01:23
Faizan
Mold making is an intricate and time-consuming process. You have to choose the right mold making material and deftly capture the exact shape, size and texture of the model complete with its folds, undercuts and indentations. If you are making a life cast, the mold making process is all the more complicated as you attempt to replicate a part of the live human body that may wriggle, react and what not!
It is obvious that once you have successfully captured a precise impression of the model you wish to duplicate, you will not be content with just making one cast and be done with it! Small figurines or sculptures are reproduced multiple times to make for show pieces or gift items. The parents who commissioned a life cast of their newborn's hands and feet may wish to present the souvenir to different members of the family. In the manufacturing industry too, molds are used to make numerous copies of the original!
However, how long can a single mold stand the strain of repetitive casts before giving way? In fact, many molds are considered waste molds as they shrink or warp easily and are good for one or two castings only! Take alginate for instance - tending to lose water on contact to air and shrinking out of shape, the mold has to be cast within a few hours itself.
The answer
The best solution is to make secondary molds - i.e., copies of the original mold itself before beginning the casting process. This does not necessarily have to be made with the same mold making material either. Especially when you are not working directly on the human body anymore, there is great leeway to choose your materials depending on your personal preference, dexterity and also medium of casting.
Apart from the obvious advantage of allowing the artist to make multiple casts and then some more, secondary molds also allow you to correct the tiny imperfections in the original mold - be it the ubiquitous air bubbles or pesky dirt specks or even minuscule wrinkles. Now you can easily repair the unsightly flaws before making a secondary mold and the final cast. No one will be able to even guess the original blemishes ever!
Another opportunity afforded by secondary molds is to allow you to play around with different casting materials. You can experiment with liquid latex rubber, silicone rubber or even clay and wax to understand the varying effects and textures achieved with different mediums. A good way to learn and also present clients with different options in the same piece.
It is obvious that once you have successfully captured a precise impression of the model you wish to duplicate, you will not be content with just making one cast and be done with it! Small figurines or sculptures are reproduced multiple times to make for show pieces or gift items. The parents who commissioned a life cast of their newborn's hands and feet may wish to present the souvenir to different members of the family. In the manufacturing industry too, molds are used to make numerous copies of the original!
However, how long can a single mold stand the strain of repetitive casts before giving way? In fact, many molds are considered waste molds as they shrink or warp easily and are good for one or two castings only! Take alginate for instance - tending to lose water on contact to air and shrinking out of shape, the mold has to be cast within a few hours itself.
The answer
The best solution is to make secondary molds - i.e., copies of the original mold itself before beginning the casting process. This does not necessarily have to be made with the same mold making material either. Especially when you are not working directly on the human body anymore, there is great leeway to choose your materials depending on your personal preference, dexterity and also medium of casting.
Apart from the obvious advantage of allowing the artist to make multiple casts and then some more, secondary molds also allow you to correct the tiny imperfections in the original mold - be it the ubiquitous air bubbles or pesky dirt specks or even minuscule wrinkles. Now you can easily repair the unsightly flaws before making a secondary mold and the final cast. No one will be able to even guess the original blemishes ever!
Another opportunity afforded by secondary molds is to allow you to play around with different casting materials. You can experiment with liquid latex rubber, silicone rubber or even clay and wax to understand the varying effects and textures achieved with different mediums. A good way to learn and also present clients with different options in the same piece.
Posted in: arts
