How to Use Epoxy for Mold Making and Casting

Epoxy is a plastic casting material. It begins as a liquid but becomes hard over time by curing.

Typically epoxy is a two parts mixture: Part one is the resin and Part two is the hardener. Epoxy works excellent as a casting material, and it  is also used for composite structures such as aircraft, surf boards, fishing lures, and some building work.

The advantages of epoxy include strength and ease of use. Most epoxy casting material for home or small scale use cure at room temperature and most epoxies are simple equal part mixtures by weight or volume, and unlike urethanes, most epoxies work very well as a casting material when small amounts of water is present.

To start casting with epoxy, the first step is to make a mold. There are a variety of mold making materials available on the market including silicone, latex, and wax based products, and if you are new to mold making and casting, using a reusable mold making material will enable experimentation and reduce costs and frustrations.

Because epoxies are versatile, a variety of mold release material can be used to ensure that the epoxy cast does not stick to the mold. Vegetable oil, mineral oil, or soap work effectively for small scale

productions, but for larger scale productions or composite work, mold releases made specifically for epoxy are recommended.

Mix the two parts of epoxy together completely by stirring. After mixing thoroughly, pour the epoxy mixture into the mold and let stand until solidified.

Filler materials are used with epoxy to give the cast a different appearance and properties. To make a stronger cast, glass fiber fillers of up to a quarter inch long are used. To give the mold a unique appearance or to take up space, talcum powder, wood sawdust, sand, or many other materials are used.

Epoxy is a versatile casting material that will enable you to create your own unique products and castings from your molds. To learn more about mold making and casting with epoxy, visit www.ComposiMold.com

For More Information Visit: www.ComposiMold.com, www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold, www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold To Order ComposiMold Products Visit: www.store.composimold.com

What is Casting

Casting is a process where liquid or semi-liquid material is poured into a mold. The mold is the inverse of the shape you want to make into a duplicate and comes in many shapes. It often contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape. Casting materials can be various cold setting materials, polymer, clays, hot melts, or metals. Cold setting materials typically may cure after mixing two or more components. Examples include: epoxy, concrete, plaster and clay.

Plaster and other chemical curing materials such as concrete and plastic resin may be cast using reusable mold making material. Using mold making material that is reusable allows for multiple casting projects from the same material and can save money and prevent frustrations.  By casting plaster, hydrocal, ultracal, concrete, or cement into your molds you can create unique sculptures, fountains, bird baths and more.

Cold set resin casting is used to make plastic casts. The mold is filled with a synthetic 2 part resin that is mixed together and hardens overtime. These casts can be used for small-scale production like industrial prototypes, toys, and jewelry. Hobbyists use plastic resins in their molds to reproduce collectible toys, rock walls, models, backdrops, broken parts, and figures. Jewelry makers use plastics resins to makes beads and earrings.

Clay and polymer clay are used for casting and is generally pushed into a mold.  Clays are plastic due to their water content and becomes hard, brittle and non–plastic upon drying or firing. Casting with clay is great for art projects and clay may be used to create a master for a mold. The polymer clay, such as Sculpey™ or FIMO™, or polymer metal clay is cast the same way as typical clay cast, by pushing the clay into the mold cavity.

Casting can also be performed using hot melt materials such as candle wax casting or soap castings. The process for making a wax casting or soap casting works through the melting of the soap or wax and pouring the liquid into the mold cavity. Instead of mixing two parts together, the wax or soap cools to solidify.

Casting is a useful tool to enable the duplication and creation of unique parts and shapes. There is anthropological evidence that people have been solving problems by casting parts since 500 B.C. So, if your favorite thing is broken and you want it replaced, consider making a mold and casting a part. For more information about molding and casting and associated materials visits 

http://www.composimold.com/.

For More Information Visit: www.ComposiMold.com, www.Facebook.com/ComposiMold,www.YouTube.com/ComposiMold To Order ComposiMold Products Visit: www.store.composimold.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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