Recasting A Resin Miniature - Part 1

Recasting existing objects in wax is a great way to create your own sculptures.
In this video I use a miniature figurine sculpted by Tre Manor and produced by Reaper Miniatures to show how a complex figure can be cast in a single mold.
This Is Part 1 of 2 videos. See Part 2 here:
• Why Did My Wax Stick T...
Recasting somebody else's work for sale is stealing, so don't do it.
Thanks to the following companies for supplying the materials used in this video:
Wolf Sticky Wax, Sticky wax sticks, Blue wax wires
www.Freemanwax.com
I buy the Econosil-25 Silicone Rubber, polyethylene mini fibers and Silcast Urethane resin
at www.silpak.com
Here is a list of suppliers for many of the materials I use in my videos:
www.dropbox.com/s/kz6mhmf7v5v...
Do you have a project to suggest for the channel?
Here’s a .pdf with everything you need to know:
www.dropbox.com/s/pjb0l6fr7zj...

[@MortiePL]

Sir, you are the Bob Ross of mold casting. I'm so grateful I found this channel.

[@OrinFinch]

His voice reminds me of red green

[@WarriorOfSIN]

He totally is!!

[@artsplunge]

After solving software mysteries for decades, when something like this happens, it always comes down to "what's changed". Looking forward to seeing how this mystery gets resolved. I'll be sure to stay tuned.

[@RobertTolone]

Exactly! What made this time so different? Since I don’t know, I have no idea what the answer will be or even that I will find it.

[@oncalldev]

@@RobertTolone New kind of cup? Any chance that the heated wax reacted with the cup lining?

[@yugoos]

@@RobertTolone Robert, I am pretty sure it is the high temperature of the mold and that wax. That is the only thing that changed here. I don't think that kind of wax is designed to be poured but to stick things together. Also rubbers have a max temperature point... but I believe the point here is that wax as it works as glue in its liquid stage.

[@RobertTolone]

@@yugoos I have been melting and pouring this exact wax into this same rubber for 30 years using this exact same method. This is the first time it’s ever stuck like this.

[@yugoos]

@@RobertTolone That is very very strange then... Maybe the previous polyurethane pouring affected in some way to the wax? I saw your video of the dices and I understood what happened to me once when I used different types of resin with the same mold and it literally made the mold useless. I verified this with an old mold and I can say that was the reason. Sometimes, once I cut the molds and I take the master out, if I feel that the mold needs more hours to cure I heat it a bit in the oven to the lowest temp for half an hour or a bit more, but if I already casted a copy I never heat the mold because I think the heat could affect in some way to the resin absorbed by the silicone from the first cast. This is just like a feeling but I cannot assure this could affect in any way because never tried. Thank you for your videos Robert

[@GeothermalDuck]

Robert: I will say it in every video, I will say it every week! Me: I hope so, that's why I watch!

[@jewabeus]

I was just asking the Crafsman today about making a mold for a miniature & here you are. Perfect timing. I also LOVE the ending. Life ain't simple & people gotta figure stuff out sometimes. It's nice to me to see that I'm not the only person that hit snags. I appreciate seeing this & also hearing that you want to solve the problem is also great. Thank you!!!

[@RobertTolone]

Love The Crafsman, he’s great! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@CeeJayThe13th]

I'd recommend Miniature Hobbyist also. He's no Robert Tolone (but who really is?) but he does a lot of that stuff and his channel could use the views.

[@jewabeus]

@@CeeJayThe13th I checked him out & subscribed. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@CeeJayThe13th]

@@jewabeus I'm glad to help you and him!

[@allgravygames]

Reaper Bones are a very soft mix of PVC - their new line, Bones USA is done through Siocast resin injection. They are still the largest manufacturer of metal spincast minis in the US!

[@joek600]

FINALLY!!! Casting real minis! Great video and certainly an eye opener including the mystery ending. Please for the love of God, more minis the more small and complex the better.

[@RobertTolone]

Minis will be regular visitors to the channel. Give me some ideas of which figures to mold and cast.

[@atelier_AG]

@@RobertTolone I love to see more miniature casting! I am a miniature sculptor (or at least aspiring), and I really hope to get one of my miniatures cast one day. This video really helped a lot to get to that goal, thank you so much! Also, really curious to see if you can find out why the wax stuck to the silicone!

