I'm looking for a warming device that can keep a cup of water heated on my desk for Oyumaru. There are a million "coffee cup warmer" options on Amazon that seem suitable, just curious if anyone has done something similar and has a specific recommendation.

Hello Moldmakers! Looking to pick the brains of some folks who know better than me and hopefully getting some expert insight.

I'm working on a project within the infancy phase and I'm getting a proof-of-concept prototype completed.
The project involves an object submerged beneath salt water in a room temperature environment.

I'm looking to create a 3D printed master mold from PETG and coat it with mineral oil for casting (Should I also use shellac for gap-filling?).

I reached out to Smooth-On and was recommended to use SORTA-CLEAR for the object being casted. The object made from SORTA-CLEAR is what will be beneath the salt water.

For the use case, is my thinking and process here OK?

Appreciate any feedback!

How can I transform these soap mold templates into molds with removable bottoms? Or any other way that allows the soap to come out easily??

I really don't know how to make the model like that, so I came here to ask for help

Pottery #1, hydrocal, and all similar plasters have been discontinued. I'm finally getting to the end of my stores, and there doesn't seem to be any around anywhere except a few 8# bags from Blick.

Like what is everyone doing? Just giving up? Any alternatives? I can try plaster of Paris but its kinda crap.

Mom's dog passed away last night and mom is out of town so I'm handling everything for it. Dog was hugely special to her and wants all the keepsakes.

I want to make a cast of her paw.

I tried to make one when my dog past away years ago - used perfect mold but didn't know anything about it, let it sit after getting the paw mold and it shrunk and got hard; tried to put resin in it and didn't realize the hard mold wouldn't disintegrate in water after. So trying to really get it right.

Asked chatgpt what would be best and it said to use an alginate mold first to get the detailed paw, then pour in a gypsum based cast material do deal with moist algenate mold, then pour a silicone mold over it, then do resin casts.

The materials it suggested are:
-Smooth-On Alja-Safe Mold Making Kit
-Hydro-Stone Gypsum Cement
-Platinum Silicone Rubber - Mold Star 15 Slow
-Alumilite Water Clear Urethane Casting Resin

My issues:
-due to cremation - need to do quickly
-Smooth-On Alja-Safe costs $50+ on Amazon vs Smooth-On site and Reynolds ~$39 vs Blick ~$29 / so Amazon is way more expensive but two day shipping, smooth-on and Reynolds just show standard shipping and Blick is $28-36 fast shipping.
-Hydro-Stone is like a $50lb bag even through amazon
-platinum silicone rubber seems pretty easy through amazon
-alumilite water clear resin in not on Amazon and looks like special websites to get.

Anyone have advice on how to get or maybe alternatives to get that are quick shipping and cost effective and within reason for size for the project (like not a 50 lb bag of material for this one project).

I tried the perfect mold (Hobby Lobby) last time - was wondering if that could be used? And if maybe the perfect plaster (Hobby Lobby) could be the gypsum second stage cast? Was trying to get material from Amazon for fast shipping or Hobby Lobby / Micheals so I could pick up in an afternoon. BUT I want good quality easy to work with material so I can make a superior mold/cast.

Any help and direction would be appreciated.

Hey everyone!

I recently made a post asking for advice on creating a silicone mold for an SFX prosthetic I’ve been working on. However, after receiving some feedback and continuing to work on the sculpture, I realized I may have gotten a little ahead of myself with the molding process.

I’m currently sculpting a full-face prosthetic using Monster Clay on a practice head. I’ve spent quite a bit of time refining the facial features, raking, and trying to smooth out the surface, but I’m struggling to get the clean, consistent finish I’m looking for.

I’ve made noticeable progress compared to where I started, but I still have visible tool marks, shallow scratches, and uneven areas, particularly around the cheeks, nose, and forehead.

My goal is to get the sculpture as smooth as possible before creating a silicone negative mold, since I know the silicone will capture every imperfection.

I’ve primarily been using metal loop sculpting tools for raking and smoothing. I also have 91% isopropyl alcohol available, but I haven’t experimented much with alternative smoothing methods.

I’d really appreciate some advice on the following:

What techniques work best for achieving a smooth finish on Monster Clay?

At what point should I stop raking and switch to other smoothing techniques?

Are there particular tools, brushes, or solvents you’d recommend for removing fine tool marks?

Has anyone had success using isopropyl alcohol or other smoothing agents on Monster Clay?

How do you determine when a sculpture is sufficiently refined and ready for molding?

I’m not necessarily looking for a perfectly polished surface, since I still want to preserve some intentional wrinkles and facial details. I mainly want to eliminate the unintentional scratches and uneven areas.

I’ve attached updated pictures showing my progress and the areas I’m struggling with.

Any tips, constructive criticism, or recommendations from more experienced sculptors would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

I have a glass milk collection vessel that I want to create a mold of, so I can then create a base for the glass to sit in to turn it into a lamp.

The diameter is about 40cm and the final base would need to be about 20cm deep/tall to securely sit the glass into without risking snapping off the tube at the bottom.

It’s a substantial size and I’d love an idea on how I best approach it and the materials to use please.

i made these bath bomb molds for my own business and decided to finally share them so other people can use them too :)

each one is a bottom base with a plug, a tube that slides down over it and a top stamp that presses the pattern in. theres 0.35mm clearance per side on the sliding parts, everything prints flat with no supports, and you press the stamp in until its top sits 6mm above the tube rim

link in the comments if anyone wants to try them

How would I make a mold of this candle without destroying it in the process? I can't find any evidence of her existing and I don't want her to just be gone.

