The Kremen company is with you again! Liquid silicone for molds has finally appeared in our assortment. Tin-based and platinum-based silicones are available. Silicones have exceptional physical characteristics, perfectly copy the texture of the product and are distinguished by a large number of molding cycles. In general - a miracle, not material.

At the start of sales, we were literally reeling from the number of questions about how to make a mold from silicone. That's why this article we decided to dedicate this issue. There are a great many ways to make a mold - it all depends on the relief, type and texture of your product. However, now we will look at the simplest method of making a mold - conventional casting into formwork. We'll tell you what we need for this and how it will happen process work for each of our silicones (tin and platinum). This article is intended for beginners and people who want to familiarize themselves with the basics of casting such materials. Let's begin!

Instructions: How to make a silicone mold with your own hands

Step one. Manufacturing (selection) and processing of formwork and placing a master model in it.

To begin with, what is formwork in casting? Classic formwork is absolutely any sealed container, one of the faces of which is open. A kind of container.

What is a master model? The master model is directly the very object that you are going to copy in the future. The same model from which we are going to remove the form. The object that we plan to fill with silicone.

Anything can serve as formwork. However, this “anything” must have several requirements:

1. It should fit your master model. And not just to fit - Please note that there is at least 0.5 cm from the master model to the side walls of the formwork. Or better yet, more. Please note that this distance is the walls of our future form. The same goes for the height of the formwork. The height of the formwork should be at least 1.5 cm greater than the height of the master model. This distance is the bottom of our future form.
2. The formwork must be airtight. Its corners and joints should not have gaps or cracks. At first glance, it seems that silicone is viscous like honey when casting. In fact, it flows into absolutely all holes and finds its way through even the smallest cracks.

Based on what was written above, what can serve as formwork for us, so to speak, if we bring a living clear example? One day we were removing the shape from an antique-style coin. Its dimensions were very small, literally 2 cm in diameter and approximately 0.3 cm in height. A small plastic cup, from which we cut off the top part, served as formwork for it. One day, we used a square lunchbox for sandwiches as formwork for a soap mold. But most often the formwork had to be assembled with your own hands from chipboards. If you are assembling formwork from boards, do not forget about point 2 in this step. We also have information that some craftsmen assemble formwork for casting from children's construction sets.

Once the formwork is ready, we place the master model in it. Since silicone is a viscous material, during casting it will easily move the master model from its place and the mold will be damaged. Therefore, the master model must not only be placed at the bottom of the formwork in in the right place, but also glue it to this place.

Once our simple “Formwork + Master Model” design is ready, it can be treated with a release agent. This is done so that the future form comes out of the formwork easily and painlessly, without sticking anywhere. Of course, Kremen Mold silicones have excellent anti-adhesive properties, but if you want to play it safe, you need to do it at this stage.

Step two. Preparing silicone for casting. Mixing.

We will split this step into two parts. In one we will describe how to mix Kremen Mold on tin, in the other - how to mix Kremen Mold Platinum on platinum.

Kremen Mold is a tin-based silicone.

Kremen Mold is supplied in the following format: Container with silicone + Container with hardener. This material is already ready for use. First you need to take the amount of silicone you need in a separate container and weigh it on a scale. Next, take another container and pour it into it required quantity hardener. For Kremen Mold silicones, this is 2% by weight of the silicone taken. If you have such an opportunity, add a small drop of a specialized dye (for example, PalIzh on our website) to the container with the hardener. A drop of dye will provide contrast and allow you to see the degree of kneading of the material.

After the components are selected and verified by weight, pour and mix them in a separate container. The material must be mixed for 3 to 5 minutes. Also pay attention to the degree of color mixing if you added pigment to the hardener. Mixing should be carried out at low speeds using hand tools or a drill with a special attachment.

Kremen Mold Platinum - platinum-based silicone.

