low glasses. The wick can be trimmed but not extended, so for taller containers choose the long version.

Wooden wicks are most commonly used in soy, coconut, and blended natural wax, where the burn is calm and the crackling is clearly audible. In paraffin and harder waxes the Booster layer is an advantage, but a test burn is still required.

Good to know

• Width and thickness selection – governed by container diameter and wax type. A wider or thicker wick, or two wicks side by side, may be needed for larger diameters. No universal table exists for all waxes; a test candle is the deciding factor.
• Fragrance oils – a higher fragrance load impairs the burn of any wick. If the flame weakens, try a lower fragrance dosage or a thicker slat.
• Dyes and additives – pigments and some additives clog the wood's capillaries in the same way as with cotton; dyed candles therefore require their own test.
• Lighting – wood ignites more slowly than cotton. Hold the flame along the full width of the top edge of the slat and keep it there for a moment until the wood catches.
• Stand – after the candle has burned down, the stand can be removed from the container and reused when making a new candle, provided it is not deformed.

Frequently asked questions