Using Silicone Caulking to Make Molds

Step 3: Mixing and Setting

NOTE: The vinegar smell here is normal. Silicone caulking is mixed with acetic acid to help it cure. The fumes are harmless, but you will probably mix this outside.

To mix your molding material add the ingredients in the following order:

1. Measure out your Silicone into plastic cup (1oz)
2. Add appropriate amounts of Glycerin (3 drops)
3. Add appropriate amounts of Paint (1 Drop)
4. Add appropriate amounts of Mineral Spirits (.5oz)
5. Mix with plastic silverware until the paint is dispersed through the mixture with no white left. I like to use a knife, some prefer a spoon.
6. Scoop silicone into casting box. I say scoop because this material does not pour like molding silicone.  If you're trying to make a two part mold, you're going to have to add pressure to fill in the gaps.
7. Cure times depend on heat and moisture, but is generally 2-4 hours.

That's all there is to it! Follow the directions of some of the other casting instructables, and you should have a mold that you can make your own things with.

Comments

[sdomph]

Awesome! Thanks! Once the mold is set, is this able to handle heat, cold?? Can this be dishwasher safe and food safe? My intent for mold making is for decrative things around the home as well as for chocolates, cakes with fondont and for partys, to do ice, rice crispy treats, jell-o's and what ever else my brian has pop into it! Thank you for sharing!

[Lonecoon]

I have no idea, as I've never tried. I can't say I'd recommend it, but I don't see why it wouldn't be food safe. Try it on relatives you don't like before serving it to party guests.

[danzo321]

Other good sources of pigment are mineral color, which masons put in mortar.. OK, you don't want a 20-lb sack of color? Try the chalk powder meant to go in snap-string line which is sold in hardware stores and comes out of a ketchup type squeeze bottle. Art stores may also have powdered pigment so your casting can be an exact hue.

[sdomph]

Can you use side walk chalk that is for kids? Also to make homemade chalk it's craft paint and grout powder. Can these be used?

[jduffy54]

If you use 1 part caulk, 1 part cornstarch, and 2 parts mineral spirits (it does NOT like mixing, use a dremel, drill, or something similar and a bent nail to mix it well), then it will pour like normal molding silicone. (it is a little thicker, though.

[Happy2Think]

Thanks, this is a really nice instructable, I will try it
to cast some items, and I have a question
Can this mold be used to cast poliester resins on it?

[crashaire]

Does anyone know if you could use these molds with plaster? for example if I was to make a mold of a sea shell and fill it with plaster for a plaster sea shell would that come out okay, or detailed enough, or is a shell too porous and/or the mold would not get all the little lines on the shell?

[Lonecoon]

I've gotten enough detail out of this to recast 25mm figures that were out of print, so a seashell should be no problem. The plaster will snap out easily, as it's just silicone.

[tvane1225]

How well does this process actually work. will the silicone dry all the way through even if it is thicker than 1/4 inches?

[Lonecoon]

I've made molds that are an inch thick with this recipe, with no problem. The glycerine is the key to making sure it dries all the way through.

[bac512]

what is the paint for?

[Lonecoon]

The paint is to ensure that you get a proper mixture of your ingredients. Without the paint, It's much harder to tell if everything is properly mixed.

[bac512]

so basically, it's just for coloring... when it's all a uniform color, you know it's mixed well?