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Author Topic: Making Molds  (Read 660 times)

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Offline PhotonWarrior

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Making Molds
« on: January 04, 2021, 07:18:56 AM »
I found this video on how to make molds. In this particular video they make a lightsaber mold but a mold can be made for just about anything, which is what Im interested in doing. So anybody have any experience with making molds? Im looking for feedback. Is this a good video?
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Offline jbkuma

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Re: Making Molds
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2021, 11:38:34 AM »
Look for "Crafsman" on YouTube. 

Offline erv

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Re: Making Molds
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2021, 10:35:03 PM »
very good tutorials from punished props as well. I use scrap MDF (laser cut) for my molds now that I stock a lot of it (and makercase helps to build a box within seconds). Some people use lego bricks (or clones) to make the molds. I also like to use plastic card, ABS sheets or cintra PVC foam sheet. Feather cardboard (white) just works, it's just expensive IMO to make a mold, though anything hotglued can be re used to a certain extend since it's easy to remote the hot glue. However, once drenched with mold release, it's hard to glue again on waxed surfaces, that's where lego brick win
I'd generally put a few rubber bands around my makercase box in MDF and painters tape on the sides, and wax only the inside of the mold.

Offline PhotonWarrior

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Re: Making Molds
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2021, 08:04:35 AM »
very good tutorials from punished props as well. I use scrap MDF (laser cut) for my molds now that I stock a lot of it (and makercase helps to build a box within seconds). Some people use lego bricks (or clones) to make the molds. I also like to use plastic card, ABS sheets or cintra PVC foam sheet. Feather cardboard (white) just works, it's just expensive IMO to make a mold, though anything hotglued can be re used to a certain extend since it's easy to remote the hot glue. However, once drenched with mold release, it's hard to glue again on waxed surfaces, that's where lego brick win
I'd generally put a few rubber bands around my makercase box in MDF and painters tape on the sides, and wax only the inside of the mold.
So do you use a vacuum chamber when making the molds? From what the guy said in the video its supposedly not necessary but he does it because he does pressure casting. My main concern is cost, the vacuum chamber machine would be quite expensive so I wouldn't want to invest in one although with all the other materials, it looks like you don't have to break the bank to get them.

Offline erv

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Re: Making Molds
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2021, 08:17:12 AM »
I have both the degassing chamber and the pressure pot (DIY with a steam cooker from the french eq of craig list). Degassing the silicone is almost mandatory to avoid bubbles, not nessarily in terms of surface denting on the cast (degassing helps with that obviously) since like you said you can do a pressure cast, BUT you can also have trapped bubbles under the molded model creating big flaws the pressure pot will not cover.
Using both helps tremendously obtaining something that doesn't need surface prepping afterwards aside a couple of primer coats

 

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