Experimenting with different mould-making materials

Mosaic forms made from baked polymer clay - the pink
surround was added to contain the moulding material

I constructed two small areas of 'micro mosaic', one using angular pieces and the other circles. I then tried making a mould of each using different mould-making materials.

Moulds created with Siligum (blue) and Pinkysil (pink)

The blue moulds were made with Gedeo Siligum Moulding Paste - this is a two part (blue and white) putty that you mix in equal quantities; it only has a 5 minute working time and de-mould time of about 10 minutes.

The pink moulds were made Pinkysil Silicone - this came in bottles and you mix equal quantities; the working time is 6 minutes and de-mould time of 20-30 minutes (depending on thickness).

Samples made with Siligum moulds

Here are some samples made with the Siligum moulds, using black polymer clay and then Pearl-Ex powders on the raised surface. The middle one has a coating of Envirotex Lite epoxy resin but disappointingly this reduces rather than enhances the effect of the raised mosaic impression.

I also tried making a mould using scrap polymer clay but it did not press far enough into the joint spaces to make a useable mould. I have orderd some Sculpey Moldmaker to try - will post my results with this when I have tried it.

My Conclusions

Both materials make a flexible mould. The Siligum (blue) is firmer and better for imprinting polymer clay, which is the purpose I want to use it for. The Pinkysil (pink) is quite rubbery and very flexible - it would be better for a mould around a dimensional object that you would need to peel away. It was not firm enough to imprint the surface of rolled polymer clay.

Due to the short working time of both materials, I would suggest you only make one mould at a time - it was difficult to judge how much I needed to fill my mosaic forms without wasting too much. It was easier to pour the Pinkysil into the mosaic forms and get a smooth surface; the Siligum started to set before I could smooth the surface - but I did try making two moulds at the same time.

Designs for moulds

Over the last few weeks, I have been sketching out ideas and trying to work out how I would make moulds for brooch bases, which I can then add to/embellish to make each one different. I am a bit torn, as I like the idea of making my own moulds and casting (this would help to speed up production) but I still want to keep my pieces as ‘one-off’ originals (even though people do not seem to fully understand what this means).

Before I plunge into another new thing, that requires more materials, tools, etc, I am hoping to get some little kits (one for making moulds and one with resin for casting) to experiment with over the Christmas break. This should be fun and will give me an idea as to whether I am going to pursue this line of thought further.

Topmark Products

I went to visit Topmark Products, to see the range of model-making supplies available, after making contact with the Director of the company at the recent St Heliers Art and Craft Market. I was totally inspired by the vast range of products and felt sure that I would end up satisfying a latent desire to design and make my own moulds and castings.