[Jade]

End goal: a very clear, glassy surface teardrop casting.

I understand that the way to get the casting to have that perfect finish is for the mold to be slick- but what’s the best way to achieve that finish on the mold? Does it make a difference which molding material is used (poured versus kneaded silicone), or are there secrets to prepping the item such as coating it with… Well, with what? I have a cheap plastic bead that I’d like to base this on. Would I get a better mold surface if I first dipped this bead in resin so it has a nice shiny slick surface?

As far as mold structure, is a silicone mold going to stretch enough that the teardrop will just pop out, or will I need to make cuts? Thinking about 3mm at narrow end, up to about 10mm at widest. Would cuts create seams in the surface?

Also, just in general (not necessarily for this super-slick teardrop project), does anyone have experience/opinions of the Sculpey mold making compound?

[Katherine Swift]

Personally, I think it’s easier to get the glossy finish with poured silicone. Sometimes with the kneaded silicone products, a wrinkle will find its way next to the surface. It’s also very difficult to get a good mold of a 3D model with a silicone putty.

If your cheap plastic bead already has a shiny surface, there is no need to recoat with resin. Otherwise, you will need to apply resin to get a shiny surface before using it as a mold model.

You should plan on making cuts in the surface of your mold to get the bead out. You may not need to, but I would plan on it. Yes, it could create seams on future castings. You can minimize this by making sure the mold comes together tightly on subsequent castings. I like to use a strong rubber band to keep it together, but not so strong that it distorts the shape of the mold.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with Sculpey clay.

[Jade]

Thanks! That’s very helpful.

As for the Sculpey molding compound, I wanted to update with my results. It was very easy and intuitive to work with, given my experience with the clays, so that was great. After baking it’s flexible enough to get your castings loose, but it absolutely does not stretch like silicone, so it’s definitely only for “open back” castings like cabochons. I made one mold using a polished stone and the mold surface was shiny so I’m hopeful that I can make shiny castings; however, I apparently missed that one when I was applying mold release because the resin in that one is stuck tight. I’m leaving it alone for another day to get it nice and hard before I make any further attempts to get it demolded, but I might have to start from scratch on that one. The surface produced by the other molds is quite matte, almost a suede type feel as opposed to the frosted-glass texture I get from purchased non-shiny silicone molds. It’s kind of cool, definitely something I’ll use when I need textural contrast. I’m not sure how it’ll change after a coat of Triple Thick spray, but I’ll be testing it on a couple pieces. This is definitely a product with limitations, but good to have in one’s arsenal.

[Katherine Swift]

Thanks so much for sharing Jade. Your explanation is quite helpful.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jade, did you see these molds in our shop? They are new:

https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/new/products/clear-silicone-teardrop-mold-6-cavities

[Katherine Swift]

We have a glossy teardrop finish earring mold in our store here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/solid-teardrop-shape-resin-earrings-mold

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