Sunday, April 21, 2024

How To Make My Own Silicone Molds

How To Make Your Own Silicone Mold: Easymold Silicone Putty Review

MAKE your own SILICONE MOLDS on a budget

Hey guys! Im sharing a product review and tutorial today. Its been a long time since Ive done one of these reviews, so Im excited to dig in and try something new: making my own silicone mold. Im specifically making this mold for use with resin and will be using and reviewing ETIs EasyMold Silicone Putty.

Remove The Finished Casting Mold

  • When the silicone mold is finished depends on its size and the silicone used. Some silicone molds take only one hour to harden, some up to 24 hours. To check if the process is complete, gently press into the mold with a finger. Now remove the mold from the frame. If you have greased it well beforehand, it will work by itself. Then you can still straighten the edge. Simply use a carpet knife, a scalpel or scissors.
  • For maintenance, rub the silicone mold with talcum powder, which you should also do after each use. The powder maintains the shape and keeps the silicone supple.

The Hardness Of Your Silicone Rubber

When making silicone molds, you will require a silicone rubber. This is a simple material that is soft and quick to cure. Once cured, the silicone will remain flexible and elastic-like, although this will depend on the hardness of the rubber you choose to use. Silicone may also tear or crack if it is stretched too much.

The hardness of silicone rubber is indicated by the value attributed to the term Shore. A high Shore value refers to a rubber that has a low elasticity , whereas a low Shore value is a flexible rubber with high elasticity.

  • A Shore value of 0 to 20 indicates a highly soft and flexible rubber. This material tends to be quite unstable.
  • Shore values of 20 to 40 refer to rubbers of medium flexibility. This material remains relatively flexible whilst maintaining good stability in terms of quality.
  • A Shore value of between 40 and 80 refers to rubbers that are harder than they are flexible. These molds can withstand more weight, but also tend to be quite brittle.

The hardness of your silicone rubber will depend on your particular project. It is always a good idea to test various products and degrees of hardness in order to experiment and get a good idea of what you will require.

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How To Make A Silicone Rubber Mold The Right Way

Lets pretend that Mondays mold making disaster was a dream.EasyMold Silicone Rubber.Mold Builder Liquid Latex RubberEasyMold Silicone rubber

  • Brushable/Pourable
  • 45 Minute to 1 hour working time, 24 hour cure. Cure rate can be adjusted by applying heat.
  • Produces extremely fine detail from original, no shrinkage.
  • Self releasing, no mold release agent required for most applications.
  • High heat range, up to 400º F.
  • Strong flexible re-useable molds.
  • No vacuum equipment required.

What Is The Temperature Range Of Your Silicone Molds

[Matrix Armory]: Mold making, cheap and easy.

The silicone molds are best used at room temperature, but also be used to shape both hot and cold food items. The molds can be placed in the fridge or freezer to create personalized cold and frozen items and can withstand temperatures of up to 400F to create gummies and hard candies. Do not expose the silicone mold to temperatures or food casting materials over 400F/200C.

PLEASE NOTE: Mold Making Material is intended for molding only. We do not recommend using Mold Making Material for cooking or baking.

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A Quick Tip For Easy Unmolding Of Your Art:

Youll need :

  • dish soap
  • paintbrush
  • paper coffee filter or folded paper towel

For easier uncasting of objects, begin by mixing 2-3 drops of dish soap in 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix thoroughly. Paint this mixture onto the object to be cast with a clean paintbrush. Allow to dry. Once dry, the surface should have a slightly textured, tacky surface feel. .

Next, place 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a porous package and pat the package of cornstarch against the surface of the object. This should create a very light and even dusting of cornstarch across the surface, which makes most objects slide easily from the mold after casting.

Remove The Planter From The Large Concrete Silicone Mold

Once the cement planter has cured, you can remove it from the mold. Removing the concrete planter was much easier than removing the glass bowl from the mold.

First, remove the straw using needle-nosed pliers, then use pressure on two diagonally opposite corners to work it out of the mold.

I recommend placing a towel underneath this in case it pops out quickly after youve jimmied it out half way.

You may need to keep working on it, placing pressure on one side to get air underneath it. Once one side loosens, then work on the other side. Keep working on it.

When you have it protruding about a third to half way out of the mold, then the rest will come out easily.

When the concrete planter is free, you can sand any sharp edges if you have them.

The top edges should be pretty smooth and it will likely only be the bottom corner edges that will be sharp, as well as some rough spots on the bottom of the planter.

The final step is to pot your finished piece with some cute succulents!

If you want to play with the finish on your planter, you can see how I applied a wood stain to a concrete planter.

And for another concrete planter, I made a really cool effect with an epoxy resin coating.

Dont forget to Pin it for later!

