Mold Making

[Mermaid Alaria]

We have so many amazing artists on this network, and I'd like to gather some of the Yay! and Nay! experiences from you all when it comes to molding silicone. I am a very cautious person and I've been stalking all the threads where these things have been discussed. *Cough Pearlie, Keris and Seavanna*...

So...

Molding fins and flukes. I'm looking for pictures, sob stories, success stories, magical combos, favorite products etc. Hit me with it please! I want to make really educated choices, and I cannot begin to duplicate the skill that has been built up over years by so many of you!

Has anyone used oomoo rather than a rigid resin to create a fluke mold?

[ShyKaiju]

Oomoo is a wonderful material, however it is tin cure silicone and will inhibit any sort of platinum cure silicone. If you use oomoo, you will end up with a very expensive mess!

The rule of thumb when making molds is to look at your end goal. If you are wanting to cast resin, you use a pliable mold. If you want to cast a pliable object, you use a rigid mold.
If you're wanting to use a silicone mold in place of resin, I would look at rebound 25. It's a really nice brush on platinum cure. The only problem with silicone and silicone is that you need to make sure the entire mold has mold release on it, or the dragonskin and rebound will fuse! And the life of your rebound mold will only last about 4-7 pulls.

Dragonskin is really easy to work with because of its 1:1 ratio. I really hate using things that are like 1:4/1:10/
So as long as your measurements are the roughly the same, the DS will cure just fine. Just STIR STIR STIR!

[PearlieMae]

Oomoo is a wonderful, however it is tin cure silicone and will inhibit any sort of platinum cure silicone. If you use oomoo, you will end up with a very expensive mess!

The rule of thumb when making molds is to look at your end goal. If you are wanting to cast resin, you use a pliable mold. If you want to cast a pliable object, you use a rigid mold.
If you're wanting to use a silicone mold in place of resin, I would look at rebound 25. It's a really nice brush on platinum cure. The only problem with silicone and silicone is that you need to make sure the entire mold has mold release on it, or the dragonskin and rebound will fuse!

"If you are wanting to cast resin, you use a pliable mold. If you want to cast a pliable object, you use a rigid mold."

THIS! :clap:

Also...don't cheap out! If you are going to pinch pennies, do it with the shells or fake greenery for your hairclips, etc. Save up to use the best materials for making your tail and that includes the molds, not just the end product. It's false economy to do otherwise and you'll regret it in the long run.

Also also: PROTOTYPE EVERYTHING!

[ShyKaiju]

Also! Sorry Mold making is actually my life, so I point out a lot of things! ahaha

If you make your resin mold, and decide to go with latex or tin cure scales for a cheaper 'prototype' You will NOT be able to make Plat cure silicone tails in that same mold. There will be residue left behind by the latex/tin cure that you will not be able to see/feel but it will possibly inhibit curing of your DS. I've had varied results using alcohol to clean my molds, but with such a large surface area and undercuts from scales, I personally wouldn't risk it. It might cure, or it might end up a big goopy mess.

Same thing goes for gloves, Latex is bad for anything plat cure! Nitrite gloves work just fine~

[Mermaid Alaria]

Thank you so much ShyKaiju and PearlieMae! This is just the sort of troubleshooting all the beginners need. Bless your fins!

[Merman Lir]

this is excellent advice! I am making a latex tail right now, but i hope to possibly go to silicone in the future, so for my latex "for now" mold i did a small plaster mold. (meaning I will piece together several small sheets instead of one big one) later I will make a full scale sheet mold for the silicone. I didn't want to make a large mold twice because of the cure inhibition!

[ShyKaiju]

You're very welcome!

[Merman_Shawn]

Oooh! I have questions too if nobody feels like I'm highjacking the thread.
When using craft foam scales and shell shock to create a mold, is Ease Release 200 an acceptable mold release to use(if I plan on casting in silicone)?
Also I've heard mention that I would need to seal the foam before I brush/pour Shell Shock on it. What would I use to seal it?

[ShyKaiju]

I'm in the process of making a foam scale sheet so I don't have direct knowledge yet :P
But, ease release is an amazing release agent, and it a-ok with the use of plat silicone.

I am planning on sealing my foam with mod podge/ mold release before doing shellshock, along with filling any gaps so I don't have major rip outs of foam that I have to clean out later *lazy*

I'm sure others could chime in with scale experience beyond me.

[cletusk20]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone attempted using gelcoat and fiberglass for molding silicone. Was curious because I got 2 gallons leftover from a boat repair and it has a short shelf life.

[Mermaid Clara]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone attempted using gelcoat and fiberglass for molding silicone. Was curious because I got 2 gallons leftover from a boat repair and it has a short shelf life.
I made my scale sheet molds and my first fluke mold out of fiberglass. make sure to use it outside because that smell is super strong and be sure to use a mold release.

[ShyKaiju]

Fiberglass is pretty standard mold making supplies. Silicone won't stick to it, and plat cure will cure on it as long as whatever you use to sculpt doesn't contain sulfur/latex/tin cure silicone.

Just make sure to get a really nice gel coat or you might not have a lot of detail. Fiberglass is heavier than resin, so you'll have a blast trying to move your molds haha. It's lighter than hydrocal though haha
Sorry big picture! But we use fiberglass on top of silicone quite often.

https://d.facdn.net/art/monstermoxie/1406394029/1406394029.monstermoxie_btroyu3caaaspfr.jpg_large. jpg

[OceanRose]

I have a couple of sob stories :cry:
So, if you use craft foam for your scales, don't use wax release or it will soak in and crust up ....

