water with a few drops of dish soap to make “wet” water Tools: caulking gun paint brush large scissors small blocks of wood rag (to wipe silicone off fingers) old towel or sheet (to protect work surface if needed)
Inexpensive Molds for an Infinite Variety of Rock Cliffs and CRags W
ith a two-tiered logging layout measuring 7.5 feet by 10.5 feet, I knew that I was going to use modeler’s license when it came to making mountains. Vertical rock faces and a deep gorge would be necessary. I looked at purchasing commercial rock molds, but after using a couple of a friend’s molds I realized that repetition was going to be a problem in my small space. Cost was also a concern,
not only for the molds, but also for commercial casting mediums like liquid latex. I tried tinfoil molds and while they work well, I just wasn’t satisfied. While considering my options I searched various model railroad forums for “rock molds” and found a post where a model railroader mentioned that he used kitchen and bathroom silicone to make his molds. I apologize for not being able to relocate that post and give credit where
Page 83 • Issue 10 • Nov/Dec 2010 • Inexpensive Rock Molds, page 1
I try to keep my molds under 6 inches over the longest length and about 3/8” to 1/2” deep, if the master allows. There will be times when you’ll want to make deeper molds for protruding cliff faces. Your own experience will prevail here, but I try to keep deep molds to a maximum of 1 inch. Using molds of this size makes mixing the casting medium easier and minimizes waste.
An easy way to make quick rock molds ... — by Roy Buchanan photos by the author
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Try not to use master rocks that have deep holes or overhanging protrusions. Features like these will shorten the life of the mold and make removal of castings difficult. Also, the silicone won’t want to separate from the master on overhanging protrusions.
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due. A heaven-sent message, you might ask? Not quite – there was a learning curve. The materials and tools required are easily obtainable. Materials: rock master clear kitchen and bathroom silicone used dryer sheets (flattened with an iron)
Using this procedure has enabled me to make a wide variety of molds of different types of rocks. I have shared my molds with a friend who has a large railway. Some of the molds have now made dozens of castings using Plaster of Paris and a hard commercial casting plaster. So far none of the molds have worn out or cracked.
Tell a friend ...
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