# Resin cast LED candles with plug & play connectors



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Being a long time fan of the PVC hot glue pillar candle (a haunter essential) I've decided that I'm tired of turning on/off the tea lights every night, recharging the tea lights and putting them back in their PVC holders EVERY NIGHT for 2 weeks in October.

After stumbling across a company that makes translucent resin pillar candles, I came up with a plan that I've decided to put into motion during the off season. And after having such great success with the LED pin spots, lanterns and plug & play base station, this was the natural progression of that concept.

So without further ado, here's what I'll be building:










Parts:

Smooth-on MOLD STAR 15 platinum silicone
Smooth-on TASK 7 Flame-Out
5mm LED flicker bulbs
Resistors (type depending on your power source)
3" hollow threaded rod (found in lighting department)
18 gauge speaker wire (can use larger gauge)
MALE RCA connector


Additional Information:

I have three candle bucks (a "buck" is an exact representation of the object to be made) that I'll be making molds of for this project. They are 4", 6" and 8" tall and 3" in diameter. Each buck will have a 1-2" of clay inserted into the bottom to create a base that can be tapped and a threaded rod inserted into.

I'll do my best to document the entire process, but if you're unfamiliar with the mold making and casting process, I highly recommend checking out Smooth-On's YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/SmoothOnInc/videos)


----------



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 30, 2008)

Very interesting. Can I ask why you chose the platinum silicone for the molds? I think you'd get along just fine with a tin, and it would be cheaper. I use this stuff: http://www.motionpicturefx.com/MPFX-MOLD-SILICONE_c146.htm

Just out of curiosity, are the candles that you're molding real candles or PVC/hot glue candles? And what are you using as a release agent?

Another thought...I'm assuming that you're going to fill your mold with the candle upside down, and pour into what will be the base of the candle. Are you dead set on having each candle be adjustable, or have you considered choosing the height of the LED when you mold the candle, so you could put a tube into the mold at the proper height? You'd just mold it with a tube in the candle that's the maximum height you would want so you have a void you can slip each tube into in the mold. You could cut out the steps of tapping each candle that way.

Just my two cents.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Jasper,

I'm still a total newcomer to the world of molding/casting, so I used what was recommended to me by the instructor of a demo that our haunt group attended.

As for the material the candles are made of, they're resin. I hadn't considered a release agent since the instructor had said it wouldn't be necessary.

Lastly, I thought the idea of adjustable bulb height would help to make each candle look a bit different (in the dark) and would allow a easy access point should the bulb burn out.

I definitely appreciate hearing your thoughts on this, since you've had considerably more experience than I have. So feel free to share your two cents!


----------



## daddywoofdawg (Aug 26, 2012)

So you'll going to just leave us hanging?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

daddywoofdawg said:


> So you'll going to just leave us hanging?


What do you mean? I just posted this last night...it's going to be a multi part tutorial.


----------



## ActionJax (Oct 31, 2011)

You've had several hours now. Where's the rest?

Just joking  Looking forward to seeing the rest too.

Oh, BTW, loved your yard display this year. Great job!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Sorry, I still need to pick up a few items before I can get started with the documentation.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

After running back over to my local mold making supply house to grab some sulfur free clay, I had a chance to make the mold of my smallest candle and pour off a copy.

I needed the clay to full the void at the bottom of my candle cylinder to create the space for the threaded rod, but also to add some much needed weight to the bottom. 


















Once the silicone had dried (6 hours for this particular brand) I demolded the original and removed the clay. 

NOTE: If anyone tells you this part is easy, they're full of it. I'm highly considering adding a seam to the side of the mold to make it easier to de-mold.

Now that the buck is out of the mold, I can mix up my TASK 7 plastic and make the first casting. One thing I will say about this part, even if you think you know how much liquid you'll need, pour some extra in your cups. I filled up the mold with water, then poured it into two containers to get my liquid measurement, but ended up being about 1/4" short from full on this first casting. 

Once the resin cured, I de-molded it.


























There was a bit of a lip on the bottom because I was trying to work out as many bubbles as I could by squishing the mold, so I took some sandpaper to the bottom and smoothed it out.

I still need to buy a tap set, but I have picked up the threaded rod. Unfortunately, that part will have to wait until next week.