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Using Silicone And Cornstarch

  • 1Squeeze out some construction silicone into a dish. Buy a tube of pure silicone from a home improvement store it usually comes in a syringe-like container. Squeeze some of the silicone out into a disposable dish. You will need enough to cover whatever you wish to mold.XResearch source
  • You may also find construction silicone labeled as silicone caulk. Make sure that it is not the quick-set type.
  • If the silicone did not come with a syringe, you will need to get a caulking gun first. Insert the tube into the gun, cut the end off, then poke a hole in the tip.XResearch source
  • 2Pour in twice as much cornstarch. If you can’t find any cornstarch, try cornflour or potato starch instead. Keep the box handy you might need to use more.XResearch source
  • If you want a more colorful mold, add a few drops of acrylic paint. This will not make the mold any more or less effective.XResearch source
  • 3Put on a pair of plastic gloves and knead the two together. Keep kneading until the silicone and cornstarch come together and form a putty. It may be dry and crumbly at first, but keep kneading. If it is too sticky, add some more cornstarch into it.XResearch source
  • You may have some cornstarch leftover in your dish this is fine. The silicone will have picked up all the cornstarch it needed.
  • 7De-mold your object. Hold the silicone mold by the edges, and gently bend it back and away from your item. Flip the mold over to pop the item out. If you need to, use your fingers to pry the item out.
  • What Is Silicone Mold Putty

    How to Make Silicone Molds

    I wrote about silicone mold putty previously, so if youre curious about silicone rubber and the kinds of molds you can make with it, make sure you read Silicone Rubber Mold Material, an Introduction. For today were going to use a two part silicone putty. In the US, the most commonly found brands are Easy Mold, which is purple, and Amazing Mold Putty, which is yellow. Theyre pretty comparable but there are other brands which you can use that work just the same. Easy Mold and Amazing Mold Putty come in larger volumes. But if you need a smaller amount, theres a lavender one from Best Flexible Molds and even smaller amounts in Christi Friesens Mold Making Kits. Silgum Gedeo is available at HobbyCraft stores in the UK. Ive used it as well and its a fine product. Plus its blue. It doesnt really matter what brand of mold putty you use for making silicone molds from charms, so go with the best price and availability you can find where you are.

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    How To Make A Silicone Mold Out Of Anything

    I have a long awaited for post for you today! How to make a silicone mold out of anything you can mold a salad plate, you can mold a knife rest, you can mold a pen or a figurine. If it can be encased in silicone you can make a mold out of it!

    I have shared my entire tablescape full of resin items that I made with unique hand made molds and now Im going to teach you how to make the mold.

    Just a heads up this process took me 3 times and a lot of trial and error to get right. Ive worked out the kinks now so you shouldnt have any problems BUT I have found that smaller items are infinitely easier to mold than larger items so if this is your first go at making a mold feel free to jump off the deep end but youll have an easier time learning on a smaller piece first.

    Lets get started!

    Removing The Finished Silicone Casting Mold

    • The curing time of the silicone mold depends on the silicone used and its size. It can vary between one and 24 hours. If you want to check if the silicone is completely cured, you can gently press it into the mold with a finger. If you notice that the mass has hardened, the silicone mold is now released from the frame. If it has been thoroughly treated withmold release agentor oil, this is usually no problem. For the final straightening of the edge, it is best to use scissors, a carpet knife or a scalpel.
    • In order to keep the silicone supple and to maintain it, you can rub it with talcum powder after releasing it from the frame and after each use.

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    Pouring The Resin Into The Mold:

    Slowly Pour the yellow glitter resin into the Os of the silicone mold, being careful to not overfill.

    Then pour the turquoise glitter resin into the Xs of the mold. I used a wooden stir stick to help push the resing to the ends of the Xs.

    Once I knew I had made enough resin for the Xs and Os, I added white colorant to the 2 ounce measuring cup and added a good amount of white glitter as well.

    Then poured the white glitter resin into the board part of the mold.

    You may see little bubbles at the top of the resin. To get rid of these bubbles, pour isopropyl alcohol, undiluted into a small spray container, and spray the resin molds.

    This will not affect the resin at all, it just pops all of those little bubbles so you’ll have a nice smooth surface.

    The resin will need to cure for a full 24 hours before unmolding, so I left the resin molds as is until the next day.

    How To Make Silicone Molds For Food

    [Matrix Armory]: Mold making, cheap and easy.

    Making molds for food is a slightly different process, mostly because it requires food safe ingredients. Its best to order a food-grade silicone mold kit from a supplier that specializes in silicone mold projects.

    Any food-grade silicone mold project should be handled with extra care after all, youre going to use it to make food products.

    Check out this detailed video about how to make food-grade molds or keep reading for further instructions.

    Just like with a standard non-food-grade mold, you will need a container or vessel to make it in.

    Ensure that your vessel or container doesnt have any elements that could contaminate your food or interfere with your silicones ability to set. We recommend making your container out of foam board and clay.

