Making silicone for molds with your own hands at home

Molding polymers

The universal material is obtained by dissolving crushed quartz with nitric acid. When mixed with one of the catalysts, it somewhat resembles rubber. The substance is non-toxic, resistant to alkalis and acids. When finished, it is elastic, impact-resistant, water-resistant and has an unlimited service life. Products made from it are very easy to care for and easy to store.

According to their intended purpose, two-component compounds, consisting of a paste and a hardener, are divided into pouring, coating, and silicone for making molds. With your own hands, you can make from these mixtures not only blanks for souvenir soap, but also strong templates for pouring paving slabs, obtaining decorative stones and gypsum stucco.

To give the substance a solid state, before use it is mixed with a tin or platinum catalyst, which is included in the kit. Some qualities of elastic rubber depend on the type of hardener:

• transparency or dullness;
• tear or tear strength;
• dimensional retention and heat resistance;
• hardness;
• final hardening time;
• durability and circulation resistance.

For example, mixtures with tin catalysts are used in industry and construction. To produce artificial stone or strong plastic products, you need the most durable materials. Food grade silicone for making molds into which chocolate and caramel are poured is produced on the basis of platinum hardeners. The softness and elasticity of these compounds is more suitable for “sweet” production and baking.

Removing silicone from work surfaces

Silicone is a product that helps glue surfaces and seal seams. This substance prevents the penetration of air and moisture. Sealants with antibacterial composition are used in bathrooms, cars, construction, aquarium hobbyists, etc. The sealant is not easy to remove from the surface, but it is possible.

The sealant is made on the basis of solvents, which give this composition a pungent odor. In addition to the smell, solvents give silicone elasticity and help it adhere better to surfaces.

Therefore, chemicals that are sold in stores are often used to remove silicone.

But using traditional methods , you can remove silicone from any surface, for which you use white spirit, rags, blades and detergents.

To remove silicone from the work surface, you must first moisten it with white spirit using a rag. After about 60 seconds, the silicone will have a jelly-like consistency and can be easily cleaned with a blade. Then this area should be washed with detergent and wiped dry with a rag.

Silicone can also be removed mechanically, using a knife and pumice. But this option is suitable for surfaces that are not susceptible to scratches and chips.

Where is homemade polymer used?

Despite the variety of compounds on sale, some craftsmen prefer to do everything themselves. This is usually justified by saving money and being creative.

Making silicone for molds with your own hands is possible in several ways. It should be clarified that the resulting substance differs in characteristics from industrial mixtures. And these differences are not always positive. If branded liquid silicone for making molds is used to create large and small products, then homemade rubber is made only for home creativity.

NON-FOOD SILICONE FOR TIN CASTING

Silicone for casting products from polymer, polyurethane and such inexpensive materials as concrete and gypsum is made from tin. Casting quick-drying liquid compound is a non-food type of composite used in the manufacture of matrices for making large numbers of copies from models during finishing and restoration work.

In the Smola20.ru online store, liquid silicone for elastic, tear-resistant molds is presented by the Master Mold brand. The two-component fast-hardening tin-based material is sold with the marking S. The number after the letter indicates the Shore hardness grade. For example, molding silicone S15 is used for the manufacture of small-sized molds with small complex parts. S30 – for large shapes. Another brand of liquid 2-component tin-based compounds is Smooth-On Mold Max series.

How to create a matrix for casting: some tips

When starting to make silicone for molds with your own hands, place a container, box or drawer for the main work. It is made from cardboard (if the sample is small), wood or plastic. It can be collapsible or solid. From the first it is easier to release the frozen workpiece. There should be no gaps between the container parts, since all types of elastics have fluidity.

Before putting the “model” into the container, it is covered with a separator. This lubricant should be wax, fat or soap. To get a matrix for a vertical souvenir, it is attached by a stand to the bottom of the container on a piece of plasticine so that it does not float up. Then the pre-mixed compound is poured in a thin stream around the model. Filling the container begins from the corners, completely covering the figure installed inside.

How to make a silicone mold

To do this you will need a special material - compound , which consists of:

• catalyst (hardening agent)
• silicone pastes.

