Mold Question To End All Mold Questions

[CTBASS56]

What is the best STORE bought material for making molds? (ease of use, good detail, etc.)

What is better, silicone/rubber mold or fiberglass resin mold? (detail, ease of use, price)...why??

I have been searching ALL over the place for mold making materials (paint stores, hardware stores, home depot, lowes, walmart) and the only thing I have found so far is fiberglass resin and water putty. I am getting extremely frustrated because I would like to begin making molds however I am stuck in the sense of lack of material options. I am not sure I want to order mold making materials online yet...

can you give me any advice....Thanks so much guys!!

[Pitbull Baits]

What is the best STORE bought material for making molds? (ease of use, good detail, etc.)

What is better, silicone/rubber mold or fiberglass resin mold? (detail, ease of use, price)...why??

I have been searching ALL over the place for mold making materials (paint stores, hardware stores, home depot, lowes, walmart) and the only thing I have found so far is fiberglass resin and water putty. I am getting extremely frustrated because I would like to begin making molds however I am stuck in the sense of lack of material options. I am not sure I want to order mold making materials online yet...

can you give me any advice....Thanks so much guys!!

POP molds are easy to make and cheap also. to seal them use elmers glue 50/50 glue and water mix.

[Piscivorous Pike]

What is the best STORE bought material for making molds? (ease of use, good detail, etc.)

What is better, silicone/rubber mold or fiberglass resin mold? (detail, ease of use, price)...why??

I have been searching ALL over the place for mold making materials (paint stores, hardware stores, home depot, lowes, walmart) and the only thing I have found so far is fiberglass resin and water putty. I am getting extremely frustrated because I would like to begin making molds however I am stuck in the sense of lack of material options. I am not sure I want to order mold making materials online yet...

can you give me any advice....Thanks so much guys!!

RTV is very good at copying details. YOu can make open molds or pour your model completely enclosed and then cut a slit to it and take it out and have a full round clam shell type. RTV you are not likely to find in a store. Look at Smoothon.com, under the OOMoo rtv product page they have several videos on making candles, the method is perfect and works great to make baits. They are using a branch from a tree and making a duplicate in a wax candle from their mold. Looka at that for the answer to detail.

The answer to locally obtained materials is the easiest from a home improvement store, Home depot or Lowes for example, is plaster of paris, POP or DWP, durham water putty.

pop is cheapest by 25 pound bags, about $12. You mix it 2;1 with water, search the forums to learn how to make the molds. It copies detail fairly well if you are careful to make it thin and to shake it down to get the bubbles out.

DWP, is very durable, a little coarser mix than the POP I have gotten. It will copy detail, but also is finiky about air bubbles.

From the auto parts store or section of Walmart you can get bondo brand resin, designed for auto body work. I found it difficult to use, sets fast. Molds shrink and have a tendancy to warp so is it not the best for 2 piece molds. Some folks at TU have mastered using it and make very good open one piece molds that have great detail. I would search that.

So To get DWP and POP, go to a home improvement store, in the paint section with the plaster.

POP can also be got at a craft store like Michaels.

auto body resin from walmart or auto parts stores.

RTV best got on line.

All these answers are readily found using google.

Try making your first molds with POP, dont expect to make the best mold on your first try, so practice. POP is cheap, easy to use and will serve you well, molds last years. Coat it when finished and dry with 50:50 white glue and water to seal it. After you master pop, (you can make both one piece and two piece molds with it and multiple cavity molds too) Then consider the others. You got to crawl, then walk before you learn to run.

Good luck, my friend, dont get frustrated this is supposed to be fun, have fun and enjoy it.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Piscivorous Pike

[Vodkaman]

Great write up PP, very good information.

I particularly agree with your last paragraph:

Try making your first molds with POP, dont expect to make the best mold on your first try, so practice. POP is cheap, easy to use and will serve you well, molds last years. Coat it when finished and dry with 50:50 white glue and water to seal it. After you master pop, (you can make both one piece and two piece molds with it and multiple cavity molds too) Then consider the others. You got to crawl, then walk before you learn to run.

Learn to use PoP first. Make your mistakes and ride the learning curve. This way you will save money when you move to RTV by making less mistakes. Each individual material will have its own learning curve, but PoP molding covers the basics.

Dave

[whitey]

Good responses by all. When using POP, I use the cardboard boxes that my paper checks come in (if anyone still uses paper checks ), line the box with aluminum foil, and pour the POP into the box/foil. It makes a handy form, and you can use both pieces of the box. Coat with Elmer's Glue (I use straight and x 2 VERY lightly to keep from eliminating detail.

[t-billy]

I agree with Pike and Vodkaman. Get good with the pop before you blow your money on more expensive materials. There's a wealth of information on this site to help you out. The best advice I can give you is TAKE YOUR TIME. Your attention to detail,or lack of it will show in the final product.Trust me. It's no fun pitching a $20.00 rtv mold that didn't work out in the trash. ----Good luck,Tim.

[gone2long]

From the auto parts store or section of Walmart you can get bondo brand resin, designed for auto body work. I found it difficult to use, sets fast. Molds shrink and have a tendency to warp so is it not the best for 2 piece molds. Some folks at TU have mastered using it and make very good open one piece molds that have great detail. I would search that.

Are you using body filler? The fiberglass resin I use is for fiberglass matte for boat and body work and is thin when mixed and cures as fast or as slow as you like within reason, the less hardener you use the slower the cure and less shrinkage which I find is negligible.

But I agree with the others that you should start with POP as a training curve that way you will be refined and won't waste expensive RTV or Resin while learning. And believe it or not you can make some really nice molds out of POP.

[pickeralpete]

Are you using body filler? The fiberglass resin I use is for fiberglass matte for boat and body work and is thin when mixed and cures as fast or as slow as you like within reason, the less hardener you use the slower the cure and less shrinkage which I find is negligible.

But I agree with the others that you should start with POP as a training curve that way you will be refined and won't waste expensive RTV or Resin while learning. And believe it or not you can make some really nice molds out of POP.

he is talking about "Bondo" polyester resin, sold at most of the big box stores. shrinkage in properly mixed resin can reach 10% (normally in the 7% range). this can be remedied by 1:1 or 2:1 resin : filler, the reg body filler. it will make the mix a little thicker, but nearly eliminate the shrinking.