TO BE CONTINUED...


----------



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 30, 2008)

You may be able to hit the uncured bubbles in the resin with a little butane torch to pop them without disturbing the rest of the resin. Also, tapping it on the table to move bubbles up and out may be easier than squishing (both in the mixing bowl and in the mold).

Making a slit in the mold is common. You'll want to do it so that it keys back into itself properly, though. A jagged line would do the job. However, I'm not sure if the silicone is thick enough to be strong enough to stop the resin from leaking out if you do. You may want to add a two piece rigid mother mold first (plaster would do fine...even plaster bandages) to make sure it keeps its shape with the slit.

It looks like you're getting a few bubbles in the ends of the drips. Did you pour in a small amount of resin in first and slush it around? That will help with those.

Looking forward to seeing it lit up!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Mr_Chicken said:


> You may be able to hit the uncured bubbles in the resin with a little butane torch to pop them without disturbing the rest of the resin. Also, tapping it on the table to move bubbles up and out may be easier than squishing (both in the mixing bowl and in the mold).
> 
> Making a slit in the mold is common. You'll want to do it so that it keys back into itself properly, though. A jagged line would do the job. However, I'm not sure if the silicone is thick enough to be strong enough to stop the resin from leaking out if you do. You may want to add a two piece rigid mother mold first (plaster would do fine...even plaster bandages) to make sure it keeps its shape with the slit.
> 
> ...


Great tips! I made the mold inside a 4" piece of PVC pipe, so if I cut a slit in the silicone, I should be able to keep everything contained if I place it back in the PVC before making any copies.

I didn't slush the resin, but I will next time! I hadn't thought of that. 

I've already lit it up and I'm VERY happy with what it looks like. Unfortunately pictures don't really work, but I'll post a short video tonight once it gets dark.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)




----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Hey Derek,
Where do you get the 5mm LED flicker bulbs? I saw some on eBay but thought maybe you get them somewhere else.
-Z


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Here's where I got mine: http://www.ebay.com/itm/50pcs-Rando...551?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fff04bcf

You have to add on your own resistor if you want it to run off 12v, but the flicker is decent...not great, but decent.


----------



## xrockonx911 (Jul 28, 2010)

pretty awesome!


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

I ordered them, thanks for the link. Actually, I'm not building candles. I going to replace the flicker in my foam JOLs. What size resistor do I need and how many can I put on a 12 volt wall wart?
-Z


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

zacharybinx said:


> I ordered them, thanks for the link. Actually, I'm not building candles. I going to replace the flicker in my foam JOLs. What size resistor do I need and how many can I put on a 12 volt wall wart?
> -Z


The LED resistor calculator recommends a 1/2W or greater 560 ohm resistor. The color code for 560 ohms is green blue brown.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

A quick update. After much thought, I've decided to ditch the idea of the threaded rod. The benefit was minimal for the cost, which wasn't much - just an extra step that sounded better in my head. 

Instead, I'll be inserting the LED and speaker wire through a small hole in the bottom of the candle and will apply a bead of hot glue around the base of the LED to make a water tight seal.

I'm waiting for some resistors to be delivered and then I can wrap this one up.

For anyone interested, the trial size TASK7 from Smooth-on produced 3 candles with a bit left over, but not enough for a full candle.


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks again Derek! I can't wait to get started with this. The flicker unit I built about 6 years ago crapped out this year so this will be great. Going to hit up Radio Shack for the resistors.
-Z


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Zachary, I'd check out ebay if you have an account. I got 50 resistors for $4 on ebay vs. $1.50 for 5 at Radio Shack.


----------



## Rev. Noch (Sep 2, 2008)

Another great place for electronic parts like resistors is taydaelectronics.


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Again thanks for the heads up Derek. Bidding on a lot of 50 now for $3.00. Also for the led.linear1.org site. I discovered that at 2V forward, I can get 6 on each 12VDC wall wart. I have 18 JOLs so will need three. Can't wait!!!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

zacharybinx said:


> Again thanks for the heads up Derek. Bidding on a lot of 50 now for $3.00. Also for the led.linear1.org site. I discovered that at 2V forward, I can get 6 on each 12VDC wall wart. I have 18 JOLs so will need three. Can't wait!!!


