Casting and Creating Modeling Work With EnvironMolds, LLC

Name any kind of mold making, casting or life casting material and you will definitely find it at EnvironMolds. And it’s not just about the popular and sophisticated products here. Artmolds.com even offers basic and simple materials such as clays and waxes.

In fact, the website features a fulsome range of carving and mold making waxes. Let’s take a look at some of them:

• Paraffin wax – This refined paraffin wax is popularly used for making candles. It works equally well for coating and sculpture engraving too. Edible variety of this wax is also added to chocolates to make them glossy and hard.

• Pure beeswax - This sticky substance is derived from honeybees and is excellent for flavoring and glazing. It serves well for candle making and sculpture engraving too.

• Synthetic beeswax – This manmade variation of beeswax works out cheaper. It is suitable for candles and soaps.

• Roman casting wax – This strong and firm casting wax is used for carving and modeling small objects.

• French casting wax – This studio blend wax is always recommended for the age-old technique of lost wax casting and helps in making precise sculptures. It remains pliable and does not get sticky.

• Micro-crystalline modeling wax – This soft, nut-brown wax is perfect for direct modeling. It lends itself well for pulling waxes for bronze investment casting.

So, do not limit yourself to resins, silicones or plaster casting alone. Try playing with wax as this soft substance can be easily molded into any form or shape.

EnvironMolds is not just limited to art supplies and materials per se. There is much more that you can easily find at Artmolds.com.

For instance, amongst the range of body mold alginates you will find a Cape Crystal Sodium Alginate as well. This organic, food grade and 100% natural product is the most dependable sodium alginate powder in the market. It is vegan, has no discernible flavor and emerges as one of the safest food additives.

Sodium alginate opens up numerous possibilities for chefs and cooks – from thickening and gelling to emulsifying, stabilizing and even texture-improving. Watch out for the interesting modernist feats in the kitchen, such as:

• Increase viscosity of liquids to form various types of sauces, syrups, dressings, gravies, mayonnaise and pie fillings.

• Bind meat to form nuggets, roasts, loaves and steaks.

• Improve texture of noodles.

• Gain the desired crumb texture and density in baked goods.

• Prevent ice crystal formation, discourage product melt down and maintain smooth texture in ice creams and frozen desserts.

• Above all, sodium alginate mixed with calcium salts is used to produce small caviar-like and large spheres. The gel formations have liquid inside that bursts in the mouth.

In fact, the unique and diverse properties prove useful in cream fillings, spreads, fruit products and even beer, wine and other beverages making it a must-have for all serious cooks!

Apart from this traditional materials such as clay, wax, rubber and polyurethanes are always available at EnvironMolds.

I have been practicing my hand at mold making and casting since the past many months. The horde of information available on the EnvironMolds website has been my guiding force throughout my journey into the world of these beautiful art forms. I have accessed the various instruction sheets and videos many times and managed to learn everything from how to make a simple block mold to complex mask making and everything in between.

I have been itching to try my hand at the more intricate art of making body molds right from the live human body. While www.artmolds.com again puts a lot of information and techniques at my disposal, I wanted more hands-on learning to get me started.

I soon found that EnvironMolds offers live workshops on a variety of subjects to fulfill this particular need itself. Customer service informed me that they have a Life Casting workshop scheduled soon and were even willing to accommodate my convenience.

I immediately signed up for the workshop that was to be conducted by none other than Ed McCormick himself! The 2-day workshop opened the doors to rich learning and interaction – I gained knowledge of everything from material selection, preparation, mixing and application to demolding, repairing, plaster casting, finishing and mounting. As I worked through hand casts and face casts on a live model, I even grasped the fine details about model preparation, comfort and posing.

This dream-come-true opportunity has managed to make me adept at creating beautiful life castings!

Working with clay – be it on the potter’s wheel or by hand – is quite an interesting and enjoyable prospect. You are only limited by your own creativity when making ceramic items. However, you do need to arm yourself with the right tools of the trade to be able to create a complete and attractive product. In fact, an artist requires a variety of tools for everything from rolling and preparing the clay to cutting, sculpting, piercing and finally finishing the ceramic object.

Given the popularity of designing ceramics and the difficulty of finding high quality tools, EnvironMolds has recently added a Ceramics section to its website Artmolds.com.

The superior collection features hand crafted and carefully assembled tools that by top European craftsmen. Each tool designed using potter’s recommendations. They contain only the highest quality materials including selected hardwood of European beech (Fagus, sylvatica) from the Catalan forests, carbon steel forged in Barcelona and cast aluminum. They are designed to last not for years but for generations.

