Introduction to Candle Making Molds
Candle making molds are a kind of container that you put your melted waxin to let it cool. Your wax, once cooled, will retain the shape and size of the mold you use, so choosing the proper mold for your project is essential. Molds can be made from a ton of unique materials and exist in all manners of shapes and sizes. They can be utilized for any number of purposes, too.
A type of mold that is particularly popular these days is the aluminum candle mold. Homemade candle makers appreciate aluminum molds for their durable and heat resistant qualities. They also cause the candle when finished to have a smooth, seamless finish, giving it the look of being made professionally. This kind of mold is used commonly in the creation of votive and pillar candles. Aluminum candle making molds are simple to clean and fairly inexpensive when compared to rubber molds.
There are, however, a few cons to using aluminum candle making molds. They are notoriously inflexible, so you have very little control over the size and shape of the candle made with an aluminum mold. If you would like flexibility in those aspects, you would be much better off with a rubber based mold.
There are various types of rubber making molds available. Polyurethane molds are just one example. They are flexible and less expensive than silicone candle making molds. But they also have some problems you will have to deal with when using them. For instance, they don"t stretch well and they have a strong smell that could potentially be transferred to your candle. They also require you to use a releasing agent to remove your candle once it has finished hardening. These candle making molds, similar to aluminum molds, are used in the creation of pillar and votive
candles.
Another material used in making rubber molds is silicone. These are expensive candle making molds, but their versatility and overall quality make up for the cost. This kind of mold does not leave seams in the candle, similar to aluminum molds, but unlike them, they are flexible and can be stretched, so you don"t need a releasing agent to get your finished candle out of the mold.
If you are looking for something really inexpensive and simple to use while just starting out I would suggest plastic candle making molds. They don"t really offer any flexibility and they don"t stretch at all, but they"re easy to clean, dirt cheap and relatively simple to use. Did I mention they were dirt cheap? The reason I said dirt cheap twice is because plastic candle molds tend to wear out really fast, so you"ll
actually have to buy them more often that the other kinds of mold.
I would not suggest using this kind of mold for anything but your initial projects. The ones where you"re still learning and your candles are going to look kind of weird anyway. Once you get past that stage, please move on to one of the other kinds of candle making molds mentioned above. Your candles will appreciate it and so will the people who are receiving them.