How to Maximize the Life of Your Candle Making Mold

A candle making mold is something that can make or break you as a budding artist. The good news is that a mold can be practically anything. The only thing that limits you is your imagination. Today, we will focus the conversation on the traditional candle making mold.

You can spend thousands on the "perfect" set of molds for the pieces that you intend to produce. The better candle molds are made out of stainless steel, but there are other varieties that are comparable. One word of warning on candle making mold purchases, especially if you are working with beeswax. Aluminum candle molds work well, they are resilient, but in most cases they will darken the exterior of your candle. It is even worse when working with beeswax. If you know to expect it, you can either compensate with your dye formula or accept it as you pour.

Another thing you should consider is whether or not the mold has noticeable seams. Remember, anything that creates a line in the candle making mold will also create a line in your candle. There are two ways to avoid this. Either buy only seamless molds, which are traditionally more expensive for good reason, or be prepared with a razor knife after the candle is removed to make the seam manageable. This works well with pillar candles, but can become tedious if you are pouring votives.

Before you begin your pour, make sure to coat the interior of the candle making mold with a silicone spray or a non stick vegetable oil spray. This will make life infinitely easier for you after the wax sets. Not unlike a cake, as wax sets up, it will adhere to the surface that it is contained within. Most people have dealt with the small surface area of candle drippings. Imagine wax being that set over the surface area of a pillar candle. It would be impossible to move without marring the candle somewhat.

The most important thing you can do throughout the entire process is protect your candle making mold. This is imperative. Remember again that any mark in the mold will appear in the candle. There are some simple rules for care of molds. For all molds, make sure they are thoroughly washed and cleaned after each pour. Avoid using abrasive agents, as this will scar the surface of the mold interior. Allow them to air dry, ensuring that water has been removed from any folds in the mold material before the next use.

For metal molds, place in a cool, dry area, and do not "nest" them. In the larger companies, they are kept on a separate shelf wrapped in cloth to prevent any dents. Once a metal candle making mold is dented, it is essentially useless.

For plastic molds, avoid any drastic temperature fluctuations as this will lead to warping. Under no circumstances should plastic molds be place in a standard dishwasher. If you follow these guidelines, you will end up with molds that last for a long time that produce beautiful, marketable candles.