I always use a 1/4 inch hex wrench tip or an unsharpened number 2 pencil which I push into all four corners of the clay in the first part of the mold. Works like a charm for a molding pin to align the two parts together. Just about 1/8 of an inch down is all you need for alignment pins! Also, if you have an electric razor, you can hold it to the side of the mold box. The vibration will make any bubbles rise to the top of the mold before it cures.
Great tutorial. I'm reviewing them to see if there are any ideas I can glean to help with my casting projects. Yes, there are. Thank you. Yeah, you can't re-coat the release agent enough. Coat at least 5 times so you get good coverage. It helps to turn the mold 180-degrees for subsequent coatings to help make certain you get full coverage. I also like to pour the silicone into the bottom of the mold cavity, avoiding the subject of the mold. This helps prevent bubbles from sticking to the subject. I use 100% modeling clay, mainly because, like others, I've found it impossible to get 'regular' square Legos. I'll have to try mounting the clay on the styrene sheet. That looks a lot cleaner than my method.
Great video! I have a question. I need to create my own master parts. Front fenders, valence, rear qtr. panels, trunk, hood, etc. What's the best material to work with for shaping them? Balsa wood maybe...or? Thanks!
It would have been a good idea if the rubber to rubber release was colored so you know its evenly coated. I discovered an old airfix Saturn Apollo rocket has a missing launch escape system half missing but now I see I can mold the a replacement part from the existing piece I have, this will be fun. Thanks
Thanks for watching, Bob. It would have been, but the instructions also mention to apply 3 to 5 coats. We were impatient and rushed it a bit. It's a good reminder to follow the directions!
Biggest problem I have is trying to find a set of Legos with straight pieces! Everything has fancy subject-specific shapes that are pretty useless for general use. Can you use a "master" that has already been painted? Will the paint somehow react with the casting materials? Also, do these products have a shelf life? Been wanting to cast some out of production Kirin Falklands Royal Marines to modify (for my own use!), but never got enough courage to attempt. Will be looking forward to part 2!
The Minecraft LEGO sets are perfect with lots of straight pieces. You could use a painted master, but you're better off using a clean part for a master. We've never had the material around long enough to hit the expiration date, if there is one. Good luck!
