[mike]

Hi

I recently bought a large (about 10″) silicone pyramid mold for polymer resin casting. It comes with a pyramid plastic support base. Do you have any advice on using this please…

My first assumption is that I will need to clean the mold before use – how do you recommend I do this?

Second the mold will not seat itself perfectly in the plastic support base. Do I need some kind of lubricant, it sticks to the plastic and is therefore distorting?

Third I would like to get a nice shiny pyramid from this and assume I will need a release spray and maybe to polish it… any advise on this please?

Finally I am also aiming for a clear, hard result which can sit outside for some years. What is the best resin for this task?

Thanks for your help.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Mike, I have not used a mold like this, but will do my best to help you.

I like to clean silicone molds with a quality soap/detergent and water. Rinse well and slap it on a hard surface to get out moisture. Resist the urge to dry with a cloth as it will leave lint. If you notice water spots after drying, a little bit of rubbing alcohol should remove them.

I don’t know what to tell you about the plastic base. Is the manufacturer available for support?

If the mold was made from a shiny template, you should expect shiny castings from it as well. i.e. you may not need to do any polishing of your piece after casting. If you want something that can be polished with a rotary tool and compound after casting, you will need to use a polyester or polyurethane resin. We don’t sell clear polyurethane resins, but do have a clear polyester resin here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/products/castin-craft-polyester-resin-16-oz

I always recommend using a mold release when casting resin into molds. It extends the life of your mold and may be the only thing that allows you to demold your casting should something go wrong. My favorite is this one: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/petrolease-non-silicone-food-grade-mold-release

A polyester or polyurethane resin should remain hard enough to weather outside, but unfortunately, all resins are going to yellow over time. Resins with UV inhibitors and stabilizers help extend the time before yellowing occurs. However, things such as mixing off ratio (even though it still can cure without tackiness), putting over an improperly cured lacquer, excessive heat, and or constant exposure to sunlight can speed up the yellowing process. How long a resin will last in its clear state is very difficult to predict.

[Natalie K]

I love this mold once I figured out a few things. Getting the silicone back into the base is really easy when you spray some lubricant like wd40 into the base and drop the silicone back in, not only does it fit perfectly and easily but when removing the finished resin piece the silicone comes out with the piece then you just peel off. I do not use mold release in the silicone part as from experience it is not necessary and sometimes makes the piece not as clear. Clean the silicone part only with gentle soap and water and air dry, I’ve found since the pieces come out so easily cleaning can also be done just with cotton pad and nail polish remover but watch out for lint remaining in the mold if you saturate the cotton this will not happen. Hopes this helps.

[Krassiva]

Hey guys
I need some advice
I had a problem with my silicone pyrimid mold.
When I put in the resin, the mold comes out a little bit. Like a finger out. So, it tottaly make a ugly distorcion in my Orgonite.
Can someone help me about how to fix it in the base? Thank u so much
My WhatsApp +5521972394440

[Katherine Swift]

I’m not sure I understand what’s going on. Can you link to a picture?

[Author]

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