- [Instructor] In this section, I'll guide you
through the procedure mold box set up and use
for a mold making project.
Step by step.
First, you'll need to curate a large, level work surface
that you can get extremely messy,
in an area that is well-lit, ventilated
and away from food goods.
I like to coat surfaces with a thick brown masking paper,
available at a hardware store near you,
for ease of workspace demarcation and clean up.
While I'm working, I'm also usually knolling,
which is a workplace set up
and continuous cleaning methodology
that helps ensure that you know where everything is
that you need for a session on your project.
If something is not in use,
it should stay in arm's reach, but not in the way.
So you can line it up along here.
Before you start, you're gonna want to gather all
of the materials that you need,
measuring cups, mixing sticks, a scale, if necessary,
your molding agents, paper towels, a trash bin,
mold release and, of course, your mold box components.
You'll want to get your ducks in a row,
especially if you're working with fast-acting materials.
You don't want to have to run
to the other side of the building to get an additive
you need in the middle of a pour, for example.
Organization is important.
All of your materials you need should be in easy reach
and where you know them to be.
One, prepare your workspace by clearing a level surface
and coating it with a disposable barrier.
Two, arrange your ingredients in the order
in which you'll be accessing them.
Double-check that you have everything you need first.
Three, secure your mold box in place
so that it's watertight.
In the case of a single size standard mold box,
all sides should be secured to each other,
including the bottom.
You don't want a leaky box.
Four, secure your master part.
You can do this with clay by filling in your mold
to about one third of the total height of your box,
and forming the parting line along the part
as per your preference.
You can add blocks, metal nuts or your fingers
to create registration blocks,
which you'll use later to line up your mold halves.
Five, check if you need mold release
for your material combination.
Use according to the package instructions.
If you haven't used a material before,
always do a test first on a mock-up
of the material your master is made of.
If you do use a mold release spray,
let it sit for many minutes
so that the material will off-gas
in your well-ventilated work area,
and not into your silicone mold.
Each cast from a bubbly mold will have to be sanded.
Six, mix each part of your mold material individually
with a dedicated mixing stick
that you do not mix in the other bucket.
I've illustrated that here, with pink being part A,
and blue being part B.
Mold materials tend to settle
and you may not get the result you're looking for
if it's not well mixed.
So mix well.
Seven, pour your materials into the individual cups.
Most combination silicones need a specific ratio
so weigh as necessary.
Triple check your ratios
before letting the different materials touch each other.
Eight, once you're sure you have the right amount
of each material,
in my experience, one-to-one ratio mixes
are the most forgiving,
in their separate cups, you can now mix them together
in a third and separate cup,
illustrated here in purple.
I'd recommend against adding one cup to the other
due to the surface tension of the material.
You won't get the exact ratio that you would
if you didn't separately add it to a new cup.
Ten, use a third stick as your mixing stick,
taking careful care to scrape the sides
and the bottom of the cup.
Mixing sticks with a broader, flatter edge are better
for this than a round dowel.
The closer you can get to a spatula, the better.
But make sure not to use a silicone spatula
as that can disrupt the curing process of your silicone.
Eleven, from a single low point,
start pouring into your mold box
to approximately two thirds of the total box height.
The physical mixing and stirring of the components
will result in your worst enemy: bubbles.
So creating the thinnest stream necessary
will help let the bubbles release out of the stream
instead of forming on your part.
And lastly, do the expert orientation of your model,
all of the bubbles should rise to the top.
Once you're done pouring,
set the mold box aside somewhere it won't be disturbed
and let the bubble rise away and the mold to cure.