| Tip 1. Start small, start simple, it’s reusable.
Everyone wants to start out with an action figure, hollowed out double
sided figurine, or thin walled toy motorcycle. Go for it. You Can duplicate
almost anything. But we recommend doing this as your second or third mold,
not as your first mold. Remember, ComposiMold is re-usable, so you don’t
have to worry about messing up. You can always re-melt and start again.
That’s surprisingly hard for some people to grasp, as they have been so
engrained to think of silicone mold making or even plaster molds where you
only have one chance to make a mold. No, that is absolutely, not the case
with ComposiMold or ImPRESSive Putty. You can make as many molds as you
like. So start simple, find success, and build up to advanced mold making
techniques.
So what do we mean by starting simple? Look for (or you can
make with Plasticine or polymer clay or wood) a piece for your first mold
that has a flat side. This is called a relief sculpture. It doesn’t have to
be completely flat. It could be tall or short as long as one side is flat
surface to it so you can set it into a simple mold box such as a cup or
container. Also, look for pieces that don’t have thin protrusions coming
off at different angles, and don’t start with extremely contorted shapes.
You can definitely mold it, but it will take some practice, which is why
simpler shapes are create a nice solid mold making experience.
2. Adhere your bottom to the bottom:
There’s one thing that even the expert mold makers still forget to do when
you’re in a hurry making a mold. The number one mistake that occurs when
making molds with ComposiMold is not adhering your part to the bottom of
your mold box. Lightweight parts will float. I still make this mistake,
typically when I’m trying to make a really quick mold and trying to take a
short cut. Plastic floats, so adhere it to the bottom of your container. If
your part floats in water, it will float in ComposiMold. To adhere it, hot
glue it to the bottom of the container. You can also hold down smaller
objects with polymer clay or double sided tape. For big objects, you can
screw the part down to the bottom. Another way to hold your part down is to
pour a little ComposiMold around your part while it is in the mold box, let
that solidify, and after it has solidified, pour more ComposiMold. The
first ComposiMold will hold the part in place.
3. No Boiling and pour cool:
Here’s a tip for melting ComposiMold and ImPRESSive Putty. Don’t let the
mold making materials boil too much as it will degrade the mold making
materials over time. Also, overheating the ComposiMold creates bubbles in
your ComposiMold. We give recommended times for melting the material in the
microwave, but of course, every microwave is a little different so start
with short intervals of 30 seconds to a minute until you understand how
it’s going to melt. You can also melt in a double boiler or chocolate
melter. That’s a little slower, but will allow you to control the
temperature easier. If you do boil the ComposiMold, don’t worry too much,
you can let the ComposiMold cool slowly, or even better is to keep the
ComposiMold warm so it stays melted and the bubbles will rise up and out,
and you can still make awesome molds.
When making a ComposiMold mold, you want to typically pour
the ComposiMold OVER your part. You don’t want to place your part into the
ComposiMold. By pouring the ComposiMold over your part, you’ll get fewer
bubbles stuck under your part and you’ll typically get nicer molds.
MELTING ComposiMold: To melt, heat the ComposiMold to 130
degrees F. (Do not exceed 200 degrees F). This can be done in a double
boiler or a microwave. When heating in the microwave start with short
intervals of 30 seconds. The 6oz. container should take about 45 seconds to
fully melt.
After melting, stir the ComposiMold gently to let the
temperature equilibrate and cool before pouring your mold. It’s perfect
when it has a warm honey-like consistency at (130 F-140 F).
4. Use Bubble Buster and look for bubbles in the
cracks: Now in many cases, you will still have bubbles form while making
the mold. This is going to happen no matter what mold making material you
use. The nice things about ComposiMold is 1. You can see the bubbles, and
2. You can get rid of the bubbles. We have a lot of tips of how to remove
bubbles, and we’ve made a separate video just on this topic, so please watch that video
for more details, but here are the key tips:
1. Use Bubble Buster
2. Pour ComposiMold when it is cool, but still a liquid. It
will be thicker, but fewer bubbles will form. It will still pick up All the
details.
3. Use a paperclip to pull bubbles away from the surface of
your original. You don’t have to pop the bubbles, just pull them away from
the surface…This is especially important where there are undercuts, or in
crevices where the bubbles get stuck.
5. Don’t worry about the spill:
Here’s another tip: You will probably spill ComposiMold or get ComposiMold
on your fingers or clothing at some point. Don’t panic. In most cases, just
let ComposiMold cool and peel it away and re-use it. It’s still good. You
can also wash ComposiMold away with hot soapy water. If you have it on your
fingers, let it cool and pull it off.
Some people have suggested cutting up ComposiMold before
melting it. You can, but you don’t need to. It melts fine either way. But
here’s a small tip, you don’t need to melt all of it every time. If you
only need a small amount, then just melt it a little. If you need more,
melt more. You can mix it together. Even ComposiMold that has partially
hardened can be mixed with more ComposiMold. If you are pouring ComposiMold
on to other ComposiMold that has already hardened and you want it to stick,
just melt it a little with a hot air gun, heat gun, before pouring the
other ComposiMold on top.
6. The Container will crash, the ComposiMold won’t: Now
the container that ComposiMold comes in IS microwavable, but it will fall
apart well before the ComposiMold does, so just place the ComposiMold in a
microwavable container like a Tupperware dish. Keep it covered, and it will
be good for a long, long time.
7. Store your molds in a cool dry place in a Ziploc: How
to keep your molds. Sometimes you make a mold that you want to keep. You
can. Just cover your mold by placing it in a Ziplock bag or other sealed
container, keep it in a cool, dry place, and it should last you several
years with no problems. And of course, you can re-melt it anytime you like.
8. Fix a mold with a heat gun: You
can patch a hole in a mold by melting some ComposiMold and brushing it over
the hole. This works really well if you place your original in the mold
while you are fixing the whole. You can melt the ComposiMold with a hot air
gun.
9. Clean your mold with a cold, wet wash cloth: Use
a cold wet wash cloth and wipe away any particles. If you need to, rinse it
under cold water and then make sure it has time to dry out. Make sure it is
dry or it will be slightly sticky. If it is sticky, you may need to re-melt
and re-make the mold. It will be fine after that. If you are using non-food
casting materials, you can also filter the ComposiMold through cheese cloth
or a medium or large hole paint filter. Don’t try to filter the ComposiMold
through a coffee filter. It won’t go through.
ComposiMold’s greatest advantage is its reusability. All you
have to do is remelt your mold and pour a new one!
And have fun. That’s why we’re here. |