It includes:

• Ceramic steel punches

• Hole cutters

• Potter’s ribs

• Wheel tools

• Trimming tool

•  Refractory supports

• Plaster rasps

• Tongs

• Funnels

• Gauges

• Sieves

• Mixers

•  Banding wheels and more

EnvironMolds’ product range includes all types of mold making and casting materials, tools and supplies for silicone casting, latex casting, resin casting, life casting and more.

The art of mold making and casting makes it possible to reproduce anything you wish - be it a figurine, candle, soap, jewelry or even screws, door knobs, tires and architectural details. Similarly, it is even possible to duplicate body parts or even make face masks. An extensive offerings of materials and supplies are available to the artist such as clay, wax, plaster, gypsum, alginate, resins, rubbers and more.

Armed with the right materials and techniques, even a novice can replicate almost anything. EnvironMolds, a leading manufacturer and supplier of mold making and casting products, makes it easy for us to access all kinds of materials, supplies and equipment required in mold making and casting.

In addition to the regular range of rubber, resin, alginate, plaster and other materials, the art materials company has even covered studio accessories such as chisels, mixers, rasps, brushes, containers, gloves, masks, modeling stands, vacuum chambers, turntables, pumps, mounts, name plates and more. Every small requirement is thoughtfully covered – be it fibers, fillers, release agents, paints, dyes, eyes, body parts or anything else.

What helps EnvironMolds emerge as a truly comprehensive resource for mold makers and casting artists is the broad range of instructional materials, books and videos. This is supplemented by hands-on workshops and the founder, Ed McCormick is always ready to consult with artists who are in need assistance.

The company itself functions as a complete almanac with its How-to sections, safety instructions and more. So if you want to pick up stock of silicone rubber and polyurethanes or just find out how to make a two-part mold, look no further than EnvironMolds!

Plaster is a popular material for making molds, shell molds, casts and life casts. All you have to do is mix it with water to form a smooth paste. This will set quickly to form a hard mold or cast that can be sculpted easily.

However, regular plaster or Plaster of Paris is naturally soft and chalky. It starts peeling and cracking over time and fails to hold details well.

EnvironMolds offers specially-treated and high definition plaster powder that yield durable and high-definition molds and casts. Take a look:

• No. 1 Pottery Plaster – This superior plaster serves well for ceramic and latex slurry molds as well as for casting decorative ceramic ware, sanitary ware, dinnerware and fine china. It should be mixed with potable water and higher water temperature will significantly reduce the setting times.

• Dental Plaster – This white plaster forms a smooth mix and is easy to use. It is especially formulated for use in the complex field of dentistry such as articulation and flasking procedures. An advantage is that it does not harden like dental stone.

•  Ultracal 30 – This extreme-strength gypsum cement is particularly useful when high accuracy and surface hardness are required, such as close tolerance tooling or duplicator molds.

Each of these plaster varieties is available in 5 lbs, 20 lbs and 50 lbs packages.

In addition, EnvironMolds also stocks a full range of mold making and casting materials such as alginate, polyurethanes, latex, silicone and more.

I have recently started indulging my hobby to make unique and artistic jewelry. The techniques of resin casting are simple to use and perfect for capturing almost anything before fashioning it into a distinctive accessory.

I started with plain items like small dried leaves and beads. I used small round and oval caps and containers to pour the resin over the item. Once cured, finished and glossed over, I could easily turn them into lovely pendants and earrings. The transparent hue framing the tiny pieces did look quite exceptional and very soon people started complimenting on my accessories.

It was when various friends started asking me for the source and I saw how they really wanted to pick some exclusive items, that I considered moving my hobby to a professional level.

Now I use mold trays of varied shapes and sizes to make inventive jewelry. I have even started adding dyes to create lovely hues and effects. Buttons, stones, feathers, sparkles, you name it and I have captured it in a delightful setting. People even bring special keepsakes that they want me to make into a memento that they can display or wear as they want!

You can rest assured that every earring, finger ring, bracelet, pendant or neckpiece will be totally one-of-a-kind and almost inimitable. The style quotient is bound to zoom!

Making a mold with clay, ceramic, rubber or polyurethanes seems quite simple. All you have to do is capture the shape of the model you wish to replicate with the mold making material of your choice.

