Classes: Tap Plastics-Mold making materials

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 a pencils eraser.    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.     for more in depth info on mold making on Taps website

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 catalyst based how much resin youre gonna use, the plus size to it being a bit trickier is that it has a true clear finish in the end and takes pigments just as well as the epoxy

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 thineer is used abased on the amount of silicone youre adding it too. after a minute or so of stirring it will thin the silicone to help allow airbubbles to rise and get a nice thin print coat to capture surface detail. be mindful to not add too much or it could mess with the integrity of the mold

thixotropic additive is used for when you need to add a layer of silicone to a vertical surface. when mixed in properly based on the amount of silicone being used after a minute or so of stirring the runny silicone will become the consistentcy of peanut butter where youll be able to spread it with a popsicle stick

mold release is used to keep your molds fresh, spray before evey use and when youre done. itll prolong the life of your mold by creating a thin barrier between your silicone and everything youre gonna be doing with it