With A 1-Piece Silicone Cut Mold

In this video I make a silicone rubber mold of a collectible figurine. I show how to orient the body in space, place the sprue and vents, build the mold case and finally pour the rubber.
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Here’s a .pdf with everything you need to know:
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[@joevano]

I really enjoyed the clear front on that box.

[@RobertTolone]

Yes, I thought that worked out great. I’ll be doing more of those going forward; it really helps to see how the rubber fills the mold. Thanks, Joe.

[@joevano]

@@RobertTolone I am pretty good at visualizing things I can’t see, but I could really get it now.

[@earshoes3282]

Crafsman sent me and I'm very glad he did. Thanks Robert.

[@mdub9680]

I learned so much from this video. I struggle with molding and casting and it's an expensive learning curve. Thanks for making these videos!

[@Nerdtronic]

Great video. Emjoyed this one.

[@ChempZee]

Cool idea using a clear front on the mold case. Makes it more interesting to watch the pour.

[@RobertTolone]

I should have been doing it all along. It will be a regular feature going forward. Thanks for your comment Matt!

[@westcoast_johnny]

Thank you Robert for the great video!

[@Krenshondizerkhan]

The transparent plastic view while pouring is amazing, nice work, waiting for part 2

[@RobertTolone]

That will be a regular feature of the channel from now on. Thanks for watching!

[@eugeniobarreto]

Great tutorial. Transparent walls allow us understando how silicone flows.

[@RobertTolone]

You’ll see it used often from now on. Thanks Eugênio!

[@thebeheader]

this is one of a kind best tutorial ever, The best way to understand thing is by seeing them. thanks, just thanks Robert for all the love you put in your videos.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Melo! The clear front on the mold case will be a regular feature from now on.

[@thebeheader]

​@@RobertTolone it's next level!!! This is good news!!! i'm sure your channel will kick up in reach with this level of explainations. i Bet, sadly, soon all channel like yours in a few month will do your trick. we can eve use this trick if we are not sure how the silicone will be distribute while pouring. Thanks Robert this make a great difference.

[@RobertTolone]

@@thebeheader That’s why we’re called “influencers”! 😄

[@schnauzpig]

So many videos and you are still teaching us new things!

[@skerriesrockart]

Keep up the good work

[@levinebette15]

I love the clear wall on the mold! Stepping it up! ❤️

[@MikeGDammit]

Amazing. Thank you for making these helpful videos!

[@norym823]

great video as always

[@beastlybombers]

Brilliant work Robert. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching Dan!

[@Paul_R_Smith]

Look forward to your videos so much. my background is engineering and chemistry and I learn so much about process watching these. Your delivery is spot on, informative, friendly and loaded with lots of common sense and experience. Thank you again for sharing all of this. I look forward to part two!

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks Paul! I appreciate it.

[@DariaS-BrattWithTatts]

Love your videos. I'm learning so much.

[@RobertTolone]

I'm so glad! Thanks Daria.

[@flytrapjohn]

Clear side is a good idea. Nice work. Thanks

[@RobertTolone]

Yeah, I'll be doing that a lot from now on. Thanks for your feedback!

[@casualpencil65]

I’m loving your channel.

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks for watching Casual! I appreciate it,

[@fatramh]

Amazing ventilation and just great video ,thank you 🙌🙌

[@RobertTolone]

Ventilation is everything! Thanks for watching. 👍

[@MRNIIK]

I loved this one Robert, that perspex window is very very exciting! It's always educational to see your decision making process. The second pour after tilting is genius!

[@RobertTolone]

The clear mold case will be a regular feature from now on. I think it is important for people to know that they can build a mold in stages by pouring, brushing, holding the model in different orientations, etc. That process makes it so much easier to make a good mold

[@skerriesrockart]

Good stuff

[@jlmont7036]

thanks Robert !! :D

[@damianpark236]

Rob , mate love your contents . Another bonza video, the clear front was unexpected but added to presentation .

[@RobertTolone]

The clear front was a hit; I’ll be doing that a lot more in the future! Thanks for watching Damian!

[@jsonlee01]

Aw man! The suspense is killing me!

[@RobertTolone]

Part 2 coming out this morning!

[@stephenfenech1263]

Well done, you re my mentor !

[@RobertTolone]

Thank you Stephen!

[@shellypeaker672]

The window is a nice addition

[@RobertTolone]

Yeah Michelle, it was very well received. I'll be doing that a lot from now on. Thanks for watching.

[@treblam1]

Another Hit!

[@RobertTolone]

Thanks as always Albert!

[@joseuribe656]

I want to learn about the wax! Great videos

[@RobertTolone]

I talk about the waxes in lots of my videos. Thanks for watching Jose!

