04/26/12 Product Info Tip Of The Week - Making Silicone Resin Molds

[Blick Art Materials]

Making Silicone Resin Molds

Most people use a silicone to make resin molds. The type of silicone you choose mainly depends on the method you want to use to make the mold. There is silicone putty, which is used to make push-molds, or liquid silicones that are formulated to either be brushed on or poured. Poured applications are usually the simplest and are self-supporting, but they tend to require the use of more silicone material. Brush-on applications use less silicone, so they’re more economical for large projects, but they involve a second step of making a mother mold to support the silicone – otherwise the flexible silicone mold will distort when the resin is poured.

For pouring applications, we recommend the Smooth-On Oomoo 30 Silicone, and for making push molds, we recommend the Easy Mold 1:1 RTV Silicone Putty. For a brush-on application, we recommend Smooth-On Rebound 25 for the silicone and Smooth On Plasti-Paste II for the mother mold.

FAQ: Can I use it for food?Before using ANY art material for a food-contact application, it is imperative that you be certain that the material is food-safe. Of the silicones we offer, the EasyMold 1:1 RTV Silicone Rubber and Easy Mold 1:1 RTV Silicone Puttyare food safe, so these could be used for molding chocolates, butter, cookies, and more!

Andrea

Product Information Specialist

For further assistance using art supplies, feel welcome to contact our Product Information Department at 1-800-933-2542 or e-mail us at info@dickbick.com. Hours of operation: M-F, 8:00am-5:30pm CST.