flexible filaments for moulds
Hi All,
I had this idea of printing a mould for this shape ( https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:126567) using flexible filament such as https://www.prusa3d.com/product/filaflexible40-black-filament-500g/.
The mould could be printed in 3 parts with a groove/recess for joining etc.
Has such a thing been done before?
Thanks
I cast disposable plaster moulds from printed mould-moulds, these are for molten lead.
It really pays to post process the print to get as clean a mould as possible and of course you must consider support jackets if using flexible materials.
The model you referenced has a no derivatives licence, so you should contact the designer for permission first.
Cheerio,
Cheerio
RE: flexible filaments for moulds
Why do you want to cast that instead of print it directly? I've done some work with designing molds, but usually to get some unique features that can't be done another way. I don't think flex filament is going to give you what you want in this case. First of all, it doesn't really flex enough to release the mold around those complex shapes on the sides after the cast hardens. Second of all, it's really hard to get the seams of the mold to clamp together with the flex material (assuming you need a 2-piece outer mold & a 3rd piece for inner).
What I'm going to say next seems like a direct contradiction of what I've just said, but hear me out. I think you would be better off casting a 1-piece outer mold made of silicone. Then cast the inner mold also out of silicone, but make it hollow so it can be extracted. The seam between the inner & outer silicone molds will be at the top, so you don't have to worry about sealing it against leakage.
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do with all your might!
RE: flexible filaments for moulds
@Diem: I will be using my own design as that was just an example albeit a beautiful one.
@burtronix: I would like to cast it in concrete but I thought that since it is abrasive, the silicon mould wouldn't last long?
In any case, what Silicone grade would you recommend? Im based in Germany so I don't have access to american stuff 🙂
Look up shore hardness, decide which grade is suitable for your needs (I suspect the example above may be too stiff for small, detailed objects) and find an appropriate filament. You can also modify stiffness by varying the amount of fill.
Cheerio,
RE: flexible filaments for moulds
Hmmm... concrete - I hadn't considered that. I'm not sure silicone would work, at least not the grades I have used.
Here's a source I've investigated but haven't used. They also source castable urethane, so there are multiple choices. If you're looking at this as a commercial opportunity, they might help you out with some application engineering. They ship international from the US.
@burtronix: I would like to cast it in concrete but I thought that since it is abrasive, the silicon mould wouldn't last long?
In any case, what Silicone grade would you recommend? Im based in Germany so I don't have access to american stuff 🙂
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do with all your might!