Question about making candle pillar moulds

[craftimade]

I had an idea on how to make custom pillar moulds but I would love your opinions.

These 3D printing machines ( http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/09/09-20-2012form-1-on-desk00-1348689824.jpg ) They are around $1500 now - would make a plastic mould of the candle.

Then use silicon mould to create a mould from that to pour the wax into.

This way you are only limited by what you create on the computer.

Sounds simple but I might be missing something.

Thoughts?

[TallTayl]

Sounds like it would work fine. Expensive way to get molds, but should give you plenty of unique options.

[craftimade]

Well I was thinking if a company wanted something unique to give their clients for a christmas present or a twist candle design that no one has done yet. Would sure make it unique.

[Old Crab]

Before you buy one of these printers check with a local college/university. Some do have a few of these, and will "rent" them for a modest price - considering the cost of the printer.

[craftimade]

Good idea, thanks.

[EricofAZ]

4About 3D printers...

This is not a machine that you put something in like famous French tower and produce duplicates.

3D printers print from .stl or IGES format. Those are CAD programs that require no open edges. You need to either find a 3D model of what you want, or build it yourself.

There are a ton of 3D models out there, but most have open edges.

And, once you get the 3D polygon modeling down pat after learning how to model yourself, you need to decide if you want an additive or subtractive 3D modeler.

The additive versions use their own plastic material to build what you have in your image. Then you need to mold it and it will be difficult.

Subtractive printers will take a block of foam and cut out a shape that you can use as well.

So....

Additive to build a shape and make a mold around it that will eventually hold your wax...

or...

Subtractive that makes the mold and with another process gets converted to a mold builder

Either way, it is costly and not a one step process.

I am looking into this, have been for a while. I am able to now build things like a BMW car or an airplane in 3D mesh (I use autodesk softimage xsi and there are many others like autocad, max, maya, blender, wings, silo, modo, etc.) and I can save in stl or iges if I make sure I have no open edges.

From there, its probably cheaper for me to rent a machine or send the file to a printer. Resolution is everything once you have the mesh right. If the resolution of the print machine (your 3D file will be well beyond the machine) is too course, you will hate your mold.

The airplane is a closed edge. So I can export in stl or iges.

The BMW car is a work in progress (WIP) and might be finished in a week or two as far as the building of the mesh. Blue lines are not connected, so it won't print in 3D.

All that said, I think it would be easy enough for me to make something like a dolphin in a posed position (Poser I think will close edges and export in .obj that might be converted to iges) and then subtracted from a mold with a 3D printer (or added) and a candle mold made from it. Additive has its advantages.

Once you get your molds, its a matter of reproduction and how well the master holds up.

Edited September 25, 2013 by EricofAZ

[craftimade]

Excellent post, thanks.

Thanks EricofAZ, I have been making 3D objects since my Amiga 500 days (4mhz machine), back in 1990's.

I now use Cinema4D to design all my objects and animations.

When I talking about designing a candle, I refer to it in it's simplest form.

Like this.

Here is one of my renders im working on.