I use one 9v 5a power supply and can run 60 LEDs. Where did you get that figure?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Oh and by the way, the resistors are supposed to arrive today, so I'll be able to wire one up tonight or at the latest by the weekend.


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Dminor said:


> I use one 9v 5a power supply and can run 60 LEDs. Where did you get that figure?


On the led.linear1.org site:


How many LEDs can I drive in series?
Filed under:
LED basics Practical LEDs


It depends on your supply voltage. You have to be able to overcome the cumulative forward voltage of the series combination in order to get them lit. As an example, with a 12 VDC supply, you could drive up to five red LEDs (2.1V @ 20 mA) in series. The current isn’t used in the calculation: 5 * 2.1V = 10.5, which is less than 12, but 6 * 2.1V = 12.6 which is over 12, so five is the maximum series combination for that type of LED at that supply voltage.

When you need more, you can build arrays by combining multiple series strings in parallel. In that case, your load current needs to be calculated and kept lower than the rated supply current. For a given number of LEDs in a series+parallel array, using the largest series combination possible will keep the total load current lowest.


Did I not get something right? If I can run all 18 off of one 12vdc power supply, that's even better! That means the possibilities are endless, YAY!
I also have 9vdc's lying around. BTW, you do know this is Troy from The So. Cal Haunt group. I was the one doing the old school white foam head stone at your house last make & Take.
-Z


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

I can't speak for the array wizard, but from my personal experience I have been able to run a minimum of 30 LEDs off of one 9v power supply.

As for who you are, I didn't know! Nice to see a familiar face on the forums! How'd the tombstones turn out?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

*UPDATE:* I was able to solder up the resistor to the LED and attach some speaker wire to it and voila, it worked! 

I'll post a photo of what it looks like in a future update, since I haven't been able to locate my extra RCA connectors and figured I'd show the finished product rather than a bunch of pictures that all look the same.

A "happy accident" happened and reinforced my choice to not use the threaded rod. Basically, once you shrink tube the LED lead with the resistor and then shrink tube the whole assembly, it makes a "wick" of sorts that is about an inch or so. Rather than make a larger hole for the speaker wire, which fits snug, I just left it with the "wick". It doesn't impact how the candle looks and you don't really see it unless you're right on top of the thing.

Going forward I'll try and make my solder joints a bit cleaner, since I'm positive that's what is causing it to not sit further down inside the candle shell, but it's nice to know that I don't have to be immaculate with my soldering - since that's just not in the cards. LOL


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

I realized that there was a flaw in my design. I needed to add in a channel relief in my mold to allow a place for the speaker wire to go so that the candle will sit flat.

I decided to take a dremel tool to the candle, but that was EXTEMELY MESSY and ended up being 2x as wide as it needed to be. 

Instead, what I think I'll do is make something that can rest on the top of the silicone mold that's in the shape of the channel I want to have at the base of the candle. That way I don't have to dremel out the bottom of each candle I can create a dimple to use as a guide for drilling the hole through the base of the candle.

I'll have to weigh it down so that it doesn't float on the resin, and there may be some flashing that I'll need to trim, but I think that will make it easier.

In the meantime, here's a few pictures of the candle with the LED threaded through the base as well as the channel I made with the dremel tool.




























If anyone has any questions or anything specific they'd like to see, post in the thread and I'll do my best to answer those questions/show those steps.


----------



## daddywoofdawg (Aug 26, 2012)

wouldn't a skinny popsicle stick work there for molding?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Yes. Actually, a coffee stir stick would probably be the perfect width. It's just about the same width of the speaker wire.


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Which lead did you put the resistor on, the long or short? Got my LEDs today just waiting for resistors. 
-Z


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

zacharybinx said:


> Which lead did you put the resistor on, the long or short? Got my LEDs today just waiting for resistors.
> -Z


The positive(long) side of the LED.


----------



## CDW (Jul 3, 2012)

I'm very interested to follow this, because I'm contemplating a candle project that I might need to mold, and coincidentally have zero molding experience. The finished product looks great!



zacharybinx said:


> Again thanks for the heads up Derek. Bidding on a lot of 50 now for $3.00. Also for the led.linear1.org site. I discovered that at 2V forward, I can get 6 on each 12VDC wall wart. I have 18 JOLs so will need three. Can't wait!!!





