Making molds from polymer clay?

[roxybadoxy]

I really want to make molds out of clay and I found this stuff called elasticlay online but for some reason i can't buy any (when i try adding it to my cart it doesn't add anything)! so i was wondering how can i make a mold out of clay? i was hoping it would be at least slightly flexible so i don't have to ruin the design and i can just pop it out. if you can help me i will love you forever!! thank you for your help!!!

[Diane B.]

You can make molds from regular polymer clay, and they'll do very well for any molds that don't have undercuts.  There are various ways to make it easier to get the raw clay out of a clay mold, if you have any problems.

If you really want a flexible mold (for molding objects with undercuts or just because you'd prefer), you can use various things too.  Flexible polymer clays like MoldMaker or Bake and Bend can be bought in craft stores or online, 2-part silicone putties are probably the very best for detail etc but are more expensive than clays, and even things like white and silicone glues can be used to give a flexible mold.

There's loads of info on all those things, and how to use them, on this page at my site:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/molds.htm

And if you didn't see it, there's a recent thread here where I showed some of the molds I'd made with polymer clay:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=101292.0


(watch out... molds are addictive  )




Diane B.
GlassAttic....polym er clay "encyclopedia" http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm
little bit'o photosharing: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dianeatglassattic/my_photos

[something_wierd]

Yes,  regular clay would work just fine provided you use a good mold release (water works fine).  Bake and Bend is very flexible, but so is Premo.  Pretty much anything will work, though.

[steve.carn]

Hello all!

First off, new to the forum, glad to find it! There is alot of good stuff here!

Now, to my question. I'm trying to make a copy of one of my toy soldiers, a plastic army-man-type. I had the idea to use some clay, break it into two parts, and press it around the soldier, making a 2-part mold. Then, bake the clay to harden it, and once done, pour melted plastic into both part, wait for it to cool, and take them apart and glue the sides togethor.

However, as I've started working on this project, it's become obvioius to me that it's quite hard to make a 3-d model. I've read some of the articles about molding and making linked to on here. What type of clay should I use? Is there an easier way to make this 3d model? Is there a better substance than plastic to use?

Thanks!

[Diane B.]

Hi steve.carn, and welcome to the polymer boards!

What type of clay should I use? Is there an easier way to make this 3d model? Is there a better substance than plastic to use?

You can definitely make a two-part mold from polymer clay if you want, but not sure what you want to make the cast with... "melted plastic"?  There are some plastics that are meltable, so if those are what you're talking about, check this page for more on them:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/molds.htm
(...click on Other Materials For Molds > ...
......and maybe a bit more on this page:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/other_materials.htm
(...click on "Other Meltable, Castable Plastics"...)

That first category (Other Materals for Molds) also has info on other molding materials you might prefer to use (and links to more info and lessons on them) --things like epoxy putties, latex rubber, etc.

As for how to make a two-part mold from polymer clay, check out the category on that same page called "Two-Piece Molds," near the bottom.

There are various materials you could make your two-part mold from, and also various materials you could use for the casts.  Some of which you use could depend on the size and shape of item you're molding, and some could depend on the rigidity-flexibility or other characteristics of the figures you want to cast.
Check out some of those links, and see if you get a better idea of where to start.


HTH,



Diane B.
GlassAttic....polym er clay "encyclopedia" http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm
little bit'o photosharing: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dianeatglassattic/my_photos

[BlankGirl]

the best way is to make a rubber or latex for the mold(so you can just pop the thing you molded out) and then you can use clay to make the soldier and then paint it. im not sure about the chemical reaction between rubber and plastic but im sure you can do a small test.
i hope that helped.

[misswendiki]

Has anyone ever made a mold from polymer clay to be used for melt and pour soap? I checked out Diane B's site, but didn't see anything about soap in particular.
Thanks for your help!

[something_wierd]

As long as you can pop out the soap, it should be okay.  You'll want to use one of the stronger and more flexible clays, though.  You don't want the mold to snap after its first use.

[hello color!]

Air drying clays tend to be much more flexible. I'd go with them over baked clays just because of that. I think Sculpey also makes something marketed as mold making clay, but it's probably more expensive just because of the way it's marketed. Good luck.

[gothmom]

There is a version of sculpey called sculpey mold maker http://www.dickblick.com/zz332/62/ - and it is used to make molds.  I've made molds that I've used with regular sculpey to make pendants etc.   It is just flexible enough to pop out what you're using.