Hirst Arts Casting - Durhams Rock Hard Water Putty - Part 2 - Titan Terrain Studio

[@Alkemi7jtm]

I’ve been using Durham’s for decades . A few tips - if you spray your mold with Coconut or Almond oil before you pour, your pieces will come out much more smoothly & easily. I’ve been using the same plastic container & spoons for years (unless I accidentally break my spoon handle like I did yesterday). I use a 2nd spoon’s handle as a spatula to get the remainder out, then wipe out the rest of the wet putty & off the spoons & into the trash. I use a Clorox Wet Wipe or something similar to wipe out the rest of it & wash it with dish soap for the next time

[@brunswicklord6365]

A few tips on mixing. I do not know what the instructions on the container say but the accepted methodology in the dental trade is to add the powder to water slowly. Shake the powder into the water and it will be equally adsorbed. If you are going to the expense of a shaking table buy a rubber mixing bowl and plaster spatula from a dental laboratory supplies company, dont buy the clinical equivalent get the laboratory version. Most dental stones are vacuum mixed to remove air and create a dense mix, an alternative is to mix you stone in the bowl and then put it in a closed container and give it a good shake. This may seem counter productive but done properly it is quite effective. Always use the recommended powder water ratio but experience with some materials and the end use of the product may allow you to use a little more water. Make a solution of water and washing up liquid and dip your silicone moulds in the solution then rince in clean water. This helps reduce surface tension and remove air bubbles. Dont have a shaking table? With your spatula take a small amount of product and pour into a corner of the mould. Dont fill it in one go but lightly bang the mould on the table as you add more product. Once again experience will reduce the number of bubbles in your finished product. At my place of work new apprentice dental technicians would start by learning to mix plasters and stones and then pour into silicone moulds NOT using a shaking table. It is possible to very soon produce casts with no bubbles, just persevere.

[@msmith1437]

Just picked up some Durham's today!

[@titanterrainstudio]

Its great stuff. I love it. :) Picked some more up tonight, & I love how easy it is to work with.

[@WarGamerGirl]

Interesting. I picked up some Durhams at Lowes a while back, but I haven't really tried it with anything.

[@TheStonehammerFiles]

PerfectCast casting material from Hobby Lobby or Joanns. $8 for a four pound bag and it works well.

[@cynthiachang1458]

Hi I m a new subscriber .can I use durham on the patio post fence structure its getting wear out

[@Generalsplatton]

I would have thought the Durhams would have been harder to break, being a construction filler for builders. Surprised by that. Good vid buddy.

[@titanterrainstudio]

The thing is, the small spots like that are still the same, but Durhams is far superior when you cast pieces that are 1/2 or thicker.

[@Generalsplatton]

Titan Terrain Studio Yeah, I sell it, so thus my surprise.

[@Galorn]

an alternative to Merlins magic is Excalibur, but it probably has teh same shipping issues.

[@titanterrainstudio]

Cant seem to reply directly to michaels question, but its about the same weight as far as I can tell. I'm not sure how well it would work for a sculpture, as when I scraped it after 30 mins it tended to grab alot. Something to possibly experiment with in the future though :)

[@goboldly5700]

I see some wonderful uses for this as a alternative to plaster/dental stone. Especially with it being locally avail at Home Depot and is affordable. Looks much cleaner than plaster too. Is it lighter weight than plaster and dental stone? I wonder how it would work for sculpture over an aluminum screen armature like for constructive a cavern or other rock like formations.

[@payday1963]

Can Durhams be tinted?

[@p3arljam26]

I am building an RC Airplane and i have a clear plastic canopy that i want to duplicate if i use the Durhams rock hard will it ruin the original canopy when i pull the dried cast?

[@titanterrainstudio]

I dont think that would be wise. You might check out a trial run size of mold max 25 by smooth on instead to make a mold. Durhams is really brittle. I've actually stopped using it since this video.

[@msmith1437]

Any tips/suggestions for how you get such smooth/bubble free casts? Did my first cast tonight on a few pieces. Tons of bubbles. Not mixing enough? Plus dont have a vibrating table, so gotta do that by hand. Plus, is the wet water spray a must?

[@titanterrainstudio]

The wet water will help it flow alot easier. Also dunking into the wet water & using a brush to push out all the bubbles you can see will help. And lastly a cheap shake table will assist as well. Mostly in keeping you from hurting your hands. :P

[@somuchfunno3380]

if you mix Elmer's glue with the Durhams Rock Hard Water Putty and water... it will set up super strong for durability, it won’t chip or break off as easy as your demonstration. experiment.

[@missd1428]

somuchfun no about what kind of ratio are you talking about as far as adding Elmer’s glue?

[@RobertMoser]

@@missd1428 I use a 25% PVA glue/75% water mix, and it works very well. The ratios are very forgiving.