How to Make Dice Molds: Vented Squish

Hello friends!
Here’s the link to Karrot’s original video: • Vented Squish Mold Tut...
In this video I will be showing how I make my vented squish slab dice molds! The first half of this video is the tutorial and the second half is a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this mold style. I hope you enjoyed, hope you learned something, and I’ll see you in the next one!
You can find my socials at linktr.ee/dreamydice or @dreamy_dice pretty much everywhere.
Products used:
Silicone - Dragon Skin 10 Medium amzn.to/45E80eI
Dragon Skin 20 amzn.to/46zwuHx
Clay - Sculpey III amzn.to/3Qn8Msd
Xacto knife - amzn.to/3Q1fym5
Blue tape - From anywhere
Some links used may be affiliate links. I receive a small kickback from purchases made with my affiliate links, however, all products linked are those I genuinely use in my dice making. I am not paid to promote any specific product(s).

[@billcurran7210]

This makes mold making seem much more approachable for a beginner.

[@pallidmask3822]

Hey! I just wanted to say thank you! I’ve tried a few different silicone molds for dice and I’ve run into nothing but problems. So much so, that I’ve just considered giving up and writing it off as sunk costs… I made these vented squish molds and everything came out near perfect!! Thanks again! Love the channel/content! ❤

[@onikiristudios]

I'm brand new to dice making (in fact I haven't even ordered all of the materials that I'm going to require). I loved how simple you made the video and when I'm ready, plan to follow your process more or less step by step! Thanks so much for making a great starter video for us newbs!

[@DeepNumbs23]

This is an extremely effective mold! Though I've done a few things a bit different and it's given great results. 1. Skip the tape between the dice and the clay. The clay is easy to get out of the numbers if you use a toothbrush and the tape leaves a sticky residue that's really hard to get off while the dice are on the mold. 2. I use double sided tape to stick the clay down to the container. That stops the molds from floating around. 3. I did individual molds. This may be trickier so you need to make sure they are perfectly level when you make the mold

[@anastasiosfotopoulos2966]

This is a GENIUS way to make molds and I thank Karrot for figuring it out. But your video is sooooo simple, full of helpful explanations and overall cozy vibes! So thank you too! Your videos are the best!

[@paperkay]

As with all things, the more time and effort you invest into a good mould, the less you'll later need to bother with the dice. Thank you for this tutorial!

[@EricHegedusDev]

I made some single die version of this mold and i love it (i 3d printed individual casings for the molds and applied the same method except i put dice one by one) I thought it would be better to have single molds just in case one die is faulty or smth, plus it is easier for insertions and manipulations :) I just think that it requires a bit more silicon than the packed version you are showcasing

[@cerissemincey1763]

I was so curious about your mold style! Thanks for the video!

[@nickyhenderson5203]

This video is so helpful! I've been researching squish molds for a while now and was really hoping someone had a solution for the void problem that isn't just adding a sprue.

[@brendanhengle7394]

My first set of masters is on the way, so you released this video at the perfect time! Thank you for being so open with sharing your experience and knowledge with the rest of us!

[@trentonwalker2057]

Where did you order your dice mold masters from?

[@brendanhengle7394]

@@trentonwalker2057 Arcana Cast

[@wilsonswilderness]

Yesss, I've been waiting for this - thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us Tess!!!

[@alexandra1643]

thank you for making this video! it was super indepth, and the pros/cons at the end of the video helped me in deciding which style i'll go with. (ive got about half a gallon of Dragon Skin 20 so normal caps For Now)

[@BriannaRadl]

This tutorial is great! Thanks for posting!

[@shinashayesteh564]

I've got an elbow injury that makes sanding dice a long and painful process, and so far I haven't found a good solution for it--but maybe this style of mold is just what I need! Thanks so much for taking the time to make your videos; they are really informative and helpful!!

[@Novandara-xo]

Have you considered a small pottery wheel? Takes it from minutes per face to seconds per face with the right stuff. I have a little USB powered one that works great.

[@shinashayesteh564]

@@Novandara-xo I have, but it always seemed to either scratch up the dice because I used too much pressure (I guess) or when I used less pressure, it took forever for it to polish a single face? I probably need to practice with it more, I'm sure my technique just sucks 😂 I just don't wanna mess up any more of my nice sets while practicing with it, y'know?

[@tashikins]

I love this video, thanks for posting it! Your instuctions are always so easy to follow

[@forward2friday]

Thank you so much for posting this! I know you've had a ton of requests! This does seem like a lot of work, but it definitely seems worth it to go through this once to saves yourself hours of sanding time!!!

[@seanbingham6923]

This is suuuuupwr helpful. I've just started my dice making journey and have had issues with lifted faces with the the cap mold. Will certainly be giving this a try.

[@ysaliasyala7845]

I saw your tutorial on Tiktok and made these molds. I won't ever do them any other way again. Thank you so much!

[@KatlynnHahn]

Thank you for these videos!

