MOLDING with THERMOPLASTICS. Get a handle on things.

In this video I show you how I use thermoplastics to make a scalpel an even better tool for miniaturists to use, and I'm trying out some other uses of thermoplastics.
Loads of potential for miniaturists! And if you don't like what you've made you can reuse the material, over and over again.

[@bevsartsandcrafts715]

Love the idea for the scalpel handle. Genius, I’m doing that for my knife 👍🏻

[@MakeMiniatures]

It makes such a difference! Just make sure to leave the blade free so you can change it out.

[@Javantea]

Excellent work. That was really informative. I think the brooch copy turned out well.

[@MakeMiniatures]

Thanks so much! It is a fun material to play with and can be very useful too!

[@TheFiown]

Why not use a release agent or some talc ? Interesting product, I've wasted so much money on two part silicone that I couldn't re-use. Thank you

[@MakeMiniatures]

Yes, good idea Stephanie. I will try that the next time I'm using it. And then maybe wash it off before reusing it.

[@marionhaynes3429]

Josje, thank you so much. I have a bag with this stuff, given to me by my son some 6 or so years ago! Never knew what to do with it. I now have reason to look into it a bit more.

[@MakeMiniatures]

You are so welcome! Just make sure to cover your table top or cutting mat when using it... 😉

[@marionhaynes3429]

@@MakeMiniatures Thanks for the additional tip!

[@MakeMiniatures]

@@marionhaynes3429 Glad to help. I think I said it in the video too: Don't ask me how I know...😅

[@shelleynobleart]

This tutorial is incredibly helpful! You are the most talented miniature artist às well. Perhaps using a "mold release" on the metal part would help the thermoplastic come off. But you managed even so. So sorry you burned your fingers. But really glad to discover whether is was possible for the material to take color. Thank you so much!

[@MakeMiniatures]

You're welcome Shelley! Yes next time I should use mold release on the thermoplastic mold. Good tip! On the finger burning: yeah this stuff is hot straight out of the water! But only for a few seconds. I left it in as a bit of a warning. But, loads of potential for miniature use.

[@wesutd]

yes you are right shelly she is the right person.

[@bevsartsandcrafts715]

I’ve just ordered this stuff for the first time. I’m hoping to make moulded miniature chairs. Good to know it’s reusable! X

[@MakeMiniatures]

Go for it! Yes, not happy with the result, heat it again and reuse it. Perfect 😃

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

@@MakeMiniatures I find this video interesting, 'Hot Glue' is also thermal plastic which also melts in hot water.

[@MakeMiniatures]

@@michaelquinones-lx6ks Good idea Michael! I never thought of those hot glue sticks ( I rarely use hot glue). I do have it somewhere in a drawer though, so I will try it. Thanks for the tip!

[@theforce5191]

​@michael quinones are you using the hot glue for molding?

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

@@MakeMiniatures thanks for the reply. and, it's a lot cheaper than thermal glue. just be careful how you handle it, it's still hot and can burn your fingers. I'm just experimenting with it for the moment. also, the molds i will be making will be made from plaster of Paris i wouldn't try hot glue in a silicone mold. just giving you the heads up.

[@elizabeths4371]

This is pretty cool stuff! What other applications have you applied it to since?

[@MakeMiniatures]

I've not used it much. I've repaired a broken brooch with it, and made another handle for a tool. Oh and moulded a small console with it, which turned out pretty cool. My favorite is still the handle for my scalpel. It's something I use almost on a daily basis and feels so comfortable!

[@elizabeths4371]

@@MakeMiniatures Yes your customized grip is Terrific and I can see why you'd use it regularly. It actually reminds me of bone!

[@berthaday3473]

Exactly what I was searching for - making molds out of thermoplastic pellets. TY😍going to put polymer clay in it.

[@MakeMiniatures]

Glad it was helpful! You may need to use some kind of mold release. Also, this stuff is not flexible so you have to think about getting it out somehow. There's a Japanese type of thermoplastic that I recently came across that does stay a bit flexible. It's called Oyumaru. I haven't tried it yet but it's worth looking into. 😃

[@goilo888]

@@MakeMiniaturesAlso @berthaday - That is correct, I am in the middle of doing this now. You cannot get any hard material out of a thermoplastic mold if it has undercuts. I’ve tried with an epoxy putty. Oyumaru is good for this as it is flexible. HOWEVER, neither is a good idea to use with polymer clay since when heating the clay the mold will deform due to the heat. Maybe the pc will retain its shape, but in any event you then run the risk of hard clay being fused with molten plastic.

[@faylenekeep6235]

Thanks.😊😊😊

[@MakeMiniatures]

You're welcome 😃

[@theforce5191]

I like to use an oil to avoid the plastic sticking to whatever you want to make a mold of.

[@MakeMiniatures]

Good idea! I will try that next time. Thank you!

[@julieb7229]

Thank you for posting this! Such a great tip for making making things more comfortable to hold. I'm going to try it for needle felting holders. I also enjoyed experiments. Have you tried using the thermo plastic inside a silicone mold?

[@MakeMiniatures]

You are so welcome! Glad it was helpful. I have not tried it with a silicone mold, but as long as the mold is firm enough, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Or do you mean put it in an oven? That could work, as I don't think the water itself, other than the heat, does anything to the plastic beads. Maybe it will release fumes, I really don't know, so be careful with that. Please let me know if it works!

[@goilo888]

@@MakeMiniaturesI know this is a late reply but as you may have found out by now the heat from the oven will DEFINITELY affect it. It is not the water that melts the plastic, it is simply the heat. I know because I use a heat gun when refining the molded plastic rather than dunking it into water again. Also a good reason NOT to make anything that will be subjected to heat - or left inside a car on a hot sunny day.

[@Sandy--hq5ws]

Wat een goed idee om een handvat te maken. Ik heb het eelt op mijn vinger staan 😉 Wat ook goed werkt is siliconenkit in water met zeepsop. Het resultaat ziet er hetzelfde uit zo te zien alleen het proces gaat sneller denk ik.

[@MakeMiniatures]

Het is zo handig! Siliconenkit werkt ook natuurlijk!. Zal inderdaad wel een tijdje duren voordat het uitgehard is. Dit is heel snel ja, en als het niet helemaal goed is verwarm je het weer in water en kan je het herstellen.

[@donnahobson9263]

I bet the little book you couldn't find is sitting on a little, tiny bookshelf.

[@MakeMiniatures]

Haha yes, you are probably right!

[@wesutd]

I like your work and creativity. i recommend you to change the video size ratio. it will boost the the quality. Finally i wish good luck for 1K.

[@MakeMiniatures]

Thank you so much! I looked into changing the video size ratio as you suggested, but I don't really understand what I should be doing. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[@sanekabc]

Does it become solid? For example, could you make a door handle with it?

[@MakeMiniatures]

Yes it does become solid. I don't know how well it would hold up on its own as a door handle, you may need to wrap it around a metal core or something like that. You'd have to test it first. The good thing with this stuff is, if you don't like it, just reheat it and try again or reuse it.

[@theforce5191]

Your can use it for anything you'd like, the only problem is that you don't want to expose the plastic to the point where it starts to melt. Other than that you can make a door if you wanted to.