[@BEdmonson85]

@@RobertTolone I'd love to see more 3d-printed minis and how you overcome material incompatibilities and cure inhibition. Would you switch to a tin cure silicone or coat the minis with a blocking layer? More stuff like that! =D

[@DeniedGrace]

@@BEdmonson85 Mr Tolone’s supplier list shows that he uses tin cure most of the time. Resin prints can work with some platinum cure silicones but require a good coating (I have used a spray matte archival coating) to prevent cure inhibition. But I’ve found that sometimes you still run into problems which wastes time, so I about that. Another problem is most tin cure takes a day (16-24 hours) to cure and the ones that cure faster are fragile in my experience. I’ve tried tons of different solutions. If it’s a mold for a one time casting, I use a 4 hour tin cure silicone. I usually have to make dozens and hundreds of castings though. My solution is to use the 4 hour tin cure silicone for the initial resin copies of the resin print. Then I make a platinum gang mold using the multiple resin copies from the tin cure mold. The platinum cures in an hour at 140F and is production ready.

[@mahoscrookedworkshop6431]

You Sir single-handedly beat up all your competition like a savage and became my favorite youtuber :) nothing beats a mastery of years of practice, i just love watching these.

[@silviofoj]

I just found your channel and, man, you're making real art here.

[@UncleJessy]

I really have to give this a try. These videos are so easy to follow

[@cinqcentcinquantesep]

I subscribed just because of that mystery, everything can't always go as planned and that is encouraging... for me ha ha ha! I like the way you explain everything continue you good work

[@PatrickHoodDaniel]

A process that I would love to see is using a rubber mold for lost wax or investment casting for metal parts. Start with the rubber mold and create a wax positive from that mold, then put a plaster slurry around the wax positive (with a sprue and vent), heat that in a kiln to remove the wax, and pour metal (aluminum or another relatively low melting point metal) into the plaster cast.

[@RobertTolone]

Lost wax is a little bit outside of the theme of my channel but I may not be able to resist it much longer. It would be easy enough to cast some low temp metal and silicone. But it would be a lot of fun to cast aluminum or bronze in investment.

[@PatrickHoodDaniel]

@@RobertTolone Well, if ou ever do, I'm definitely going to watch and probably follow suit. Thanks for the great content!!

[@andrewarmstrong5266]

I’m at that stage where at midweek I’m excited and looking forward to these videos dropping lol. I learn so much and just chill out naturally watching Robert work

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

10:23 - So glad you finally decided to give bees wax a try, Robert.

[@RobertTolone]

😄

[@meganjohnson9540]

Watching you work is a delight, sur. Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@lifeholdstrategic]

This is why I love these videos! The ups and downs and learning along the way, keep up the awesome work! I can't wait to find out what happened with this mystery.

[@RogueScholarMDC]

You're starting to get into my hobby space! Love it.

[@the250mikec]

Thanks for passing on your knowledge. Especially the part about seeing new things and not immediately knowing what they are

[@laidman2007]

Love your skillful hands.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Roberta! Love your dog sculptures!

[@davidedavide2888]

Thanks for your videos, they taught me several things. Greetings from Italy

[@bigchonc]

new subscriber for bobs ! I can't quit binging your videos- they're as relaxing as they are informative. incredible stuff

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoy the videos.

[@patallene]

Your videos are always fascinating

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching Pat!

[@gutymon2210]

You are the boss Robert, since your process has been repeated many times before, trying to redo in order to achieve the exact same result again could be an idea for some future videos, at the very least we can discard the possibility of this being a flawed batch of materials, regards from Mexico, keep up the good work, your channel is awesome!

[@AyatollahS9430]

Even the experts make a mistake. Thanks for the great video and simple message.

[@Nornzy]

Can't wait to watch! Love the channel :)

[@BlazeBytez72]

Absolutely amazing... Thank you for this video 👌

[@Romey1son]

Awesome, I find all your content great but this video is right up my ally

[@speedandstyletony]

Glad to know that even "experts" have troubles some times! Makes my mistakes and mysteries seem more normal.

[@ikkiiiieee]

Why more miniature sculpters haven't sent more stuff your way is beyond me Robert, I'm glad you're not giving up! These video's are pure gold!

[@RobertTolone]

Spread the word - I’m always looking for interesting mini projects.

