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The
use and care of ABS concrete molds
The
simplest way to start is to purchase Portland cement and manufactured
sand. You can purchase this from your local lumber yard or hardware
store.
You
simply add water to it and mix it in a wheelbarrow or other flat container
using a hoe or shovel. You may also use a cement mixer if you have one.
Do not use more water than enough to make it damp, to much water causes
it to be very weak when cured. You should be able to squeeze a hand
full and it should hold shape and slump, and not be runny.
Mix two parts Portland cement to three parts sand. You can add ¼
inch pea gravel (another 2 parts) if you want and add a small amount
of fiberglass fibers for strength if you want to.
Prepare
the mold by using a mold release on it. You can use several products
off the shelf for this, The Original Armor All or Son of a Gun (car
interior conditioners) work well. Canola oil or vegetable oils work
well too. You can also use Turtle Wax, (put on at least 2 coats of this),
it's hard to get it out of the fine detail on some of our molds.
Make sure you wipe up any excess mold release so it's not pooled in
any part of the mold to keep it from causing problems with whatever
you cast in the mold.
Some
of our customers like to use Spray on Pam or similar spray on cooking
oils. They do work great on the ABS molds as a mold release.
Fill the mold with your mix and either tap the table it is on so that
it fills all the mold detail and releases most of the air bubbles or
if on the ground, pick it up an inch or two and drop it onto the surface
so it settles the mud into the mold. Use a board as a straight edge
and scrape the concrete level with the mold surface to create a flat
back. (This is the point you would add wire or other hanging material
into the back of the mold if you plan for this to be a hanging item.
Some of our molds require that they be raised up a little with a couple
of boards on either side of the artwork since the artwork is a little
taller than the edging around the mold. This keeps the artwork from
pushing up in the middle of the mold or tipping the mold while casting.
Let the concrete cure at least 24 hours before turning it over and dropping
the mold out. Waiting for 48 hours is even better. Don't forget, the
mold release is very important to keep concrete from sticking to the
mold.
You can press on the mold surface a little to help get the casting out
if you need to. Take your time, you will find this is very easy but
messy work :-)
After getting the castings out, be careful with them, they are still
easy to break, it takes about a week for one to cure out well, and concrete
keeps curing for a very long time. It is advisable to mist your castings
with water and keep them wet for a few days after you take them out
of the molds, this will help them cure fully.
You may want to look into other recipes to make concrete. Many recipes
are available on the Internet if you search on Google for them. There
are many good books on casting concrete too.
In the beginning, don't be disappointed if you mess up, it takes a little
practice to get it right.
You can also add color to your concrete mix, follow the directions on
the color mix. Color is usually available from the place you purchased
your concrete.
Plaster
can be cast in most of our molds for making plaques and other art items.
Follow the mix and use instructions on the plaster bags or boxes. The
same mold releases we use for concrete will work on the plaster castings,
but a simple one to one mix of un scented dish soap to water sprayed
and wiped on the molds will work to. Let the soapy water dry and buff
with a soft cloth, more than one application will work even better.
I hope this information has been helpful; if you have any questions
at all, please feel free to e-mail sales@moldwarehouse.com for more
information.
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