Something new to try

[Doug Bridges]

If there ever was a dream silicone rubber for mold making for a taxidermist, I think Smooth-On my have just made one. The new product is called MoldStar16. Some of you may be familiar with MoldStar 15? Well MoldStar 16 kicks it up a notch and is a great addition to MoldStar 15 and 30.

MoldStar silicones are Platinum cure and mix by volume 1:1.
MoldStar 15- 50 minute pot life, 4 hour demold
MoldStar 30- 45 minute pot life, 6 hour demold

MoldStar 16- 6 minute pot life, 30 minute demold. That's right 30 minute demold time. That's with no degradation to the strength of the rubber and no additives to make it kick faster.
Here is the tech sheet on it. http://www.smooth-on.com/tb/files/MOLD_STAR_15_16_30_TB.pdf
If this isn't the answer to the taxidermist's dream I don't know what is.

If you have questions about MoldStar, I know Psycho (Dan Hudzik) and Scott Olsen both use it and love it.

If you have questions, call me at 8106562350. If you want to order some, call TFB Plastics at 586-566-7900 or www.tfbplastics.com and let them know 007 sent you.

[Kerby Ross]

Doug, do you sell it as well?

Thanks

Kerby...

[psycho]

16?  Thats awesome.  Soon as I run out of 15 which I am half way through the new container already.  I'll be getting some 16 to try soon.  Thanks Doug!

[Doug Bridges]

Kirby, Yes I sell it through TFB Plastics. You can order through the number listed above. If you talk to Debbie, tell her hi for me.

[fishslayer13]

Does this work for molding frozen items or fish heads slightly damp ?

[Doug Bridges]

Yes. The set time will slow on frozen specimens.
One caution: If you wash specimens in your shop water and the shop water is hard with a content of Sulfur, the sulfur in the water will inhibit the set of the rubber, with any platinum cured rubber. So, remember sulfur is bad. Download the tech sheet and read more.

[fishslayer13]

Hey thanks !

[Wildside]

Got mine delivered.  Hope to play this weekend.

[fishmaster]

Doug, On the spec sheet it says nothing about making it thixotropic. The other smooth-on platinum rubbers can be thickened with plat-cat. The tech sheet on the 16 sheet said nothing about that just that it was most suitable for poured molds. I would think it would be really soft (as a 15 durometer) for a fish mold of any size. Your thoughts?

[Doug Bridges]

I will have to check on the thixotropic material for MS16. Just to make it clear, Plat-Cat is a catilist for Platinum cure silicones. It speeds the set time on these silicones. It does not thicken the silicone.

The sheet for the Moldstar does say that Moldstar is not compatible with Thi-Vex, which is the thixotropic material for other silicones. So, let me check with Smooth-on on this question.

Yes, 15 durometer is soft. Too soft for fish? that depends on how it's used and how thick the mold is.

[Doug Bridges]

Ok, so I just talked to my contact at Smooth-On.
Moldstar silicones are thin in viscosity, so to thicken them up takes a lot of thi-vex. Yes you could use thi-vex but to get to a paste consistancy would take so much thi-vex that you would start to inhibit the cure of the silicone. Another note: the strength of Moldstar is not as high as say Rebound 25. Because of that, a thin section of Moldstar would tear very easily making your mold worthless. So, if you want a thin walled mold using a brush on material, use Rebound 25.

[beaker]

You can use Cab-O-Sil (ure-fil 9) or Ure-Fil 11 (less of a particulate) to thicken the silicone as well