Dminor said:


> I can't speak for the array wizard, but from my personal experience I have been able to run a minimum of 30 LEDs off of one 9v power supply.


I can speak to this, though; zacherybinx is putting his LEDs in series (i.e., short leg connected to long leg), while Dminor is putting his LEDs in parallel (i.e., all the long legs to + and all the short legs to -). How many LEDs a wall wart can handle varies significantly based on which you choose. With series, you can calculate it as N = source voltage / LED voltage, rounded down and with a little margin. With parallel, you use N = source current / LED current, again, derating a bit for margin. 

As an example, let's say we have a 12V, 1000mA wall wart. In series, that can support 12V/2.1V = 5 LEDs. In parallel, it can support 1000mA/20mA = 50 (but let's say 45 for safety) LEDs. Big difference! In general, when wiring up individual props like a candle or a JOL, attaching them to the power supply in parallel makes much more sense, because you have a lot more flexibility to add and remove props from the circuit. However, within a given prop, like if you need multiple LEDs per JOL to get enough light, series makes more sense, because you're wasting less power using a smaller resistor for the multiple LEDs in series than you'd use for the single LED, and you're not going to need to change that in the future.


----------



## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Great thread! Minus the cost to make the mold; What do you think your cost per candle is? Just curious… You know that thing thats called a budget that gets blown out of the water every year!


----------



## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Btw, how did you make the "blank" that you used to create the mold?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

SavageEye, the price right now is $7, but that's based on the trial size resin. If I buy in the gallon size, I may be able to get it down to $3-4 per.

The blank was something that I bought and customized. You could just as easily use a wax candle and hollow it out to make your blank.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Here's a picture of the silicone insert I made to take up some of the space in the base of the candle to allow for the cord. 

It ended up being much larger than the popsicle stick amount I was originally considering because I realized that I could use this as a means to cut down on the amount of material needed for each candle shell. It will also give me enough space to get a glue gun in there to run a bead of hot glue where the speaker wire comes through the resin.

I'll still have to Dremel out a small part at the lip the candle to allow the cord to pass through, but it's a lot easier than carving out a channel in the bottom of each candle.










I've skewered it with a metal skewer so that it can sit in the opening of the mold and the resin will be offset by it, thus creating the void. 










I'll probably need to put a bit of weight on it just to make sure it doesn't float in the resin. Nothing too heavy, as I don't want to distort the mold.

In a perfect world, I probably should have used two skewers so that it wouldn't move around. But considering there's nearly 1/4'-1/2" between the insert and the side wall of the mold, I don't think accuracy will really matter. I could probably cut a notch into to big mold to help hold the skewer in place, but I don't think it'll be necessary.

The other benefit to making this plug is that I can use it on the larger size candle too, since the inner diameter of the small and medium size candles is exactly the same.

Now I just need to get more resin.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

I should also mention, I did a bit of math and was able to get the price under $4 in materials (just barely). I may sell DIY kits if there's interest.


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Now that I have gotten everything and found I need 2 in a series but then the series of 2 each will be parallel. Did fire them up last night and they look great! Now all my JOL's all flash independently. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. All the info made this possible, I'm so happy 
-Z


----------



## zacharybinx (Apr 28, 2009)

Here is a video of it in action. This was my test one using a 9v battery but actual ones will be connected to 12 vdc wall wart via RCA jacks. So far they're coming in at around a buck to make. SWEET!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Very nice! Happy to see that people are using this thread to figure out ways to apply it to other props!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Finally had a chance to make a few more of these LED candle shells. This time, out of 341 resin from Plastic Depot of Burbank. It's their version of the TASK7 resin that Smooth-on sells, but at a fraction of the price. I was also able to test out the insert piece I made to cut down on how much resin is needed and to make it easier for a notch to be made in the piece for the power cord to go through.

I gave them a wash of acrylic paint to make the drips stand out, too.










Somewhere along the line I misplaced my small butane torch, so there were quite a few bubbles. Thankfully they were all in the bottom where they can't be seen.









Then the next thing you know, I had 5...









Now I just need to set aside some more time to solder my LEDs and RCA jacks and they'll be good to go!


----------



## Palmdale Haunter (Sep 26, 2010)

Looking great!


