Four Mold Making Techniques That You Can't Do With Silicone Molding Materials

Silicone molds have been around for many, many decades. They work if you know what you’re doing. The silicone makes big piles of rubber if you don’t.

When I was learning how to make molds it was silicone molds, latex molds (ugh), and maybe some urethane rubber molds. I made quite a few piles up rubber and lots of mistakes.

So there is a better way for much of your mold making that reduces your waste and gives you more flexibility in what you make. Below I will talk to you a little bit about some mold making techniques that you CAN’T do with silicone molds.

1. Re-Use Your Mold

By re-use, I mean re-use your rubber mold to make a New Mold: Another mold that you’ve never made before. You definitely can’t do that with silicone molds. The silicone molds last forever (or at least for 25 to 50 castings depending on your complexity). If you were a mold making shop, you could invest in a method to re-grind the silicone to add it back into your new batches and hope it doesn’t affect the quality of your molds, but I broke the motor in my coffee grinder trying to do that at home.

So how do you re-use your mold to make new molds? Since this is a ComposiMold reusable mold making blog, I’m sure you figured it out: USE ComposiMold

It melts in the microwave or a double boiler. You make your molds just like you would for silicone molds, except the mold making material solidifies by cooling, not a chemical reaction. You can make 1 part molds, 2 part molds, soap castings, chocolate castings, plastic castings, etc…and when you are finished with your castings, re-melt, filter the ComposiMold rubber if you need to, and then make a new mold. Or just keep the molding material handy so you can make a new mold and cast later on (keep it covered and it doesn’t have a shelf life).

Learn more about the basic instructions for mold making with ComposiMold on our How it Works Page

2. Fix a mold making mistake

Imagine: you’ve made an almost beautiful mold. It took you days to make because the silicone took a day to cure and you had to make two halves, and you’re ready to make your casting-except you notice a hole. The silicone didn’t fill in an area, or you cut off an area that you shouldn’t have. You might be able to patch that area with care by cutting away the spot and brushing or dipping that spot with new silicone.

Or another scenario, you’ve made a few castings and the molds started to go bad in a couple spots. With silicone, it’s time to make a new mold. Open up your bank account.

Of course, ComposiMold only needs to be remelted to fix. A spot with a hole or bubble in it can be fixed by melting just that area. A heat gun works well, or the tip of a glue gun also works well on the low heat setting. Or re-making the mold is not that difficult if necessary. The semi-transparency also helps to see inside the mold material.

This is also a great way of attaching two different molds together to make a new mold and new shape. For example, a new head for a new action figure. Make the body and then take the head off another action figure and put the molds together.

You can do this to customize the molds. For example, if you were making soaps with people’s names on it, such as for wedding gifts. You could change just the area where people’s names were.

3. 2 part molds with ease

The conventional way for making a 2 part mold is to build up clay around your master until you are at the parting line. You then make ½ of your mold, flip your master and do the second half. This technique is excellent when you want a very specific parting line that is not straight. Even with ComposiMold, we recommend this technique for many mold making applications.

However, in many mold making scenarios, a flat, or level parting line is needed. Taking the time to build up a clay half is just time consuming. And if you are like me, you usually don’t make it flat so you have a funny parting line path.

So just pour ComposiMold around your part to the location that you want your parting line. Let it harden. And place it in the freezer to make it nice and cold. Spray with a mold release such as vegetable oil. Then pour your top half of the mold. Then cool this side, remelt your first mold, and do that half with the same ComposiMold you used for the first parting line.

The ComposiMold won’t stick together if you keep one half cold prior to pouring on the liquid ComposiMold. The liquid ComposiMold will cool faster than the cold ComposiMold can get up to temperature. This is how you are able to make wax and soap castings with ComposiMold. It freezes before ComposiMold melts (sweet!). The only instance where this may not work is for very thin sections. For these areas, pour only a little ComposiMold on at a time, so that it will cool before melting the thin sections of the mold.

