Making a Master.. Back-Up?

[BassJunky]

Im currently using Sculpey to design my own baits but after I glue them to a glass plate in order to make the silicone mold the master is now destroyed. Is there a way to make a backup master using the silicone mold? that way down the road if the silicone  wears down, i still have the master to create a new mold

 

Hope that makes sense. 

[Vodkaman]

You could pour an epoxy to save as a master. Check for shrinkage on the packaging first. I have tried polyester resin but the shrinkage was too much. There may be other suitable hard materials.

Dave

[wchilton]

I never permanently glue my master.  I usually just use 2-sided tape to hold it in place and create a silicone mold.  Then if I need copies of the master I cast them using a casting resin which is a 2-part urethane resin that sets up to a hard plastic and turns from transparent to sort of an off-white color when it sets.  I also don't use glass together with silicone because silicone sticks very strongly to glass.  A mold release agent on the glass could be used but I just use a plastic cutting board and the silicone never sticks to that.  Look for "casting resins" to make copies of masters.  They have almost no shrinkage, cure quickly, and are lower viscosity (almost like water) so they are really easy to pour and capture every detail with.

[uttexas]

I have used alumilite casting resin to make mold copies.   Works well.  Fiberglass resin may work also, but may shrink too much. 

I have used double sided tape also and continue to use that method for POP

For hard masters, I really like a thin sheet of plasticine that extends past the borders of the mold box/lego box.  Just firmly press the mold box into the plasticine (seals the box). Then lightly press the master in the middle (secures the master)

[BassJunky]

I like the plasticine idea, should also help if my baits aren't perfectly flat (they usually aren't)

[Vodkaman]

I too have used plasticine, it helps to control the split line, also the bubbles rise away from the master. The plasticine melts with the heat of the curing PoP and it all gets a bit messy, but that does not matter because the mold is already formed by that stage, and a little staining from the plasticine does not affect anything.

Dave

[mark poulson]

I bake my clay masters, and then spray them with clear acrylic to seal them.  The silicone doesn't stick to them, and I can save and reused them multiple times.