[@rookehyde9027]

Hey Robert, I love your videos! Do you ever work with different types of casting rubbers like urethane rubbers or silicon putties? I'd love to see you play around with different materials. Thanks for all your content!

[@IdRatherBeMaking]

Great call on using the acrylic, I literally couldn't look away! I am curious as to why you didn't sand off the original parting line before molding the figure. Looking forward to part 2!

[@RobertTolone]

Because I want to be able to compare a two-part mold parting line with a one-piece cut mold parting line. On the casting we will see the two parting line side-by-side. Thanks for your comments Brian!

[@roger.agburn]

Oooohhhhh ... no cutting? Boy, what a cliffhanger. :-D I also love how you did the pouring with a transparent front. Good idea!

[@RobertTolone]

The clear front is really helpful. I will be doing a lot of those from now on.

[@stringerarts6169]

Oh! I got to the end and went NOOO! Can’t wait for next week :)

[@RobertTolone]

I can’t stand cliffhangers when I watch other peoples maker channels. So I feel your pain. What I do is I watch videos about a month behind the actual release date. That way I can binge watch the entire project all in one go!

[@stringerarts6169]

@@RobertTolone That's what I did, but now I'm up to date! Netflix who??

[@BroughtToYouByDDean]

Man! I was JUST going to email you about this. You are psychic or something

[@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter]

Almost 20k!!!! Party time???

[@RobertTolone]

It’s astounding to me Silvana. Hard to believe!

[@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter]

I'm super happy for you!😍✊🏻 I remember when I was one of a couple of hundred & now you're the big, famous guy 😁 Has it gone to your head?😉

[@RobertTolone]

@@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter Yes, my head is so bloated now I can hardly lift it. Oh, wait - I was born that way.

[@SilvanaTheNonCraftingCrafter]

Ha ha ha ha! ;)

[@blaketarpley8174]

You're the Clamp Champ!!

[@RobertTolone]

You can never have too many clamps!

[@dougiewells7475]

Rob I love your work and style I've learned so much and been entertained along the way. I started watching to learn how to make moulds for my wife who does stuff in Jesmonite - made up name for a 2 part cement type material have you had a play with it?

[@RobertTolone]

I have very little experience casting with cement-type materials.

[@ryanoliver318]

What luck! We’re currently casting a figure from the same line! Sgt. Slaughter, in fact. He’s got a big hat with a full brim that has stirred some debate in our shop regarding hat brim approach. (Big air bubble trap) Google his figure and reply if inclined, please. Keep ‘em coming, Robert! We love you!

[@RobertTolone]

Hi Ryan, I checked him out. Hat brims are tricky. Email me a couple pic of your figure - front, side views and I’ll show you how I would set him up. [e-mail]

[@smudgersmith1786]

Hi Bob, looking forward to part 2... Can you shed some light on your 'sticky wax' tool and where to buy please?

[@sonipitts]

There's a link in the description that goes to his "commonly used tools" list. The wax pen is listed there.

[@smudgersmith1786]

@@sonipitts Many thanks, I really must learn to click SHOW MORE :)

[@sonipitts]

@@smudgersmith1786 I had to go look myself. I am forever forgetting to check stuff like that.

[@BrianFowlie]

I was on Zassh's podcast episode 4 a few days ago! I have been making these in two part molds. good stuff!

[@RobertTolone]

That’s generally how people make their molds. For that reason I appointed myself the One Piece Cut Mold Ambassador To The World ! (well, at least on youtube). What material do you cast the figures in?

[@BrianFowlie]

@@RobertTolone you are definitely the king of one piece molds !! My secret batch I use is made by Smooth Ons. its a urethane 50/50 mix called "Vitaflex 60" It took a ton of research and fails to get as close as possible to the original feel. Been a fan for a while now ! I look forward to see every video that comes out! I watch them over and over! Cheers Robert ! And thankyou

[@RobertTolone]

@@BrianFowlie Smooth On makes an amazing variety of materials. That is a really good one to know about. Thanks!

[@BrianFowlie]

@@RobertTolone yes they do. Almost everything I use is a Smooth-On product. Too bad no endorsement yet! Lol Try out the Vitaflex 60 if you get a chance

[@RobertTolone]

@@BrianFowlie The nice people at Smooth On have offered me products to use on the channel. No doubt some of their materials will be appearing soon!

[@Shastavalleyoutdoorsman]

What is the wax Device you are always using called? That thing looks fantastic. I heard you call it the waxxer.

[@ZacharyKnightStudios]

Excellent once again! Any thoughts on a brush-on cut mold for this boy? Would the mother mold be so much work and/or cost it would negate the rubber savings? Or venting issues?