For a video description of this technique see our 2 part mold making video

4. Creating a casting from an indentation

This technique is a continuation of technique 3. Use the ComposiMold to fill in an indentation or make a part out of the ComposiMold rubber. Then you make a mold of the ComposiMold after it has been cooled in the freezer, using ComposiMold to make the new mold (get that!?). Use a mold release between the layers and it will separate.

Here’s an example: We were making Halloween chocolates by using a cookie shape, but the cookie tin was too hard and the chocolate could not be removed without breaking. So we poured ComposiMold into the shapes, cooled them, and then used those to make molds in ComposiMold. When making the chocolates, the ComposiMold can be peeled away from the chocolates shapes so they do not break. (ta da!)

Still like your silicone molds? Ok. we’ll compromise for some castings…Brush on silicone molds backed with ComposiMold.

ComposiMold does have some great features, but sometimes you may need a longer lasting silicone mold. The silicone is strong and tough and lasts a really long time. So here’s the compromise:

Use a brush on silicone to coat your master and then use ComposiMold around the silicone brush on material to reduce the amount of silicone you use (save you money!). This way 90% of your mold can be re-used while giving you a mold that you can keep if you want (or at least reduces the amount of silicone rubber that goes into the trash).

The ComposiMold part can easily be pulled away from the silicone to be re-used, while the silicone can be stored away for safe keeping. When you want to re-make the mold, just place the silicone back over one of your parts and pour ComposiMold around it. And you are ready to go again…

So there are the 4 mold making techniques that can save you time, money, and frustration. Please visit the rest of our website for more information on how to use ComposiMold. We have a lot more examples of molds and castings made with ComposiMold.
Please let us know what you think and if you have any questions. We’d love to hear from you and see what you create!

Thank you and keep experimenting!

Making a ComposiMold Mold:
Follow the basic instructions on our How it Works Page to make a mold with ComposiMold. The tips below will set you up for success when using soap as your casting material.


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To Mold and Cast a Rubber Ducky into a Plastic Duck using ProtoCast and ComposiCast Urethane Resin

This is a simple one part mold of a rubber duck. To stop the rubber duck from floating when the ComposiMold is poured over it, clay and sand was put inside the rubber duck. It also could have been glued down with hot glue to the bottom of the container.

The part was then coated with Bubble Buster to reduce bubbles from adhering to the part. We dip it into the Bubble Buster, but we could also have sprayed it on. Be sure to get it into any crevices.

The duck is placed inside a mold box. We used a PVC pipe, but any container that can handle a little heat will do. You can also use legos to build a box or aluminum foil that has been sprayed with a mold release also works well.

Melt the ComposiMold and pour over your part. To melt the ComposiMold, follow the direction on the label. Melt in short intervals until you are comfortable with how it melts in your microwave. You can also use a double boiler or a chocolate melter.

A toothpick or paperclip can be used to pull bubbles away from any areas where bubbles may stay such as in undercuts or sharp corners. In this case, we expect bubbles to adhere to the neck area and below the beak.

We don’t show it in this video, but the ComposiMold is cooled rapidly by placing it in the freezer. It took approximately 30 minutes to cool, but to ensure it was very cold before pouring in the urethane resin, we left the mold in the freezer for 2 hours.

You then remove the duck from the mold and spray the inside of the mold with a mold release that is designed for urethane resin.

The ProtoCast urethane resin is a bright white plastic with a demold time of 15 to 20 minutes.

While the mold is still cold, pour in a PrototCast Urethane resin. The urethane is mixed 1:1 by volume.

If necessary, place ComposiMold back into the freezer to keep the mold cold while the urethane is curing. This helps reduce any melting of the ComposiMold from the exothermic reaction from the Urethane. Longer cure time resins have less of this heat.

At this time, the plastic duck is made. You can remelt the mold to make a new mold, or you can make another casting with the ComposiMold mold.

Here we also show the plastic duck made with ComposiCast urethane resin. It works the same way. Be sure to keep the mold cool if necessary throughout the process.

