Mold making and Casting products through EnvironMolds, LLC

EnvironMolds Premium Latex Casting Rubber is a consummate liquid latex formulation that serves well for varied applications. It can be used to make masks and other hollow items with different methods.

Liquid latex rubber is a popular material in the world of mold making and casting. It is tough, durable and tear resistant, apart from being an economical product. It is commonly used to make different types of molds for casting plaster, resin and other materials. The same material can also double up as a casting product, albeit in a less viscous form.

In fact, latex casting rubber is a popular theatrical product to create special effects like wrinkles, scars and gashes. It is also used to make all kinds of masks and other thin skin products.

EnvironMolds Premium Latex Casting Rubber is an exceptional casting rubber specifically formulated for making hollow molded rubber articles, toys and flexible props. It lends itself well for making masks, puppet heads, imitation pottery and display articles. It is especially useful for creating general special effects for film, television and stage work. Furthermore, the same product is considered appropriate for coating and texturing foams such as polystyrene, especially for special effects applications.

On the other hand, artists usually pour the latex casting rubber directly into the mold. The mold is filled till the brim and the latex is allowed to sit for some time post which the rubber is poured back into its original container. A thin layer of latex clings to the sides and base of the mold. This sets like a skin overnight and can be demolded easily. This method is commonly used for making masks.

Apart from this, you can also simply dip the mold into the latex to form a coating. Each coat has to be allowed to dry before dipping again to build up the required thickness. In fact, EnvironMolds Premium Latex Casting Rubber serves well for dip casting and can be used to form a protective coating on tools.

These latex casts cannot be finished with regular paints as it will tend to chip, crack or peel away. Special latex paints and dyes are available. These can be added to the rubber before starting the casting process or painted on the cured surface later on.

Moreover, you can also use a filler and extender like RubRfil to control the level of flexibility of the latex rubber cast. In case the liquid latex is too viscous for a particular application, mixing the requisite quantity of RubRfil will thicken the rubber and render it less flexible, hard or even very hard. This also serves to extend the quantity of the material.

EnvironMolds Premium Latex Casting Rubber, RubRfil, latex pigments and other materials can be easily sourced from https://www.artmolds.com

 Making a front torso cast can seem intimidating at first. However, it is the easiest life casting that can be tackled by beginner life casting artists as well. Let’s find out what lies in store….

A front torso casting can seem like a tall order because of the bigger dimensions involved. However, this is one of the easiest life castings as the body surface from neck to mid-section will be broad and mostly even, with hardly any undercuts. In fact, novice life casting artists often prefer to begin with torso casting before moving on to more complicated life casts like face and full body.

Yet, care is required when working on a living, breathing person. The model should be carefully briefed about what lies in store and warned about the issues like staying stationary, application of mold material, mold getting entangled in the body hair, waiting for the mold to set and so on.

The key to making a good torso cast lies in the posing. The model has to pose in a standing position, preferably propped up against a board or the wall for support. The pose can be a slightly leaning one to reveal the muscle tone, arms spread-eagled or on the sides of the waist. Women usually prefer to pose with hands on their breasts or encircling the belly in case of a pregnancy casting.

Once the model has been prepped, the body mold making process begins with applying petroleum jelly or other release agent all over the torso. Then apply a couple of layers of the alginate mix to form a thick and even coat. This alginate is skin safe and will not harm the model or the artist. It sets quickly and will capture all the fine details as well.

Once the alginate mold has set, it is covered with plaster bandages. The bandages are soaked in water and squeezed before applying on the alginate mold in a crisscross fashion. This will form a shell mold that supports the alginate and helps it retain the shape.

Allow the plaster mold to dry properly. Once it has set, the body mold can be easily demolded by loosening the edges with the fingertips. It will lift away easily and can then be cast with plaster or other choice of casting material. The casting should be done quickly as the alginate is likely to shrink on exposure to air.

Why should artists rely on guesswork about the quantity or volume of materials required for making a mold or cast? EnvironMolds provides a Volume Calculator that throws up the exact amount needed.

There’s a lot of planning and coordination that goes into making a mold or cast. The artist has to not only choose the most suitable technique and material for making the mold/cast, but also assemble the requisite mold making or casting materials, supplies, tools and equipment.

For instance, making a block mold with silicone rubber will require plastic cups, gram scale, mixing sticks, electric mixer, mold box, release agent, glue gun, vacuum chamber and pump, gloves, knife, silicone rubber, etc.

While the artists pay careful attention to the requirements and collect the items before commencing the project, they rely on eyeball estimations for the amount of material they need to purchase or mix. For instance, if the artist mixes much more silicone rubber than actually required, the extra rubber will have to be thrown away – a sheer waste of money and resources. And if the rubber falls short, it will entail extra work of mixing more material or even rushing to the store to buy some more. The delay can even cause the artist to leave the project midway or if continued, mar the quality of the mold.

Newbie mold makers and casting artists are especially flummoxed about the amount of material they should use.

EnvironMolds comes to the rescue with a handy volume calculator on its website https://www.artmolds.com/volume-calculator. All the artist has to do is measure the dimensions of the mold box and model before feeding them in the calculator. A square or rectangular box requires the height, width and depth while cylindrical ones need the radius and height. The same rule applies for rectangular and cylindrical models respectively. Undercuts in the model can be ignored and the maximum outside dimensions will do.

This will throw up the net volume of the box, the model and finally the material needed. The calculator goes a step further and converts the net volume into the exact amount of rubber, plaster or resin required in grams or fluid ounces, as applicable.

For those who are looking for more detailed information on how to make molds and casts, EnvironMolds provides instructional books, videos, website links and blog posts as well.