Knowing the basics of mold making and casting will make it easy to follow all the myriad steps of these procedures and create stupendously perfect art pieces from anything that catches your fancy!

Mold making and casting are interesting art forms for recreating an object in its entirety. The mold captures a negative impression of the model complete with all the surface details in a hollow form. The resulting cast is an exact likeness of the original in a three-dimensional form, right down to all the fine details and undercuts.

The process of making molds and casts can range from simple to complex and intricate procedures. Varied materials lend themselves well for making molds and casts; it also involves the use of supplies, tools and equipment for shaping, finishing and other purposes.

Then again, there are different techniques for making a mold – the choice will depend on the shape and material of the model to the mold making material and personal preference of the artist. The mold can be made in a single piece for simple objects while complicated shapes can require two or even more parts. These will be joined together to make the mold. The common techniques are block mold, blanket mold, glove mold, slush casting, injection casting, etc., with the mold material being brushed, sprayed or poured over the model.

Let us take a look at some of the basic steps for making molds and casts:

• The model or mold should always be cleaned and dried properly. They should also be sealed to prevent the material from seeping in and spoiling the model/mold.
• A release agent is a must in most cases. This will allow easy demolding without damaging the model/mold in any manner. The choice of release agent will depend on the model as well as the mold making/casting material.
• Most materials like plaster, rubbers and resins have to be mixed before use. Pay careful attention to the mixing ratio and stick to them for best results.
• Certain materials have to be deaired (in a pressure pot or vacuum chamber) prior to use. This will eliminate air bubbles and lead to perfect molds and casts.
• Keep the pot time, working time, set time and cure time of the material in view when making molds and casts. Mix appropriate quantity of material that can be used within the working window and stick to the timeline.
• Demold only after the mold/cast has set properly and also allow it to cure later.
• Take care of the finishing aspects as well. Some finetuning and corrections are generally required to perfect the shape and detailing of the molds/casts. A cast is usually painted to create the desired effect.
• Most molds can be reused multiple times provided they are cleaned and stored properly.

EnvironMolds is a one-stop shop for everything to do with mold making, casting and life casting. It is not just about the materials, supplies and tools per se. The website is replete with instructions, tips and more information on how to make a mold, cast and life cast.