You could also use a vacuum chamber to degass the resin before pouring it into the molds. You'd be better off getting a pressure pot though (about the same amount of money). If you don't have access to either, there are things you can do to try to minimize bubbles before pouring into the molds. Trying to get bubble free casts without a pressure pot can be done, but it's tricky.

The pipes I used in this are couplers, so they have a ridge in the inside (I picked them to show an option for mold housings you could buy off the shelf if you didn't have tools to cut pvc pipe). Unfortunately that means the bottom half of the mold won't slide back in far enough to allow for a thick enough lid. But if you had sections of regular pvc pipe without the ridge inside, that would totally be the way to go. And thank you! It has worked really well for me for a very long time!

Hey! So you leave the lid off, pour resin into the openings (overfill just a bit), and then put the lids back on, making sure to squish it down just a bit. You can make holes in the lid to basically create what's called a sprue, but once the resin cures you have to cut them off (I find it's more work than necessary). I hope that helps?

@@DiceWitchery Yes it does and I feel very silly for not figuring that out first lol. Thanks!

@@catgoddess1829 No worries! And there's no silly questions, especially when you're learning new things!

I have another video where I use my master dice to make molds. I think this might answer your question?

I'm not sure what you mean by metallic paper? Do you mean the packing tape that I use for the bottom?

Hi there! I do not know the current price for DragonSkin20. You can search Amazon, or SmoothOn's website and they can give you current pricing. I don't have recommendations for cheaper silicone, as I like to use DragonSkin20. It works the best for me. You can search for dice masters on Etsy and there are several shops there that can create custom dice for you! I do not create custom dice myself.

You can prefill the face side of the dice side you want custom, make a sub mold which will produce a die with a flat faced side, then you can etch in your own design with a dremel carefully. Make a new master after that for each die although the consistency of a hand etched logo may vary if each is done manually. However- you can hollow out or drill a specifically sized hole a few millimeters deep an make a matching sized logo master to fit each die during the process, for more consistency. Just make sure to check each fit before pouring the masters or it may leave a fine ring around the logo- not a bad thing unless you want that side to have a clean edge around the logo.

Thanks! You would need to contact a master dice maker to get a custom logo on dice. If you search Etsy, there are lots of shops there that can do custom masters for you.

Thank you so much! I'm so glad this helped you!

I did this tutorial as easily as possible, so that anyone with a local hardware store could make their own molds. If they didn't have access to a lot of tools, it wouldn't be a challenge for them to make the molds. That's an interesting idea to cut keys out of the center divider ring, I may have to try that in the future.

SmoothOn has been having trouble with some of it's batches of Dragon Skin. It seems to be random, and varies depending on what material your masters were printed with. The safest bet is to use mold release. I haven't encountered any issues, but I bought my gallon of DS20 before they were having issues (and I haven't run out just yet). I'm not sure what a safe replacement would be, I've heard other makers having luck with MoldStar20T or MoldStar 15 Slow.

I do not know if ABS would cause any cure inhibition. Maybe get a small piece and try making a small mold as a test? Also, if you're coating the inside with vaseline, it may act as a barrier and prevent any inhibition?

@@DiceWitchery Thanks for replying! Yes, for sure! I will update this comment with the results; others have told me it should be safe and as well, use Vaseline.

@@DiceWitchery Update: ABS works perfectly! No cure inhibition or Vaseline needed (except of course for making the lids). :) Thanks again for the help!

@@terranaut2 That's fantastic!

Actually, my masters were printed for me by Jezebel's Creations! 😁

Pigment amounts? No, I pretty much just eyeball it, you don't need much. Maybe a pea sized amount of pigment for the base, and a bit less for the caps. If your cap color is looking off when mixing, you can always add a bit more pigment. The color won't really matter though, just as long as the mold works!

Thank you so much! I'm looking into possibly offering molds in the future!

@@DiceWitchery That would be awesome since they came out so perfectly. Subbing (which I should have done in the first place) so I can keep an eye out to see if you do end up selling molds. Alot dont but would be nice to get a professional set from a creator such as yourself. (not trying to suck up but cant hurt lol)

A new sharp blade! Makes it so much easier to get clean cuts!

@@DiceWitchery thank you 💖

I found them at our local hardware store (Ace Hardware).

The coupling I use has a lip on the inside middle, so if I did that they lids would not be very thick. Definitely an option if you're putting weights on your lids (thinner lids), but didn't work well for me with this instance. I think having regular pvc pipe would work great for that suggestion, I just didn't have any on hand at the time. :)

I'm glad the video helped you! I don't remember the name of the song/artist, but I can look it up later if you want?

This is why I overfill my molds a bit, that extra resin can go back into the mold when the pressure crushes the bubbles. You can cut a hole in the lid of your mold to create a sprue for extra resin if you want.

@@DiceWitchery thank you so much, now it's clear. And thanks for the extra advice as well, I definitely gonna try.

Did you apply Vaseline between the layers as a mold release?

Thank you so much!

No, I do not sell my molds. They're made with custom masters that have my logo on them.

You could potentially have bubbles trapped on the surfaces or in the numbers of your dice, that would create uneven surfaces in your casts. You can try painting your dice masters with silicone before pouring to help minimize bubbles getting stuck where you don't want them.