PROJECT: HOW TO MAKE A LARGE SILICONE RUBBER MOLD (2-PART) BY CHRIS TAN

The photos below are compliments from Chris Tan, a local customer on his project using Craftiviti Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber. 

Chris started with building a base out of Craftiviti Industrial Styling Clay. This clay contains no sulphur and is therefore safe to use with the Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber. In a nutshell, anything with sulphur will cause the RTV Silicone not to cure.

In the photo above, Chris brilliantly built the clay within a plastic tray hence eliminating the work needed to build 4 walls around the mold. Walls are essential in keeping the liquid silicone in.  

Next, Chris embedded his master objects. In this case, the master was a set of unique dices. Chris was careful to embed only half the dice. You can see how securely the clay grips onto the dice. Chris sprayed a layer of Silicone Release Agent on this master so that the master will not stick to the liqiud silicone rubber.

Next, Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber is mixed with the hardener. This step is crucial.

Mixing Ratio: 2.5%-3% hardener to the weight of the silicone rubber. 

So if you have 100g of  Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber, you only need approximately 3g hardener. A dripper or pipette is the best measuring tool for this and a very sensitive weighing scale too. Once you get more familiar with our Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber, you can roughly gauge 3g as 3ml. 

This mixture needs to be stirred well and poured SLOWLY onto the master to avoid bubbles forming. To encourage more bubbles to be released, just tap the mold. 

Chris left this mold overnight to cure.

The next day, the cured Silicone Rubber peels right off the mold. In the photo below you will see how well the silicone rubber emulates the master. 

Notice how well the Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber captures even the faintest detail including the shallow numeric on each dice. 

This is the first part of the mold. Now onto part 2. 

For part 2, Chris uses the 1st part of the mold with the dice. Again he builds a wall using Craftiviti Industrial Styling Clay. 

In the photo above, you will notice shiny liquid on the surface of this master. The liquid is a silicone-to-silicone brush-on liquid. Just brush on the liquid, allow to dry and repeat 3 to 4 times. You NEED TO DO THIS because silicone and silicone LOVE each other and will stick firmly together. This love is definitely NOT what you want in a 2 part mold.  

Repeat the mixing and pouring of the Moldmaker RTV Silicone Rubber. 

 The end result is a large two part mold slab that is ready to use. 

Thank you Chris for sharing!

Email us if you have any enquiries at enquiry@craftiviti.com or pop by our store at 10 Boulevard, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

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ESSENTIAL OIL: BERGAMOT OIL BENEFITS

Bergamot is a beautiful oil derived from the rind of the Bergamot citrus fruit. Craftiviti Bergamot Essential Oil is 100% pure from India and certified in the United States as Therapeutic Grade. 

This oil is extracted from the rind of the Bergamot fruit through Cold Press Method. Craftiviti Bergamot Oil is free from bergaptene which causes photosensitivity. 

Traditionally, this oil is believed to rid worms, heal wounds faster, relieve depression and anxiety, eliminate scars and acne marks, relax nerve and muscles, and more. Read article below for more on the benefits of this useful oil. 

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The health benefits of Bergamot Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties as a deodorant, vulnerary, vermifuge, antibiotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, sedative, analgesic, antidepressant, disinfectant, febrifuge, cicatrisant, and digestive substance.

Bergamot is a citrus fruit whose rind is used for extracting the Bergamot Essential Oil. The scientific name of bergamot is Citrus Aurantium var. or Citrus Bergamia. It is a tropical plant, but thrives in Europe as well. Its powerful aroma makes it a popular component in msany perfumes, and it is often used as the all-important “top note”. It is derived through cold compression, opposed to the steam distillation of many other essential oils. One of the most common applications that you may not be aware of is its use in black tea. The inclusion of bergamot essential oil in regular black tea is then given a different name – Earl Grey!

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REVIEW: SCULPEY MEDIUM BLEND OVEN BAKE CLAY

We have these in our stores and we always get customers asking  what the difference is. So we referred to the trusty internet and found this review on Makezine about the Sculpey Medium Blend.

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All About Sculpey

Sculpey is a family of polymer clays produced by Polyform. Sculpey has been around in some form since the 60s and has been produced in a wide range of varieties. You may have worked with the colored Sculpey III or Premo! clays in crafting projects. Super Sculpey and Sculpey Firm are two favorites in the sculpting community.

Many sculptors create their own homemade mixtures of Super Sculpey and Sculpey Firm. By mixing these two clays together in a 50/50 mix, you get the workability of Super Sculpey combined with the ability to hold texture that is inherent to Sculpey Firm. Of course, this means having to spend extra time mixing clay, taking valuable work time away from your projects.

Well, the fine folks over at Polyform have been keeping an eye on polymer sculptors and have heard our woes. They have just added Sculpey Medium Blend to their product line. This is the perfect blend of Super Sculpey and Sculpey Firm. Mix your clay no longer! Not only do I now get to save precious time in my work day, I can also spare my hands the stress that comes with manually mixing clay.

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