How to Build a Hot Knife for Making Candles

A hot knife makes candle making an easier, safer and more creative endeavor. Hot knives allow you to cut and shape wax effortlessly. Using a hot knife for making candles, you can carve and sculpt candles into unique shapes, cut candles to desired sizes and add wax embellishments to the candle's surface. You can make an easy and effective hot knife using a soldering iron.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Solderer
• Extra soldering tip
• Hammer
• Knife sharpening stone
• Paper bag

1. Lay the removable pointed tip of your soldering iron on a flat surface. Use the hammer to pound the tip flat. The metal should flatten easily. Be sure not to flatten the point where the tip reattaches to the solderer.

2. Wet the knife sharpening stone and slide it on the edge of your flattened tip, back and forth across its surface. This will create a a sharper, angled surface, which will improve the speed and accuracy with which the hot knife cuts your wax.

3. Reattach the tip you created to your soldering iron. When you are ready to use it, plug it in. You will notice that it heats up the same way the old soldering tip did, except now you have a blade-like tip to work with.

4. Use the knife to cut, shape or sculpt your candles and wax pieces. When you are finished working, touch your hot knife, while it is still hot and plugged in, to a paper bag. The paper bag will absorb any wax that remains on your hot knife and make it clean and ready for the next use. Unplug and allow to cool completely before storing.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear personal protective gear like gloves when handling hot, sharp objects.

References

• Basic Candle Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started by Eric Ebeling
• The Candlemaker's Companion: A Complete Guide to Rolling, Pouring, Dipping, and Decorating Your Own Candles by Betty Oppenheimer