[@RunesaelFlynn]

Thank you for such an informative video. I've just gotten some supplies in for making resin dice and I'm excited to get started on them. :) Dropped a like and a subscribe as well. Keep making awesome things!

[@carlospardo1446]

Awesome video! I made my first d20 with a cap mold and it came out with a big hole due the lack of resin. i'll give it a try with yours! Thanks for the video!

[@ironbomb6753]

This was a very informative video. Thank you, I got some great tips. 👍

[@jackieoliver4624]

Thanks looking forward to making one .

[@ValiaLing]

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing!! 🤩

[@newgame5412]

Let me start with how much I love your content! I was curious though if you had tried using a uv resin of some sort to fill in the deep marks and then resanding to try and better fix the dice before. I haven’t myself and was curious if anyone had insight on this. Perhaps it would better salvage the die? Or maybe it doesn’t work how I think it would given colours and such? Let me know your thoughts, thanks :)

[@Kirbychao]

Perfect timing! I'm currently waiting on an order of silicon cause my old cap mold gave up on me, I might just try this :D

[@Kirbychao]

I feel like leaving this here because it might help someone. If you're having trouble finding the right size tupperware/shell for your dice mold - you can make one with LEGO. I created a set-up where I have 4 LEGO walls without a floor. I stick this structure down on a sheet of hard plastic, and I use that as my mold shell. (I would stick the dice down onto the plastic sheet as well, creating a cap mold without a reservoir, but I imagine using these pucks would work!) It also makes it super easy to remove the mold when it's hardened - as you can remove the entire structure off of the plastic sheet and then just pop the mold out :D

[@IchselbstbinIch]

again a very helpful Video. Thank you for your tips! I made my Cap Molds like your blank molds and the lifted faces sometimes wrecked my nerves :D

[@KingOfJokers013]

Awesome video, thank you! Just getting into dice making for my creative hobby (because baking for 1 has made me uh, grow lol) and your stuff is awesome! For your masters - if you finished them yourself what was the final grit you used for sanding/polishing? And if you did not finish them do you know what it was anyway?

[@LukasMyhan]

Thank you!!

[@BlackJackCrafts]

I was going to ask if baking the squish ledge and puck together and using double stick tape to secure the master to it, but I forgot about the mold release application for the caps. I still might give it a try on my own, just to see what happens. Thanks for the video, I've been looking for new molds styles to replace my cap molds

[@Pthalo7]

This is such a cool mold style, I'm going to have to try it! Question, though- why do you use only 30 PSI for your dice pours in a pressure pot?

[@sarahfeely8489]

ahhh every video i watch i am more and more tempted to start dice making D: my wallet cant handle this!!

[@SamGGreenberg]

Terrific video! Subscribed! When you say "deep" numbers, how deep are you talking about? Seems most people do ~0.8mm. Are you going e.g. a full 1mm?

[@camilagonzalez8193]

Thanks fot the tutorial! have you tried cover those molds marks with uv resin and then sand the excess?

[@dreamy_dice]

That is definitely doable! But because my numbers are deep enough I can usually sand them to a point where I’m happy. But on occasion when I do have a little void or bubble I use UV resin to fill them! ☺️

[@BlueAzure143]

Thank you for the tutorial. I was wondering where do you get your master set at?

[@dreamy_dice]

I got my current masters from Arcana Cast, but there are many wonderful master makers out there!

[@maxineheather924]

Hi! I was curious how many sets of dice you get from one mold before it's too damaged? with using dragon skin 10, or if you have used others before as well

[@bethanymoore12]

This is awesome! How much silicone would you say you use to make a slab?

[@dreamy_dice]

I believe this was around 300ml for the base and around 40ish for the caps? I really should keep track some day 😅

[@ChrisLopez-gr9zn]

Trying out this mold for the first time! What kind of tape did you use? Painters? Scotch?

[@benbrady8675]

Would an exacto knife help get the clay the right shape and size for each die face?

[@Mymoiety]

I have been doing a vented squish mold like this for a while now and I prefer it to cap molds. However I do try patching the mold marks with uv resin because I hate them

[@TheAlexKingston]

Any chance you can explain what exactly causes those mold marks?

[@cosmicbrambleclawv2]

Really cool video :D Rybonator has a sorta similar style vented squish that hes made, but the sprues are a little more complicated (he glues a small d6 to a toothpick and then that toothpick to the face of a master die and then makes the mold cap over it which leaves a reservoir and a little tube for the resin to flow down) but it's really cool to see a different style :) A big tip for sanding (again, stolen from Rybo 😂) is to get a small motorized pottery wheel, and tape your sandpaper to the face of the wheel. It's basically a large flat orbital sander and really saves your shoulders the stress ^_^

[@Chupaloop14]

Awesome video! Like the idea of only sanding one side. About how much silicone do you use for one whole mold?

