Even people who are not familiar with the basics of mold making can easily try their hand at making molds. The trick is to start small and simple and work on the techniques before scaling up with time.
How to make a mold is an art where the learning never ends – the artist is only limited by his or her imagination. Beginner mold makers usually prefer to start off with the single piece block mold which is the simplest mold making technique. As the experience and confidence builds, they can move up to glove molds and other blanket molds that are made by spraying, brushing or pouring the mold making material.
Once the mold maker gets the hang of making single piece molds of simple objects, they can try their hand at making multi-part molds. As the name goes, these molds are made in parts because the model will usually have a complex shape that cannot be molded in its entirety. This calls for complicated challenges like making a parting line, spues, keys and more. The parts are supposed to come together to form the complete mold.
However, the artist can quickly become deft at making multi-part blanket molds which happen to be the most intricate type of molds.
Apart from this, mold makers often devise their own tricks and techniques for making molds. It is with practice that they become proficient and can also come up with unique methods of mold making.
Materials to match the techniques
Mold making is not just about using the right method of mold making. There are various materials that lend themselves well for capturing a negative impression of the model. The choice can range from clay, wax and plaster to alginates, rubbers and resins. The mold maker should use a material that he is familiar with and can do justice to the technique of mold making. Even the material of the model and the casting material to be used later will play a role in the choice of mold making material.
Basics of mold making
Making a mold involves some other simple requirements that can have a bearing on the final quality of the mold. It is important to first seal the model so that the mold making material does not seep into the model or damage it in any manner.
Applying a release agent is also a must as this will enable easy demolding once the mold has set. This should be applied in a thin and even coat and allowed to air dry a bit. Make it too thick and it can distort the fine details of the mold. Also make sure that the release agent does not interfere with the mold making material.
Finally, how to make molds also includes a shell mold. This is basically a secondary mold that is applied over the original mold when it is too flexible to retain its shape. The shell mold will work to reinforce the mold.
Go ahead and revel in the sheer joy of mold making – the journey is a delight in itself!