Simple Silicone Molds For Sculpted Candles

[@h7opolo]

it really is a treasure that you elucidate your expertise so thoroughly for all to learn from.

[@roninjotatan]

During every video there is a comment or joke that makes me pause the video and laugh out loud then hit the like button. I think the big hands comment was the one that got me this time.

[@emilyrealname634]

I love it, super interesting. The big hands joke had me lol'in

[@becominghumanagain]

You exude such great helpful dad energy. Love it. Thanks for sharing your know how with the internet :)

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching Katie!

[@sergiocarreiras5328]

Hello Mr. Robert, I really like your videos it helped me a lot on making my molds for the toy industry I'm working for here in São Paulo, Brazil.

[@albita263]

i can’t wait to see the next video of the MA and Napoleon figures !

[@craigmile7286]

Very cool. Big hands make big molds.

[@candysuxxx11]

every week you leave me wanting to see more. Great work Sir.

[@slmiller91]

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

[@debrajol3585]

Always a pleasure to watch you create your art pieces 🙌💯💯

[@chrisclinton5424]

Subscribed to your channel, as recommended by the Crafsman! Not disappointed! Great content!

[@candicemusacaipo3554]

Thank you so much, you are great. I can’t wait to do it. The saw part it’s a bit scary😢

[@ybros6926]

Just letting my new favourite KZbin channel and KZbinr that I've almost got everything I need to have a crack at casting, bring on 2022. Thanks for sharing all your expert knowledge and experience Robert.

[@RobertTolone]

Let us know how your projects come out. Thanks for watching!

[@EV4UTube]

Great job! Makes me so happy

[@VictoriousGlory]

thanks for another great video

[@TankersleyFX]

You kick ass, Robert!

[@lizh7088]

Thank you for the tip about heating up silicone to wax temp! I'm hoping that will help knock down the amount of bubbles I'm getting w my beeswax sculpture castings

[@annekabrimhall1059]

Men with big hands wear big gloves!

[@joek600]

or play Bass guitar

[@OghamTheBold]

You beat me to it 😂 I should have scrolled before I looked like a copy cat - I have big feet and quite small cold hands - that means I have less choice in footwear especially with the width fitting - mine are more like flippers

[@U014B]

Men with big hands can hold larger objects, presumably.

[@thehuggz-i9k]

Soon may the Tolone return to share with us more things to learn One day when the watching is done I'll try to make me one

[@RobertTolone]

I always wondered if anyone actually watches all the way to the end! 😄

[@mbsheeks]

Thank you, very detailed!

[@HadaroFFMouldStones]

Good job 👌 well done 👍✅

[@RFC-3514]

I think that, in addition to British propaganda, the reason why some people think Napoleon was short was that his personal Imperial Guards tended to be huge, so he looked short when seen or depicted next to them. He was significantly taller than Nelson, for example (if you don't count the column).

[@alifahd6593]

Hi Robert your videos are fantastic and covering every detail, and I have a question that I "hope" I can have an answer for it. I live in Lebanon in a small town, I have a 3D printer and I print with gray resin, my problem is that my prints always stick VERY HARD to the silicon, and I have no access to a professional mold release (the economic crises out here makes it very hard to order on line and shipped) is there any ideas that can help me make some "replacement"? I know that seams silly but that is the problems with newcomers to every aspect in life. A big thanks for this awesome channel

[@RobertTolone]

It’s difficult for me to say because I don’t know what you have available where you are. Also I don’t know what kind of models you make. If it is possible to wax your 3d prints it can be a very effective mold release. Melted beeswax or a beeswax paste made of wax and paint thinner can be very effective at preventing silicone from sticking.

[@alifahd6593]

@@RobertTolone Thank you, i am making 1:35 & 1:16 models mostly architectural details and futures, like arches, columns capitals, doors & windows. will beeswax (since it is your favorite) melt in Turpentine or Naphtha? what ratios? I think others will melt the UV resin prints!! and the other question that pops up, will the melted beeswax preserve the details? By the way I know I ask a LOT of questions, and thanks again.

[@rowanstephenson3192]

It’s an absolute pleasure to watch you work sir 😀

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching and for your nice comment.

[@gumzo2509]

Thank you very much

[@JohnClark-tt2bl]

Always leaves us on a cliffhanger. 😄

[@RobertTolone]

I always run out of time…

[@GNUSouthAfrica]

Very interesting.. good ideas...

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

One more stupid question. Does it make sense to cover insides of the mold with something other than release agent when casting resin. I struggled a lot with narrow and long details (on warhammer size minis, app. 35 mm in height) and found out that resin flows better inside the mold when I put a very light dusting of talcum powder inside. So now I can finally know if it was stupid:) after watching a good portion of your videos I already know that my models weren’t vented properly but that’s completely other theme

[@RobertTolone]

I never have flow issues with molds that are properly vented. The art and craft of the thing is to use the absolute fewest vents and the shortest possible parting lines. This results in the cleanest castings and the least work to finish the castings after they come out of the mold. But too few vents and your mold won’t cast properly. People swear by talcum powder, but I never found it useful. Indeed I found it tedious to be certain that it was not building up in tight spots and causing flaws in the casting.

