Wonderful and instructive videos Ruth, can you please advice your recommendation for best drying time for the catalyst ? Standard or fast driving Thank you , Maria
As I'm paying a lot for the silicone I want the best possible mould. So I so for a slow curing, that way you get the most detail and any air bubbles have time to rise.
I'm in the process of building a garden workshop, I'm looking at getting into Furniture upcycling and upholstery. Learning how to make moulds will come in very handy. I have a question, Do you do lessons or have apprenticeship, a lot of the old skills or dying out and you have the skill and knowledge that needs to be passed on. Please keep the videos coming.
Hi Ruth, another video with valuable tips and tricks! Do you use anything to protect the surface of the reliefs you make the silicone mold of to prevent removing the silicone from "taking away" the surface part of the relief? Thanks a lot, have i nice w.e., Manuela
Thanks 😁. The majority of my moulds are taken when the frame is stripped down, so no gold. So it's not a problem. You can take off gold if the gesso underneath isn't strong. So I would use a silicone putty instead. I'll be doing a video on putty.
Hi Ruth, Is there anyway to make a symmetrical cast? I have one side of a mirror image and can't figure out how to make a mold of what's there and reverse it to the other side?
Sorry not really. I sculpt the opposite when in that situation. You could do it if you have access to a 3D scanner and printer. Scan the decoration flip it on the computer, print it, then mould the print and press the compo into the mould.
Great little video. On the question about making one complete mould of the entire frieze (apart from the cost) would it be considered a gamble not worth taking in case the frieze was damaged when attempting to remove the mould? Or that the mould might not survive the removal due to the size of it?
The silicone wont damage the compo decoration. It can pull off loose gesso sometimes, but loose gesso needs to come off anyway. The main problems would be storage as it would need to be stored flat. Then a mould that long would need a plaster jacket.
Hi Ruth. Brilliant film. What grade of silicon would you advise purchasing? No release agent between the silicon and the original panel? Thank you for posting. Have a good week 👽
Thanks. I don't like adding anything to the frames I don't have to. This silicone has never not released even with undercuts. It's from Polysil. 3481 RTV silicone rubber and the catalyst is 81F.
How do you 'golden' the teeny cracks you've filled or indeed tiny chips with gesso showing please? Lot of bother to bole and gild! As an amateur I'd think spot of Goldfinger won't notice as not being gold. I have a mirror with the 'Triumph of Apollo procession' great design no wonder so many about I wonder when it appeared first.
You can, but gold paints oxidise and turns brown. Gold paint will never match gold. The only real gold paint is shell gold. This could be used to colour small cracks.