[@RobertTolone]

I generally won’t do a brush on mold for something that is going to be poured solid and placed in a pressure pot. It is extremely difficult to make a brush-on mold without trapping at least a few bubbles here and there. Those bubbles will collapse in the pressure pot and can deform the casting. I only use brush-on molds for larger objects that are going to be cast on a rotation machine.

[@ZacharyKnightStudios]

@@RobertTolone Oh right ... I forget about the pressure pot since I don’t have one yet. Thanks. Looking forward to Part 2.

[@bertcabana5563]

Doesnt wax inhibit platinum silicone curing? Also oil clays unless sulfur free?

[@kristacohen8210]

Why seal the box with wax instead of shellac? As always, thank you for your wonderful videos.

[@RobertTolone]

Shellac works on mold cases and is one of my favorite wood finishes. Test your rubber for compatibility with the shellac to be sure. Beeswax is quick and easy for me and absolutely reliable with the rubber and resins I use.

[@baschz]

Great video and lots of new information like always! Can you maybe make (or point to) a video about the differences between all the types of wax you use? I know the sticky wax is more for "gluing", the sprue wax for vents, etc. but can I for instance also use beeswax for the latter and what makes the (looks like most different to the others) sticky wax the 'sticky' wax? I live in the Netherlands and want to find out what I can use to try your techniques with what I can find/make locally. I made for instance the Scott Hensey toy wax from another YT video and was wondering that probably comes closest to the sculpting wax you describe. Thanks for all the very informative videos. It's nice to see all the differences in approach between the different models and molds and all the knowledge you share. Thank you.

[@RobertTolone]

The recipe for toy wax shown in the Scott Hensey video is the same combination of waxes is that all the toy sculptures I know use. Everybody tweaks their recipe to their own liking. Some like it softer, some like it harder and more brittle. I used to be able to buy the wax from a supplier but they have long since gone out of business and we have to make it ourselves. The sticky wax is readily available online, at least here in the US. I have seen some formulas online for making it but I don’t bother because it is easy to get. Same with beeswax and blue sprue wax rods. This PDF lists the supplies I buy from: www.dropbox.com/s/kz6mhmf7v5vpy7l/Material%20and%20Suppliers.pdf?dl=0

[@baschz]

@@RobertTolone Thank you, Robert. That pdf helps a lot!

[@chartle1]

I've seen others that pressure cast resin and besides vacuuming the rubber they put it under pressure while it cures. Wondering your thoughts

[@RobertTolone]

My process is as follows: Vacuum the mixed rubber to remove air. Pour rubber into mold case, no pressure or vacuum during the pour. Let mold cure, no pressure or vacuum needed. Fill mold with resin and put into pressure pot. Cure resin completely while the mold is under pressure. Once you are certain the resin has cured, remove the mold from the pressure pot and extract the casting from the mold.

[@samphazm]

Hi Robert. Absolutely love these videos. Can you tell me what the sticky wax is -is it beeswax..?

[@RobertTolone]

No, it is a blended wax and I don't know what the formula is of the wax I buy. There are recipes online but I never make it because it's easy to buy and a lump like the one you see me use in these videos lasts a very long time!

[@CajunCraftastrophe]

Fantastic, I love your videos, Robert. They are so informative and your wealth of knowledge really shines through. I would love to send you an octopus model that I sculpted that I'm not sure how I'd attempt to mold and cast it. Do you accept sculptures from viewers?

[@RobertTolone]

Send pics to [e-mail]

[@RobertTolone]

Send pics to [e-mail]

[@meetyounever6923]

For larger odd shaped projects how do I determine how much silicone I'll need? I'm trying to make a mold of a Cresent moon shelf.

[@RobertTolone]

It’s hard for me me to answer because I don’t know what kind of mold you’re making. Is it a poured mold or a blanket mold? One sided or two sided? For irregular objects it’s really difficult to know in advance unless you are willing to spend a lot of time estimating and calculating. It’s much easier if you have a digital model that can tell you exactly the volume or surface area of of the model. Truth is I mostly go by experience and guestimating.

[@sculptique]

Hi Robert, I love your videos, they have been so helpful! I have a question that I can't find an answer to - are all mold making silicones safe for soap making? Can some of the silicone get into soap once it's cured and cause reactions? Does anyone know?

[@RobertTolone]

I don’t know about all silicone rubbers. To be certain I would use a platinum-based food safe rubber. They are usually more expensive than tin-based rubbers but have the advantage of not degrading over time. For soap making they would last indefinitely.

[@sculptique]

@@RobertTolone Thank you so much for your reply, that's what I thought.

[@robblatt9120]

Do you store the wax in that pot all the time with the brush in there and just it all up whenever you need it?

