[Katherine Swift]

This question comes from Roberta:

Hello, I’m an avid fan and follower, I’m a prop maker, I need to make a particular pendant that I sculpted with clay but I’m having difficulty making a mold of it because of the holes I already embedded into it, is there video on any pre made holed pendant you have done before or can you give me pointers, I can send the pic to you , thanks and I look forward to a response

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Roberta,

I’m guessing you are having problems with bubbles staying trapped in the holes which are keeping the molding material from getting in as far as you would like. The best way to avoid this is by vacuum casting your mold. It involves using a vacuum chamber and a pump. Harbor Freight usually has small pumps for not much money. I don’t have a source for the chamber, but make sure it is metal and won’t sink in on itself when using a vacuum pump.

You will prepare your item in the mold box and pour the molding material over your item. Pouring in a thin stream will also help to minimize bubbles. While the molding material is still liquid, you will place it in the vacuum chamber and start the air removal process. This will make those pesky bubbles rise to the surface and out of the holes in your pendant. Tip: You don’t have to get the bubbles all the way out of the mold before you release the vacuum. As long as you get them to the surface and more quite appearing, that is good enough.

Let you mold cure as expected. You should be able to remove your template and have a mold to make more pendants.

[Roberta]

Thanks so much for your response but trapped air bubbles is really not my dilemma at the moment, I wish I could send a pic so you can better understand, the hole I mean is the same that the ring that the chain hangs on, but instead of separating and glueing it into the pendant, it already comes as part of the pendant, this just gets even harder to describe, but thanks so much for trying to help

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Roberta,

Your description helps. Does the hole/ring sit flush with the back of the pendant?

[Author]

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