Candle Mold Sealer – Do You Know the Most Common Cause of Leaks?

Just about all candle molds have a spot in the bottom where the wick runs through. When it comes time to pour the hot wax into the mold, a leak at that hole can lead to potentially dangerous mess. some form of candle mold sealer is what candle makers use to plug the hole. It's a simple but very important step. Believe me, once you’ve had a significant mold leak (and most candle makers will at some point) you become very interested in getting a good seal.

There are three main types of sealers: putty, plugs and magnetic. I predominately use putty and plugs.

Putty for sealing candle molds is a soft, flexible slightly sticky type of putty that seals the hole by sticking to the mold. It can also be use to seal the joints in a complex mold that has multiple parts. The most common use is to seal the wick hole in a mold.

Because the putty has to stick well to the mold, the mold has to be extremely clean where you place the putty. The slightest amount of dirt or oil can prevent a good seal.

Even more challenging that dirt is wax. Obviously, it’s not surprising that candle molds often have some waxy residual on both the inside and outside. If there's a layer of wax on the mold, it may appear that the putty has adhered well. However, once you pour hot wax into the mold, that thin layer of wax will melt, break the seal and the mold will leak.

The take-home message? Double and triple check to make sure there's no wax or dirt where you want the putty to stick.

Given a clean mold, using the putty is pretty straightforward. You position the wick in the mold, usually securing it in the bottom with the screw that comes with the mold (BTW – a wick screw can do a fairly good job of sealing the hole, but I wouldn’t count on it alone). With or without a screw, coil a tight spiral of about an inch of wick on the bottom of the mold and apply the putty over it.

Another tip: if you find that the putty discolors the wick and you want to avoid that you can cover the spiral of wick with a small bit of masking tape. This is fine as long as the putty goes beyond the tape onto the moldJust be sure the putty extends beyond the tape to make a tight seal with the mold.

Plug candle mold sealers are most commonly used in higher production operations. This has both advantages and disadvantages in comparison to using putty as a sealer. These details are explained at at Candle Mold Sealers so stop by there to learn more.

Also you can get a quick overview of candle making tips as well as sign up for free candle making mini course at Home Candle Making.

Good luck and have fun making candles!