• The keys to success for a urethane casting is to use Bubble Buster when making your mold
• Keep the ComposiMold cold throughout the process
• Use a mold release designed for urethane resin and make sure it is completely dry.
• And if possible, use longer cure time resin systems.

Thank you!

For More Information visit: 

www.ComposiMold.com 

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www.ComposiTherm.com

FAST Polymer Clay Push Mold Window Art

The sun has been shining and the creative juices are flowing! 

Here in Maine the craft show circuit gets rolling when the weather starts to warm. I made multiple polymer clay casts in my ComposiMold and dedicated this project to all my fellow crafters. This project is meant to demonstrate just how quickly you can bulk up your inventory. I made 6 push mold casts in under 10 minutes. The baking and the actual beading takes some more time too but the star clay pendant is the easiest part to make on these fun window, sun porch, or garden decorations.

Supplies:

20 oz. of ComposiMold-LT or PowerMold 

(PowerMold is stiffer and recommened for the Push Mold Technique.)

Polymer Clay (I used Sculpey brand)

Mold Release

Bubble Buster

A decal of your choice to use as your master part

An Oven and metal baking pan to bake the clay

Miscellaneous beads and wire

1. Prepare your master part by securing it the the bottom of a heat safe mold box. I used hot glue to ensure my piece wouldn't float and chose a tupperware lid that was deep enough as my mold box. (You can also use tin foil as a mold box and create any shape you want.) As a precaution I also sprayed my master part with a shellac because it is made of a wood. I didn't want any trapped air in the decal to escape into my mold and cause bubbles. 

2. Melt the ComposiMold or PowerMold in the microwave or double boiler as per product instructions. 

3. Spray your master part with mold release and then with Bubble Buster. I used a silicone Mold Release which is one of my favorites for non-food items. The Bubble Buster can be applied right over the top of the Mold Release. 

4. Pour your melted ComposiMold or PowerMold into the lowest surface of the mold box and let it rise up over the master part. This will lift and carry away any bubbles that may be in the melted ComposiMold or PowerMold. 

5. Let the mold solidify back to it's original consistency. 

6. Remove your master part and clean up any rough edges with a sharp exacto blade. 

7. Work the polymer clay in your hands until it is soft and pliable. This may take some elbow grease as it comes out of the package fairly hard. 

8. When I preform the push-mold technique I sometimes roll a ball in my hands and then press the ball into the mold, pushing the ball flat and into the edges as I go. I may also start with a shape that's similar to the final casted shape. In this case I would make a pancake and lay it into the mold. Then I would add pressure to be sure it was filling all the details. 

(In a more complex shape you would want to be sure that the deepest crevices where filled with clay first. This will ensure that the final cast reflects all the details of your mold.)

9. Bend the mold away from your newly pressed cast and let the cast simply fall out of the mold. Try not to warp the cast by forcing it out or bending the mold too much. Take your time on this step and you will have less clean up once the cast is completely de-molded. 

10. Use a toothpick or similar tool to poke a hole through the clay casting. You will thread your wire through this hole when you create your hanging art pieces later. 

11. Repeat as many times as you wish. The ComposiMold or PowerMold molds hold up very well to push molding. You can make dozens of casts this way and you don't need any mold release to make them. 

12. Bake your clay per product instructions. The Sculpey brand recommends 15 minutes at 275F per each 1/8" of clay. 15 minutes was perfect for these thin pieces. 

13. After the clay has cooled you can begin assembling your hanging ornament. I've used a 20gauge wire to create a loop that the rest of my decoration can be attached to. Use beads that you have laying around or you can make your own beads with Sculpey either by hand or in a another push mold. 

 

 

IDEA: This particular shape lends itself to another cool possibility. You could use your exacto knife to cut the smaller flower in the center of the design and use it as it's own pendant. Poke 2 holes in this one at the top and bottom and "string" it into your design a little further up from the large pendant. 