[@paulsheldon8838]

Thank you for your great insights!

[@theryancardinal]

Looking forward to the next video! Can't wait to see the solution to the problem.

[@bonce]

Personally I love the videos when you get something you need to unpick, I learn WAY more! ...arrrrrgh I cannot wait till the next one!

[@treblam1]

Excellent!! You also gave me a fantastic idea or a solution to a problem!

[@RobertTolone]

Glad the video helped Albert.

[@andy-in-indy]

I tell the casting class at the makerspace that sometimes you do everything right and the same way you have done it before and it does not work, and this one guy would not believe that it was possible (I was trying to explain why you need to know your failure options at each stage). This video should be dedicated to him. . .

[@richardlamer3910]

All the same, exact variables produce the same results. When it doesn’t, then one of those variables changed.

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

@@richardlamer3910 Yeah, it just means you haven't considered a variable.

[@joe_ferreira]

I wonder the shelf life of the silicone? The temp ranges of the material? While he has done this with this material for 30 years, not all silicone mold material is rated for high temps and maybe he made a really hot batch of resin and it couldn't take it?

[@brandonwarner8450]

What a pickle... like others, the thing I think, like others have mentioned is either (a) a bad batch of silicone or (b) the temperature of the wax exceeded what the material could handle (even though most silicone rubber is relatively heat resistant). Can't wait to find out what the conclusion is.

[@debrajol3585]

Can’t wait to see next weeks! Glad it’s you bc I have faith you CAN figure it out. Good luck.. don’t forget to hit record 🙌 we wanna know 🤣

[@RobertTolone]

I have less faith in me than you do! Failure is my constant companion. But we shall hope for the best.

[@DomesticWithAnMD]

I've been following for a few months and loving the videos, but the whole time I've been hoping you'd make a video about miniatures like this.

[@RobertTolone]

More minis are on the way! We’ll try a bunch of different ways to mold and cast them.

[@eugeniobarreto]

You are the master of mold making. I allways fail in my molds, but I will keep trying. I need to learn how to deal with the high temperatures of my city in Brazil, 40 Celsius.

[@RobertTolone]

Temperature control is very difficult. I spent eight months last year working in Phoenix Arizona. The hottest week we had that summer was 47.7°C. The shop was very hot, even with air conditioning. It is so difficult to work at that temperature. I often cool my materials in the refrigerator when the studio is very hot.

[@christophermarlow4379]

love your videos, can't wait to see the outcome

[@RobertTolone]

We’ll see what happens!

[@stealthsexy]

What a cliffhanger! 😮

[@RobertTolone]

More like a nail biter. I have no idea how to fix it…😳

[@andy-in-indy]

@@RobertTolone Melt it out and see what condition the mold is in, I guess.

[@rowanstephenson3192]

Wow wow what a craftsman gosh you’re a genius

[@RobertTolone]

SO not a genius, but thanks Rowan!

[@rowanstephenson3192]

@@RobertTolone far too modest thank you for all your videos so great to watch you work 😊

[@willbyrne8493]

You have changed how I do my molds, and casting. Thanks, look forward to ending the mystery, hey things happened, and it makes for good u tube.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Will, hope it all comes out good in the end.

[@neilklassen6015]

Love the process! Such a curious ending! I hope you can figure it out.

[@RobertTolone]

Me too 🤞😄

[@rickbarone5824]

Bob, 1. Can you clarify when and if silicone molds should be pressure cured? 2. Also, if you can consider discussing examples of production run casting and tips related to mold durability, profitability, scaleability, etc.. in the future I think a lot of us would find it interesting. Thank you so much or all the videos. Bringing us all to the next level.

[@RobertTolone]

I never pressure cure my silicone molds when I pour them. I get models from a lot of different clients and I never know how they are constructed. It’s very common that they have voids inside of them. If you subject models to pressure you can destroy them by collapsing these voids. This I learned the hard way early in my career and I have never done it since. Plus, it’s just not necessary.

[@1dunnj]

i can't wait for the next video and to learn why the wax adhered. maybe the urethane resin did something to the surface, and if you had done the wax first it wouldn't have been a problem

[@OldManRogers]

Always a pleasure to see the skill in your videos. As a scientist I can only offer the advice that when something unexpected happens it can be an interesting learning experience! That being said, could the dye from the previous urethane resin have left some residue or something which caused the wax to bond?

