[Tutorial] Making a silicone mold easily

[Sjeng]

With silicone caulk (kit)!



Perfect for making bases or even minis or spare parts! I think I'll try this and use plaster for casting bases.

[chaoticprime]

I have found the most important step to this is that you stir the two-parts that make up the compound adequetaly enough.

[Sjeng]

I'm planning on taking a small cardboard box (bottom of a milk carton or something), cover it in vaseline, place 4 bases in it, apply the "oogoo" silicone mix, and use that mold to cast more bases with plaster. Cheap and easy! Wat better than milliputting in instantmold. I might even try to copy some figures.

[chaoticprime]

I'm planning on taking a small cardboard box (bottom of a milk carton or something), cover it in vaseline, place 4 bases in it, apply the "oogoo" silicone mix, and use that mold to cast more bases with plaster. Cheap and easy! Wat better than milliputting in instantmold. I might even try to copy some figures.

That's the way to go. Screw waiting all night for milliput to dry--have your bases cast and ready in ten minutes.

[roomandu]

lego is another good option to make a silicon mould container.
Another release agent to try instead of Vaseline would be the spray on cooking oil. A nice even coat should work fine and its so much easier to clean and it doesn't have to be too heavy.

Drew

[TammySutton]

I have made the wooden miniatures and want to cover it with silicon mould. Is it possible?

[Sjeng]

I think a simple wood varnish is better and easier. Unless you want to make molds of the furniture. But still, I think you should varnish the wood first, let that dry a few days, and then apply the silicon. You can rub some vaseline on the wood after the varnish has dried to release the silicone easier.

[StratosVX]

I've used products from Smooth-On but I haven't had the time to adequately test to get the method down. I've recreated a mummy and an orc, but that's been it so far. Getting a mold that doesn't give me problems with air bubbles has been the trick I need to master.

[Thantos]

I've used products from Smooth-On but I haven't had the time to adequately test to get the method down. I've recreated a mummy and an orc, but that's been it so far. Getting a mold that doesn't give me problems with air bubbles has been the trick I need to master.

Youll need a vacuum chamber and good pump >5CFM or a vibrating table (or washing machine on spin dry?) to sort the bubbles out

I have made the wooden miniatures and want to cover it with silicon mould. Is it possible?

Yea as Sjeng suggests, varnish them lightly if the wood is coarse and porous. If its smoothly sanded, it should be ok without if you are using good quality rubber.
What are you planning on making?

[StratosVX]

Youll need a vacuum chamber and good pump >5CFM or a vibrating table (or washing machine on spin dry?) to sort the bubbles out

There is a tutorial on Hirst's website for making your own vibrating table that I would like to try. I just found it the other night. I've looked at the vacuum chamber but I'm not spending that kind of money on one. I realized I misspoke too. The molds come out fine. It's the casts that wind up with air bubbles or missing pieces (arms, etc.) because I couldn't get the plastic down into those areas because the air gets trapped. I even have vents in them but I'm still very inconsistent in the results.