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt204/ladystarkitten1/331%20Copy_zpsgd4rjsoe.jpg (http://s612.photobucket.com/user/ladystarkitten1/media/331%20Copy_zpsgd4rjsoe.jpg.html)

When this happened to me I removed it all with Vaseline and cottonwool tips and it took a long time.
After that I used the Vaseline as a release, and poured epoxy resin ... and it was great, no problems :-)

Probably the biggest fail I had was with my fluke mold. I only had a 5lb monsterclay, so I tried to scrimp by using cables and a cut up hose underneath as ridges.

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt204/ladystarkitten1/001%20Copy_zpsnmedkigb.jpg (http://s612.photobucket.com/user/ladystarkitten1/media/001%20Copy_zpsnmedkigb.jpg.html)


I thought the weight of the clay would be enough to hold them down, but with the heat produced from epoxy resin curing, they all popped up like this (even though the pour was not thick)...

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt204/ladystarkitten1/075%20Copy_zpsrrqxoozx.jpg (http://s612.photobucket.com/user/ladystarkitten1/media/075%20Copy_zpsrrqxoozx.jpg.html)

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt204/ladystarkitten1/074%20Copy_zps9xgxyhwo.jpg (http://s612.photobucket.com/user/ladystarkitten1/media/074%20Copy_zps9xgxyhwo.jpg.html)

A few more popped up after I took the photo and so we pulled them out. It was a disaster and unfixable. I cried about it for a week and still haven't found time or money to attempt another yet.
So hopefully this illustrates how resin can heat up, and can ruin carefully moulded clay.

[OceanRose]

(Btw I did glue the cables down, but it was with hot glue and it wasn't a strong hold obviously lol)

[ShyKaiju]

What did you use to glue down the scales?

That's so awful! I was thinking about using tubes in my fluke for a secret drainage system. I might rethink that now! :P

[OceanRose]

Lol! if they are secured strongly enough it would be ok though. I used hot glue (from a hot glue gun).
I've seen other clay which gets melted from the heat resin produces when curing ... to anyone reading this, definitely be careful!


Edit: Sorry ShyKaiju I didn't see your question ... to glue down the foam scales I used PVA glue :-)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I actually just made a huge tutorial on how to make a fibreglass mould of your fluke, you can find the first part at the end of my tail making thread here (second part coming soon)!
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?t=11014

[OceanRose]

Kate, I was just watching your video and about to link it here!! Thank you wow I really wish I watched that before I did mine, will have to use gelcoat next time for sure.

[Mermaid Alaria]

I am so excited by all this collaboration! Keep these wonderful learning experiences coming! <3 <3

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Finished the second part now, both are now in their own thread:
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?t=11797
Hope this helps :)

[Trident True]

when it comes to tail making, there are things to consider...... time, money, PATIENCE and lots of love for the work. in regards to materials this will depend if its a one of thing or something that you wish to keep for years. eg I use plaster for my molds its good Quality and when I create my molds I create them thick so breaking isn't an issue for me. each to their own on what materials you use. ALWAYS< ALWAYS do process work BEFORE attempting large scale models to ensure that the materials are suitable for the job. try to premeditate everything if you can. have all the necessary products in front of you. (you don't wanna be like me running around going, fuck wheres such and such) when doing something that you have very little time with.

Take your time when measuring Quantities of silicone and catalyst... check them 3 times if you have to.
Always Measure YOUR CUP OR BOWEL before you add any silicone... pouring large quantities of silicone can take a while and sometimes the SCALES WHICH off.
Silicone does not stick to plaster or inhibit cure

keep calm when really doing aything, if you stress things don't go so well.

ALWAYS PROTOTYPE AND TEST this really is the best solution.


CHECK YouTube there are tooooo many vids on there on how to make tails.. you could follow one of these tutorials also.

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[Nikita25]

We have so many amazing artists on this network, and I'd like to gather some of the Yay! and Nay! experiences from you all when it comes to molding silicone. I am a very cautious person and I've been stalking all the threads where these things have been discussed. *Cough Pearlie, Keris and Seavanna*...

So...

Molding fins and flukes. I'm looking for pictures, sob stories, success stories, magical combos, favorite products etc. Hit me with it please! I want to make really educated choices, and I cannot begin to duplicate the skill that has been built up over years by so many of you!

Has anyone used oomoo rather than a rigid resin to create a fluke mold?
Using Oomoo for molding fins and flukes can be a viable option, especially for those who prefer a more flexible https://zumbaliciouscrew.com/en/zumba-for-beginners/ mold. Oomoo is a silicone rubber compound that is easy to use and produces accurate, detailed molds. Here are some considerations and experiences from fellow artists:


Flexibility: Oomoo creates flexible molds, which can be advantageous for demolding delicate or intricate parts without causing damage. This flexibility allows for easy removal of the casted fins or flukes.
Ease of Use: Oomoo is known for its user-friendly nature. It typically requires mixing two parts together in equal proportions and pouring the mixture over the object to be molded. After curing, the mold is ready for casting.
Durability: While Oomoo produces flexible molds, they may not be as durable as molds made from rigid resin. Depending on the frequency of use and the casting materials used, Oomoo molds may wear out more quickly over time.
Detailed Molds: Oomoo is capable of capturing fine details, ensuring that the molds reproduce the intricate features of the fins and flukes accurately.
Cost-Effectiveness Oomoo is often more affordable than some rigid resin alternatives, making it a budget-friendly option for artists who are experimenting or working on smaller projects.
Compatibility with Casting Materials It's essential to ensure that the casting materials you plan to use are compatible with Oomoo. Some materials may require specific release agents or surface treatments to prevent sticking or distortion.


Overall, many artists have had success using Oomoo for molding fins and flukes, appreciating its flexibility, ease of use, and ability to capture fine details. However, it's essential to consider factors such as durability and compatibility with casting materials before making a decision. Experimentation and practice can help refine techniques and achieve the desired results.