Casting and Creating Modeling Work With EnvironMolds, LLC

Sodium silicate – or water glass as it is popularly known – is easily available on the EnvironMolds website. It is offered as an aqueous solution that is relatively odorless. Other benefits of this inorganic mix are that it is resistant to moisture, fire and even high temperatures.

Given that the primary contents of water glass are sand and alkali, the solution is largely nontoxic and also does not harm the environment in any manner.

EnvironMolds provides sodium silicate solution for sale in a 1 pint bottle with options of buying 1 gallon and 5 gallon containers too. The price remains reasonably low and cost-effective in keeping with the general price policy of the accomplished art supplier.

The bottle recommends that the product should be used within a year after the date of manufacture. However, it has been repeatedly proved that unopened and properly stored containers retain an almost unlimited shelf life!

So, always seal your sodium silicate containers properly and store them in a cool, dry and

Do not allow the sodium silicate solution to freeze either. On the off-chance that this happens, you can try thawing it with indirect heat before mixing properly again.

It is always advisable to wear splash-proof goggles, rubber gloves, boots and coveralls while using water glass as it may irritate or burn the skin and eyes on contact.

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!

EnvironMolds has emerged as a leading supplier of mold making and casting materials, tools, name plates engraved and other accessories. Apart from equipping both novice and experienced artists with anything and everything they need to bring their vision to life, Ed McCormick tries to assist them every step of the way.

The company even provides access to instructional books, videos and live workshops that prove to be very helpful. This is supplemented by the storehouse of information available on the website Artmolds.com.

There are helpful links to almost anything you want to know, from mold making basics to life casting technicalities to even material safety information. Even a casual visitor to the website can quickly glean various useful tidbits such as the fact that silicone rubber does not stick to anything but itself, and therefore does not usually require a release agent. Or the reality that liquid latex rubber should not be inhaled deeply as it has a good amount alcohol mixed in it!

Just by looking carefully, you can understand the role of fibers and fillers in mold making and casting as well as the difference between polyurethane resin and its polyester counterpart. Clicking on the particular links will also help you to learn different things from how to make a life cast to even doll reborning.

There’s all this and much more in store! Go check it out!

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!

Liquid latex rubber is a popular art material that is used for making latex mask as well as creating other theatrical effects such as wrinkles, scars and gashes for film, television and stage. The cheap price coupled it qualities of toughness and durability make latex rubber a commonly used material in the world of art.

However, regular latex rubber proves to be quite viscous. Fillers or extenders are required to control the flexibility or rigidity in the rubber latex castings.

EnvironMolds offers ‘RubRfil Latex Mold Rubber Filler and Extender’ expressly for this purpose. All you have to do is mix requisite quantity of RubRfil with the liquid latex rubber. This will thicken the mix and also extend the material so that you need to use less quantity of latex rubber.

RubRfill works by subtly altering the form and function of the latex. Varying the amount of this extender and hardener enables you to easily control the amount of hardness and flexibility as desired.

For beginners, the following recommended combinations will prove handy:

•    Very flexible - 1 part liquid latex rubber  to 0.5 part RubRfil

•    Flexible - 1 part liquid latex rubber  to 1 part RubRfil

•    Medium flexible - 1 part liquid latex rubber  to 1.5 parts RubRfil

•    Very hard - 1 part liquid latex rubber  to 2.5 parts RubRfil

You can work your way through these suggested ratios to get the kind of flexibility or hardness you require.

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.

Mold making and casting knows no boundaries. Even sand particles can be bonded with sodium silicate to make sand molds that are later used for making metal castings. This compound is made by mixing sodium carbonate and silicon dioxide.

And if you are thinking about where to source this sodium silicate or water glass, it is available on the EnvironMolds website. ArtMolds Sodium Silicate is available as an aqueous solution in 1 pint, 1 gallon and 5 gallon bottles. This additive is multi-purpose and can be used for several other applications too. Such as:

•    It is commonly used by artists to create an instant antique patina on ceramics and pots. The antique finish coating looks natural and believable.

•    It can be used as an economical deflocculant for clay. As the compound thins the clay, slips can be made with minimum water content. However, you have to be careful about the proportion as after a point water glass starts flocculating the same clay!

•    It works as a high temperature adhesive. A thin layer can dry to effectively bond different materials like metals, paper, plaster, ceramics, glass, fiberglass and even refractory materials.

•    The excellent sealing and bonding properties work very well for concrete, plaster and gypsum surfaces. The chemical reacts with the concrete to form a permanent bond. This makes the surface stronger, denser, wearable and water resistant too. The same function can be applied for sealing plaster molds and casts very effectively.