[@RobertTolone]

Yes. And I only keep approximately a 1/4 inch of wax in the pot so that it melts rapidly. Heat on high then turn it down to warm once the wax melts. Beeswax is flammable so you have to be careful not to overheat it, you definitely don’t want it to catch fire! That’s another reason for keeping only a small amount in the pot.

[@j0hnf_uk]

Having one side of the moulding transparent not only helps you see where the rubber is going, it also shows quite graphically to us, the audience, how it's essential to make sure no air gets trapped anywhere on the downward facing areas to ensure a complete and accurate mould.

[@RobertTolone]

I did a transparent mold case very early on when I had no viewers. So it got no reaction. This time the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and I really got a lot out of it myself. So transparent mold cases will be a regular feature from now on.

[@blewprent]

I never can understand where exactly to place the vents. Is there an easy trick to indicate where the vents should go?

[@RobertTolone]

The trick is to position the model in the mold so that the resin flows all the way to the bottom, rises up and pushes the air out above it. As the resin nears the top or high points of the mold that is where air gets trapped so that is where you need to place the vents.

[@Vancegeoffmen2]

I appreciate that you keep calling him a boy. By OSW Review's definition of a "boy" the 1 2 3 Kid is one true and through.

[@joseantonioausetgarcia4212]

Robert, why don't you tried to degass the silicone in the vacuum chamber when you put it on the piece?

[@RobertTolone]

Because the rubber expands so much under vacuum that you would have to design a mold case that is much larger than it needs to be. Also, it is completely unnecessary. If you pour the rubber correctly you will not catch bubbles. And finally, some models are very fragile or have air inclusions inside them, particularly clay models. If there are bubbles inside a model they will blow out under vacuum and destroy both the model and the mold.

[@BrickBazooka]

Hi Robert, Hi Molding Community, I have a simple question: Do Silcone Molds mess up the painjob on acrylic painted figures? 🎨 is there anything that I keep in mind, when molding a painted Figure? Thank you

[@RobertTolone]

I can tell you that it shouldn’t. But I can’t tell you that it won’t. So test your rubber on a small area of a figure you don’t care that much about. Testing is really the only way to know if your materials will be compatible with one another. The other thing I would mention is that if you are molding something that is important to you, that you don’t want to get harmed, you must use special care. For instance, something could cause the silicone rubber not to cure and you would have to remove the uncured rubber from the figurine. That would involve solvents and those solvents may well destroy the paint finish on the figurine. I always tell clients that in molding there is always the possibility that the model can be damaged.

[@BrickBazooka]

@@RobertTolone thank you for your honest words and expertise. Maybe I should stick to 3d scanning, cause those figures are worth a lot to me. Again thank you

[@annekabrimhall1059]

How does the rubber react on Apoxie clay?

[@BrianFowlie]

silicon rubber will react and cast as it should when using apoxie clay. ive done it a few times now

[@annekabrimhall1059]

How is it with super Sculpy?

[@ZacharyKnightStudios]

@@annekabrimhall1059 I’ve never had a problem using any silicone (tin, plat) to mold Regular, Super, or Firm Sculpey. A little spray of Ease Release 200 (or diluted Vaseline) to ensure an easy demold, and you’re good to go. Silicone is very friendly as long as you avoid water/moisture or porous surfaces. And make sure whatever non-hardening clay you use (to seal mold box) is sulfur-free.

[@RobertTolone]

It's always worked well with the brand of rubber I use.

[@darrylelliott9412]

Hey Mr Tolone, do you ever make blind vents?

[@RobertTolone]

What do you mean by a blind vent?

[@darrylelliott9412]

@@RobertTolone a (air) vent ,not a gate that due to the amount of air that its eliminates terminates before it reaches the surface of the mold.

[@RobertTolone]

@@darrylelliott9412 I never use those. I either vent to the surface or to a point higher ur the model.

[@lindasnyder3961]

Is your oil-clay a sulfur-free clay?

[@RobertTolone]

Yes, I am careful that all the clays I use are sulfur free.

[@zimot5965]

I’ve learned a ton from your videos, thanks for making them! The last few seem really rushed? Maybe I’m old and like the pace of the slower ones more :)

[@RobertTolone]

It's a constant balancing act between showing lots of details and keeping things moving along. I'm learning as I go. Thanks for your feedback.

[@zimot5965]

@@RobertTolone thanks again for sharing your all your experience and know how in this stuff, it’s really helped a lot.

[@sonderstudios6675]

Next time use a paint brush to brush silicone into the details.

[@RobertTolone]

Good tip! Thanks

[@annekabrimhall1059]

You’re announcing isn’t bad but I have no idea who that is.

[@RobertTolone]

Me neither. You learn all sorts of things in this job!