Best Silicone Molds For Epoxy
This will be the most full and interesting list of all kinds of molds for your epoxy craft projects. The average price for a mold or a set of molds is very affordable $5-$15, while all of them are reusable and versatile in terms of used mediums.
For easier navigation I grouped 73 best molds in sections:
Rectangular Epoxy resin mold for tray
The most popular mold for epoxy is tray mold. They are all so different and beautiful, I know! I selected some best trays molds for you, lets start with the traditional rectangle tray.
This trays size is 11.4 × 7.9 × 1.1 inches, and it has versatile use: for jewelry, like a coffee tray for breakfast in bed, or like a hand-made gift for loved ones. This mold is 100% smooth and reusable.
Lets Resin makes the most bestselling molds for resin, and they have a whole set of 9 different sizes of square and rectangle molds. Durable, reusable, and easy to de-mold and clean molds with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Can be used for creating home decoration, coasters, soap, paperweights, etc.
Hands Shaped Tray Silicone Mold
Hands-Shaped Tray Silicone Mold can be used for jewelry storage or as an ashtray. It will be also a very romantic gift for your partner.
Size is 6.2×5.9×2.7inches. Hands made very detailed, and the mold itself is a high-quality silicone reusable mold.
Coaster Resin Molds Set
These molds can be used with various materials, not only epoxy, as they can withstand temperatures from minus 40 to 446 degrees F.
Hexagon coasters
How To Make Silicone Molds Without Template
To make the silicone formable for this type of processing, pour the mixture into a bowl containing a mixture of water and detergent. Then enclose the prepared blank with the now flexible silicone. Make sure to use sufficient mass. If you are too sparing with the silicone at this point, your mold will later become brittle and unstable.
If you want to make a silicone mold in this way, dont forget that the mold must have an opening at the end through which the object can be removed. Alternatively, the mold can be cut open at one point after hardening.
Bilder: Van Rossen / JLORTIZ / shutterstock.com
What Can I Use For Concrete Form Release
Castor oil, or petroleum jelly thinned with kerosene, also are good release agents. Concrete forms, even if they are ground, smoothed and polished, require a release agent to prevent sticking and enable easy stripping. Light colored petroleum oils or oil emulsions or various types have been used successfully.
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Assembling Your Epoxy Form
This is the most important part. Make sure to use fast dry caulk. Even if you arent in a hurry. Silicone or construction adhesive can actually work too well. Making it impossible to take your form apart when youre done. The fast dry caulk will seal it water tight but still come apart easily. Add a bead between the sides and your base. Then brad nail or screw them together. Do the same for all four sides, and dont forget the caulk vertically where you sides meet. Once all four sides are caulked and secured in place with nails or screws, go back and add a bead of caulk on every possible seam. Inside and out. Smooth the caulk out with your finger like you would a bathtub surround. Wetting your finger first will help it go a little smoother. After you are confident you table is aquarium tight, I highly recommend waiting 12-24 hours before pouring your epoxy. The caulk does say 20 min dry time, but I have actually sprung a leak trying to pour in the same day. So I dont risk it anymore.
Can I Use Other Molds
Yes! But your results will vary depending on what the mold is made of, and how well it’s made. The finish on the inside of the mold determines the finish on your cast piece.
Silicone molds work well, but come in a variety of finishes – some rough, others seem smooth but will leave your surface looking cloudy/frosted, some are shiny. You’ll have to experiment to see what you get. You can make your own molds using silicone putty too, which is lots of fun!
You can use any mold that was made for resin casting, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions for which mold release chemicals to use. Avoid thin plastic molds , as resin will stick to that type of plastic and you’ll have difficulty getting your cured pieces out.
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Making A Mold Using Silicone Putty
Silicone rubber mold putty comes in a two-part kit containing two types of putties that are combined in a 1-to-1 ratio to create a mold. Unlike liquid silicone, mold putty is food safe and may be heated in an oven to approximately 400 degrees F depending upon which putty kit is selected .
- Mix equal amounts of both colored-coded putties by hand until no color swirls are evident Note: no need to measure exactly two portions of putty about the same size are close enough
- Efficiently form the putty around the item to be copied taking no longer than two minutes as the working time of mold putty is three minutes total
- Let cure for 25 minutes and remove putty from object
- Allow 24 hours for full cure, or heat-cure in a 350-degree F oven for a half hour
- Voila mold is ready for casting!
Note: While mold putty is food safe – once a mold is used for food – dont use for anything else!