    Doing so allows you to easily break away the vessel that holds your molding once it sets.

    It can also be advantageous to lay down a clay base .

    Pushing your object into clay is a great way to prevent the liquid mold from getting underneath your object. A hot glue gun may also be used to prevent any leaks that occur during the curing and setting process.

    If you want to make molds for commercial purposes and you need your product to look clean and consistent, air bubbles are your enemy. Once youve made your box or container mold, and your mix is ready, slowly pour the mix into the corner of your mold.

    Just make sure that the product youre using allows for heat treatment before you try it.

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    What Material Does Epoxy Resin Not Stick To

    Epoxy resin does not stick to plastic materials. Silicone molds are great because you can easily bend the silicone while removing the cured resin without damaging the mold or the project.

    Hard plastics can be used as molds, but aren’t ideal since removing the cured resin from the hard plastic mold is much more difficult. The hard plastic can’t be bent and manipulated to release the resin item.

    Negative Forms With Original Shape

    If you would like to produce a duplicate of an object, the best way to do so is to make a negative mold with an original shape. For this purpose, you usually need a frame so that the silicone, which is later poured in for molding, cannot spread out uncontrollably. You can, but do not necessarily have to build a frame yourself. Empty plastic packaging is also suitable for this.

    However, if you do want to do it yourself, you should build the frame according to the dimensions of the object to be duplicated so that you do not waste silicone unnecessarily. This is quite expensive and it is annoying if too much of it is lost. It is essential that the frame is tight so that the silicone cannot escape, or flow into cracks or under the edges. Now put the blank into the frame.

    After preparing the silicone, following the manufacturers instructions, pour it into the frame. Make sure that the mass is evenly distributed everywhere. Now the silicone hardens and can be easily removed from the frame.

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    How To Make Silicone Molds For Baking

    I love using molds for baking, especially when it comes to making cookies and cakes. While there are plenty of options on the market, I find that going for something 100% personalized is so much better. With just a few materials, time, and work, you can make your own at home, too.

    Hey, bakers! My name is Michelle and I love baking. I have been using homemade silicone molds for years. I use them to surprise my kids or give my clients exactly what theyre looking for. To be blunt, I really just love custom goodies!

    If youre thinking about making your own silicone mold for baking, know that it can be as simple or complex as you make it. You can use premade items to mold, or create your own using clay. Either way, the process is a bit time-consuming, but entirely worth it in the end.

    Lets create some silicone molds for baking.

    Contents

  • Final Words
  • Silicone And Liquid Soap Method

    Make Your Own Silicone Molds – Easy Mold Making (Mould) – For Candle Or Resin Molds

    What youll need:

    • Object Desired to be Molded

    To make the silicone molds, you can use the silicone and liquid soap method.

    To begin, you need to fill a bowl with room temperature water and add a 1:10 ratio of liquid soap with water. Make sure that you mix them well.

    After you are done with mixing, now you can add construction silicone to the water.

    Now you need to wear a pair of gloves and knead the silicone while keeping it under the water for around 5 minutes. Do it until the silicone becomes loose.

    Next, get the silicone out and knead for a bit longer with your palm.

    Rest the silicone on a board and place your desired structure into the silicone. You may push the silicone into a cookie cutter to create a defined shape for the outline of your mold.

    Let it dry for several hours.

    When the silicone hardens up, take out the structure, and your silicone mold is ready for your use.

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    Silicone And Cornstarch Method

    • Object Desired to be Molded

    Silicone and cornstarch can also help you make silicone molds for yourself.

    For this method to work, you need to get construction silicone in a bowl and add twice the amount of cornstarch to the silicone.

    Knead them together until they combine properly. Add more cornstarch if the silicone is still sticky.

    Then roll the silicone and cornstarch mix to a board and place your desired shape in the silicone. You may push the silicone into a cookie cutter to create a defined shape for the outline of your mold.

    Wait for around 20 to 30 minutes for the silicone to dry properly and then take out the item.

    Now your silicone mold is ready for the use. This is a quick method to make silicone molds.

    Make Your Own Silicone Mold The Frame Construction

    • Concentrate on building the frame first. This should completely enclose the object you want to duplicate and be as tight as possible to prevent silicone from passing through. Use a smooth base plate, but no glass. Silicone rubber does not repel glass, so removing it can be a real nuisance. It is therefore also advisable to use smooth wood for the base plate.
    • The base plate is enclosed by four smooth side walls. For these you can also use smooth planed wood or MDF boards. The walls should be about ten millimeters higher than your object. Seal the joints of the mold as far as possible. You can use modelling clay for this. To smooth the joints, use a toothpick or cotton swab.
    • Place your object in the frame with the side to be modelled facing upwards and fix it to the floor, ideally with hot glue, strong double-sided adhesive tape is also possible. The object must not slip under any circumstances when filling the silicone mass. Now the silicone mass is mixed.

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