What are young people like?
To create realistic flowers from artificial materials, 2 types of molds are used. These include:
- Silicone;
- Plastic.
Each product model has its own advantages and disadvantages during operation. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Silicone models
Silicone product models are made from a special composition, which, after hardening, is distinguished by its flexibility and ductility. The external appearance of such equipment is a bit like children's modeling kits.
Silicone compounds allow you to create not only voluminous and simple bas-reliefs, but also allow you to obtain unusual three-dimensional figures. Molds from this material are often used to create culinary delights. Thanks to him, it is possible to make beautiful flowers from sugar mastic.
Silicone ones are used to create sweets, fruit jelly and marzipan. The plasticity of this material allows you to carefully remove the finished product without damaging its edges.
Silicone molds are used for the production of candles, soap and various plaster figures. Experienced craftsmen prefer to choose these products when creating complex flower arrangements.
Thanks to this device, they manage to display all the beauty and texture of blanks made of polymer clay or foamiran.
Plastic mold
This model of equipment is made of polymer compounds. They are used for industrial purposes. They are used to create children's toys, interior decoration and the food industry.
For the manufacture of molds, non-toxic types of polymer resins are used, which do not emit a pungent odor after hardening. In addition, when working with a hot solution, they do not change their color.
In cooking, plastic molds are used to create sweets, fruit jelly and other confectionery delights. You can purchase such products in any supermarket or specialized culinary department.
What are they for?
Epoxy resin is a viscous, fluid substance, and when a special hardener is added to it, it will begin to harden. Typically, when working with epoxy resin, molds are used. Translated, this name means the concept of “imprint”. Jewelry resin is a sticky substance that adheres to most base materials. The viscous substance does not stick only to some surfaces, such as rubber, plasticine, plaster, plexiglass, as well as polyethylene and polypropylene.
Silicone is considered the most convenient material to work with. These molds have smooth walls, which makes it easy to remove already frozen decorations from the mold. At the end of the work, the products only require minor sanding. Epoxy resin molds are often chosen for making jewelry or souvenirs. They are not used for pouring flat surfaces such as tables or floors; in this case, pouring is carried out into formwork.
Craftsmen who professionally make original jewelry from epoxy resin usually have various shapes. Considering that making them yourself reduces the cost, many people prefer to make them themselves, especially if a lot of products are produced.
Molds are also used for casting garden figurines, souvenirs or unbreakable toys. To make such crafts, you can use a homemade mixture consisting of silicone sealant and starch. Inexperienced craftsmen may encounter difficulties when choosing a material. It is advisable to purchase a two-component composition; this will allow you to carry out the work within an hour, which is quite enough even taking into account the adjustments.
For work, starch, sealant and acrylic paint are used. This mass hardens very quickly. The time to create the craft is about 30 minutes. The resulting mass is pleasant to the touch and velvety. If it is necessary to increase the time for hardening of crafts, it is advisable to use glycerin or fatty cream.
How to work with mold?
Before you start creating flower arrangements or interior decor, you need to properly prepare additional equipment for use. Its surface must be dry.
The presence of a drop of moisture can spoil the workpiece and contribute to its deformation during the drying process. If water gets on a foamiran part, it can cause streaks.
The inside of the mold must be treated with rich cream or mineral oil. Such manipulation will allow you to easily remove the workpiece for its further use. When working with food products, olive oil or butter is used as a lubricant.
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Necessary materials
Pouring plastic into a mold Before starting pouring, it is necessary to prepare the materials that will be used in the process.
First of all, you need to have silicone. It is from this that the mold is made into which the plastic will subsequently be poured. Silicone sealant, which is low in cost, is suitable. However, for creating plastic products, it is better to choose a two-component product. This substance was originally produced for the manufacture of molds
You should pay special attention to the viscosity of the material - the lower it is, the better the pouring will occur.
The material for filling is plastic. When choosing it, you need to focus on the service life and, as in the previous case, on the viscosity parameter. The term of work means the time during which the material will harden and, accordingly, it will become impossible to carry out further work with it. For casting at home, it is necessary to select a product that hardens for at least five minutes (in large industries, materials are used that cool in two minutes).