After you have your clay, you will mold the clay around whatever item you have chosen to replicate. Be sure to push the clay into the item filling all air pockets and evening out the clay. This is very important to ensure your mold wont create any weird bumps or abnormalities on your finished product.
Comparison With Natural Woods
MDF does not contain knots or rings, making it more uniform than natural woods during cutting and in service. However, MDF is not entirely isotropic, since the fibres are pressed tightly together through the sheet. Typical MDF has a hard, flat, smooth surface that makes it ideal for veneering, as no underlying grain is available to telegraph through the thin veneer as with plywood. A so-called “premium” MDF is available that features more uniform density throughout the thickness of the panel.
MDF may be glued, doweled, or laminated. Typical fasteners are T-nuts and pan-head machine screws. Smooth-shank nails do not hold well, and neither do fine-pitch screws, especially in the edge. Special screws are available with a coarse thread pitch, but sheet-metal screws also work well. MDF is not susceptible to splitting when screws are installed in the face of the material, but due to the alignment of the wood fibres, may split when screws are installed in the edge of the board without pilot holes.
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Tips For Using Silicone Molds For Casting Resin
Despite being the best mold material for casting resin, silicone can turn messy and difficult if not handled appropriately.
Below are some measures to take when using silicone molds to extend their useful life:
- Keep the mold thoroughly clean. Silicone tends to attract a lot of dust, lint, and particles between uses. To avoid contaminating your casting resin, you should thoroughly clean your mold with a little dish soap and water before pouring resin in it.
- But clean it carefully. Avoid aggressive scrubbing or using any abrasive tools or products that will likely scratch and deform the surface.
- Use release agents. The use of release agents will likely extend the longevity of your silicone mold. New silicone molds are already lined with release agents, but the effectiveness deteriorates after several uses. Add these agents only when you feel the quality of your mold has started diminishing and freeing your pieces is becoming difficult.
- Work on a level surface. Silicone tends to follow the levelness of the surface below it. If your work surface is not uniform, your finished product may turn out that way too. That is despite pouring into a flat even base mold. Be sure that the tabletop or working surface is smooth, even and flat.
- Store with care. Store your clean molds in an organized way on a flat surface. Silicone will permanently warp if stored in a folded or bent orientation.
Jewelry Resin Molds For Organization
Here’s a resin mold kit that has everything to pour handmade storage boxes and accessories for holding jewelry and supplies. This would make such a great gift idea for someone who loves to work with resin.
If you can’t find a perfect mold for your resin ideas, why not try to make your own resin mold with a silicone resin mold making kit? This is an easy to use silicone rubber compound. It features a convenient one-to-one by volume mix ratio so you don’t need to use a scale. This resin silicone making kit has a low viscosity so it is easy with work with and pour.
We hope you found this helpful and you can now pick out your perfect silicone molds for your resin and epoxy resin creations. Have a great day.
MORE HELPFUL RESIN RESOURCES
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Epoxy Resin Alphabet Silicone Molds
If you are looking for resin keychains with initials, these are the silicone molds to use for that. These silicone keychain molds for epoxy resin are smooth and super easy to keep clean. To release the resin all you need to do is wait for it to cure and then push the other side of the mold and resin comes right out.
How Do I Make A Mold Release Agent
Common lubricating substances like petroleum jelly and vegetable oil often do the job at a fraction of the cost of specialty mold release agents. Pour cooking oil into a spray bottle. Do not add more cooking oil than you will use within the next few months. Add a few drops of clove oil to the vegetable oil.
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Working With Epoxy Resin
For working with epoxy resin, the resin and a corresponding hardener are the basic requirements. Depending on which project you want to devote yourself to, other materials such as different color pigments will be added. Often polished silicone molds are also needed. There are practically no limits to creativity when it comes to shaping: Cubes, balls, pyramids, stars, hearts, flowers, coasters and all kinds of figures. Anything is possible and can be filled with epoxy resin to create beautiful works of art or gifts.
In the form of your choice you give the finished epoxy resin mixture. Either we use the mixture crystal clear, or colored with liquid colors or pigments. You can then add various elements such as glitter, stones, shells, flowers, etc. if you wish. After hardening, carefully remove your finished work from the mold.
What Other Materials Can I Cast Epoxy Resin In
Tons of materials resist being bonded to! The above instructions are just my two favorite ways, especially to do it affordably. You can also use melamine, silicone, PVC pipe, Teflon, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, or Mylar.
Be careful when choosing what you use to fit your purpose. Use a bowl made from one of those materials if you want a bowl-shaped mold for something like turning. Use a small plastic box for sealing small items and coasters. Dont be limited to just my two methods.