[@RobertTolone]

It’s possible. I’m trying to figure out what new condition or ingredient was added to this old, familiar process.

[@jaytoigo1027]

I love watching your videos. It's always a learning experience. I've learned so much. Thank you.only thing I could suggest is did you perhaps have something else in the can previously? Something that perhaps left a residue and reacted with the wax somehow? It has to be something in the process that changed from what you normally do.

[@RobertTolone]

Yes, the can is certainly a suspect. I will pour subsequent attempts from different containers.

[@Medvejatin]

Resin for sure dries silicone. I have made 40 pieces of casting on one mold and silicone seems to be cracked on all the side. May be first pour eats some silicon, so wax stucks in that micropores. I would recommend heat it up until wax is liquid, and pour it out. And make new one mold from first detail

[@kallymihova6232]

Looks like the temperature was too high for your silicone! Excited to see how you fix it 🙌

[@RobertTolone]

Could be, although this is the oven and method I’ve always used… I’ve never been too exact about temperature, which I really should be. It’s a puzzle.

[@karatos]

I used many of the techniques from this and other videos to make game pieces for a custom Tak set for a friend. Or... I tried to at least.. I designed the shapes and SLA 3d printed them. I printed several copies of half of the piece (to get the ideal finish on both sides of the pieces) then chose the best few of those and sanded down their backs and inspected as I went till I had a few relatively flawless halves then I bonded the best two with more of the same UV resin and then sanded the seam smooth which left essentially a pretty darn near perfect master that had less than 2 thousandths difference from corner to corner on my inspection stone. Then I went to cast the master in silicone.... and here is where it all fell apart. The silicone would not cure around the resin. I left it to cure and 3 days later it still did not cure. I tried to paint on a thin layer to cast in a larger mold later and it still would not cure. Eventually I had to apply a sealant which, even when applied with an airbrush, left a less than ideal surface finish. I was able to make a cup mold though which I then used to make about 20 copies. From those I chose the best, leaving the sprue on them but cleaning up any flashing and touching up any minor imperfections. Then I tried to get clever, which may or may not have bit me. Each of these parts fit within 1 square inch or so and are 3/8" thick, so I made a box about 14 inches long, 1-1/2" tall, and about 3/4" deep. I put modeling clay on one side, smoothed it out, pressing the pieces in just enough so I was sure they would stick, then I built in positive and negative registration around the pieces and below the pieces I put in undercutting registration to form a mechanical lock and poured layer one. Then I took the clay off and put mold release only on the silicone beside and directly around the parts but not on the bottom of the mold, and when I poured the second half I had a hinged 2 pour split mold with registration. I was pretty darn pleased with myself. I took the ends and bottom off the box so I just had the long sides, added notches between where the parts were for rubber bands, then tried my first pour. I poured the resin exactly the same way I had before, I could see the molds were clean with no bubbles, the only difference is I was pouring 10 at a time instead of 1. Of the about 80 parts I made (need 100 for a full tak set) I got maaaaybe 30 good pieces. At the time I did not have a vacuum chamber to pull the resin nor a pressure pot to cure the parts in but I was aware of this and tried to avoid any problems. I was painstakingly pouring on one side of the sprue hole so the plastic would flow down into the part but that did not work, I would fill to the top and the parts would be half full then the top half would just be a single column of plastic as wide as the sprue hole with the rest being a void. I tried using pipettes to inject the plastic directly into the bottom of the mold and that did better but no matter how careful I was it would introduce bubbles. I tried pouring directly into the cavity to overflow and squeezing the mold till no more plastic went down and that worked better than pouring in the sprues but not as well as with a pipette, leaving voids or misshapen parts and it had even more flashing. I eventually resorted to holding the mold open when I did the pour, pouring directly to the bottom of the cavities and sides of the mold then closing the mold after like a squish mold (which I didn't know was a thing at the time), it was always a total mess and it still didn't work reliably. I suspect at least some of the problem with squishing may be from inconsistent pressure or the wrong direction of pressure with the rubber bands running top to bottom. The part shape is roughly triangular and it has a detailed sort of engraving on both faces but those features never seemed to be a problem when pouring the resin. I also experienced the exact same issues all over again with the capital stones as I needed to make 2 of each from prints and I could not get a rubber to cure around those pieces even after sealing and losing so much detail. To this day, over a year later, the silicone is still wet on the parts in the bag I tossed them in. I know I could print the pieces out directly and they would be fine but I am trying for a specific aesthetic and there is such a massive variety of colors and opacities and fillers and such that can be used with resin pours that are just impossible with prints. Plus, it would be good to know how to do this. I have put off designing my own dice or art or printing off parts for other tabletop games because I worry I will have results as equally disappointing as these. I know I am experiencing some chemistry problem making the mold directly from a print but there is very little in the way of info I could find on this problem. I used tin-cure rubber, the part was fully UV cured, I even degassed it, smooth on said sealing the part should be optional but it took several coats of sealant (which washed out a lot of the detail) before the rubber would cure even brushed on. I was trying to preserve as much detail as possible so I was using an air brush with thinned acrylic paint as a sealer, but thinning it might have hindered its capacity to act as a barrier between the plastic and the rubber, or maybe the thinner itself caused a new problem. It may be because I am not using a good UV resin for casting with silicone but I have found essentially nothing in the way of info about which resins may work better with which silicones, just a few mentions that some work better than others without specific detail on the point. Second issue might also be chemical, specifically how the heck bubbles are getting into the pour even during a squish mold. Mr. Tolone's battle making a clear part some weeks back was quite enlightening on that and encouraged me to take another crack at this project. I have acquired a vacuum chamber as well as the supplies to make a pressure pot, I plan to cut the mold down small enough to fit in the pressure pot and try again but considering what has already been lost it might be best starting over from fresh prints. If I do it again I plan to put the pieces standing face to face in two rows of 5 or 6 instead of edge to edge in one row of 10, then just cutting the mold from each side to each part edge, sort of gilling the mold to get the pieces out and making one or two pour locations instead of 10 separate pours. If anyone has any secrets for making molds from parts made in a resin 3D printer I would love to hear them. It is too late to finish the project before Christmas but a year and a half late is better than never.

