Different Types of Candle Making Molds
The different types of candle making molds that are available to buy to make candles at home are almost as endless as the amount of different candles out there. Since candle making is a popular hobby and many people buy candles for their homes, a variety of candle making molds are available on the market.
The container in which wax is poured in while it cools is called the candle mold. The wax will hold the shape of the mold when it has cooled completely. There are various shapes and sizes of candle making molds available. They also offer a variety of different uses.
Aluminum molds are a very popular type of mold that candle makers use. Durability and heat resistance are some of its properties. Plus, they leave a smooth finish without leaving any seams in the finished candle. This provides the candles with the appearance of a professionally made product. These types of metal molds are widely used in making votive and pillar candles. They are also inexpensive when compared to rubber candle making molds.
The ease of cleaning is an added advantage of aluminum molds. All you need to do is to put them on a baking sheet in your oven. By placing them upside down and heating them to about 150 degrees the leftover wax will melt and run out of the mold onto the cookie sheet. Just remember to line your cookie sheet. One disadvantage of aluminum candle making molds is that they are not very flexible, thus there are few choices when it comes to changing the shapes and textures of the candles. Another disadvantage is that they need a releasing agent to pop the candle out of the mold.
Rubber candle making molds have more flexibility compared to aluminum molds. Some of them include polyurethane, silicone, or latex molds. Polyurethane is flexible but not very stretchable. Rubber molds are usually less expensive than silicone ones. The disadvantage of a rubber mold is that, they pass a strong odor to the candle and will also require a releasing agent to separate the candle from the mold. These molds are often used for making pillar and taper candles.
One more variety of rubber molds is the silicone mold. These candle making molds possess extraordinary qualities, hence they are very expensive. They leave no parting lines; they are flexible but also stretchable to a point so getting the candles out of the molds is easier and requires no releasing agent.
Although latex molds used to be used very often, with the advances in other types of rubber molds they are losing their luster. However, making your candle making molds molds at home is easy, by using liquid latex and painting it onto a structure. Lots of coats of latex are required but the flexibility it provides for making a variety of molds is infinite.
The cheapest kind of candle molds is the plastic mold but it is not the best. They have a shorter lifespan then the rest because they are more brittle. The ease of cleaning plastic candle making molds is an advantage, though. All you need to use is some warm water and a little soap. Just make sure that the mold is completely dry before you use it again or you will get water bubbles in your candles. In order for you to convert your candle making hobby into a business, you need to invest in different types of molds.
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