Drop a 3D model anywhere on this pageStart from an example, or add your own model below
Get a print-ready two-part mold for candles, soap, resin & waxDrop a 3D model anywhere on this pageStart from an example, or add your own model below
Get a print-ready two-part mold for candles, soap, resin & waxA two-part printed mold for pouring wax: two halves that clamp together, alignment keys so they close in register, a pour funnel at the top and a wick hole through the base. Print it, clamp it, pour, and open it when the wax has set.
It is reusable. That is the difference from a silicone mold and from the disposable approach: a printed mold survives dozens of pours if you keep the wax temperature sensible.
Wax is thin when hot and finds every gap between layers, so this is where most first attempts fail.
| Setting | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Material | PETG, not PLA | PLA softens from around 60 °C and wax is poured hotter than that |
| Walls | 4 perimeters | Watertightness comes from perimeters, not infill |
| Layer height | 0.12 to 0.16 mm | Finer layers leave fewer paths for hot wax to weep through |
| Infill | 20% | Enough to stop the halves flexing under clamp pressure |
| Orientation | Parting face flat on the bed | Gives the flattest possible mating surface, which is what seals |
Thread the wick through the base hole before you close the mold and pull it taut, holding it centred at the top with a stick or a clip across the funnel. A wick that drifts off centre makes a candle that tunnels down one side and never burns the full width.
Wick size follows candle diameter, not wax type: too small and it tunnels, too large and it smokes. Buy a couple of sizes and test with one candle before pouring a batch.
The halves are not closing flush, or the print is not watertight. Clean both mating faces, check for a blob or an elephant's foot on the first layer, clamp properly, and reprint with more perimeters if wax is weeping through the wall rather than the seam.
PLA and hot wax. Reprint in PETG and pour cooler. This is the single most common cause of a mold that worked once and then never again.
Normal. Wax contracts as it solidifies and the last liquid pulls down into the middle. Keep some wax back and do a second top-up pour once a skin has formed.
Put the whole mold in the fridge for half an hour. The candle contracts more than the mold and usually drops free. If it still sticks, the shape has an undercut, and a rigid mold cannot release those. Cast a silicone mold from a printed master instead.
The candle is a faithful negative of the cavity, so you are seeing the print. Print finer, or sand and seal the cavity once and every future candle improves.