The art stores in my area give me those options, if I want to just walk up and buy a little silicone molding material. I know there is no "best" material -- it all depends on the artist -- but is there a reason to lean one way or another on these? Or just go ahead and mail-order some Quick-set instead? (I don't HAVE to cast this week!)
Smooth-on or Mold Putty?
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SwampDonkey
Well-Known Member
"Smooth on" isnt a material, nor is "mold putty". The best material depends on the application and not the artist. What is your project and maybe we can help you out.
exoray
Master Member
IMO mold putty should only be used for the most basic molds or as a last resort... It has a tendency to pull away from the object you are molding as you work other areas, and one more than one occasion I have had 'folds' in the putty not close up leaving you with fissures and cracks in the mold...
If you want to do accurate and reliable molds you really need to pour them in most applications...
As said above Smooth On is a company, and mold putty is a type of knead and apply by hand silicone vs a mix and pour silicone...
And again as said above, brand preference depends on the artist but actual materials used is generally much more specific to the application not so much the artist...
What do you want to mold, is the question?
If you want to do accurate and reliable molds you really need to pour them in most applications...
As said above Smooth On is a company, and mold putty is a type of knead and apply by hand silicone vs a mix and pour silicone...
And again as said above, brand preference depends on the artist but actual materials used is generally much more specific to the application not so much the artist...
What do you want to mold, is the question?
I suppose I should have clarified. Around here there is one store that carries a very small selection of Alumite -- just their "Mold Putty" -- which is their catalog name for a platinum-cure silicone (Alumilite - Products - Silicone Rubber - Mold Putty).
The other stores seem to have only a limited selection from the Smooth-On company (Smooth-On, Inc. - Mold Making & Casting Materials Rubber, Plastic, Lifecasting, and More) -- only their Rebound 25 seems reliably in stock.
And the reason I didn't speak to application? I don't have one at the moment. I last casted back in college and I'm working my way back into it. The first step was to look around and see what materials were in my area, and try to get a head's up if some of them "total junk they only carry 'cause it is cheap" thing. Like some power tools I could name (but won't!)
Seriously, I only did plaster and moulage (and celastic and fibreglas and the like) way back when, and this silcone stuff is new to me. I've been reading blogs, and reading books, but what I really need to do is buy a few ounces and get my hands dirty. I'm just hoping to avoid that first few ounces being something I'll learn all the wrong lessons from.
The other stores seem to have only a limited selection from the Smooth-On company (Smooth-On, Inc. - Mold Making & Casting Materials Rubber, Plastic, Lifecasting, and More) -- only their Rebound 25 seems reliably in stock.
And the reason I didn't speak to application? I don't have one at the moment. I last casted back in college and I'm working my way back into it. The first step was to look around and see what materials were in my area, and try to get a head's up if some of them "total junk they only carry 'cause it is cheap" thing. Like some power tools I could name (but won't!)
Seriously, I only did plaster and moulage (and celastic and fibreglas and the like) way back when, and this silcone stuff is new to me. I've been reading blogs, and reading books, but what I really need to do is buy a few ounces and get my hands dirty. I'm just hoping to avoid that first few ounces being something I'll learn all the wrong lessons from.
exoray
Master Member
Not exactly, it's Alumilite's putty silicone, Alumilite distributes several types of silicone, that is just one type they carry, their putty variety... Smooth On distributes a comparible Mold Putty as well...
Apples to oranges depending on your application... Rebound 25 is a pourable platinum silicone not a putty... Putty vs liquid, two different applications...
Rebound 25 is overkill for most stuff (and harder to work with) than tin cures that are much more economical and less temperamental to contaminants... That is unless your application requires platinum cure...
Alumilite and Smooth On are both top tier distributors of silicone and casting resin, they both offer good products but application can dictate what will work best...
Let me re-iterate that none of my local art stores carry complete catalog lines. Very annoyingly, my favorite store, a short walk away, carries ONLY Alumite's mold putties; none of their other products or any other silicone mold-making compound. And they are a chain store; not likely to change their stock just for me.
So much as I like to support local business AND have a place to go at 5:00 PM on a Friday when I realize I don't have enough left to finish a mold....I guess my best option now is to mail-order a starter kit from someone and start experimenting.
So much as I like to support local business AND have a place to go at 5:00 PM on a Friday when I realize I don't have enough left to finish a mold....I guess my best option now is to mail-order a starter kit from someone and start experimenting.
exoray
Master Member
Regardless that doesn't change the fact that the products have different applications, they are not universal...
Don't mix and match silicone brands or types, especially tin and platinum cure! And even the same brand might have incompatibility issues and not bond to a previous pour, or worst case mixing brands can result in cure inhibition and you will be left with you master stuck in a sticky blob of silicone that will never cure!
That works, but most starter kits are pour siliciones, if you application requires a putty they won't work...
