5 Step MacGyver Altoids Key Mold

A cheep and easy way to recycle an old Altoids tin as well as duplicate any key. Note: This is not intended to be used for illegal any illegal activities, specifically ones seen in James Bond movies.

I made a key mold out of a 2 part chemical mix. I have a lot of this lying around because I had a friend who had a lot of miniatures and he let me make molds of them. It works like a normal mold. You poor your material through the opening at the "top", let it cool, open it up, and remove your key.

I made it In school using as a school project the steps shown in the instruct able file. We were told to use the materials we had to "make something". I worked alone, as the project required.

I made it in my schools engineering department. I chose this because I have made several molds before and I was confident that it would get me an A on the project.

My biggest challenge was suspending the key in the mold wile it was drying. I usually do this with play dough but i forgot to bring that to school so I had to make do with what i had. If i were to do this again i would remember the play dough and probably have the poor hole on the side of the altoids tin instead of on top.

Step 1: Gather Materials

You will need: 1 Altoids container 1 disposable cup 1 stirring rod (or any rod that you don't mind throwing away after use) Parts A and B of a 2 part rubber resin mixture(found in any local hardware store) 1 Key (or other object of interest) that you intend to duplicate)

Comments

[kretzlord]

reminds me of a key copier I made in highschool. Instead of a resin, i used clay as a mold. It worked suprisingly well, but i only had lead to cast with so the resulting key wasn't usable (and the hardware store didn't want to make a copy of a lead key, go figure)
Anyway, good job! this might be the first new use of an altoids tin in a while lol

[MissouriVillian]

I'm concerned you left off the step of actually making the key. Did something go wrong your not sharing?

[poofrabbit]

When you fill the tin half way do you need to wait any time at all or can the key go straight in? I'm just wondering if it needs to cure any at all before the key goes in I wouldn't want it to sink.