----------



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 30, 2008)

Glad you found ways to streamline it. Looking good!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

FINISHED!






Here's the 4" and 6" resin LED candles that I've been working on since November. The brightness looks different on them because one of the candles has the wrong resistor/LED combination...that and the iPhone doesn't do well in low light.

After making molds, it's only about $3.95 in materials for the finished product. Not too bad considering they'll work with my current plug-in RCA power box and they're super durable/weatherproof.


----------



## Pumpkinhead625 (Oct 12, 2009)

Great tutorial, Dminor. They turned out great.



CDW said:


> I can speak to this, though; zacherybinx is putting his LEDs in series (i.e., short leg connected to long leg), while Dminor is putting his LEDs in parallel (i.e., all the long legs to + and all the short legs to -). How many LEDs a wall wart can handle varies significantly based on which you choose. With series, you can calculate it as N = source voltage / LED voltage, rounded down and with a little margin. With parallel, you use N = source current / LED current, again, derating a bit for margin.
> 
> As an example, let's say we have a 12V, 1000mA wall wart. In series, that can support 12V/2.1V = 5 LEDs.


I want to use these LEDs for the lanterns on my cemetery pillars, but I want to use a battery. So, basically, if I use 5 of these LEDs per lantern (yes, I want them bright) in a series, and wire them to a 9V battery, I wouldn't need resistors?


----------



## CDW (Jul 3, 2012)

Pumpkinhead625 said:


> I want to use these LEDs for the lanterns on my cemetery pillars, but I want to use a battery. So, basically, if I use 5 of these LEDs per lantern (yes, I want them bright) in a series, and wire them to a 9V battery, I wouldn't need resistors?


I don't want to get too far offtopic from Dminor's candles (which turned out awesome, by the way), but the short answer is no, unfortunately, you can't do that. First off, 5 * most LEDs' voltage drop is more than 9, so they won't light properly unless you use very efficient LEDs, which won't get you much brightness. Second, since a battery is going to drop voltage as it's depleted, you'll need to leave some overhead on the voltage if you want them to stay on for any length of time. Third, and most importantly, even if you perfectly calculate the series voltage drop to match the source voltage, any individual LED's voltage drop is going to vary somewhat from the rating, and every battery and wall wart is going to change over time from their ratings, so you're bound to have problems. It only takes a small overvoltage to get runaway current and thermal failure in an unprotected LED. You always* need to include a resistor to provide semi-linear current control if you want your LEDs to survive over time. The benefit of stacking up LEDs to drop the excess voltage is that you can use a smaller resistor, wasting less power, not that you can eliminate the resistor entirely.

If you want more info, feel free to PM me!

*Just for completeness's sake, I'll note that the exception is where your power source is inherently current-limited, like a button-cell battery.


----------



## ActionJax (Oct 31, 2011)

Dminor said:


> FINISHED!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok, so where do I go to buy some? I think I'd like a dozen in a variety of sizes please. And of course an RCA power box to go with them.
They look great!!! You did a fantastic job.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

ActionJax said:


> Ok, so where do I go to buy some? I think I'd like a dozen in a variety of sizes please. And of course an RCA power box to go with them.
> They look great!!! You did a fantastic job.


Thank you! I don't think I'll be selling them, unfortunately. At the risk of sounding greedy, there's no room in the price to cover the cost of my labor to make them or make any profit. The $3.95 is only the cost of materials and doesn't take into account the hour it takes to mix, pour, remove, trim, paint, drill and wire them.

I'd consider selling DIY kits, but even then, you'd probably pay more in shipping than the actual cost of materials (unless you bought more than 1).

Also, there's only 2 sizes. They're not designed to be made into anything other than 4" and 6".

If there's enough interest, it might be possible to buy the resin in larger bulk sizes, but I don't know how much cheaper it would make them. It's probably still a $15 item at that point....and the RCA box, that's a whole other story. LOL.


----------



## ActionJax (Oct 31, 2011)

That's too bad would have loved to have had some. Guess I'll just have to stick to making my own. 

But in all honesty, you did a fantastic job on those and you should be very proud. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next.