Kremen Mold Platinum is supplied as a set of two identical containers with silicone components. Curing occurs after mixing the components in a ratio of 1 to 1. i.e. You will need to measure the required amount of component A on the scales and take the same amount of component B, then mix them in a separate container. In advance, you can add a couple of drops of dye to one of the components in order to visually control the degree of mixing. Mixing of components is carried out within 3 - 5 minutes. Mixing should be carried out at low speeds using hand tools or a drill with a special attachment.

Step three. Optional, but highly recommended. Degassing.

There is nothing complicated here - it is recommended to degas the silicone in a vacuum chamber. And for this you will need, unexpectedly, a vacuum chamber. This equipment is not cheap, however, if you plan to cast composite materials at on an ongoing basis, then purchasing this tool is simply necessary for you. The process of degassing our silicones is simple: It is enough to disperse the main excess by raising the silicone in the chamber 3 - 4 times. After this you can start casting.

Step four. Filling.

After all the previous steps have been completed, it’s time to start pouring silicone into the formwork. Filling occurs gradually, slowly, in a thin stream and mainly at one point - the deepest place of the master model. This is done so that during casting the silicone is distributed gradually, enveloping the walls and relief, pushing out air with its mass and filling the entire space of the formwork. After casting, leave the mold for about a day. This is the time when the silicone reaches its final hardness.

Step five. Curing and demolding.

After the above-described period of time, it will be possible to unmold - remove the form from the formwork. Ready! Now you have a mold that can be used to cast products that completely copy our master model!

Self-casting silicone baits makes it possible to make them according to your preferences, and not be limited by the assortment presented by sellers. The selection of baits in small fishing shops or specialized online stores is impressive, however, it is cheaper and more efficient to make them yourself.

However, there is one significant disadvantage, namely significant time expenditure. After all, the process of casting silicone nozzles is extremely painstaking and lengthy. But the result is quite justified.

Before you start melting baits, you should acquire the most necessary things, without which this process is impossible - a mold for their manufacture. You can either buy it or make it yourself.

On sale, mainly in online stores, there are a variety of forms for casting baits. Of course, buying molds for casting silicone baits will not be difficult, but it is much more interesting and cheaper to make them yourself. In addition, you can make such forms based on your own preferences.

Any form consists of two surfaces that, when in contact, form a sealed area. The surfaces of high-quality forms should be closely adjacent to each other. Up to a dozen contours can be placed on the mold, which speeds up the casting process significantly. High-quality matrices are characterized by the presence of air ducts designed to remove air.

Material for making molds

The materials used for such molds are:

• gypsum. Most often, molds are made from this material due to its relative cheapness and ease of manufacture. To increase the strength of the molds being made, PVA is added to the plaster and the surface is coated with varnish;
• sealant. Like gypsum, it is characterized by low cost. The disadvantages are similar: insufficient level of strength and opacity of the resulting form;
• metal. Unlike plaster and sealant, metal forms are strong, durable and highly accurate, but their cost is much higher;
• plexiglass. It has all the advantages of metal forms, costs an order of magnitude less, and besides, the forms are transparent. True, over time the form becomes cloudy;
• stone. It is characterized by excellent strength, long service life and acceptable accuracy, but the price of the molds is high.

Method of making molds

To make a plaster mold for pouring polymer baits you will need:

• gypsum (medical or construction);
• dishes and spatula for mixing plaster;
• liquid soap;
• bait layout;
• scales;
• water.

It is important to choose the right ratio of water and gypsum. The optimal ratio is 150 grams of gypsum per 100 ml of water. The temperature of water and plaster during mixing should be at least 20 degrees. A more uniform dissolution of gypsum occurs when it is slowly mixed in water for at least a minute. If bubbles form, they should be removed by tapping.

There are 2 types of matrices: one-sided and two-sided.

Manufacturing of one-sided matrices

To create such a matrix you need finished layout bait. It is usually made from clay or wood.

Manufacturing sequence:

• dilute the plaster with water to the desired consistency;
• pour the resulting mixture into a plastic container;
• Place the mock-up bait in plaster;
• After hardening, remove the simulator sample (usually about 2 hours);
• It takes at least 10 hours for complete hardening.

