Post by jmachinder on Apr 1, 2003 19:52:44 GMT -5
A quick guide to mold making: Molds are made up of two parts. 1. The actual mold, which is of a flexible material such as RTV rubber or silicon. 2. The mother mold, which is a hard material, like plastic or plaster. The mother mold surrounds the actual mold and holds it in place during castings.
Molds need to be able to be taken apart after castings and then reassembled for subsequent castings. To satisfy this demand, most molds are in halves, with “keys” to lock them in place during castings. This means that most molds have a total of four parts: two halves of a mother mold and two halves of an actual mold. Each of these four parts must be poured separately, which results in a fairly long process in getting a complete mold.
Here are pictures showing the progress of the molds for Ankoku Daishogun. The head mold is now completed. Because of the horn on the back of the head, I had to make the actual mold into three parts (six parts if you count each mother mold as well). I ran out of one kind of silicon I use (gray) and had to switch over to another kind (blue). Both are fine and it will have no impact in the final product. I used the remainder of the blue silicon I have to make one arm mold. While I’m waiting for more silicon to arrive in the mail, I am cranking ahead on other mother molds. The mother mold for the other arm is done and the big mother mold for the torso should be done in a couple of days.
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/01.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/02.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/03.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/04.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/05.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/06.jpg
Technically, I could start making castings of the legs and head, but I’d really like to move forward on the molding. Casts of individual parts should come next week.
I should have another update at the end of next week.
Tom
Molds need to be able to be taken apart after castings and then reassembled for subsequent castings. To satisfy this demand, most molds are in halves, with “keys” to lock them in place during castings. This means that most molds have a total of four parts: two halves of a mother mold and two halves of an actual mold. Each of these four parts must be poured separately, which results in a fairly long process in getting a complete mold.
Here are pictures showing the progress of the molds for Ankoku Daishogun. The head mold is now completed. Because of the horn on the back of the head, I had to make the actual mold into three parts (six parts if you count each mother mold as well). I ran out of one kind of silicon I use (gray) and had to switch over to another kind (blue). Both are fine and it will have no impact in the final product. I used the remainder of the blue silicon I have to make one arm mold. While I’m waiting for more silicon to arrive in the mail, I am cranking ahead on other mother molds. The mother mold for the other arm is done and the big mother mold for the torso should be done in a couple of days.
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/01.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/02.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/03.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/04.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/05.jpg
www.cooljapanesetoys.com/images/adupdates/06.jpg
Technically, I could start making castings of the legs and head, but I’d really like to move forward on the molding. Casts of individual parts should come next week.
I should have another update at the end of next week.
Tom