----------



## Matt S Drake (Aug 4, 2013)

$15 a piece actually sounds kinda cheap compared to the battery operated version you find in stores. I see them for about that for the CHEAP versions (which look like crap) and around $25-30 for the nicer version. I have even seen them more expensive than that. Big thing is to watch your labor, figure a decent hourly wage for your labor, make a full run and count up the hours, then divide by number made, add that to the final cost. And add a few bucks for a profit and if it still comes in around $15-20 a piece for a wired version that looks as good as your videos I would consider purchasing them. I am wondering how much of a time difference it is to make 5 or 6 at a time or to make 20-30 at a time. Do you have to come up with more molds then?

I have taken the cheap store version and soldered wires to the battery terminal but then I have to get special power supplies (or circuits to reduce voltage) and then I have to do all the wiring. So on top of the $15 price I am adding an hour or so of labor, and I don't work for less than $15 an hour!


----------



## BIGANT (Jul 11, 2011)

I would be interested in buying the candles without any electronics at all if you ever wanted to go that route!

Also thanks for the inspiration and finding these awesome flicker LEDs!! I followed your design idea for the RCA power and went to town. I had a bunch of LED candles from a few years ago that like a dummy I forgot to take the batteries out of last season so they corroded. Im now in the process of converting them over to the RCA plug and play setup. I also found some really cool lantersn at Big Lots for only 5.60 each and I am converting those as well. I will try to make a video this week if I get a chance.


----------



## Lord Homicide (May 19, 2012)

D, great thread and awesome result. 

I've tried to duplicate the flicker candle effect that City Theatrical's Candle Lite Unlimited produces (the exact same product Disney uses on the haunted mansion NBC overlay around Halloween) but could not. I ended up buying flicker LEDs from evil mad scientist but I think they were pricey compared to what you found. 

Reckon I could mold my fake candles in resin? Check my candle project: http://www.halloweenforum.com/members/lord-homicide-albums-gt-candle-project-wip.html


----------



## Pumpkin5 (May 17, 2012)

I really want to make some of my own "flicker candles" this year...probably out of PVC and then some "witch jars" so I'm watching all the threads on candles, flicker lights and plug & plays....Thanks peeps!

(p.s. What are "plug & plays"? It seems too easy......)


----------



## Lord Homicide (May 19, 2012)

Pumpkin5 said:


> I really want to make some of my own "flicker candles" this year...probably out of PVC and then some "witch jars" so I'm watching all the threads on candles, flicker lights and plug & plays....Thanks peeps!
> 
> (p.s. What are "plug & plays"? It seems too easy......)


I'm an *** when it comes to detail. If you do the PVC candle with hot glue, make it look right (see mine and note the melted rim and wax melting back into the candle)


----------



## creeperguardian (Aug 22, 2011)

Dminor said:


> I should also mention, I did a bit of math and was able to get the price under $4 in materials (just barely). I may sell DIY kits if there's interest.


DIY kits sound awesome!!!. BTW the candles are amazing. This will help when i do some candles for the haunt in the future.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Lord Homicide said:


> Reckon I could mold my fake candles in resin? Check my candle project: http://www.halloweenforum.com/members/lord-homicide-albums-gt-candle-project-wip.html


Absolutely. The process is pretty straight forward, but a bit costly up front. The upside is that resin is really durable and you won't have to make them more than once.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Pumpkin5 said:


> (p.s. What are "plug & plays"? It seems too easy......)


It's easy if you know a bit about electricity and soldering. Check out this video that explains the whole thing:


----------



## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

Hi Dminor,

Can you elaborate on how you made the mold for this? I have watched a few videos and I am not getting my head around how you created it... Pictures would be great, video would be awesome! Thanks.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

No problem SavageEye. 

I had found a candle with great drips that was hollow down the middle that I thought would work as a basis for my buck. 

***A "buck" is basically the item that you want to make a mold of.***

The only thing I needed to change about the candle was that I needed it to have a solid base at the bottom. Since the candle was hollow, I used some sulfur free clay to fill in the bottom of the candle to create a base that would work for my needs.

Once everything was the way I wanted it, I grabbed a small piece of MDF and covered it with aluminum foil. This was to prevent the silicone mold material from sticking to the wood.

Then I took my candle buck and ran a bead of hot glue around the bottom of it and glued it to the foil lined MDF. The hot glue prevents the silicone from seeping underneath the buck while the silicone is curing.

