Mold making and Casting products through EnvironMolds, LLC

Not to mention the beautiful art of life casting. Indeed, life casts have emerged as a magnificent mode of creating a three-dimensional reproduction of the live human body. The regular techniques of making molds and casts are used with appropriate skin-safe materials to make body molds and life casts of the face, hands, feet, belly, torso or even the entire body. These are extremely popular for infants, friends, families, pregnant mothers and more. The same is also used for medical prosthetics, special effects, animatronics, etc.

The synthetic materials like polyurethane resin, latex rubber and silicone rubber may be new additions to the fold, but mold making and casting themselves are not contemporary techniques by a long shot. In fact, they date back to the prehistoric times when settlements were being established and agriculture came into being. The primitives slowly developed these processes to fabricate tools, equipment, jewelry and religious artifacts What’s more, the oldest surviving casting of a copper frog dates back to 3200 BC!

With the passage of time, these techniques were applied for making and reproducing artworks, especially sculptures. The introduction of hollow wax casting was the precursor to the highly prized Greek statues and Roman copies made later.

Clay and plaster continued to be the popular medium of making molds and casts down the ages. Gradually, art schools started teaching mold making and casting and used wood or terracotta also to make the molds. This led to the creation of iconic artworks that remain illustrious till date. Simultaneously, they were used for making pottery and ceramics as well.

These age-old processes finally made their way from the homes of royals, aristocrats and art aficionados to the foundries of today. The advent of industrialization witnessed a quick adoption for the mass production of regular objects in a range of styles. Injection molding was introduced in industries and new materials like plastics and polymers also came into being. Everyday items became inexpensive due to lower costs of production.

These techniques were progressively incorporated into the making of complicated automotive parts, equipment, machinery and even structures.

Indeed, from the simple molds and casts of ancient times to two part molds and cold casting for artworks to highly technical and complex processes in industries - mold making and casting have surely come a long way!

The casting procedure will vary depending on the technique used for making the mold. Casting a single piece mold is easier than a multi-part one, but the results will definitely be up to the mark.

The simplest process of mold making is to cover the model with an appropriate mold making material and let it set properly. Once cured and demolded, the covering will reveal a negative impression of the model complete with all the grooves, nooks and other details.

Different techniques of making molds – such as block, blanket, glove, poured, slush, etc. – can be used depending on the type of model and choice of materials. A model that is too floppy, has undercuts or does not have a flat bottom will even require the mold to be made in two or parts, called a multi-part mold.

Irrespective of the method and type of mold, once it is ready it is time to make the positive through the casting process. Here, the actual procedure for casting will vary depending on whether it is a single or multi-part mold.

Single mold casting – Casting in a single piece mold is quite easy. All that the artist has to do is mix the casting material of choice and pour it into the mold. The cast will set in some time and can be demolded before allowing it to cure completely. Care will have to be taken about applying a release agent, eliminating air bubbles and the like. However, the process still remains straightforward and the cast will be ready once it is finished and polished properly.

Multi-part mold casting – Making a mold in two or parts is definitely a complicated and time-consuming process. It follows that the casting process will not be simple either.

The process begins with aligning the different parts of the mold based on the keys. Once the mold comes together properly, it should be secured using heavy-duty bands. Backing boards will also be required in case the mold is flexible.

After securing the mold, the casting material can be mixed and poured into the mold through the sprue or air hole. Care is required again to ensure that the mold is full of the casting material and it reaches every indentation and undercut of the mold. Applying a release agent and eliminating air bubbles is obligatory yet again.

The cast is then allowed to set inside before removing the bands and pulling the mold parts apart. The cast can be removed and allowed to cure further. Cleaning, finishing and painting can be done as needed.

In sum, the techniques for casting in single and two part molds may be a bit different, but the final cast will definitely not leave anything wanting as long as the procedure is properly followed.

Once the cast is ready, it can be displayed or used as planned. Even the mold can be used to make multiple casts if it is not torn down when demolding the cast.

Mold making is not always as easy as ABC. But it’s not like rocket science either. You should know when you need to make a mold in more than one simple part and the intricacies involved in the same.

Making a block mold of a model is a simple and straightforward process. However, there are some models that demand two part molds!

Suppose the model has a protrusion – like a mug with a handle. This will make it difficult to remove the model and later the cast from a single piece mold. Or, if the model has a narrow base when compared to the rest of the body – again, extracting the model becomes tricky. In fact, it is just not possible to get the model out of the mold without breaking it apart!

So, why not make the mold in parts itself?

Indeed, multi-part mold making involves making separate parts of the mold that will come together to form a complete mold. The process begins with forming a parting line on the model. This will divide the piece in such a way that the part to be molded does not have any undercuts that will impede its removal from the mold later on. Most times, two mold parts will do; however, intricate shapes may require three or even more parts.

Next you have to cover the mold till the parting line, so that only the part to be cast is visible. This is usually done using clay. While at it, you will also have to mark sprues and keys on the clay surface along the parting line. The sprue forms the opening for pouring in the casting material while the keys are a set of identical protrusions and indentations that will allow the mold halves to align accurately.

Now make the first half of the mold and once set, remove the clay before making a mold of the other half as well. Later, you can easily separate the two parts to reveal the model inside. The two part mold is ready for casting in the material of your choosing.

For more information on the materials and steps for making two part molds, contact EnvironMolds or check out their website, https://www.artmolds.com.