However, a lot of finer points also enter the picture. I too realized the technicalities involved only when I actually got down to the task of making a mold. I was trying to reproduce a beautiful statuette and this opened the door to learning how to make a two-part mold!

That was not all. While making the first part of the mold, it dawned on me that I should be able to join the two parts of polyurethane molds together too. I started reading up about mold keys and carefully watched a demo video before using acorn nuts for the task. I carefully placed them all along the perimeter of the first mold part. I now knew that once the other part was done, the protrusions and indentations would help me to properly patch up both the parts in the right place.

As I was getting ready to make the cast, an experienced artist happened to point out that air could easily get trapped inside my closed mold creating unsightly gaps in the finished cast. I was flabbergasted once again until he explained to be that I should make small sprue holes along the surface of the mold to allow the air to escape.

I was finally able to make a decent reproduction of the statuette and I know it’s no cut-and-dried job at all!

When it comes to polyurethanes, we mostly think of rubber formulas that are widely preferred for their superior physical and performance properties. They are known to capture minor details and undercuts well, making their resin counterparts pale in comparison.

However, polyurethane resins cannot be left behind for long. What works in favor of the resin formulas is that they are very easy to use and have a wide variety of setting times – from very fast – to slow. You are saved from the carcinogenic producing smells of polyester resins too!

Available in both opaque and water-clear with non-yellowing, UV inhibitors varieties, these resins are especially favored for cold casting artworks to reproduce a realistic look of metals, stone or wood. Apart from this, they can be effortlessly used to cast figurines, displays, rapid prototypes, special effects and sculpture reproductions.

Take EnvironMolds Casting Resin for instance. This polyurethane is a pourable two-part resin that is used to make castings from both rigid and flexible molds.

The curative and prepolymer have to be measured and mixed together in equal quantities. The casting system cures quickly at room temperature to form anivory-colored, lightweight, hard plastic. Therefore, mix only as much as you can pour within its 2 minute pot life!

Just like polyurethane rubbers, this resin also needs to be de-gassed prior to use to avoid air bubbles. Using an appropriate release agent is also imperative. After a few hours, you can drill, grind, sand or paint it as required!

Enlarging a mold or cast is an easy and enjoyable process. Specially formulated polyurethanes and other compounds are available that allow for scaled expansion of a model.

However, shrinking a cast is a different ballgame altogether. You may consider using materials like alginate, wax or latex rubber that shrink during curing. However, the shrinkage is not proportionate and you will only end up with a deformed version of the original.

What you desire is uniform and balanced reduction with the details staying proportionate to the reduced size!

This is still possible by using special solvents. For this purpose, the original mold should be resistant to solvents or coated with a solvent resistant spray to protect it from the harsh effects of the excess solvent. Blend the silicone rubber with the solvent to get a thin mix. This will be flowy and take considerable time to cure. Once semi-done, demold quickly and leave it to dry.

The solvent evaporates to gradually shrink the cast in a proportionate manner all over. While the level of shrinkage depends on the amount of solvent added, it generally takes 3 days for the cast to reduce to 85% of the original. Leaving it for 7 days will further shrink the size to about 80%. You can make successive casts to get further shrinkage.

Some artists substitute the solvent with odorless mineral spirits that again tend to evaporate, leading to proportionate shrinkage.

Similarly, some water based urethanes are also available that successfully reduce the size of a cast to scale.

Life casting models often get put off by hair tangles and painful tugs during demolding. No matter how much baby oil or even petroleum jelly the artist slathers on the model’s head and body, the latter’s hair still ends up getting entrapped in the body mold. In fact, life casting artists often complain that their models refuse to repeat the experience and do not come back for further assignments. 

Clay modeling or resin casting is easier as it does not involve the live human body, but life casting requires careful preparation with an effective release agent. EnvironMolds offers an excellent product called MoldEZ Hair and Mold Release. This is water soluble and washes off easily at one go without tangling the hair at all!

It’s easy to apply MoldEZ – work generous amounts into the hair on the head, underarms or pubic area right from the root to the tips before combing them into place. You can also apply this water-based release cream on all fine body hair. The mold will come off easily from the body without pulling on the hair unnecessarily. MoldEZ is made completely from natural ingredients, is safe for the skin and can be washed out very easily with water.

Apart from this, MoldEZ also comes in handy as an adhesive for binding the alginate mold to the mother mold. Apply it generously all over the separated area. You can also use it to fill any pin holes in the alginate molds prior to casting.