Next I took a 10" piece of 3" PVC, ran a bead of hot glue around one end and then placed it over the candle buck. This will be used to hold in all the silicone and help create the mold box (it's technically a cylinder - but you get the idea).

Once everything was firmly stuck in place, I mixed the two part silicone until it was fully mixed and ready to pour. I held the contain of silicone above the pipe and candle buck so that the silicone would pour in a very thin stream into the lowest part of the mold box. This is done to allow the silicone time to make its way into all of the small details of the object you're making a mold of.

Once the candle buck was completely covered, you want at least 1/2" of silicone around the item you're molding, I left it to setup. Platinum silicone, at room temperature, takes about 4-6 hours to setup.









Jump ahead 6 hours and we're ready to remove the mold from the pipe and the buck from the silicone mold. I used a dremel to cut two slits down opposite sides of the PVC to allow me to get the mold out of the pipe. Then I took an x-acto knife and cut a slit down the side of the mold to help release the buck from the mold.

***I didn't have to do that last step on the 4" candle, since I was able to pop the buck (and all castings) out of the mold with a bit of force.***

Now that I removed the buck from the mold, I took a moment to clean out the mold. This is done to ensure that there's nothing left behind that will mess up future castings. Now we're ready to mix our resin and pour it into the mold.

I was able to figure out the right resin for the job after speaking with the people at Reynolds Advanced Materials. I have a store nearby and they're a great resource for all things mold making. Now that I knew which resin I needed, it was time to mix and pour the resin into the mold.

Because I cut a slit in the larger candle mold, I needed to take the two halves of the PVC pipe and use them to help keep the mold together. I used a few bungee cords to help put a small bit of pressure on the mold. You don't want to tighten the PVC around the mold too much otherwise you'll distort your mold.

The ratio for the resin I used is 1:1 by volume, so I figured out how much I'd need by filling the mold with water and then pouring it out evenly into two plastic cups. Then I marked the plastic cups for the parts A and B. Mix part A and part B until it's fully mixed (after doing this for awhile, you get a feeling for when the mix is right and how long you have before it will start to "kick" or solidify).

Now that you've got your resin mixed up, again I held the cup above the mold and poured slowly in a thin stream into the lowest part of the mold until full.

***Always make a bit more resin than you'll need. Trust me.***

That is how I made the first few castings...then I realized that I could get away with using less resin if I made a small plug that I could rest on top of the mold that would create a void in what would be the bottom of the candle when it's pulled from the mold. So I found a glass votive holder that was the right diameter for what I needed to make and I mixed up a small amount of silicone and poured it into the glass votive and let it setup. 









After it had cured I took a kebob skewer and pushed it through the silicone plug so that I could rest it on the rim of the mold.









Once the resin had firmed up, I removed the casting and this is what I was left with (I drilled the hole after it had fully hardened).









So that's the whole thing. Let me know if you have any other questions.


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Here's a video that just popped up in my YouTube feed that shows a lot of the steps I mentioned in the post above. 

http://youtu.be/zsuqB_dkqD0


----------



## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

That is perfect! Thanks! 

Question, if you had to do your mold over again, is there a way that you could incorporate the piece that creates the void in the bottom of the candle so that you don't have a two piece mold?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

You could just make a two part block mold, but it would be considerably more labor intensive, since you'd have to fill half of the candle buck with clay to make the first half. Then you'd have to remove all the clay to make the second half. 

Just seemed like a bigger pain to do it that way, although it's probably the more professional way.


----------



## BIGANT (Jul 11, 2011)

Sooooooo any more thought to selling the candles sans electrics haha?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Ant, how many are you interested in buying? I don't know that I have plans to make them widely available, but I'd be happy to do a short run. Maybe $10 each + shipping?


----------



## BIGANT (Jul 11, 2011)

I could probably do 3 let me know!


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)

Is anyone else interested? I'd need to get about 10-15 buyers to make it worth my time and cover my expenses.


----------



## CDW (Jul 3, 2012)

I'd be up for buying one. Any other takers?


----------



## Dminor (Jul 21, 2006)




----------



## ActionJax (Oct 31, 2011)

Lovin it Dminor! LOVIN it!


----------



## slash (Sep 9, 2010)

love these would be interested in buying!


----------

