Candle Making Molds
A candle mold serves as the main container for the wax; it holds and shapes the wax as it cools down. These molds come in various sizes, shapes, styles, and materials. Many of the different types of molds available out there offer different ways of use too.
Because the designs of candles vary, and imagination is really your only limit, the variety of candle making molds has increased dramatically to meet the growing demands of candle making enthusiasts.
Aluminum Candle Molds
They are probably the most popular kind of candle molds out there. Most candle makers prefer this type of mold because when wax is molded with aluminum, it tends to give a smooth and seams-free finish. Hint: to successfully remove the wax and retain its perfect shape, use a releasing agent. Candles molded using aluminum can often give that “professionally made” look.
Aluminum is known to be heat resistant, which makes it really compatible for candle making. It is also a more economical choice compared to rubber molds. The material makes it easy to clean and maintain after use. Here’s a really useful tip: put the mold on a baking sheet in your oven, turn it upside down and heat it in the oven at around 150 degrees to loosen up all the leftover wax and run it down onto the baking sheet. The only drawback to aluminum is that because they are not of flexible texture, they tend to come in quite limited choices of shapes.
Rubber Molds
Rubber molds are popular due to their flexibility when it comes to offering different shapes and sizes. Three common types of rubber molds are latex, polyurethane, and silicone. Silicone is usually the more costly out of the three. It is flexible, doesn’t leave any parting lines on the candles, and can be stretched to a point where wax can be easily removed even without using a releasing agent.
Polyurethane rubber mold is flexible but cannot be fully stretched, so a releasing agent is usually needed in order to get the wax out of the mold. It also tends to bear a rather unpleasant odor that can be passed on to your candles. Taper and pillar candles are commonly made using this type of molds.
Latex molds are probably the least popular out of the three nowadays due to the varying choices that other rubber molds offer. You could, however, get really creative with it. Using liquid latex, you can make your own molds by painting it against a structure although you’ll need to keep adding coats and coats of the latex to finally get the mold done.
Plastic Molds
Plastic molds, albeit an economical choice, do not generally last as long as aluminum or rubber molds. It is a good choice if you’re just starting out on making candles, but once you start to really get into it, you might want to switch to other more durable and/or flexible kinds of molds. Cleaning is relatively easy with plastic molds though… simply pour over warm water with some soap on the mold to remove the remaining wax. Here’s a hint: make sure you leave the mold to dry out completely before you use it again, or the water bubbles will get in your candles.