[@dreamy_dice]

I use approximately 300ml for the base and like 20 for the caps for an 8 piece mold (2d20s). Obviously this will vary based on your housing container, dice size, spacing, etc

[@Chupaloop14]

@@dreamy_dice awesome! Hoping to get some masters soon, so will give this a shot when they come in

[@evanpennock1301]

So essentially this is a mix of cap and sprue correct? Is the intended advantage like you stated the ability to only have to clean up one face while also being able to have the larger opening of a cap mold to "design" in? From what I can tell it's much harder to do something like a dirty pour into a sprue mold than a cap mold

[@rebeccanowlin2419]

Hello! Currently in the process of constructing these molds for myself! I realized my indicator mark (eventual resevoir) was situated too close to the die on alot of my pucks, so that when I took out the clay the hole for the die and the resevoir kinda became one hole. Is that going to be a problem for when I'm making dice? (Sry new to this)

[@WitchOpheliaa]

This method looks absolutely fantastic!! Less sanding? I SAY YES! Do you know if this method can work fine without a pressure pot? Not expecting perfect dice of course, but does it at least work with minimal bubbles on top of the highest face?

[@dreamy_dice]

As long as you’re taking steps to mitigate bubbles throughout the process to the best of your ability, I suspect these molds would serve just as well as a cap mold ☺️

[@WitchOpheliaa]

@@dreamy_dice Brilliant!! Thank you, I might give it a go! :)

[@gaddmegan]

Thanks for a wonderful tutorial. I actually made a vented squish mold based on your tik tok tutorial, but my dice came out with thick raised faces. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong!

[@missingkitsune5509]

I keep getting that too! No idea why it keeps happening

[@dreamy_dice]

Interesting! The only time I’ve had lifted faces is by placing my caps incorrectly. It may help to add another indicator mark or two, and be sure you’re wiggling it around to seat it securely. I’d also try to get your caps as level as possible with the top of the mold so you can see easily if they’re lifting above that level or are seated correctly

[@missingkitsune5509]

Very late reply but I figured out why I was getting raised faces, The clay for the dice faces was too rounded which meant that the caps weren't going on correctly. I trimmed around the edge of each dice face on the mold so that the caps could slot in better. It means more clean up but i'd rather have that then have 3/4 sets fail.

[@8BitBaker]

I actually just ordered my first set of masters today - but I didn't realize that this mold style works best with a deeper number depth! My dice aren't printed yet, so I was wondering - would you be willing to share the depths you use for each side and the D1 face? I also want to make sure I understand: the deeper numbers are needed because the mold marks may sometimes require more sanding which would wear away at at the numbers, correct?

[@dreamy_dice]

Correct! Honestly I don’t know how much deeper they are, I just asked my master maker (arcana cast) to make them a bit deeper for sanding purposes and they took it from there!

[@8BitBaker]

@@dreamy_dice Thank you so much for responding and always posting wonderful tutorial videos! It looks like my master maker uses a deeper-than-average number depth anyways so I should be set to go. :) You inspired me to finally pursue dice making after many years of wishing I could. I can't thank you enough for all your help and content (on tiktok too!)

[@TheAlexKingston]

Can you explain what causes mold marks?

[@user-tv6ez2wg6d]

Hello, what dice did you use as your masters?

[@azbc8369]

I had severe anxiety attacks when you cut through faces of your dice molds, but they do seem like a good idea for someone who does not have pressure pot

[@sarahschmidt2782]

Another dice maker solved the sanding problem with a potters wheel. Tape on your sanding paper, add water and go. A home potters wheel is already meant to work with water and he swears by it now. Hopefully it’ll save your shoulder. 🤞🏻🥰

[@dreamy_dice]

I actually use a wheel as part of my finishing process! ☺️ Definitely easier on the shoulder than when I was hand sanding, but still takes a toll after a few hours unfortunately

[@peepo6328]

Did you degass the silicone before pouring it into the mold form? I've heard you need to do that beforehand or you'll have little ruptures on the dice cast from it, or does just putting it in the pressure pot at 40 PSI do it? I'd love to not have to spend another $150..

[@dreamy_dice]

Nope! When I was starting out I de-gassed it in a vacuum chamber first, but I’ve never had a problem with only using the pressure pot, so I cut that step. Maybe if you’re using a very thick/high shore silicone, but I don’t find it necessary for mine

[@andrewfiggs1424]

Where did you get your masters from, and how did you design them?

[@dreamy_dice]

I get my masters from Arcana Cast and they take care of the design for me ☺️

[@andrewfiggs1424]

@@dreamy_dice thank you! ❤

[@ace11472000]

@@dreamy_dice I really enjoyed watching your videos. Very helpful. I like your designs and your attention to detail/wing it process. Wanted to know if you would be able to give advice for another kind of resin design project, that might be interesting to you.

[@maiadraconica6488]

How much silicon do you need for this mold type? :0

[@melmellow3451]

how deep is ur numbering?

[@AriScy2319]

Do you sell molds?

[@custardstuff5178]

I'm sorry, those mould marks are not "tiny". I'd be an unhappy customer if I got finished dice with marks that bad.

[@dreamy_dice]

Then it’s a good thing I document the marks for folks to review, so you wouldn’t be the person buying them anyway :D