 I hope this gives you all some ideas about how to use ComposiMold and PowerMold to make multiple art pieces that WILL sell at summer craft shows in your state. Work efficiently with a push mold technique like this one and the profits will speak for themselves. ~Michelle

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

The Power of ComposiMold to Clone Anakin Skywalker

In this twisted and completely made up turn of events, Anakin Skywalker is being cloned to make the next Clone Army.  This video demonstrates how the new clone army is to be made using ComposiMold Reusable Mold Making material and a urethane resin.

The process begins by dipping the Jedi master shape into a Bubble Buster solution. This Bubble Buster can also be sprayed. The Bubble Buster reduces surface tension so the bubbles do not stay attached to the surface of the Jedi Master.

He is then placed carefully into the cloning box, also known as the mold box, or in this case a plastic cup.

The Cloning solution, ComposiMold, is first melted with electromagnetic radiation using a specialized heating system called a microwave. The melted ComposiMold is poured over the Jedi Master. A toothpick or paperclip can be used to pull bubbles away from any areas where bubbles may stay such as in undercuts or sharp corners.

When Anakin is completely covered, the mold cools to solidify. This cooling took approximately 1 hour at room temperature. The Jedi Master is removed from the ComposiMold mold. To help make the part easier to remove, a slice was cut along the back. The process was started with scissors, but a scalpel ended up being a little easier.

Each action figure must be made to look like the first to create the new army is to be constructed.

Because we are using a very fast curing urethane resin in this cloning process, the mold must remain as cold as possible so as to not melt the ComposiMold. We will place the mold in the freezer prior to pouring in the urethane to reduce the temperature of the mold.

The sides of the mold are taped shut again to keep the mold together and the urethane in.

Spray the mold with mold release and let the mold release completely dry before pouring in the urethane resin.

After the ComposiMold mold has been in the freezer for about 30 minutes, pour the urethane resin into the mold. Place the mold back in the freezer while the urethane cures. This will slow the curing time slightly, but not much. The entire process takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes depending on the urethane used.

Anakin has now been cloned! But does the new clone also have the power to control the force or just Anakins good looks?

Thank you and may the force be with you!

For more information visit: www.ComposiMold.com

To order the urethane resin used in this video, PureCast, visit: http://compositherm.com/2pu.html

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"It's clobbering time" Casting the Thing from The Fantastic 4 in White Chocolate

Fantastic 4 The Thing Action Figure-Cast in Chocolate using ComposiMold-FC

                                   
Yes, that's a white chocolate action figure! The original Fantastic Four Thing action figure was purchased at a Goodwill Store. To make the mold, we placed him in a bucket and poured ComposiMold over him. We poured in intervals to help attach him, so he would not float. Approximately 1 inch of ComposiMold was poured into the bucket, and after that solidified, the rest of the ComposiMold-FC was poured over that.

ComposiMold-FC Mold with the Thing inside

After the ComposiMold mold solidified, we used a razor blade to cut down the sides. We tried to keep the parting line along the edge of the Thing. We also cut a line above the head to ensure that we could remove the head from the mold after the chocolate is poured into the mold.

The action figure mold being coated with white chocolate 

To make sure the mold is filled, each half of the two part mold is coated with the white chocolate before putting the halves together. The two halves were taped shut and placed in the freezer after being filled with the white chocolate.

Action figure mold filled with white chocolate

The white chocolate is in the mold and halves are ready to be put together

A little extra white chocolate is added into the feet of the  mold  to make sure it is filled
(is that a clone of Luke Skywalker in the photograph? Stay-tuned!)

 To make the chocolate harder, we placed it into the refrigerator to cool.  After completely solidifying, we removed one half of the mold.

You can even see the on/off switch on the casting! Awesome details!

We thought we were in trouble when his leg broke off while removing the chocolate action figure from the mold, but chocolate is officially the best casting material. It taste great and it is reusable, just like ComposiMold. So we used a hot air gun to slightly melt the leg, and we put the two parts back together!

Argg! Doctor Doom has struck! The Thing has an injured leg!

The Thing can be repaired, thanks to chocolates re-casting ability

Using the Human Torch (or in this case a hot air gun), The Thing is healed!