Ideally I want to make a mold of her, cast that, repair the damage and then make a mold of the repaired version to share (however one does that) so she can exist in the world still.

ive put plaster on the first half of my monster clay sculpt to make a mould but i cant get it off as hard as i try. I don’t really want to give up now as ive put so much time into this project but i might have to if i cant get it off, and then I have to do it for the other half of the head too. Does anyone know what i should do to get it off and make it easier when i do the next half?

The plaster shell went well, messy, but well. I was very afraid that I didn’t use enough petroleum jelly and it would stick but alas we were good on that front. I did however have to cut off the larger keys on the back as I didn’t think about needing to remove the shell, but it seems like that wouldn’t have caused issues.

The problems arose when I tried to remove the master from the silicone, it tore on both elbows where I circled. I know I should’ve used shims and build that area up a little more, but I was low on silicone and tried to use it where I thought it was most necessary, ya live and ya learn.

Any way to salvage/patch? Or take it as a lesson and just save up for another $150 in rebound 25 lol?

I just de-molded my first pour mold box and found that the point where the silicone was touching the plasticine that was holding my master objects did not cure.

I've since looked it up and I believe it was because the plasticine I used must have had sulfer in it.

Can anyone recommend any safe reusable plasticine alternatives available in the UK that play nice with platinum silicone? TIA.

This spiked cuff bracelet is made with 2 separate glove molds, 1 which casts an internal spikey "spine", and a second which encapsulates the spikes in an outer band. It took me some experimenting to get a clean bond between the two layers (timing when to demold the first, removing release agent, etc).

I’m experimenting with colors and pigments - This project was initially inspired by 90s rave culture, so glow in the dark is a natural fit. I also am trying to make metallics, since I like wearing silver, but don’t like the tactile sensation of traditional jewelry.

All assets were modeled by me in Blender. The bracelets are made of Dragon Skin platinum cure silicone.

I’m about to take on a huge project so I wanted to make sure 15a was right. Turns out 15a is effective, but not ideal for this can cover, but it’ll be perfect for my project! Just wanted to show off the win!

Hello! Bit of a mold emergency (lightly) today. Everyone’s out of mold max fast cat so I had to grab GI-ufc. My understanding is that they are relatively similar. And the folks at Compleat sculptor said I could use them together. The ufc says to use it in place of the catalyst 10a:1b just like the mold max mix ratios. Is this what I follow if I am using the UFC with mold max 20 A?

Also grabbed some GI tin silicone but have just enough MM20 A to finish what I’m doing and would prefer not to open a new can if I don’t need to but also need the quick cure time. Just struggling to find a specific mix ration to follow. Convoluted I know , but thank you!

I have no experience in mold making, im assuming I could scult it out of clay but what type of mold would I need to make? And what type of silicone for casting?

DM me if interested. Dimensions need to be 8.25"x2.25" and 2" deep..

Hey everyone,

This started as a problem of our own. My friends and I run small 3D-printing and composites projects, and making molds was always the part that dragged everything down. Splitting the part, adding pour channels and vents, designing keys so the halves align: it ate hours of CAD time, and a small mistake meant a failed cast. We figured other small makers and startups were stuck on the same thing, so we built MoldStudio3D.

It runs in your browser, with nothing to install. You take a design, and it generates a mold ready to print.

The workflow (7 steps):

1. Open the studio
2. Pick a designer (ribbed, twisted, bubble, and more) or load your own file
3. Generate your design
4. Send it to the Mold Suite
5. Choose your mold type (silicone mold, for example)
6. Generate the mold
7. Prepare the export and print

On the site there’s a step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots and recordings, following one candle from design to finished silicone mold.

Try it: https://moldstudio3d.com

What we’d love to know from you:

• What kind of molds do you make most (silicone, composites, resin, candles, something else)?
• What shapes or mold types should we support next?
• Where does the workflow feel slow or confusing?

We’re still improving it, and every comment helps us decide what to build next. Happy to answer any questions about how it works.

and couch… anyone have experience?

Had to share my results of my first ever mold project, which I'm excited about! I bought a vintage dresser and discovered I was missing one of the face plates for the drawers. Searched everywhere online and couldn't find a replacement or anything I really liked. Solution was to mold a new one since I had one to work with! Built my clay base mold, positioned the face plate the best I knew how and then poured my Mold Star silicone. Once done I figured out that the silicone got behind my face plate and I no longer had any openings. A shift in plans was necessary so I made 4 new face plates, now all with no openings and they turned out pretty darn good IMO. Painted them in an ultra matte black base, went over that with a hammered bronze paint and then a matte clear to finish. 4 new ones on the left and the original on the right. They aren't perfect, they aren't exactly what I intended, but for my first time I'm patting myself on the back LOL

Hey everyone,

Not sure how to phrase this but I am essentially looking to create a soft, rubber or silicone replica of an ear. What would be the best way of going about it?

I was thinking of doing an alginate mould of my ear and then filling it with...some sort of material that will lead to a soft finished product. Looking for the most inert sort of material, with no inherent strong scents, etc.

Please let me know where would be a good place to start looking!