[@RobertTolone]

Thank you for taking the time to make such a detailed comment. Your project is a classic example of resin cure inhibition. The solution is to use a printing resin which is compatible with silicone rubber. That is obvious in hindsight. Like me, you learned this the hard way!

[@planetschlock]

Oh cool. I have a ton of these Reaper miniatures.

[@EricElwellArt]

I'm on the edge of my seat :) Very informative, and I appreciate you including the hang-ups. Are we asking for more trouble to melt the wax out?

[@RobertTolone]

That’s the only way I know to get the wax out of the mold.

[@Baffostyle]

Very cool video, thanks/grazie

[@RobertTolone]

Prego.

[@svetluskacz]

I love your work :-)

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching Marketa!

[@jezfish1]

Nice one Bob. Is there any advantage to using the fibre over thixotropic liquid to thicken the silicone. Best Regards Jez.

[@RobertTolone]

Both work fine. I use PE mini fibers because I bought a giant bag about 25 years ago and am hoping to use it up before I die.

[@burgao]

Great lesson Robert! As always thank you for shart your knowledge. You're the best mold making/casting teacher I have ever had 🙌🙌🙌

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching and for the compliment! I appreciate it.

[@Vagolololo]

Damned got me hooked on this one. I think I actually prefer the failed videos!

[@RobertTolone]

I’m glad because there will undoubtedly be lots of those in the future! 🤪

[@jerryhardman6365]

Glad I'm not the only one with odd issues. My current snag (that's not really a huge snag) is lately when I've been making new molds the first 6 or so resin castings are very tactile and sticky. But after a few pours the resin castings begin to behave normally, not being sticky. I've tried to look up what may cause this, but so far nothing has really answered my issue. I'm using the same brand of silicone, Mold Max 30 & 40 by Smooth Cast, as well as one of their resins. I'm just not sure what would cause the first few casts to be sticky and then gradually it goes away. Thanks. Look forward to next weeks video

[@RobertTolone]

Sounds like a cure inhibition issue. Seems to me that Smooth On should be able to tell you what’s going on with their materials.

[@aaronhelmsman]

Maybe the little bit of material you used with the gasket when casting the mold leeched some into the mold itself and that reacted with the wax

[@samnugent2923]

Love you Bob. Your videos are so entertaining informative and well crafted. Question. I have a soft wax sculpture I want to make a silicon mold for. Will the heat melt my original? Would algenate be a better medium? Thought I could cast the wax in algenate, then create a reusable silicone mold after resin casting in the algenate. Or am I making too much work for myself?

