This quick recipe can help you get started with DIY molds for resin. You want to get started with epoxy resin since it's one of the best materials you can choose to create molds. You have to consider the specifications of the project you're working on and other materials, if necessary, such as silicone. The main advantage of epoxy is that it takes many forms and shapes: round, cubic, and pyramidal. You can create mechanical parts or ornaments.

You can shape epoxy with your bare hands or tools, which gives you a fair amount of control over the final form of your DIY molds for resin. You can work the compound in basic form, or you can choose to add colors and pigments. If you're working on something with extra textures, you can sculpt them in the mold or add them as you go. This ensures the finished construct as you let the epoxy rest before creating the mold.

When creating your DIY molds for resin, you need to choose one with low viscosity. Low viscosity resins are specially formulated to be poured on casts and take shapes in layers. These types of resin have thin consistency that covers every corner and crevice of your mold like a glove. When the resin is curated, it goes crystal clear unless coloring is added. You can use mica powders to spike your designs and make them more colorful.

Hardening the Mold

The material for DIY molds for resin goes hard really fast, but the use of hardening gives you a window of up to 48 hours to cure properly, thanks to the exothermic rate or the decrease of heat as the resin is curated. The resin liquid needs to be mixed with a hardening component. They sell these ingredients in the same place where you get the epoxy and the low-viscosity resin. Mix these components in a 2:1 ratio to get a great-looking mold.

When you are working with epoxy, make sure to do so in a place locked from sunlight. The material is susceptible to UV rays to make it yellow. When creating your DIY molds for resin, you don't have to worry about this anymore since resins are created with UV inhibitors. This material is also water-resistant and odorless and doesn't produce any VOCs. Make sure to break the mold evenly, and you'll get amazing crafts done with it in no time!

What is the Best Material for Resin Casting?

You have to go with silicone for this part of the build. Silicone is flexible, durable, and hard to misshape once it's curated. Silicone has a release agent best suited to casts molds. You can also remove the epoxy sculpt more easily from silicone than any other material while maintaining integrity. Keep in mind that silicone also has zero level of toxicity, so much so that you can see it being used to create everyday items such as baking trays, pacifiers, and many items in the medical industry.