Super awesome details! You can see his rock skin and the Fantastic Four on his belt. His leg is all better!

The Thing Action Figure of the Fantastic Four  Climbs a mountain of ComposiMold-FC!

The Thing Copy with the Thing Original

Thanks! And have fun with your creations!

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Polymer Clay Master for Rapid Protoyping using ComposiMold

Here it is, the video you've been waiting for...

This video will show you how you too can create your own original master part with polymer clay. You can then use this master to make a ComposiMold mold for rapid prototyping using the push mold technique!

 Happy Mold-Making~Michelle

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

ComposiMold for Clay Push Molds

You can buy pre-made molds for clay push molds anywhere, but with ComposiMold you can make your own. Use an existing found object to create a mold or even sculpt your own master object and then make a mold of it. You'll be creating duplicates of your sculpture in no time for much less than the cost of buying a mold every time you want a new piece!

Push molds are a simple and effective way of making 3-D objects super fast and easy. For example, buttons can be pushed into a mold in seconds flat using most types of polymer clays or doughy casting materials.

 



PowerMold: If you use the stiffer Sculpey or FIMO type clays, we recommend using the PowerMold Mold Making Material as it has more stiffness. PowerMold is perfect for this type of application.



The Key to Successful Push Mold Castings in a ComposiMold or PowerMold Mold:
The key to great push molds in a ComposiMold or PowerMold mold is to choose or create a master object that is fairly simple in shape. Be sure that your master object doesn't have any undercuts or holes in the shape. Think of a push mold as a negative space for you to press your casting material into picking up the details of the original shape.



1. Experiment to learn whether a mold release is necessary for your particular casting material.

2. Soften your casting material per product instructions. Often this means working it in your hands until it has warmed slightly and becomes doughy in texture.

3. Apply Mold Release if you found that it helped your casting release from the mold.

4. Press your casting material into your mold. Be sure to press into the lowest points of the negative space first. This will ensure that the casting material picks up all the details of the mold.

5. Carefully remove your casting from the mold. This can be done by turning your mold upside down and letting it fall out. (You may have to slightly bend your mold away from the casting to release it.)

6. If your clay distorts when you pull it out of the mold, refrigerate the mold and clay. This will make the clay harder and firmer allowing you to pull it out of the mold more effectively with less distortion.

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

ComposiMold in Conjunction with the 3-D Printer

Rapid Prototyping using 3-D printing to Make Masters

The ability to make parts fast and inexpensive is the essence of ComposiMold products. By using a 3-D printer to make your original prototype, it is then possible to make duplicates of your design quickly and cost effective. ComposiMold and the 3-D Printer are a match made in heaven!

The process for Rapid Prototyping:

Design your part or product. Get as much detail as possible. 

Make a prototype. With a 3-D printer, it takes knowing how to make a drawing in a 3-D CAD program. Their are a number of 3-D CAD programs available. Wizbe Innovations (ComposiMold) has used Solidworks, Rhino3D, and Alibre. Lots of others are also available. Some provide free versions. The most important part is the software must be able to handle STL files.

Print your 3-D part. We have used http://www.zoomrp.com/ and with success. We have also used parts from Shapeway.com.

Typically, the 3-D parts will be hollow to reduce cost of the printing, so keeping the part from floating is a challenge. Add sand inside the 3-D printed part with a piece of clay to keep it in.

Make your mold as you would for any ComposiMold part. 

Rapid Prototyping by Hand/Sculpting:

Rapid prototyping using polymer clay (such as Sculpey, FIMO, etc.) is a good way to make your original master for casting. If you are using polymer clay, the process takes artistic skill but the ComposiMold process is the same.

Happy Mold Making! Michelle

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

Concrete as a Casting Material in ComposiMold

Concrete isn't just for house foundations anymore! In my latest project I used concrete as my casting material to make a delicate tile to be used as a decorative accent in a plant pot or small garden.

