Cost effective casting and moulding - Advice and discussion

[Skyler101]

Hey guys....

I have been throwing around some ideas, and wanted to ask the experts there thoughts on the subject of moulding and casting.

Whats the most cost effective way to get a part moulded and cast?

Example - I have a plug I need made for some PVC pipes I am building for a prop for a film project. The plugs are the most intricate, and the time to make each one would be ridiculous. Casting them up would be great, but... Im not sure whats the best way to do it.

I feel it can be made in a one piece mould, but whats the best "bang for your buck?" Smooth-on, sealing rubber, ????

Love to see what people have to suggest, I have a feeling many others would also love to work out whats the best way to make parts.

For the record, I need 10 parts made... if that helps...

Thanks in advance...

-Skyler101

 

[exoray]

The cheapest is not always the best, and the frustration/extra work/lower quality of going cheap IMO outweighs the cost very quickly...

For set decoration if they are only temporary, if they are not under any stress you can slush mold them relatively thin and save on resin vs solid blocks... To save on silicone, you can create a sleeve/jacket mold backed by a stiff mother mold... For such a small run, the mother mold can be made from Plaster of Paris and cloth vs resin or fiberglass...

Depending on size you might even be able to get away with one of the lower cost/volume starter kits from Smooth On or Alumilite...

I highly recommend silicone for the mold, the alternatives like urethane rubber or latex are slightly cheaper but I find they outweigh themselves in no time...

 

[LORDXBLACKWOOD]

Check out oomoo from smooth on, not my preference but it's cheaper. Silpak also sells 6 month old silicone for $80 a gallon kit.

 

[Risu]

I think the stuff I've got is Mold Max 30 and it cost me $85 for a gallon from Reynolds Advanced Materials in Hollywood. The stuff works perfectly and you can get a lot of small molds out of the 1 gallon.

 

[robstyle]

Post a picture of what your looking to mold for the best recommendations.