Any ideas on molding and casting insects

[Jamt225]

any ideas on molding insects. This is soft plastic, but the man who sold it to me has died.

[Ravenson]

I do not think it is going to easy,  You are probaly going to have to try it a couple time to get it to work and then the final  color job is going to be interesting.  I would start with a good two part silicone. If you want the mold to last longer use a plat cure silicone.   I will think more about it and see if I can come up with any other tips for you.

Jeff

[Jamt225]

here is something called a thing maker from Mattel I believe for more food for thought.

http://austinthompson.org/Thingmaker/FishingLures.shtm

[Jamt225]

All I can say is WOW!

http://www.grahamowengallery.com/photography/dragonfly_photography.html


Here's another link I found in this quest

http://www.animalmakers.com/links/index.php#Books

[BrianA]

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&from=R40&satitle=CREEPY+CRAWLER+MOLD*&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=76022&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32%26fsoo%3D2&fgtp=

[Jamt225]

Thanks Brian. I saw those.

The problem is they are one sided. They have a flat side. but it solves half the problem :>)

How do they make aluminum molds?


I found a good selection of bugs at the Creme lure company.

http://www.cremelure.com/store/store_sub.cfm?Category_ID=5

[Jamt225]

I found this but am unsure on how to get it out of the mold.

I could make a mother and then recast with this method I guess. What material should I cast the mother with, metal?

Any thoughts?




Description

This section is from the "Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas Recipes Processes" encyclopedia, by Norman W. Henley and others.
How to Make Castings of Insects

The object—a dead beetle, for example —is first arranged in a natural position, and the feet are connected with an oval rim of wax. It is then fixed in the center of a paper or wooden box by means of pieces of fine wire, so that it is perfectly free, and thicker wires are run from the sides of the box to the object, which subsequently serve to form air channels in the mold by their removal. A wooden stick, tapering toward the bottom, is placed upon the back of the insect to produce a runner for casting. The box is then filled up with a paste with 3 parts of plaster of Paris and 1 of brick dust, made up with a solution of alum and sal ammoniac. It is also well first to brush the object with this paste to prevent the formation of air bubbles. After the mold thus formed has set, the object is removed from the interior by first reducing it to ashes. It is, therefore, allowed to dry, very slowly at first, by leaving in the shade at a normal temperature (as in India this is much higher than in our zone, it will be necessary to place the mold in a moderately warm place), and afterwards heating gradually to a red heat. This incinerates the object, and melts the waxen base upon. which it is placed. The latter escapes, and is burned as it does so, and the object, reduced to fine ashes, is removed through the wire holes as suggested above. The casting is then made in the ordinary manner.

[jermh1]

this is like the lost wax process but the lost insect, it is for casting in metal, How its Made did a segment on it, with engine blocks. basicly a mold is made out of rubber to make a wax casting, then the wax casting is dipped repeatedly in a clay slurry and dusted with silica sand, then that is dried, then put in an oven to melt out the wax, then fired in a kiln to make it like ceramic. Pour in some molten metal and smash of the ceramic and you have a nice fancey engine block. the method you found is similar but just it is the insect that is burned out not the wax.

[Jknuth]

the method does work.
You need to get the temp to over 1300 degrees so organics will burn out.
And use a jewlers grade investment (Plaster blend)
you also need to ramp the temp up slowly so it doesnt crack.