Manufacturing of double-sided matrices

The manufacturing process of such matrices is more complex:

• a double-sided matrix is ​​made using containers that have a rectangular or square shape. It needs to be half filled with gypsum mixture;
• lower the mock-up bait halfway into the mixture. Complete hardening usually occurs in 11-12 hours;
• apply a lubricating liquid to the surface of the first part of the matrix so that after hardening of the second part of the matrix, it can be easily separated from the first;
• make the second half of the matrix. Allow time to harden;
• separate the molds and, if there are burrs, remove them;
• wait a couple of days for all parts of the matrix to harden and grip tightly.
• Using a knife or other sharp object, an air vent is made - a groove from the sample to the edge of the matrix. It would be useful to process the resulting groove with a drill. To make bulk baits there must be at least 8 air vents.

Lures made in such matrices are very similar to living representatives of the underwater world. It is almost impossible to achieve such similarity in one-sided matrices.

Dyes, glosses, flavors

The use of dyes in the manufacture of baits is extremely desirable, since color is a significant factor affecting its catchability. The choice of dyes is impressive, but there is no point in purchasing the entire color palette due to the fact that several different pigments can be mixed to obtain the desired shade.

Glitter is added to silicone in order to give the bait more natural look. Their shine looks like the shine of scales and a predator reacts better to such baits. The size of the sparkles varies from 1 to 6 mm.

Special flavors are used that have excellent heat resistance.

Silicone for casting baits

When choosing a material for smelting nozzles, you should pay attention to thermoplastic. Its advantages include excellent quality, but it is not cheap at all. Also available for sale budget options, which are non-shrinking and have low viscosity.

Today, among the materials for casting baits, fishermen distinguish the following:

• "Eleplast" (TV25);
• "Pentalast";
• "Silix"
• "Tortap."

Remelting spoiled silicone baits

The topic of self-casting silicone baits is especially relevant for those fishermen who have a lot of silicone baits left with various defects from previous fishing trips. In this case, you can significantly save on silicone by melting such damaged baits.

Before heating, chop the bait into small pieces. When placing silicone in a microwave oven, it is important not to overheat it, as it can change color and smell strongly, releasing substances harmful to humans. In this regard, it is extremely important not to forget to ventilate the room.

Instructions for casting silicone baits

Making a catchy silicone bait is not at all difficult. It is important to strictly adhere to the sequence of actions recommended by experienced fishermen:

1. apply silicone grease to the matrix;
2. clamp it with a clamp;
3. melt the silicone in a microwave oven at a power of about 250 watts, stirring it occasionally;
4. draw silicone into the syringe and, lifting it up with the needle, release all the air from it;
5. insert the syringe into the sprue and squeeze out the polymer until it fills the entire space. The signal to end this action will be the appearance of silicone in the air vent;
6. carefully remove the syringe, without ceasing to squeeze out the silicone so that hollow noses do not form in the bait;
7. after a minute, remove the bait from the mold and cool it in cold water;
8. use scissors to remove excess pieces of silicone;
9. attach a hook to the resulting bait.

There may be some deviations in this sequence of actions. So, with small volumes of silicone, it can be melted directly in the syringe.

1. Any ceramic or glass containers are suitable for heating the polymer. But the most preferable option is with frotoplast, because it has increased strength and excellent temperature retention.
2. to avoid burns, remove heated dishes with silicone from the microwave using a cloth or wearing gloves;
3. To fill silicone, it is recommended to use a fluoroplastic syringe. If this is not possible, a glass syringe will also work. But you need to be extremely careful with it due to its fragility. The use of ordinary plastic syringes is categorically unacceptable, as they lose their shape from heated silicone.

Molding silicone baits at home is an activity that really requires a huge investment of time. Nevertheless, it is worth it, because this way you can not only significantly diversify the fishing process, but also save a lot.