In addition to the above components, you will also need a separation compound and plasticine. In the case of using two-component silicone, the composition is only necessary to separate the halves of the mold. Plasticine is a building material.
Thus, before casting polyurethane, you need to prepare:
- silicone;
- the plastic itself;
- separation composition;
- plasticine.
Once all the elements have been collected, you can begin. The first stage is creating a silicone mold into which the material will be poured.
How to make mold at home?
We present several ideas on how to make molds with your own hands. Using simple materials at hand will help you create high-quality blanks for working with plastic types of clay.
To make molds with your own hands you will need:
- 1 bottle of technical silicone;
- Potato or corn starch;
- Fresh leaves, flower petals. They will serve as a stencil and pattern for the future mold.
Before you start working, you need to read the instructions on how to make molds correctly. Beforehand, the area for future work is thoroughly cleaned using detergent. It is necessary to remove particles of grease and dust from the surface. To avoid staining the countertop, you will need a glass cutting board or cling film.
Starch is placed in a glass container. Construction silicone is gradually being added to it. The resulting mass must be thoroughly mixed until a dense dough is formed. On average, this will take from 5 to 15 minutes. When in contact with each other, these substances form a dense mass that must be gradually kneaded.
After this, separate a small element and roll it out with a rolling pin. We apply stencils of living petals and leaves to the surface of the silicone. Carefully cut off the excess mixture with a sharp knife. Finished pieces must be placed in a warm place to dry completely. This will take from 1 to 3 days.
Creating a Form
Before creating the mold, you should make sure that all the selected components are suitable. So, the silicone must be easily removed, otherwise you will have to use a release agent.
The entire process of creating a silicone mold consists of the following steps:
- A flat surface must be prepared. Next, you should spread the plasticine over it (in an even layer) and firmly press the part you want to copy into it.
- Afterwards, press the plasticine well onto the pressed part. This will allow all the bulges that the original has to be imprinted on it. The tightness of the plasticine to the part is important, since if it is not there, silicone may flow under it in the future.
- Next, plasticine walls are made (at a distance of at least five centimeters from the part). Several blind holes are made in the floor of the resulting shape.
- The next step is preparing the silicone. If it is two-component, it is necessary to mix the thick white mass with the catalyst in a ratio of ten to one. It is better to do this with gloves. Avoid getting silicone on exposed areas of the body.
- The finished silicone is poured into a previously made container. It is necessary to pour the substance at a slow pace. After the container is filled, the substance should be allowed to cool. Depending on the type of silicone, this can take from ten minutes to an hour.
- When the substance dries, it is necessary to remove all the plasticine from it. First the walls are removed, then the floor.
- After preparing the first part of the mold, you need to create the second. To do this, place the finished half on a flat surface and build walls of plasticine, which should rise above the finished part by at least five millimeters. After this, repeat all steps. To prevent the halves from sticking together, it is necessary to coat the silicone of the first part with a separating compound.
The production of silicone molds for casting ends here. You can proceed to filling.
Polymer clay mold
Experienced specialists highlight another master class on how to make a mold with your own hands. For work you will need the following tools and materials:
- A pack of polymer clay for baking;
- Dense types of leaves and petals;
- Sharp knife.
Polymer clay for baking requires mechanical action to mix the thick composition. To do this, knead the piece thoroughly. Using a plastic rolling pin, roll it out into a thin dough.
We apply the plant parts to it while carefully pressing them into a dense mass. Excess is also carefully removed with a knife. Now future templates need to be baked in the oven at 150 degrees for 10 minutes.
When exposed to high temperatures, polymer particles will emit a pungent odor. That is why it is recommended to use a separate electric oven for working with this type of material.
Epoxy resin templates
A polymer composition based on epoxy resin is considered a durable type of template. However, when working with this type of material, special care must be taken. Mixing all the ingredients together creates a chemical reaction that can cause burns and a serious allergic reaction.