[@madtabby66]

Clean straight line? I was told a crooked cut sealed better.

[@debrajol3585]

He always makes them jagged but in a straight line sorta way 😆👌

[@RobertTolone]

Straight at the model, jagged away from the model.

[@roger.agburn]

Lovely video! =)

[@stefanf6495]

Hi Robert, probably someone else already asked this before, but have you ever considered using a 3D printer for making the mold cases? Making perfectly fitting cases would be ever so easy then, even for complex outlines, potentially saving a lot of rubber. Also adding extra fittings for using the mold in a frame for rotational castings would be a piece of cake. Am I missing something here? Might those mold cases be leaking, not being "watertight"? Or melting when treated with a bee wax coating?

[@RobertTolone]

3D printed mold cases are coming soon to the channel. I’m hoping to show ways to integrate 3d printing with molds and resin casting. They are a lot of fun to make but the truth is, it’s much, much faster for me to make cases out of wood!

[@glenfisher728]

Interesting as always Bob . Where's your wax crock pot ? When cutting these out why not cut up the back of the mould ? Wouldn't that preserve more details on these bust's especially around Napoleons hat .

[@RobertTolone]

The parting line always has to follow down the vents. Otherwise when they fill up you can’t get the resin (or other casting material) out of the vent.

[@glenfisher728]

Ahhh forgot the vents 🙄

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

I have a question which might seem stupid: does it make sense to vacuum degas the resin before casting, and similar one - does it help to put silicon to cure in pressure pot?

[@RobertTolone]

Neither techniques are necessary. I never subject models to pressure when I cure the silicone around them. That’s because I get models from a lot of sources and I don’t always know how they are constructed. If there are voids inside of the model it could get crushed by the pressure pot. This I learned the hard way when I destroyed a client model early in my career.

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

@@RobertTolone thanks for clarification. When I was making models it always bothered me. there are two actions - degassing under vacuum to make bubbles expand, rise and pop; and putting to cure under a pressure to crush bubbles to smaller size even to the point they dissolve in liquid. (Besides from stuff demanding special gear like vacuum mixing) Now I see why it’s dangerous to put silicon with original under a high pressure, which answers also to why not degas silicon once more after curing as it may cause model to explode. I suppose the only reason not to degas resin before pouring to eliminate air introduced by mixing is short pot time and the fact that curing in pressure pot is more than enough.

[@deliastubbs6243]

Hey Robert so I have a question for you, so I'm doing a hollow casting but I'm finding that the resin is not spreading evenly in the mold so some spots are solid and other spots are very thin, can you tell me why this is happening please, thank you so much I learn so much from your videos

[@RobertTolone]

Are you rotocasting in several layers or just putting one large shot in the mold?

[@yoopermann7942]

your " hot box " is it as important to use with the rubber as it seems i the videos? i have never used one is why i am asking,, thank you for another informative video

[@RobertTolone]

It’s very helpful in the winter when my shop is cold. it’s a big building and I’m too cheap to heat it. The resin and the rubber like to be comfortable which is around 70°F for them.

[@josipmiletic6434]

do you make molds to order and do you already have some ready-made ones for candles 3d

[@nerored6235]

Which is your preference? Tin cure or platinum cure silicone. If you have any deeper understanding of the differences, would you consider a video to discuss them?

[@RobertTolone]

Tin rubber is less expensive and less sensitive to cure inhibition than platinum rubber. So it’s cheaper and easier to work with. Some resins require platinum because they won’t cure properly in a tin rubber mold. Tin rubber molds decay over time, platinum molds don’t. So platinum molds can be stored and used indefinitely - IF the casting material doesn’t wear them out. But both urethane and epoxy resins eat rubber molds. For them I almost always use tin because it’s cheaper. If I was a candle maker I would use platinum because a mold could be used for years and not wear out or degrade. 99% of the time I use tin-based rubber. The only time I don’t is when making food-grade or medical-grade molds.

[@catarina_conceicao]

@@RobertTolone Amazing. This was super helpful. Thank you!

[@jasminmacrae4490]

Awesome video!!!😍💖🥰

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Jasmin. Fingers crossed for good castings! Thanks for participating with my channel!

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

Thanks for your great work! I miss so much a days I casted a lot of wargaming minis. I have a question though: how much pressure do you apply in pressure pot when casting resins?

[@RobertTolone]

Usually 50 psi, sometimes 80 psi. Almost never more. My compressor goes up to 118 psi.

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

@@RobertTolone thanks for answer. Also today I found out that you have already covered this theme in one of early videos. But I discovered you channel only today and haven’t seen all the videos _yet_.

[@RobertTolone]

@@grimoirworkshop6623 Glad you found my channel. Thanks for watching!