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How To Pour Resin Into Molds
If you have decided to start working with epoxy resin, then you have landed on the right page. Resin casting can be a fun and relaxing activity. Not to mention the feelings you get when you finish a DIY project and everyone admires it.
I still remember my first piece of art, a necklace with a red carnation embedded inside. Later on, I gave it as a gift to my mother. Not only was she impressed, but she also encouraged me to keep up with my new passion.
From the very first beginning, I wanted to create something unique. Truth be told I failed! And not only once, but three times. And that was because I couldnt find the correct information about everything it means to work with epoxy resin. Thats why I decided to share with you guys some tips & tricks on how to pour the resin into molds. Lets get started!
Epoxy Mold Release How To Use Resin Mold Release Agents
You can use your imagination when dealing with epoxy resin, create any shape you can think of. You can even make shapes and molds of your own, there is no limit to what you can do. The problem comes when you have to release your cured resin from the mold. For this, in many cases, you will need a resin mold release agent. Read on to find out more about the pros and cons of mold release agents and the various ways in which you can use it, especially for use on silicone molds.
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Pour The Composition Into The Molds
With the wooden stick, scrape the resin into the molds and dont hesitate to apply a second or subsequent layer of epoxy until the casting reaches your desired volume. In order to avoid sanding between pours, subsequent pours must be applied when the previous ones have cured to a tacky stage. Let it harden perfectly before adding or sanding the topcoat.
How Do You Keep Resin From Sticking To A Silicone Mold
You will have a few smooth rides with new silicone molds. However, sticky issues start cropping up once the manufacturers releasing agent slowly wears off.
To keep the resin from binding to your mold, you can spray some release agent prior to pouring. Also, do not damage the inner surface while cleaning by avoiding abrasion. Any scuffed spot will stick to your resin.
Even with the best mold material for casting resin on your hands, an uncured resin mix will not let go of the mold. Ensure that your resin is thoroughly mixed and completely cured before pushing it out.
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Can You Make Your Own Silicone Molds
Yes, silicone molds can be customized using existing models, or with blank frames. In most cases, it is efficient and cost-effective to use models since the exact amount of silicon rubber is usually put to use.
Before forgetting to mention, silicone rubber is an expensive product that you cant bear wasting away. As a beginner resin crafter, you are better off using readily made silicone molds.
Substitutes You Can Use In Place Of Commercial Mold Release Agents
Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is best used on plain molds that do not have delicate details. You can easily apply a thin layer to your mold by hand. If you do apply on more detailed molds, the jelly might cover up the finer details, which will then affect the final result.
Mineral or Vegetable Oil
Both these oils make a good mold release agent and can easily be applied with paper toweling. Be careful not to add too much oil, as it could pool. This can be remedied by using the paper towel, which will absorb any access oil.
Spray and Cook
Commonly used when cooking to keep food from sticking to a pan or other cookware. Easily available, spray and cook is a non-stick spray which is excellent to use as a mold release agent. The non-toxic spray will not damage your mold or the resin. Simply remove any residue from your final resin item with a clean cloth.
Talcum Powder
Talcum powder works great as a silicone mold release agent, but on molds that have fewer details. For example, a half-sphere mold or gem-shaped mold. Talcum powder does not work with solid or hard molds or molds with more details. This is because the powder does not cover the mold properly, so it wont prevent the resin from sticking to these areas.
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Different Types Of Resin Molds
Instructions for making a mold with EasyMold Silicone Putty:
Preparing the surface
Since the surface of these wood buttons are rough and porous, we coated them with a sealer. Using a paintbrush, apply a coat of liquid glue over the surface of the wood button.
If the glue settles at the top of the buttonhole, poke it with a toothpick.
Take time ensuring all crevices are coated and then when the glue is dry, turn buttons over and seal the other side. Allow glue to dry fully before proceeding with the silicone putty.
Creating the Mold
EasyMold Silicone Putty has 3 minutes of working time at regular room temperature, which means you need to work quickly. Read the instructions on the packaging prior to starting any resin project.
Mix only enough to make one mold at a time. Measure equal sized amounts of components A & B.
For these 3 long driftwood buttons, my components were each about two tablespoons each.
Quickly knead together the components until it is a uniform color, free of any swirls. This process takes about a minute.
Roll the kneaded components into a ball and then flatten so you have enough to wrap fully around the sides of the driftwood button.
Press putty firmly around the button.
Leave the button inside the mold for about 25 minutes while it cures. Remove the button and the mold is ready to be used!
Were looking forward to making our beautiful coastal-inspired resin buttons.