You need to pour a little liquid composition into the silicone mold. The surface of the mold is pre-treated with alcohol. This will prevent the formation of many bubbles inside the future workpiece.
Polymer resin requires heat during the drying process. However, heating the silicone material will release corrosive gases. To speed up the crystallization process of polymers, use a deep container into which hot water is poured. After which a silicone mold with epoxy blanks is installed into it.
This manufacturing method is considered complex and painstaking. On average, it will take from 1 to 5 hours for the resin to harden. During this time, it is necessary to regularly maintain a temperature of 30-40 degrees.
Step-by-step instruction
Before starting work, you need to familiarize yourself with a number of important rules:
Be sure to do a test pour to determine what a particular brand of silicone does not stick to. If the material sticks, you will have to coat the walls with a release agent. Make sure that the room temperature is +20…+25 degrees. If it is lower or higher, the gelation time of the silicone will change with the same amount of catalyst. The quality of the finished mold will be reduced
In the cold season, you need to let the compound stand in a warm place for a day. The material must be stirred carefully so as not to cause air bubbles. When stirring, you can add special dyes for silicone
The ideal option is to place the mass in a special vacuum chamber before pouring.
There are tin-based silicones, they can also be used for work. They are suitable only for non-food purposes; they are often used for casting jewelry. Before pouring such material, a curing test is done. Typically, more catalyst needs to be added than with conventional two-part silicone.
You should also find a product from which the form will be removed. It should have a glossy surface, because silicone will repeat even the smallest scratches. In the future, they will be clearly visible on an epoxy object. For example, a bearing is used to make a round shape.
Detailed instructions for creating molds are as follows:
Apply plasticine in an even layer onto a flat, solid base. Press in the part to be copied. Flat products are pressed into plasticine to the level of passing the boundaries of ½ of the future mold. For volumetric parts, it is worth applying another layer of plasticine. Walk along the perimeter of the part, pressing the plasticine against its walls to create a clear border. For this purpose, you can use matches and toothpicks. Next, it is important to make sure that the plasticine fits tightly to the part. Otherwise, liquid silicone will flow under it when the master fills the mold. Make walls for the future mold from plasticine. The distance between the part and the wall is up to 7 mm; the wall exceeds the largest point of the copied product by the same height. All joints must be carefully leveled. Make a series of indentations in the bottom of the container. They will prevent the half of the new form from moving. Afterwards, the plasticine container will be ready for pouring. Mix the required portion of liquid silicone with the catalyst as indicated in the instructions. Accurate kitchen scales are used for measuring. Typically, silicone is white, transparent, and the catalyst is colored. Pour the finished mixture into the plasticine base. All actions must be smooth and slow. As a result, voids are eliminated in the fill, and the air will have time to escape. But you also need to take into account the fluidity time of a specific brand of material - some harden in just 10 minutes
At the end of the pouring, the mold is removed to a secluded place where it will harden. After complete curing, all plasticine must be carefully removed. It comes off easily from silicone and does not stick.
First, remove the areas on the sides, then from the bottom. In your hands you will have half of the form with the copied product inside. Place the mold on new plasticine and build walls around it again. Glue the joint especially carefully; it must subsequently be airtight. Cover the surface of the first half with a separating layer of Vaseline, paraffin, wax. They are applied with a brush and applied in a very thin layer. Pour the silicone in the same way as for the first half. Then you need to wait for complete curing. Remove the second form, remove the plasticine. Separate the halves of the molds. If the separating layer has not fulfilled its task, you will have to cut them off from each other. Remove the copied part.
Casting of epoxy products can be carried out immediately after the mold is ready. The resin is mixed with the hardener in the proportion indicated on the packaging; if necessary, pigment is added
Gently mix the epoxy and let it sit until the air bubbles come out. Next, apply the resin to both halves of the mold with a brush, making an even layer
Place the parts together, excess epoxy will be squeezed out at this time.
The molds are pressed tightly or fastened with rubber rings or hard plates. Leave the resin for a day to harden. Afterwards the halves are separated and the product is removed. Drips are removed with a toothpick, and the product is treated with fine sandpaper.