Do you have a local Hobby Lobby? They carry a small selection of Alumilite products, starter kits, a few different flavors of silicone, putty and a few flavors of resin, as well as pigments and release...
KingJawa
Active Member
Very good statement here, mixing of silicone does not bond. I tried it with some left over material to finish a mold and it did not bond properly. Stay with one mold material and try to make the complete mold with one batch of material. I use mold max 30 from smooth on products, I like it much better then their rebound 25.
Heh. I am glad you guys are careful. I'd do the same thing in my field -- even if I think they know it, best to make sure. However, I had no intent of ever stopping mid pour. Heck, I didn't even know that was possible! (Thurston James doesn't seem to think it a good idea.) It honestly never occurred to me that anyone would think they could stop a mold half-way, much less that anyone would think that was what I was talking about.
I took the afternoon and walked across town, and what did I find? There was a little Oomoo at the art store there. The only tin cure silicone in the store, apparently. But at least I now know one local supplier of something that may work for some applications.
It is all well and good to say "the best tool for the job" but when you are starting from near-nill experience, you lack the ability to know which tool will work for you. I fully expect to have a series of bad pours and bad pulls and horrible disasters as I fumble my way towards learning how to mold. Now with a bit of Oomoo, at least I can start gaining practical experience to go with the book learning.
(Oomoo 30, it says on the tin. From Smooth-On. Liquid Rubber compound, it says. Tin-cure. I'm just reading off the box here...I don't KNOW what the stuff is until I've gained some experience to make the names meaningful.)
I took the afternoon and walked across town, and what did I find? There was a little Oomoo at the art store there. The only tin cure silicone in the store, apparently. But at least I now know one local supplier of something that may work for some applications.
It is all well and good to say "the best tool for the job" but when you are starting from near-nill experience, you lack the ability to know which tool will work for you. I fully expect to have a series of bad pours and bad pulls and horrible disasters as I fumble my way towards learning how to mold. Now with a bit of Oomoo, at least I can start gaining practical experience to go with the book learning.
(Oomoo 30, it says on the tin. From Smooth-On. Liquid Rubber compound, it says. Tin-cure. I'm just reading off the box here...I don't KNOW what the stuff is until I've gained some experience to make the names meaningful.)
exoray
Master Member
Honestly it's a a 50/50 shot, I have useds some silicone that will bond like crazy to old silicone while others won't bond at all...
It's simply best to know your products, and find ones that work for you... I will never knock Smooth On products as they perform well, but given a choice they are generally my last resort as I like the way other brands perform or act...
The Observer
New Member
I figured I ask this here...I have a X-Files FBI wallet prop that came with the resin badge. I took the resin badge out and put in a smaller, more FBI accurate badge and it doesn't fill in the entire recessed area. I have inserted a piece of cardboard in the badge slot to keep the badge from falling out. I want to fill in the rest of the recessed area to where it is flush with the wallet....
I hope this gives you good idea of what I'm talking about. and this is a temporary fix I made tonight using some form of Styrofoam:
does anyone have any better ideas??? PM me if you think you have any good ideas on what to use to make it look better...
exoray
Master Member
Making a mold and casting a part for that seems like way overkill... IMO I would just get a sheet of haircell black ABS (search EBay for scraps) and cut out a filler blank...
FYI Oomoo is only OK, basically bottom of the barrel newbie variety due to it's 1:1 mix ratio... It's fine for starters or for a mold you only want to pull a few copies from but it's really pour quality silicone in the end, the number of pulls you will get from Oomoo is very low compared to a 10:1 mix silicone... I rips and falls apart much sooner than other silicones...
FYI Oomoo is only OK, basically bottom of the barrel newbie variety due to it's 1:1 mix ratio... It's fine for starters or for a mold you only want to pull a few copies from but it's really pour quality silicone in the end, the number of pulls you will get from Oomoo is very low compared to a 10:1 mix silicone... I rips and falls apart much sooner than other silicones...
The Observer
New Member
thanks, I'm checking on that now
exoray: yeah Oomoo is ment for simple 1 piece moulds, and is designed to really be a entry level product. I've used it well for simple 1 sided castings where I was only needing to cast out a few copies so the repeated casting degregation wasn't a issue.
basically. Good for simple non-production casting, but for more complex items with heavy cuts etc where you want to make many copies. There are nuch better choices
basically. Good for simple non-production casting, but for more complex items with heavy cuts etc where you want to make many copies. There are nuch better choices
KingJawa
Active Member
It was a cross mixture between the mold max 30 & Rebound 25, it peeled apart after it was cured.
exoray
Master Member
I suspect the Rebound (platinum) was poured first? If not I'm surprised it cured at all... Generally when platinum cure silicones come in contact with tin cured silicones all sorts of cure inhibitions happen, a nasty, gooey, sticky mess is to be had...