Silicone rubber is an indispensable material for many areas of life. Silicone molds are used in cosmetology and the culinary field, in the creation of any kind of jewelry, decor and cosmetics etc. We will talk about the main properties of silicone rubber, and also provide methods self-creation forms from this material.

Molding polymers

To produce a universal material, nitric acid is used, which is added to quartz chips to dissolve it. Then the catalyst is added. The finished composition is similar in consistency and appearance to rubber. The material is safe, does not emit harmful substances, and is not affected by alkalis and acids. The completed material has a number of quality properties: plasticity, resistance to mechanical stress, moisture resistance, and no shelf life. Finished goods do not require special complex care.

Compounds, which include two main components - a paste and a hardener, are classified according to the purpose of use as follows: coating, pouring, and mold-making compounds. Such compositions make it possible to independently produce almost any shape, up to samples for the production of paving slabs.

To harden the composition, special catalysts are used - tin or platinum. The catalyst provides the material with a number of properties: resistance to temperature effects, strength and hardness, ability to quickly harden, long term service, resistance to active use. The shade of the future rubber will also depend on the hardener - whether it will be matte or transparent. Tin hardeners provide higher strength values. Platinum catalysts create more flexible and softer products.

The use of homemade polymers

Compounds are widely represented on the market, however, there are craftsmen who prefer making products with their own hands. This not only reduces costs, but also provides additional opportunity express yourself in creativity.

Creating silicone for molds with your own hands can be done using several technologies. The substance prepared in this way is not identical in properties to the factory samples. Homemade compositions may be inferior in quality to industrial ones; they can only be used for home crafts.

Before starting the process of creating silicone, it is worth stocking up on a container or box to work with. Assembly boxes make it easy to remove the part from the case. There should be no gaps in the container design, since elastics tend to leak out.

Before placing the material in a box, it must be covered with a separator - quite greasy or soapy. If you plan to make a matrix for a vertical product, it needs to be secured to the bottom of the container, using plasticine for adhesion. Next, the manufactured compound is poured around the part. The material must be poured in a thin stream until the figurine is completely covered inside the container.

First recipe

Preparation. First you need to prepare all the “tools” - a small container, a spatula for stirring, a container for pouring and a template figure, a copy of which you want to receive as a result. You will also need glycerin and gelatin in equal proportions; they must be melted in one container in a water bath, stirring regularly. Melting occurs within 10 minutes; You can't let the composition boil.

Now you can proceed directly to manufacturing. The bottom of the container (cardboard or wooden) is filled with the prepared composition. Next, the figurine needs to be placed in silicone and immediately pulled out, and then promptly transferred to a container. The template souvenir is attached to the bottom; You must immediately pour the hot mixture into it, completely filling the container.

The silicone hardening process occurs in a matter of minutes. After the material has completely hardened, the resulting form is released from the container and its bottom is cut off. Then you can remove the figurine. The empty space of the workpiece can only be filled with epoxy resin.

Disadvantages of the recipe:

The resulting workpiece is unsuitable for further work with gypsum, since it does not repel moisture;

It will also not be possible to make soap - the mass tends to melt;

The product is not designed for long-term use; it quickly loses its appearance and properties.

Second recipe

Preparation. You will need: construction sealant and starch. It is also worth preparing the figurine immediately. The shape you will receive is quite hard and will have a sunken depression, so in this way you can only create a one-sided product.

The process itself takes place in several stages:

The working surface is sprinkled with starch to prevent sticking;

A little sealant is poured into the center of the table;

The sealant is sprinkled with talcum powder or starch and quickly mixed; the material should not stick in the end;

The material is formed into a small, dense cake, the size corresponding to the future product;

Quickly, while the sealant has not yet set, you need to press the template figure into the mass;

The silicone must cure for at least 24 hours;

Now the workpiece can be dried in the oven.

Advantages of this method:

Possibility of reusable use of the sample;

High temperature resistance;

These molds allow you to work with a hot soap base.

Among the disadvantages are the need to work very quickly, since the working mass sets quickly, as well as the strong unpleasant odor of the sealant.