Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Resin Casting Project 3 and Giveaway: Making Molds

Can you tell which roses were store bought and which were cast at home?
Hey y'all.  It's Sarah.  I've been MIA for a couple of weeks as I've been feeling poorly, but I'm back now and I have one more resin starter kit from the folks at ETI to give away.  Woo-hoo!  All you need to do to win is leave a comment on this post.  You can comment about anything--what you like or don't like about the blog, resin crafting, the weather, your favorite tv show.  I'm not going to be picky this time.

The contest is open to anyone with a U.S. address.  One entry per person.  Be sure to leave us a way to contact you in your comment.  We'll accept entries until Monday, May 2, 2011.  Now, on with the crafting.



We are going to make molds using two great products from ETI's Castin' Craft line:  Easy Mold Silicone Putty and Easy Mold Silicone Rubber.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but they are both great products.  Let's start with the Silicone Putty.
ETI's Castin' Craft Easy Mold Silicone Putty
The greatest advantage of silicone putty is speed.  The greatest disadvantage is refinement.  If you want a crystal clear pour with a smooth finish, this is not the molding product to use.  If refinement or clarity aren't needed, this stuff is fab!  It's food safe and highly portable.
The button on the right was cast from a putty mold.  You can see that the surface is not as smooth as the yellow button cast from a rubber mold.
Let's take a look at just how easy to use this stuff is.
Start by taking equal amounts of part A and part B.
Mix the putty by smooshing the two colors together.
Continue smooshing until you have an uniform color.
Press the item you want to cast into the putty.  Press down evenly.
Let your mold dry for about 30 minutes and peel out the item you are casting.  That's it.  You've made a mold!
The teal roses were cast using a putty mold made from the red button.
Now, let's take a look at use the Easy Mold Silicone Rubber.  I have to admit, I love this stuff.  The detail you get from this stuff is stunning.  The drawback?  It takes 24 hours to dry.  Oh, the torture! It is, however, every bit as easy to use. (Aside:  there are a couple of different molds shown in the pictures.)
Start with a flat bottomed container not much larger than the item(s) you are casting.  Secure your items to the bottom of the container using double stick tape.
Mix equal parts of A and B until you have an uniform color.

Pour rubber into mold.  Do not pour directly onto the items you are casting.  Hold the container from which you are pouring 6-8 inches high to eliminate bubbles.

Now wait.
Once your mold is cured, bust it loose from the plastic container.

Here's the completed mold with the item from which it was cast.

The molds in use.
The finished product...  a casting of a vintage button.
So the question is, why make your own molds?  Let's take another look at the photo from the top of the page:
I purchased the blue and red roses at a bead store.  The cost $2 each.  I can now make as many as I want in whatever colors I want for pennies.  That's why you'd do this.  It's so awesome.

There it is.  I hope to have one more resin post for you before all this is done. Pin It

15 comments:

Crafterella said...

I like making copies for pennies :) I hope your going to talk about finishing resin pieces too, these look great, but some need sanding (I hear) would love to hear more about that!

Lisa M said...

I want to try resin casting! Looks like so much funM

purplecow45 said...

this is new to me, what do you pour into the molds,I am looking forward to trying this

Mommarock said...

So does this mean.. I could make my own buttons?? or would you be making wax items from the mold.. I'd love to make my own buttons.. they are SOOOOOOOO cute.. I love me some buttons all colors and shapes.. okay, I'd love them even if they were wax, but if they were buttons I could use on cool projects.. WAY cooler!

StepThruCrazy said...

I've wanted to try making my own molds for resin, just haven't gotten the materials yet. Oh the possibilities!

Gail said...

I love this and now I want to try resin crafting for my own!! Can you make a "set" of molds to make more than one of the same item at once (for someone who would want to make buttons for instance?) Also, can you use more than one color of resin in a mold at a time or would it just muddy? Is the finished resin product something that could be painted to add some depth or detail?? Do you feel like you are at a crafting inquisition?! ☺

Terri said...

Love your tut. You make it look easy.

Carol said...

LOVE the blog! LOVE free stuff! LOVE prizes!
You two ROCK!!
--Carol

Carleen said...

I'm new to resin crafting. What a great way to save by making my own.

Sara vs. Sarah said...

Hey everyone, great questions! You can use resin in the molds so making your own buttons that are usable is definitely possible. The yellow button that I cast for this post is very usable.

Different colors of resin can be mixed just like paint can be mixed. Check out my marbleized bracelet tutorial for an example. http://sara-vs-sarah.blogspot.com/2011/04/resin-casting-project-2-marbleized.html

Resin can be painted, but will need a fixative. ETI/Castin' Craft makes a wonderful spray resin that works great.

For the roses, I made three molds so I could cast multiple roses at one time. It would make sense to do this with buttons, too.

I think I'll do a separate post on finishing. Thanks everyone for the questions and comments. Good luck in the giveaway!

Suzzy said...

I'm interested in the finishing as well...this tutorial makes me want to cast everything!

Anonymous said...

I think this is sooo interesting!!! I'm a school teacher and I would like to try this on my summer off, and maybe even with my kiddos when August rolls around.

Anonymous said...

I like to make silicone molds and then do a "freeze n fuse" with powdered glass....freeze it in the molds, pop it out and let it air dry, fuse in glass kiln at about 1,300 degrees...glass pendants!

Godhuly said...

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APKFEATURES said...

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