[@RobertTolone]

Molding something in silicone does not generate any heat. So you should have no trouble. That said, I would take a small amount of the sculpture wax and the silicone and test them out together.

[@ShadowOfADaemon]

I've run into a similar issue with resin casting that may or may not be related... I think this occurs do to shrinkage differences between both products... for my resin mold I simply reheat the mold to about 120 deg f and things seem to correct thing and the resin pops out

[@JPWestmas]

Fantastic, thanks! Hope you figure out what happened to that mold.

[@RobertTolone]

Me too. 😳😀

[@PatrickHoodDaniel]

I'm wondering if the wax was too hot (to create the needed viscosity) that it fused to the rubber.

[@RobertTolone]

Same process I’ve always used so… just very perplexing. 😳

[@YaYirKun]

Amazing, weird ending, i'll be waiting next video to know wath happens with that mold.

[@jezfish1]

Never had a tin cure mould stick together like that except with resin if I forgot to post cure it at 60 deg C for a few hours. Something to do with the moisture in the silicone. Cheers Jez

[@RobertTolone]

I’ve never post cured my molds. They usually work just fine. Life is full of mysteries.

[@gwaland]

I remember right after the first bones kickstarter there was something on the minis that kept paint from adhering and you had to wash them to get rid of that release residue from the injection molding solution they used. I wonder if that residue is what's reacting with the heated up rubber and wax?

[@RobertTolone]

It’s possible…

[@delusionsofgrandeur6385]

I came here specifically to say exactly that! When you paint minis, you have to scrub them first to get that coating off so the paint will adhere. I didn’t see you wash the model before casting, so probably what happened was that the residue from the mini came off onto the silicone mold and that’s what’s making the wax stick.

[@danje748]

Robert, it would be interesting to see how bad it actually is to drape a model with rubber when you pore the mold. So I would love to see a video where you cast the same thing twice to compare the casts in the two molds. Thanks again for a good video. =)

[@RobertTolone]

Of course, how bad you catch bubbles using the drape pouring technique depends on the surface of the model. If it is very smooth you might get away with it. If it has a tremendous amount of surface detail you can count on catching a lots of bubbles.

[@mikeoliver6742]

Could it be the Reaper BONES White material? It's a kind of PVC. Maybe it leeched a plasticizer or something into the silicone, or maybe the model release they use?

[@RobertTolone]

Good thought. Maybe. One more variable to isolate.

[@patrickmay4489]

Another great video!! I was wondering could the wax have been overheated enough to boil off one of the components that act as a natural release agent? What do you think about showing the piece in the freezer to help separate the mold from the wax?

[@RobertTolone]

Certainly worth a try. I didn’t think of that.

[@ericpagedesign]

Hey Rob, I get excellent parting lines in my molds by suspending them on the side wall instead of bottom of mold case. Pouring them half way suspending sticks to make plugs. Adding mold release and then toping off the other half with more silicone. This makes an invisible parting line. no cutting or clay involved. Way faster. Have you heard of a technique like that or did I invent something new?

[@RobertTolone]

That should work well on pieces where the parting line is flat. How do you hold the mold halves in registration with each other?

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

Once I was casting wargaming miniatures a lot and such weird endings were a routine. Oh boy was I unprofessional as heck. At the time there were not a lot of material to learn from, I wish I had access to videos like this then, I was like a blind kitten, but anyways I see that at least something I just intuitively guessed right. That makes me want to return to sculpting miniatures. I will, oh, one day I will.

[@natew5544]

i guess youll have to melt the wax out. could it have been an inconsistency of product? or a reduction of quality on some component? probably some sort of chemical reaction? i feel like its something to do with the resin? im just guessing. im curious how you trouble shoot and figure out what went wrong. looking forward to part deux. thanks for the upload

[@ArcticFlies56]

Bob, you may know the old saying, “sometimes you eat the bird, but sometimes the bird eats you!” The question is, with salt or pepper? I love to watch your expression when you get the unexpected. It’s just classic. Best regards, Richard

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Richard!

