Author Topic: Making Molds Cheap and Easy  (Read 12855 times)

Offline RollaJedi

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Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« on: August 17, 2007, 11:08 AM »
Hey all!

Sorry I've been away so long but I've taken over the duties of Zookeeper/Admin at www.coreplanets.com (yeah, shameless plug, I know). 

Anyways, I just had to let you all in on a new source material I've been using now that allows me to make great molds and it costs almost NOTHING hardly!  What is it you ask!?  None other than Hot Melt Glue!  All you need to do is create a wall around your part you want to cast (your master).  I do this with lego blocks on a lego base.  Now, I use a substance I found at walmart called 'Goo Gone Extreme' (its about 3-4 bucks for a very large container) and I douse the inside of my walls and the flooring with this stuff.  I also put this on my master as well.  What this stuff does is prevents the glue from actually sticking and bonding to the legos and master.  Hot melt glue is VERY potent in terms of sticking, mainly because hot melt glue is really liquid plastic and vinyl. 

You'll need a glue gun for the next step, and these can range from 2 bucks to over 50 bucks for a really good one.  I have an el cheapo $1.97 pink glue gun I grabbed at wm and it works just fine.  I use high temp glue sticks (which I got a bag of these for 1.50 at wm too) and fill the 'box' you just made up.  Now, for bigger boxes, I suggest getting a bigger gun that will take a bigger glue stick.  Mainly because the short ones harden up faster and you have to constantly reload.

Now, you do just like you would in other molding situations and put the master about half way into the hot glue (REMEMBER TO DOUSE YOUR MASTER WITH THE GOO GONE!).  Put some tiny balls or something around the master as well halfway in so you have a locking device.  What I do is I have some of those mardi gras beaded necklaces that people throw in parades.  You can get them ultra cheap too.  I just tear off the beads and they are the perfect size.

Now wait till the glue has hardened back into the semi rubbery plastic form and douse the master, box, and top of the glue again with the goo gone.  Oh, and pull the beads out too.  You are done with them.

Now, shoot more glue on top of the master and glue mold.  Wait till it hardens, then seperate the two halves.  There, you have your mold!  If things are not coming apart, you need to use more goo gone.  Trust me, the hot glue will bond to your items without this stuff!  Its a real b*tch to get off too!

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Offline Smartypants1635

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2007, 07:23 PM »
ummm Well that can eat at plastic, So that really isnt a great way. It'll work in a pinch, but I wouldnt do that for most casts.

Offline Glassman6

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2007, 10:31 PM »
Wouldnt the goo gone remove the paint on the original?
Thats what i use it for, getting paint and glue off my hands. 
Just a thought.

Offline patreektherodian

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2007, 03:07 PM »
the hot glue doe not melt the master?  I got 2nd degrre burns once.

Offline RollaJedi

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2007, 10:18 AM »
glassman, so far I havent had any problem with it taking any paint off.  If you are unsure, try it on a junk figure like i did to begin with.  I have the corps figure I test on here and there isnt anything missing paint wise. 

The hot glue wont melt the master at all.  I do recommend not touching it though! :D
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Offline RollaJedi

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2007, 02:02 PM »
actually, I'm trying something new as a release agent.  I'm going to get some 'embossing ink'.  Its clear and it works well on hot glue I've heard.  People that make rubber stamps use this.
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Offline RollaJedi

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2007, 09:32 AM »
ok, the lady I've been talking to that does all of her work with hot glue says that the best release agent to use with hot glue is actually glycerine, readily available in walmart's pharmacy.  I'm going to try this i think.
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Offline patreektherodian

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2007, 12:07 PM »
we need some pics of this

Offline Ruprecht

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2007, 02:20 PM »
I concur, PICS or GTFO!   :P

Offline Glassman6

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2007, 02:23 PM »
glycerine, readily available in walmart's pharmacy.

This doesnt sound cheap and easy anymore... By the time you do all this, arent you pretty much paying what the rtv/silicone costs?

I dont know cause i have not used this method, but i have used a hot glue gun for lots of other stuff. So if it works for you Rolla do your thing. I just think by the time you get the glue gun, sticks, glycerine, you could of spent $26 for RTV.

But i cant argue with the ease of your method, it has to be easier than the RTV process. But i think the RTV will yield way better results... ya dig?
« Last Edit: August 23, 2007, 08:20 PM by Glassman6 »

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2007, 02:23 PM »
Mixing gasoline and vaseline is the best way to make a "release agent" at home.  Thin vaseline down with just a LITTLE gas.  It doesn't harm plastic and it is essentially what a release agent is.  Just get the vaseline thin enough so you're not losing detail basically.

I've tinkered with hot glue in the past to do casts...  The problems I encountered are these:

-Loses some detail
-Air Bubbles tough to deal with (if you get them)
-mold tends to break down quicker (more like dealing with Latex than RTV)

It can work for some things, I find though it works less positive for others though.  Like I would say you could cast a cargo box or something that lacks great detail and it'd work, but a head it loses some of the detailing.
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Offline patreektherodian

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2007, 10:45 AM »
Ah man next we are going to hear about mixing Gasoline with styrophone and BOOM! you got napalm!!   LOL

Offline RollaJedi

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2007, 11:11 AM »
well, I guess I must have somehow lucked out on my first molds.  My latest ones have been utter crap actually.  I can see this isnt going to be beneficial to me at all and I probably will go back to the silicone molds.  I just thought I'd try something new and perhaps quicker/cheaper.  I will say though that I have had more luck with making a push mold with this stuff though.  Of course, I rarely ever use push molds.  Oh well.  Ya cant blame me for tryin!  :D
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Offline patreektherodian

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2007, 12:51 AM »
Get this for a laugh. I actually tried using a caulking gun.......    no comment.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Making Molds Cheap and Easy
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2007, 01:53 AM »
Silicone caulking would really work semi-well actually.  It's just RTV silicone like 2-part liquid stuff, mostly...  I've used some GE-Silicone-II in the past in a squeeze-tube actually.  Depending on how carefully you use it, it does produce a decent mold...  It's not the quality of regular silicone mold material mostly due to the gel-like consistency before it sets, but it is something one can use for relatively simple molds once you get the hang of it, for a fair price too.  Easy to get at Lowes...  Not a bad choice on stuff, you just can't pour it.
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