silverm00n Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Hi everyone its me! lolok I got a new mold last week, its a 3.75 x 5 square. I used palm and cocunut oil pillar wax. Once it set, I took it out and there were weird straks on it in a few places. Ok I remelted and repoured this time to a different mold and the candle came out perfectly. Sooo... I tried the same wax again into the square mold, and again same problem. I know it's the mold. I cleaned many times already with wax remover and there is still the same streaks that stay on the mold itself. How do I get rid of it? I even tried cleaning with soap and water. i really like the mold and I think the candles come out really nice except for the few streaks. Is the mold a gonner or is there a series of things that I need to do to get it not to streak my candles? Thanks for reading, as always any help is greatly appreciated, oh and no this is not a plant! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everito Bandito Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 What material is the mold made of and what kind of streaks does it leave? If it's aluminum and leaving black streaks then it's possible that it's oxidation. In which case I wipe them out with a paper towel soaked in a bit of laquer thinner. Laquer thinner is a paint thinner and is highly flammable. It will clean about anything, though. It is strong and can also damage wood and some plastics and such in a very short amount of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverm00n Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 It's aluminum, and no they aren't balck, they look more like freezer burns, except I didn't put it in the freezer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demenshia Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Did you check the inside of the mold for possible scratches? I have a mold that has scratches in it that I can only use for rustic candles because the scratches show up in the candle...HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverm00n Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 I'll try to take a pic, it's very strange and difficult for me to describe. The mold doesnt have scratches, it's more like stubborn smudges that won't come off with anything that I have tried so far. Maybe I'll just have to use this one for rustics too. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyce sprinkle Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 ALL my aluminum molds, metal molds AND plastic molds leave HORIZONTAL white streaks. Even my votive molds. They seem smooth to the touch so I thought it might be my wax; but it does it on all my pillar waxes. I have used 3 different pillar waxes with the same white streaks. I really hate that effect when I'm looking for a smooth vibrant color.I've poured at temps ranging from 75 to 200 degrees with the same crummy streaks.Any help with this at all will be greatly appreciated.Alyce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Some aluminum molds have slight discolorations in them but normally that doesn't do any harm. Try some silicone spray and see if that gives you a better finish. It helps with certain kinds of candles and you only have to refresh it every 5 or 10 pours.By the way, petroleum solvents are very effective in cleaning molds but laquer thinner is a little too much. Odorless mineral spirits from the art supply store gives a thorough cleaning and is much safer. Don't confuse it with regular mineral spirits from the hardware store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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