[@RFC-3514]

The most likely causes would probably be a higher than normal temperature, or some (invisible but chemically relevant) residue from the resin, or even from the surface of the original figure being left in the mould. I wonder if those figures are sprayed with something (maybe to make paint stick to them more easily?) that could have stayed there and reacted with the wax. Freezing the model and then letting it warm up again might release it from the silicone. Failing that, heat it enough to melt the wax, pour it all out, and try again (with new wax); if there was any strange residue inside the mould, most of it will hopefully come out with that first batch of wax.

[@danbritton4766]

I love your videos and seeing the challenges of real life happen. Could the wax have reduced in size enough to have grabbed the mold? I will be thinking of this until we see you next time..

[@RobertTolone]

Usually wax shrinkage makes it even easier to pop out of a mold because the casting is smaller than the mold. This wax bonded tight to the rubber surface. Pretty weird.

[@HyperVillainy]

I just want to say that I recently subscribed and have been binge-watching the videos on your channel for the past week! I make custom action figures so I use resin and silicone frequently, but I feel like just watching your videos will up my resin-casting game substantially! When it comes to the problem of the wax and silicone sticking together, I can only think of one thing: I think you have a bad batch of silicone. I don't like to make assumptions like that right off the bat (I always assume operator error on my end first), but the way the silicone is acting seems as if it's an old mold or a mold that's been used a bunch of times - and considering that you just made it makes me think that there might be something up with that particular batch! I can't wait to tune in next week to see what you find out!

[@RobertTolone]

Sure hope I actually find the answer! These are the times when I wish I had shot these videos months ago and already knew that next week was going to reveal the solution. But this channel is blog-style; I’m usually madly editing on Thurday night! So I have not even begun to film next week’s video and have no idea what will happen. 😳😄

[@HyperVillainy]

@@RobertTolone No worries! Honestly, I'm just happy to be part of the ride! :)

[@CeeJayThe13th]

Cool video! If you're into the whole DnD type stuff and casting minis and all of that, I'd recommend checking out Miniature Hobbyist. He's not quite as pro level as Robert but he specifically does the table top stuff a lot (along with kitbashing and making dioramas and stuff).

[@RobertTolone]

I checked out his channel. He’s doing a lot of fun stuff over there. Thanks!

[@cherrygoblin6697]

I had almost the same thing happen, I used silicone caulk to make a mould and I tested it before but it just stuck to the greenstuff I was casting, it was so annoying and I'm still slowly picking away at it

[@jameshakola3603]

Very interesting... Wax is generally inert, and shouldn't react or bond *chemically* with anything, least of all a slippery material like silicone. So my guess is there's a mechanical adhesion going on. But it's mysterious what could have caused it, seeing as how it just released a resin casting just fine. My only wild guess-- I have had molds that were exposed to unmixed resin catalyst (Part A) which then started behaving like this. It seems to leech away at the silicone's elasticity instantly, and perhaps even etch micro-pores into it. The rubber than grabbed the casting material like there's no tomorrow. And the effect would probably be amplified under pressure. Any chance there was a resin casting we didn't see that was undermixed? Happy sleuthing, Robert!

[@RobertTolone]

Not in this case. You saw the only casting that the mold had produced. I have accidentally mixed resin all A or all B and had to drain it and clean the mold. I absolutely hate when I do that! But I have always been able to clean the mold and successfully use it even though it has undoubtedly been affected by the raw resin.

[@jameshakola3603]

@@RobertTolone Yeah I didn't think so, just a shot in the dark. Interesting, when I have had unmixed B, it always cleans out fine, with no damage. But if it's part A, I'll clean it out ASAP, but then the mold is never the same-- it adheres to the very next casting and loses chunks.when I demold by force. I've made the mistake with part A maybe three times total, but each time was the same. Could be my particular combo of resin and rubber. And also, I don't tend to realize it until I notice my leftover didn't cure, so maybe the time in the mold is a factor. Of course the best thing is to just not do that anymore ;)

[@TankRust]

Could residue from the resin casting you did prior to the wax have caused the sticking? Great videos, please keep them coming!

[@RobertTolone]

It never has before, but maybe…

[@AnnLiesArtist]

Not sure if this is answered in another video, but could a mold release from the Miniature have gotten into the silicone? Maybe something that wouldn’t bond with the urethane, but would the wax?

