Mold making owes its existence to the Dark Ages. The techniques have been refined over the centuries and are in use all around us. Casting is a step up on mold making and delivers an exact reproduction.
The history of mold making and casting dates back to thousands of years ago. When humans first started settling down into communities, they devised ways and means to make life easy for themselves. They needed tools, equipment and other things and this is when the story of making a mold and cast originally started.
Molds and casts were used not just for making tools but utensils and other paraphernalia for daily life which even extended to religious artifacts and jewelry. In fact, most of the things we use and see around us owe their existence to mold making and casting.
Mold making has as many different uses as methods and even materials that can be used to make the mold. Children love to play with clay and wax to make molds of small items, toys and other things. The identical negative impression thrills them no end.
Artists draw on the same techniques of mold making for making reproductions of picture frames, sculptures, masks and other items. Manufacturing industries also draw on mold making for making everything from toothbrushes and razors to electronics and automobiles. Then others are involved in making molds for preserving fossils, animal skin for taxidermy and even body parts for prosthetics. It comes into play in special effects, animatronics and the like as well.
Body molds is also a branch of mold making; but this involves working on the live human body to make a negative impression of the face, hands, feet or even the entire body.
Specialized materials like plaster, resins, latex rubber, thermoset rubber, silicone rubber and even sand are used to make different types of molds. Skin safe alginate is usually preferred for body molds. The techniques vary from block and blanket molds to glove and injection molding. The mold can be made in one go or in different parts depending on the shape and detailing of the model.
The mold or body mold – as the case may be – is then used for casting. The hollow mold is filled with the casting material and allowed to cure. The end result will be an exact reproduction of the original. Most of the molds can be used repeatedly to make hundreds of reproductions and many of them can be stored for later use as well.
EnvironMolds is a literal treasure trove when it comes to mold making, casting and life casting. It features a range of materials, supplies and tools that are of top quality, safe and reasonably priced too. Along with this, there are instructional materials on how to make a mold, cast and life cast. They also offer personal tips and guidance for beginners and can even help you in setting up a mold making or life casting business.