Products used in this How To:

• Original Piece
• High Strength 3 (HSIII) Silicone Rubber
• Alumilite Synthetic Clay
• Excel Knife
• Corrugated Plastic
• PVC Pipe
• Marker
• Glue
• Popsicle Stick
• Cups

Split Glove Mold

This type of mold eliminates having to make a two piece mold and drastically reducing parting lines. It also helps relieve drastic undercuts in a simple one piece mold saving time and clean up on your finished part. We are going to show you a simple way to make a one piece mold with virtually no seam using Dow Corning's HS III silicone mold making rubber. We accomplish this by gluing our doll or action figure's neck to a piece of plastic. He will now be standing straight up.


Make a mold box by cutting a section of a PVC pipe, plastic container (yogurt, sour cream, etc.), wood, metal tubing, or any other nonporous medium that will fit around the head without touching any part of him. You are looking for approximately 1/3 to 1/4 inch gap between any part of the mold frame (PVC pipe) and the head.


Once you have a container that fits around the head without touching him, spot glue it in place using super glue. You don't need to glue it all the way around because next you will seal the mold frame to the plastic base using Alumilite's Molding Clay. Roll the clay out and press it on the outside of the PVC pipe/mold frame and base plastic.


Mark your mold box with a marker to show which side is the back of the man's head. This will help you determine what side of the mold you will cut to remove the master and the cast piece..


Once the mold frame is sealed all the way around the pipe with clay, you are ready to pour the silicone. Use Dow Corning's HS III Silicone Rubber to make the mold. HS III has excellent flexibility and tear strength to allow the maximum number of releases per mold. Mix the silicone thoroughly and pour it into the mold. Allow the rubber to cure for 18-24 hours at room temperature before demolding. Before removing the silicone from the mold frame, make a mark on the silicone (same spot as on the pipe) as to reference the back side of the head. This will show you where you need to cut. After you have poured the silicone and allowed the silicone to completely cure, scrape away the clay and remove the plastic base by breaking the super glued sections. To remove the silicone from the PVC pipe you may wish to use rubbing alcohol down the inside of the mold box (PVC pipe). This will allow the mold to slide out easier.


Once you have removed the silicone from the pipe cut out, take a scalpel or sharp knife and cut the silicone, starting at the neck, down the back of the head until you get to the middle of the head as shown in the picture below. Cut the silicone just enough to be able to stretch the silicone and remove the master/original from the mold. Before casting a piece, put a small piece of tape or rubber band around the seam to prevent it from moving and leaking while you cast. Be sure not to squeeze the mold too tightly which would prevent the mold from lining up properly. The only seam that will show is a small line in the back of the man's neck that goes up to the hair line or lower portion of the back of his head. This type of mold will leave no seam in any cosmetic area of the figures face, ears, or nose and can easily by cleaned up by scraping with a dull knife or even your finger nail. You may wish to clean it up further with a light sand paper.