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Types of materials you can mold?

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DJHicks:
Hi peeps.... making alot of mods to my helmet which i later wish to mould...

but i need to cut bits off, blank areas and add peices etc just wondering which materials are are ok to mould without it kind of sticking or anything...

As i say i need to add parts such as blanking peices... and was thinking of sintra etc just need it to fill gaps and so forth... and also add a few custom peices/parts again wuld sintra be ok for this or will the silicone be absorbed and stick to it?

I have spray release agent... but just thought i'd ask whats kind of best...

Im really new to the moulding side of things... i used to send or take peices to my friend and he'd mould items but while this was expensive as he lived up north i didnt want to spend the money on the silicones etc and then waste it all and possibly ruin the peice... but he's now gone abroad with his new wife and im forced to take it all on myself which is good in a way but still scary!

Im involved in the hunters lair and have done a few predator peices... but nothing on a large scale such as this on my own...

a few members here (who are members of other forums/groups) have expressed an interest in my pieces hence the need to mould them... i will produce a wip and info later as i don't want to reviel anything just yet until the result comes out well! lol!

so.. thank you to anyone that can offer a solution...

Saz:
You have several options depending on your budget.

The best stuff to use to mold with is Silicone RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanising, if anyone wanted to know :) ), it will not stick to anything but itself and has a high usage life before serious faults begin to appear. The downside is that it is expensive and you need to work out your mixtures, you will need paper cups and sticks and all that malarky to make it up.

You do not need mold release for silicone, but I use it to make sure the mold lasts as long as it can before replacement.

If you want to find more, I did a tutorial thread on TDH on the different methods of using RTV silicone which is what I used to create my fiberglass helmets and resin accessories. http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33783&

Another option is latex, the only issue with it is that it doesn't set as a hard rubber like the silicone, you need to paint the layers on and leave it for a while, so it can take a few days to make the mold, you will also need a jacket for the mold. Latex also degrades and you need to ensure that you have a mold release agent, most people use talc (french chalk).

If you want to keep it real simple, then plaster of paris is a cheap option, it is however a very stiff substance so it would not be of any use if your items have any undercurves.

Silicon caulk, the stuff you use to seal the bathroom is a cheaper alternative to silicone, it sets on contact with air, so you will either need to take it straight from the tube or keep it underwater. Cheap, but fiddley.

If you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to answer.

DJHicks:
Hi Saz... thanks for your post...

But i have the RTV silicone... i was refering the piece i want to mold.... I need to make some more adjustements and add something... wondering what material is ok to use and be ok moulding...

I need to blank off a gap and was thinking of using sintra... woudl that be ok or would the rubber absorb into it?

just wondering what materials are ok to mould with silicone.. so if some one could say if the following is ok to mould with rtv silicone...

1. Sintra = yes/no
2. Wood = yes/no
3. Paper/Card = yes/no
4. Latex = yes/no

etc... if there is anything that needs to be done to the material before molding it could you mention it such as paper or card prehaps it should be resined first incase it absorbs the silicone?

thanks again i hope you get what i mean...

Saz:
Your important concern with Silicone is that it is persistent stuff, so any holes you have, it will crawl into, so you will need to ensure you don't have any cavities or it will pull apart completely.

The answer is yes to all, except perhaps latex, you may need some silicone mold release on that bad boy.

Easy answer is to do a test with a small amount of silicone with the latex and see if it comes away, I think it should do, but I would like to know myself :)

The only thing I can think of which is not good for silicone is oil based clay.

DJHicks:
thank you saz... i think sintra will be the weapon of choice...

i just didnt want to do bits... only to have it all rip appear when i try to pull off the silicone lol!

for safetlys sake is it worth giving the helmet a spray with a release agent or just poor the silicone on and wish for the best haha!

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