This is the breakdown of materials i cover in the mold making 101, all products are from tap plastics and can be ordered through links i provide or at any of their stores
This is a Tin cure silicone, it’s a 1:9 mix that’s a cheaper option than Taps platinum because you’re buying less silicone. its also has a shore hardness of 25, that means its toughness is comparable to a bit softer than
This is a platinum cure silicone, it’s a 1:1 mix that’s a bit more expensive because you’re buying more silicone as both side A and Side B are both silicones to be evenly mixed, rather than a silicone and catalyst like the tin cure. platinum silicones have next to no shrinkage and cure times can be sped up or retarded based on the temperature. as a general rule of thumb, always avoid latex gloves as it may inhibit the mold and cause it to not fully cure and stay tacky.
Quik cast is a polyurethane resin, its a 1:1 mix of side A and B and in about 10 minutes it turns into a solid plastic like resin that you can sand,drill and paint, most props and costume pieces will use this type of casting material
easy cast epoxy is another product that is a 1:1 mix. it takes a good few hours to cure and depending how big the batch, can get very hot. you can pigment with their whole collection of additives and translucent pigments will turn this clear end result whatever color you pigmented as and still be able to see through. a draw back is that it has a slight yellow after decent exposure to the sun
clear lite is another choice, while the epoxy is 1:1 this is a polyester resin where you measure drops of
heres just a few pibments and additives that are on the shelves that work with both the clear resins and polyurethane. transparent pigments, glow in the dark powders and containes of metals for cold casting
in case you dont wanna make youre own molds, theres a few plastic trays that work well for casting into if you want to an easier way to create gems and pieces, all casting materials discussed in these classes work with these trays
silicone