 Supplies:

• ComposiMold-LT
• Silicone Mold Release
• Bubble Buster
• A wooden detail from the hardware store as my master object 
• A mold box
• Hot glue
• QuickCrete brand concrete
• Water
• Dish to mix concrete in
• Stir sticks
• Gloves
• Open window for ventilation

 Steps:

1. Hot glue your master object down into a container that can withstand the heat of the melted ComposiMold.
2. Apply a Silicone Mold Release to the object and the mold box.
3. Apply Bubble Buster to reduce surface tension and bubble formation when making your mold. 
4. Pour melted ComposiMold over master object.
5. Let ComposiMold solidify back to it's original rubbery consistancy.
6. Pull the master object out of your mold.
7. Spray Silicone Mold Release into the mold. 
8. Mix concrete per product instructions. I made sure my concrete was wet enough to be able to press it into my ComposiMold but overall much drier than I originally thought it should be. This ensures that your cast will be strong enough. A mix that has too much water will be very weak.
9. Let the concrete harden per product instructions. I let my cast cure in my mold for 24 hours to be sure it wouldn't break.
10. Enjoy your own concrete tile made from a wooden object you picked up at the hardware store!

Happy Mold Making! Michelle

 For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

2 Part Mold with ComposiMold's PowerMold

In the video below you will see how we used ComposiMold's PowerMold, Reusable Mold Making Material, to make a two part mold of a dog figurine and how to cast it with urethane casting resin. Below the video you can also read the instructions and tips for successfully recreating this project.

• The process begins by preparing your master for molding by sealing with a shellac or urethane spray if necessary. Spray with mold release and let the mold release dry if necessary. Then spray with Bubble Buster to reduce bubbles from adhering to your master.

• Place your master in a mold box. If necessary, glue the part down with hot glue or use some polymer clay to hold it in place.

• Melt the PowerMold. For this little amount of PowerMold, we melted it for 2 minutes, using 1 minute intervals (with a 700 watt microwave). Times will vary depending on where you are and the microwave you are using.

• After pouring your PowerMold around your part to make the mold, let it cool to solidify.

• Cut the mold with a knife, exacto knife, or razor blade. This cutting line will be your parting line so be careful and always cut away from you for safety.

• Mix the two urethane parts together as directed. This urethane was mixed in equal parts by volume. The syringe helps get the urethane resin into the small openings of the feet.

• Let the urethane cure. Time will vary depending on the type of urethane. For fast curing resins or larger castings, you may want to cool the PowerMold in the freezer first to reduce the exotherm and protect your mold.

• When finished, admire your castings. PowerMold can be remelted to make new molds whenever you are ready.

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

Filter Your ComposiMold

In the following video tutorial we will show you another technique to filter debris out of your ComposiMold. It's super easy and would cost you pennies. All you need is some cheesecloth, a strong rubber band, and a heat safe container to pour your melted (dirty) ComposiMold into.

Check it out!

 For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

ComposiMold-Food Contact for Edible Castings

ComposiMold-FC, 20 ounce, $29.95

 In the video below you will see just how easy it is to make molds for chocolate and molds for fondant push molds. I am NOT a cake decorator but the video will give you ideas about how you can use ComposiMold-FC for your confectionery creations!

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

Video: How to Avoid Bubbles in Your Mold

    This week's blog post is a follow up to a previous post. We created a video to show you how we avoid bubbles in our molds. Happy (bubble free) mold making! ~Michelle

 For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

How to Make a Mold With ComposiMold

We want to be sure our customers are well informed so that they have success using ComposiMold. This new instruction video covers all the basics of Mold Making with ComposiMold with a few tips and tricks for the seasoned mold maker too. 

Don't guess how to use it! Watch this video and set yourself up for success!

 For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble? There are bubbles in my ComposiMold!

Why Bubbles? Stick a rock into warm water and let the water cool and you will see how bubbles can form. Hot water holds more air because there is more space within the water molecules. But when it cools, the air has to go somewhere as the water molecules come closer together, so it creates bubbles that come out of solution and adhere to the surfaces within the cup.