[@ArgaMiniature]

Hi great video sir!! I already subscribe like to see this kind of project 👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheGuilleStrike]

Hey Robert! Kinda new to the channel and I'm loving your videos! Sad the see this weird end but it's an opportunity to learn! Also, I was wondering how the hot tool you are using to attach the wax elements it's called, hope you can help me out!

[@RobertTolone]

It’s a Foredom Wax Carver.

[@beliasphyre3497]

My first thought for the mystery is maybe it's the resin residue, but then you mentioned it has been interchangeable before. Perhaps it's even earlier with the type of plastic the master was? Looking forward to the exciting conclusion.

[@RobertTolone]

I hope I find an exciting conclusion! It remains to be seen…

[@chromatophore881]

Is it a new batch of wax? Or rubber? Perhaps they have changed the composition of one of these between purchases. Is the rubber out of date or maybe just a bad batch?

[@overlookedundead8711]

That seems like a lot of effort! Especially when compared to 3D printing lol

[@zerocochrane1713]

Hello. It happened to me that the silicone has bonded to the resin, but this was due to the wrong proportions of resin. Perhaps the mold was too fresh, or the silicone you used is more flexible / porous ?

[@garyoverman4393]

Only time I’ve had wax weld a mold together is when it contains high carnauba content. A light spray of mold release works.

[@RobertTolone]

Spoiler alert: You may have hit on exactly the problem. I’ll explain in the video.

[@KickapooNinja]

Great video as always, I hope you find out what happened with the wax sticking to the rubber lol I am working on my own mold and casting projects it's always nice to see you upload new videos so I can learn more👍👍

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching! Check out the video next friday.

[@KickapooNinja]

@@RobertTolone sure will!

[@gordonwiley2006]

Recasting in wax for easy sculpting? Wax really changes the game. Hoping you can figure out an answer to this puzzle, as that did seem like a great mold.

[@gingerfreakstudio6362]

could it be the release agent they use for the injection mold? When we paint miniature it is always good practice to clean the model using soapy water befor priming. Maybe it is the same when casting wax ?

[@RobertTolone]

Certainly a possibility… So many variables.

[@P1X3LM4N]

looking forward to seeing what happened

[@RobertTolone]

Me too!

[@eduardobarros6562]

Would there be a way to cast a mold with an object you can disolve and then just run a big knife to make a straight parting line? Like that big white human sculpture you made a case with fiber glass and clay. Of course, you could make jagged cuts on the outside and then finish with a single cut.

[@RobertTolone]

Foundries use burn out wax, then they pour in molten metal and destroy the mold to remove the casting. I don’t know of any other way to dissolve an object out of a mold.

[@Starexe97]

NICE! Can you do a tutorial for miniature recast if the miniature parts are in an plastic injection mold sprue, pls? For.... reasons ;)

[@jackablon7252]

Possibly the wax was too hot causing the bond to occur?

[@TommyWashow]

If you keep up with these mini related videos, your viewerbase will easily double

[@RobertTolone]

I love doing the minis so I hope the videos prove to be popular with the tabletop gaming community!

[@MarkMichalowski]

Could there have been some sort of coating/residue layer on the mini that transferred to the silicone and to which the wax bonded? It's a myster, isn't it...?

[@RobertTolone]

It’s possible… so many variables.

[@Brakzillaa]

Could you salvage the mold if you heat up the wax enough to liquify the wax, drain it, and clean up the left overs inside?

[@RobertTolone]

That is exactly what I will do.

[@DoWissiWoD]

My hypothesis would be that rubber has pores. Since you did not show if you presurised the rubber as it was hardening, this could be the case. Unpresurised rubber will have tiny bubbles near the part surface. Placing a mold with liquid wax in to a presure chamber will push small pockets that might hold wax in place after curing. Considering that artifacts created by pourous rubber are usually drop shaped, having thicker part at the tip of the artifact and a narrower part near the main cavity. Thats just my guess though I also doubt that Robert would skip the rubber presurising step. Cant wait to hear what could have happened :)

[@RobertTolone]

Yes, I did pressurize the wax while it was hardening.

[@rdgk1se3019]

Was the rubber cured in the pressure tank?

[@RobertTolone]

No, I never pressure cure rubber molds.

[@PeninsulaPaintingProjects]

Thats crazy but thanks for the advice