Thanks to these components, any shape can be cast. True, this is not exactly injection-molded silicone (it is more reminiscent of rubber in its properties), nevertheless.

To make an analogue in the form of a silicone mold, you need to do a number of steps:

1. Take the container. It must be intact, without cracks.
2. Place in the container the object made of plastic or plaster from which the mold will be made.
3. Take sand or dry mixture and fill the container with it. This way it will be clear how much silicone is needed for pouring.
4. Treat the item with sunflower oil or soapy water.
5. Pour in the silicone mixture.
6. Close the container tightly.
7. Wait 15 minutes.
8. Disassemble the container. The silicone should not stick to your fingers at this stage.
9. Cut lengthwise using a regular stationery knife.

The required silicone mold is ready!

Recipe No. 1: preliminary preparation

If you need a small amount of elastic rubber for a small product, you can use one of the options below. Making silicone for molds at home begins with preparing a vessel, a spatula for stirring, components, a main container for pouring and a small souvenir, the so-called master figurine, a cast of which is planned to be obtained for “cloning”.

For the first method, take equal amounts of glycerin and gelatin and place them in a small container. The composition is melted in a water bath with constant stirring, avoiding boiling. Heating lasts 10–12 minutes.

How to make silicone at home

First of all, to make the material, you need to mix ethyl alcohol with liquid glass in equal proportions. This can be done in any plastic container. During mixing, you need to add dye to the mass according to your own preferences.

Both a wooden stick and a regular spoon are suitable for kneading. After kneading, you will get a mass reminiscent of casting, plasticine or rubber. It can be used in several ways in the future. For example, knead with your hands. You can also put the mixture into a regular cooking bag, a gun for construction silicone or a syringe with the necessary attachments and squeeze out the amount that is needed. You can use regular cookie cutters or take some. Or another option is to cast the required shape.

Important! Repeating the shape of an object will only be possible if you apply silicone mass to the outside of the object. To put it another way, apply the mass not into the mold, but from the outside.

Another important point : before applying the rubber mass, the surface should be lubricated with vegetable oil or soapy water.

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Details of recipe No. 1

The bottom of the prepared cardboard or wood tray is evenly covered with the resulting mixture. Then the souvenir is dipped into homemade silicone and quickly placed in this box. The stuck figure is immediately poured with hot mixture, filling the tray to the brim.

Liquid silicone for making molds, obtained in this simple way, hardens in a few minutes, almost before our eyes. After the mass has completely cooled, the resulting block is removed from the box, a cut is made on the bottom side and the souvenir is carefully removed.

The resulting shaped cavity can only be filled with epoxy resin. Making silicone for molds with your own hands using this recipe has several disadvantages:

• the finished master product absorbs water, so it cannot be used to produce plaster castings;
• the mass melts when you try to fill it with a hot substance, so it is not suitable for creating designer soap.
• After several uses, the inner surface of the mold deteriorates, loses its gloss and quality.

The ability to repeatedly remelt used dies is considered a plus.

Benefits of using gelatin

Gypsum is considered one of the simplest and most popular materials for creativity, making decorative elements and interior elements. This mineral is sold in powder form, easily mixed with water, and quickly hardens after pouring into a mold. But often, when making crafts and casting various household items, a number of serious problems arise. Small details and thin outlines may appear blurry. When pulling out the workpiece, the plaster crumbles greatly, and as a result, part of the workpiece may break off completely.

Professionals have long replaced gypsum with liquid silicone, which, after being poured into a mold, forms a high-quality, rubber-like material that is pleasant to the touch and perfectly follows the contours of the sample. Silicone is also great for creating molds, into which molten plastic or epoxy resin is then placed to produce various decorations and souvenirs. Silicone has only one drawback - it is very expensive.

The price for 1 kg of material can reach 5000-7000 rubles and more. An excellent alternative to silicone is food gelatin, the price of 1 sachet does not exceed 20-50 rubles.