But the bubbles can easily be removed by reducing the surface tension on the parts. A touch of Bubble Buster and the bubbles will rise to the surface and off the rock. This is how bubbles can form with ComposiMold and PowerMold and also how you can remove bubbles from your mold. Here is a breakdown of different methods:

 Bubble Buster: The first approach we discuss is the use of Bubble Buster. Bubble Buster is a PVA/water solution that reduces the ability for the bubbles to adhere to the surface of the master. To use, just spray, dip, or coat the Bubble Buster over the part you are molding. Be sure to get lots of the PVA/water solution in the cracks and corners. You don't have to let the Bubble Buster dry before pouring on the PowerMold or ComposiMold. If needed, use a mold release (vegetable oil, Vaseline, or mineral oil will be fine for most molds) before putting on the Bubble Buster.

Bubble Buster sprayed on to your master before making your mold

 

Sealing: The Bubble Buster will reduce most bubbles from adhering to your master and thus give better molds, but if you are still getting bubble in y our mold, then there are many other potential solutions.

Is your original part sealed? Air that is in the plaster can come out and into the ComposiMold. This is probably the cause if you are using plaster, clay, or wood as the master. To solve, seal the master first with several layers of polyurethane spray, shellac, or other wood sealers. Elmers-like glue (PVA glue) works well to seal parts.

 

Pulling Out the Bubbles: Are the bubbles getting stuck in cracks or undercuts?For any undercuts, you will likely have to pull the bubbles out so they can float to the surface instead of get stuck under the ledges (undercuts). Use a toothpick or small screw driver to pull the bubbles away with a toothpick. Even better: soak the toothpick with Bubble Buster and then pull away the bubbles.PowerMold is thicker than ComposiMold, so pulling away the bubbles will be more difficult with PowerMold, but the same approach works. If at any point, the PowerMold is too thick, take a hot air gun and warm it up more, but be careful not to overheat above 200 F.

 

Mold Release: You may also have too much mold release, so the interaction causes bubbles. This seems to happen quite a bit when you use a vegetable oil as a mold release or don’t let your silicone mold release dry first, but other mold releases may have this affect. Be sure to wipe off any access mold release. You can use Bubble Buster over your mold release without any harm.

You may have bubbles in the ComposiMold from bubbling in the microwave. It may be worthwhile to remelt the ComposiMold and let it cool at room temperature so the bubbles can rise to the top and escape.

Pouring: You may be putting bubbles in when you pour the ComposiMold into the container. The best way to avoid this is to just pour gently into the lowest area of the mold so the ComposiMold rises up over the part. Be sure any holes are filled with the ComposiMold and you are not trapping air. You can also use a toothpick to pull bubbles out as you are filling your mold box.

 

Heating: You can also adjust the heating: Heat up your original slightly with a hot air gun and let the

ComposiMold cool before pouring it on your part. The ComposiMold will be thicker when you pour, but it will still fill most gaps. The heating and cooling reduces the temperature difference between the ComposiMold and master and reduce bubbles from forming.

If you are still having bubbles (and your master is sealed well) another approach is to brush on the ComposiMold or PowerMold and then if necessary heat the PowerMold while on your mold with a hot air gun to break up any bubbles with the hot air gun. Be careful with this approach that you don’t overheat your master or the PowerMold. Heat jJust enough to keep it warm and break up the bubbles. When you pour the rest of the ComposiMold over your master, it will re-melt this layer, but that won’t matter as the bubbles will already be out of the layer against the master.

 

We do also get asked about degassing with a vacuum and this approach does not seem to work very well. It will make a mess as the ComposiMold expands. We think because the vacuum reduces the boiling point and makes the ComposiMold boil.

 The great advantage of PowerMold and ComposiMold is that it can be reused and re-melted. So any mistakes or bubbles that you don’t get out can be fixed by heating that area or remelting and making the mold over again. Let us know what other methods you find that work for you and keep experimenting!

