Pour n Mold same as Zubber?

[Carrie]

While searching for moulding compounds, I came across Oyumaru Moulding Compound which is softened in very hot water and used to make an impression. After a few moments it's firm and useable as a mould - polymer clay was used apparently successfully in a demo video.  It  looks good so have ordered some to try.....watch this space!

[MelMcG]

Jan, I'm sorry. I did try though.

Carrie, I'm watching.

  Mel

[jembox]

It will get here soon . Has any body ever tried hot glue sticks a a mold ??
They seem pretty rubbery

[MelMcG]

I'm having a bit of trouble visualising what you mean, Jan.  Do you mean a glue gun stick or Pritt sticks?  I would image they would both be hard to work with, being sticky, and very messy, but I could be wrong though.  Mel

[ejralph]

I've heard of people using silicon caulking material for mould making too.

But I personally don't see the point when there are so many easier-to-use alternatives. I find moulding materials a bit like varnishes - I wasted way too much time trying to find "the perfect one" and always just ended up using scrap clay! But I do far prefer the rigid moulds over the flexible ones for my polyclay and ceramic moulding needs. I think for flexible moulds, any of the RTV compounds are good.

Emma

[jembox]

I mean the hot glue gun sticks - suppose you lay a  3/4 inch metal button face up, oil it , Frame it with a 2" circle cutter (oiled also and sealed around the outside with a snake of clay) and then filled with hot glue to cover button I bet you would get a perfect mold I would have the button pre heated and on a tile to give the glue more time to settle in . I have in the past melted into candy mold and came out with a perfect rubbery copy. I have also taken a small glass piece out of a miniture frame and drizzled layers of of glue around it to make a new funky shaped frame I Chilled each layer so that when i added next layer I could build up textures and dots. I painted with gold translucent glazing paint . It came out looking like a clear molded  resin with a gold shimmery  transucent veil. you would never geuss it was hot glue. This was before I found Polymer clay

[ejralph]

urm - I think it all sounds like a feasible idea. But if I am honest, I think that would fall in the "life's too short" category for me 

Emma

[jembox]

LOL Emma

[Carrie]

I like using polymer clay most of the time too! 

However I have had fun trying out this Oyumaru stuff - it's playing really - which i think is what it is designed for!!
One advantage over polyclay though is that I don't need a release agent for the mould.  Also, it sets firm quickly and can be used at once - no waiting to bake a polyclay mould before using it

You just pop the bars of stuff into near-boiling water till they soften and mould it a bit then take your impression.  A big disadvantage for anything larger is that it firms up quite quickly, so really it seems best suited for flat pieces.  The instant make and use is extremely appealing though    I trimmed edges with scissors and you can resoften it.  The moulds are surprisingly hard.

Here are my quick (unbaked) try-outs - a double-sided bead using a button for the mould and two bits from a mould of a tree charm.  Quite a crisp image I think. 

[jembox]

Can you  recombine the molds  into one mass again when you reheat or make 2 blocks into one piece for a bigger mold?

What about makeing a flat texture sheet ?

[Carrie]

It will all re-soften so if I only wanted to do a few from a mould I could re-use the stuff. It came in 6 sticks of 58 x 7 x 15 mm and they would all mix together.
Impressions from texture sheets would be an excellent use for it - you could try out the negative of a bought one and if it's no good just re-use the stuff.  It's flexible enough and strong when very thin so would be very good to go through the pasta machine which is a real plus.

But it's the instant nature of it that appeals the most!

[jembox]

I want some this Instant !!!

[MelMcG]

urm - I think it all sounds like a feasible idea. But if I am honest, I think that would fall in the "life's too short" category for me 

Emma

Emma, you're so funny!  I think I might have to agree with you.    It does sound like it would have looked pretty cool though.

Carrie, that stuff sounds really good, I might have to give it a go too.

  Mel

[ejralph]

I had some stuff that was like small plastic pellets that did the same thing - you would soften in warm water and compress into a blob and use it to mould or model things. It ended up very very rigid when cool and could be re-used. I didn't find it very good for moulding so never persued it. Can't remember the name now ....

Emma

[Carrie]

It could be the same.
THis was no good when I tried to make a mould from the cap of a tube (as a cupcake mould) because of it firming up too fast but for quick impressions it's fine and as you can re-use it you don't have to worry about waste if you don't like what you've done. 

Just got it for fun really