![]() ![]() Once the glass solidifies, remove the plasterĪll detail from the original art is transferred from the mold material to the glass object Place glass frit (small pieces of glass) into the mold and melt into the plaster Heat the plaster mold in an oven to cure the material Remove the pattern if it is made of a material that cannot be placed in an oven Pour plaster around the pattern and allow plaster to set according to package instructions Open-faced molding is more commonly used where one side of the final piece is flat, or for less intricate pieces, and involves pouring plaster around a pattern that can physically be removed once the plaster sets. The method of glass placement varies from artist to artist, based on preference and experience. After the pattern is removed, the glass can be placed in the mold. This slurry is then poured around the pattern and allowed to set or harden.Īfter proper curing, the pattern is removed by pulling it from the mold by steam removal, or by heat removal. A plaster-based mold material is mixed with the appropriate percentage of water to create a slurry. ![]() In both methods, the mold itself is used only once. Using plaster-based molds for glass casting is an art.Ī variety of processes can be used to accomplish this feat however, the two most common methods for making plaster-based molds are open-faced molding and lost wax casting. Feel free to ask questions and add recommendations in the comments.The glass casting process involves the creation and use of plaster-based molds. Thanks for viewing my first instructable. It's ok though, as I can always scrape out the wax and remelt it for another attempt. Perhaps lubricating the insides will assist in preserving the duplication's integrity but I highly recommend against lubricating the mold when using mediums hotter than wax, such as silver. Unfortunately, my cast broke when I separated the two halves. Try to remove as much wax as possible from the half line as this will make separating the two halves a lot easier. After the wax hardens, pour boiling water over the mold to melt off any wax that spilled down the sides. Pour any excess wax into another container for future use. I recommend letting the mold sit for at least 20 minutes to ensure that the wax has hardened. Wax shrinks in volume as it hardens- continue pouring and topping off the mold every few minutes until the reduction ceases. I highly suggest to not hold the mold while pouring to avoid an accidental spill over your fingers. If you do not have one, pour as carefully as possible. My pot had a prebuilt spout in it which made pouring easier. Place your mold over a spill guard, with the hole facing up. I did not take pictures of the actual pouring as I needed both hands for the procedure. For this project, and for cost issues, I will make a casting in wax. Therefore, finished molds will work for almost any casting material - I preferably like to create projects out of wax, tin, silver, and gold as these materials are very easy to work with. Plaster is an ideal material for this project as it is very malleable in its unhardened shape, and can withstand very high heat when dry. To demonstrate the process for the instructable, I have chosen a sea shell since it is an object that cannot be duplicated with a one part mold system but is very streamlined - it lacks advanced features such as protrusions. The advantage of a two part mold over a one part (where molten material is poured into an open mold) is that much more structurally complicated objects can be duplicated in this way. Depending on what materials you already have available, the total cost for creating a single two part reusable mold will range from 0-25$. So What I've done here was develop a cheap way to create molds for various casting projects. I tried to take as many photos as possible and will explain the process as thoroughly as possible, but should you require additional help feel free to mention it in the comments below. Before I start, I'd like to note that this is my first instructable so please excuse any potential gaps in logic I made and some of the blurry pictures. ![]()
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