 

For More Information visit:

www.ComposiMold.com

www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold

www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold

order at www.ComposiTherm.com

 

DDKJMNRHGUUR

Polyurethane Resin Casting Material

We are always offering new products on our website including this polyurethane resin casting material called ProtoCast. I used it this morning and had great results. The color is a bright white and the surface of my cast is very smooth.

I mixed Component A and Component B by volume which means you can mix it 1:1. You can also mix it by weight which is 100 parts Component A to 86 parts Component B. Easy! I waited 20 minutes and it had cured perfectly at room temperature.

Note: If you are making a large cast, I would recommend cooling the mold in the freezer (or wrapping a larger mold in ice packs) once you pour the ProtoCast. This will slow down the curing process which produces heat that could compromise the integrity of your mold. 

Keep checking back to our website to see what kind of new products we've added. And never hesitate to let us know what else you might need for your molding and casting projects.

Happy Mold Making ~Michelle

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com

Mold Release for Molds and Casts

1. Applying a mold release to your original object will allow it to be easily separated from the ComposiMold. 2. Applying a mold release to the mold before casting will also minimizes wear and tear on the mold. This is important if you are using the mold to make many reproductions.




Applying Mold Release to your Original Object When Making Your Mold:

Spray a light mist coating of Mold Release over the entire surface of the original object and all surfaces of your mold box (and any surface that will come in contact with the ComposiMold). You can also use a clean paint brush or cloth to apply the mold release. Make sure that intricate details, undercuts and hard to reach areas are coated as thoroughly as possible.

Wipe off any excess mold release to make sure you do not have too much.

Spray a thorough coating of our Bubble Buster to your original object over the mold release. Make sure that intricate details, undercuts and hard to reach areas are coated as thoroughly as possible. Bubble Buster is useful when making your mold as it reduces bubble formation in the ComposiMold.

Continue with your mold making process by pouring the melted ComposiMold over your original object. See the basic instructions on our How it Works Page.

Applying Mold Release to your ComposiMold When Making Your Casts:

Spray a light mist coating into the entire cavity of your ComposiMold. You can also use a clean paint brush or cloth to brush the release agent into the cavity of the mold. Make sure that intricate details, undercuts and hard to reach areas are coated as thoroughly as possible.

Continue with your casting process by pouring or pushing your casting material into your mold per product instructions. See the basic instructions on our How it Works Page.

Do you need a special mold release when molding with ComposiMold?

We sell a Silicone Mold Release that works well for mold making and casting, but many other mold releases also work well. Vegetable oil as a mold release is a perfect food safe option.

Try these options as a mold release as well:

Petroleum jelly (Vaseline)

Cooking Spray

Mineral Oil

Soap

Motor Oil

Spray Lubricants (WD40, ArmorAll)

The best bet for determining the effectiveness of a specific mold release is to experiment. With ComposiMold you can!

To view all ComposiMold Products, Mold Release, Bubble Buster, and Accessories please visit our ComposiMold Order Page.

A Customer Casts a Three Pound Chocolate Puppy

Thank you, Carolyn, for sending us photos of your most recent project with ComposiMold. It's really great to see how your vision came to life.

"This is a prototype - only because it's made out of candy mold chocolate.  The "real" ones will be made with Callebaut chocolate.  We're using them as trophies for a local dog show. When I make the new one, I'll send a photo.

Thanks for the great product!" Carolyn

We emailed her again to ask her if we could use a photo of her project on some marketing material and she shared a little more information about the mold.

"Composimold is the greatest stuff!!  This is a relatively large mold. It took at least 15 pounds of ComposiMold and 3 pounds of chocolate!" Carolyn

This is the original object Carolyn chose to make into a chocolate trophy!

Here is the chocolate cast wrapped in gold foil! The detail is the face is amazing!

Another angle for us to see the prototype for the finished trophy!

We love to see projects like Carolyn's. Please send us your story and photos too! Michelle

For More Information visit: www.ComposiMold.com www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold order at www.ComposiTherm.com