[@bonce]

4:48 yeah, big gloves

[@rudolmeyer]

During the Napoleonic wars Britain and France had different measuring standards, the British "foot" was 12 inches with an inch defined as 2.54cm, the French foot had inches set to 2.7cm instead, so according to Napoleons personal physician Francesco Antommarchi, he was 5 foot 2 inches according to the French measurement system, which is the same as 5 foot 5.5 inches in imperial (British) measurements. The average height for an adult man at the time was between 5 foot 5 and 5 Foot 7. Napoleon was of average height.

[@JohnClark-tt2bl]

But that also means that modern depictions of him being short (in modern times) are actually accurate.

[@RobertTolone]

I just love that a cartoonist could define an emperor. Napoleon hated Gilray and that makes me happy!

[@Emanuelmartins69]

How about pouring the wax in steps? Did you ever make Lego cases for casting?

[@RobertTolone]

The problem with pouring the wax in steps is that the wax shrinks as it cools and it will pull away slightly from the sides of the mold. So subsequent pours of wax will run into those gaps. Leaves a mess behind. A lot of people use Lego for mold cases but I don’t have any. So I just use what I have on hand, which is wood mostly.

[@Emanuelmartins69]

@@RobertTolone yeah i was thinking that pouring in steps would “fix” the wax shrinkage since it filled the gaps from the shrinking, and maybe since wax melts and sticks together it would work, just an ideia… The thing about lego i was thinking was if it needed to be waxed for the mold to not stick.

[@RobertTolone]

@@Emanuelmartins69 I had the same thought about the wax shrinkage - but it didn’t work. I recently did a video recasting a Lego Bionicle piece and the rubber did not stick to that. And I think it’s unlikely that the rubber would stick to regular Lego bricks. But of course, the only way to know is to test.

[@JohnClark-tt2bl]

I just had a thought in regards to air getting trapped. Has anyone ever tried doing a casting inside a vacuum chamber? I mean a sealed box with no atmosphere, that you could manipulate via sealed ports with gloves that you can put your hands in.

[@RobertTolone]

Most people just build their molds with a reservoir for the resin. They fill the reservoir with resin and put the mold into the chamber. As the vacuum sucks the air out of the cavity through the vents it draws the resin into the mold.

[@MarkATrombley]

You always wear the hat. We watch because you are a truly skilled craftsman, we don't care if you have a My Little Pony tattoo on the top of your head.

[@RobertTolone]

How did you find out?

[@MarkATrombley]

Have you ever covered the legal/ethical issues with making a mold of somebody else's work? I don't remember you ever going over it but it seems like an important issue.

[@marsrocket]

Good point, although I think if you’re not doing it for resale you’re probably ok.

[@RobertTolone]

I think about it all the time. Wherever possible I credit the original artist. I could not locate the artist who sculpted these actual pieces. Of course, these small sculptures are modeled after larger marble sculptures so we’re dealing with copies of copies of copies. I do believe that my channel use of them is fair use because it is an educational channel. That said, if someone objects to my use of their artwork I either fully credit them or take the video down. Whichever they want. So far it has not been an issue. And I never approve of anyone re-casting artwork for sale.

[@MarkATrombley]

@@RobertTolone I think your use is both ethical and legal, I was just wondering in the broader sense. I don't remember you teaching *us* to be ethical and lecal.

[@SirShorebear]

I could've sworn you were gonna say "big gloves"

[@ALEXGIBSONCMG]

sounds like an older Bob from the Markiplier crew

[@memedodo2978]

First comment , love your videos .

[@securityrobot]

Looking forward to next week when you cast your bonapartes in Soy wax, I hope it’s not going to be your Waterloo!

[@RobertTolone]

Me too!

[@hanelyp1]

Remember, wax shrinks. And those necks will be trouble if the wax solidifies there first.

[@RobertTolone]

Yeah, definitely a worry…

[@Jkauppa]

two-part mold

[@levinebette15]

Why is soy wax a choice?

[@RobertTolone]

I don’t know. Maybe because it’s a natural wax…

[@BeautyThings118]

100th comment!

[@juliovallejos2716]

🗿👍🏼

[@OghamTheBold]

Men with big hands have big gloves

[@puffintosh]

+

[@gregorycanell6118]

I cast sculpted candles and beeswax is my preferred wax to use. Soy wax is too brittle.

[@RobertTolone]

Do you vac or pressure cast them or just pour them straight.

[@gregorycanell6118]

@@RobertTolone I’ve just poured then straight and haven’t had any real problems so far

[@Wabbit66]

Men with big hands....wear big gloves :)

[@SavetheRepublic]

Napolean was 5' 6" tall that's not only short by today's standards but a borderline dwarf in those days.

[@madtabby66]

France average male height today is 5’9” And 5’6” isn’t dwarfism today. The medical definition is an adult height under 4’10”

[@sonipitts]

oh goody...more soy wax 🤣

[@RobertTolone]

😭