Recipe No. 2: preparation

Making silicone for molds with your own hands requires some effort. Craftsmen who work with plastic clay make templates and molds in this way to bring their ideas to life. So, you will need one of the types of high-temperature resistant construction sealant and ordinary food starch or talc. It is advisable to work with rubber gloves. Since the sealant sets within 10 minutes, it is necessary to place in advance next to the object from which the cast will be prepared: a shell, a figurine flat on one side, something else. The mold will be solid, with a concave depression, so it is suitable for the production of only one-sided souvenirs.

GRANDS AND SERIES OF SILICONE MOLDING COMPOUNDS

Silicone for molds is a liquid 2-component material for the manufacture of elastic molds. Matrices made from this material are tensile and suitable for reusable use. You can buy inexpensive molding silicone and professional silicone compound with delivery throughout Russia in the online store Smola20.ru. The site presents two-component liquid silicone for pouring of different brands and series. It varies in type and physical and mechanical properties.

The store stocks silicone designed to create soft and flexible yet durable shapes. It can be divided into two types depending on which catalyst it reacts with. Hardeners for the compound are made using tin or platinum.

Recipe No. 2: details

1. Sprinkle a little talcum powder or starch on the surface of the table (to prevent it from sticking).
2. A bunch of sealant is squeezed out of the tube into the center of the sprinkle.
3. Add starch on top and mix everything.
4. The resulting “dough” should contain so much starch that it does not stick to your hands or to the table.
5. A thick cake is made from the mass, corresponding to the size of the future souvenir.
6. Quickly and carefully, with force, press the selected sample into this workpiece.
7. The silicone for making molds is left to dry for a day.
8. After removing the figure, the template cavity is lubricated with talcum powder using a brush and tightly filled with plastic clay.
9. This base can be placed in the oven to dry along with the filler; it is not afraid of high temperatures.

A simple version of sculpting petals

Craftswomen always need petals in large quantities. To simplify this process a little, you can make a special mold.

1. According to the instructions, polymer clay is prepared, then it is divided into several small parts.
2. A complex figure is created from the mass, the lower part thickens, it should look like a drop.
3. And at the top you need to extend a small leg. The clay is then pressed firmly against the surface to make the workpiece flat.
4. Using a toothpick, draw longitudinal stripes. They can be of different lengths, interrupted and twisted.
5. Afterwards, you can send the product to the oven to dry completely.

With the help of such products you can create beautiful bouquets of petals.

Creating shapes is a fun and rewarding process. A person independently makes unique models.

When it is difficult to come up with a figure, you can look at photographs of other needlewomen and choose some of their ideas on how to make molds. They allow any fantasies to creep into life and create real masterpieces.

What's good about this method?

The first advantage is the reusability of the resulting template. The material retains all its qualities. You can pour a hot soap base into molds made from starch and construction sealant, after sprinkling them with alcohol from a spray bottle. DIY silicone for making molds can withstand temperature loads on par with industrial compounds.

Among the disadvantages are the sharp vinegar smell of sealants and the rapid hardening of the “dough”. But the master can prepare the amount of substance that is needed at a given moment in time for a specific job.

Casting silicone

To begin with, you can use leftover silicone from previous fishing trips. Often, a predator spoils the bait by tearing off its tail, legs and other structural parts. High-quality silicone is easy to melt into new products, but you should remember that mixing colors will create a new shade that is quite faded.

Many types of silicone are used for casting. A building material is a good place to start, and once you obtain the necessary skills, you can move on to specialized liquids.

The first step is to heat the silicone and find a balance of proportions. Adding table salt creates positive buoyancy for baits. Salt cannot be mixed in its pure form; it must be dissolved. Also, many anglers use small glitter, which can cause problems. The fact is that glitter clogs a thin fluoroplastic syringe, so you should initially be equipped with reliable tools. The bait may contain oils and attractants that enhance the smell and taste. Their amount should not change the structure of the silicone, making it more liquid.

Specialized dyes are also used. To achieve the desired shade, you need to mix two or more colors in a separate container. With a high concentration of paint, artificial nozzles turn out matte, and with a moderate concentration, they turn out transparent. The cooling time of the mold depends on the material from which it is made. Ready-made baits must be oiled with an attractant and stored in a separate package.