I'm commenting for the algorithm here. I've made two sets of molds in the past, but I keep having issues with raised faces on my newer ones. this tutorial is incredible and goes into enough detail that it answers every single one of my questions before I even ask them. thank you for this!
sorry for the excessive comments, but I feel the need to leave an update. I made 2 large molds (full sets of D&D dice) and 1 smaller one using a similar method. they don't look nearly as good as yours, but they feel MUCH sturdier than my previous molds. even just the slight angle of the keys makes such a huge difference. previously, I had issues with raised faces, but I am confident that these new molds will work just fine. I appreciate all of the wonderful advice that you have given, and if it weren't for you, I probably would've wasted a lot more money on supplies. I got the bbdino silicone that you recommended, and I gotta say, I'm super impressed with it. when compared to dragon skin 15 slow, you get more silicone for less money, it definitely feels stronger, and it cures faster. one interesting thing that I noticed is that my bottles of the silicone say that they cure in 3-5 hours, and I've used around 4 hours for my molds and they hardened just fine. I'm going to let them sit one more day before I use them for the first time, but i'm super excited to share my results. thank you!
i’m going to try this out once i get a pressure pot! i’ve done lots of open casting with resin but nothing like this. the only change i’ll make is using transfer tape (for decal application) instead of packing tape. it’s cheap and comes in a variety of widths and tacks if you’re ever looking to change up that part of your process! thanks for the concise tutorial!
Awesome video Butter! I was really looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing your process and great work on the editing. One of the best videos out there on mold making ❤
Awesome thanks bought some on amazon and let me tell ya especially the thin walled ones been extremely frustrating lol. I too have some fun fails with lego style boxes and fast food containers but it’s been a fun journey:) thx for the music was perfect especially because when I first tried a mold the stress was palpable lol ;)
Absolutely great tutorial, nice and detailed and thorough, pacing is good. I cannot think of any detail or caveat you haven't covered. Different angles of light is a great addition. There's no extra information anyone could need though dragon skin has a post cure process involving the oven. That said I'll include some extra stuff 'coz you know me.. What I do is use two layers of Painter's tape, one along X and Y axes. I line the edges up so the entire surface is flat as possible. It is a little firmer than packing tape. Putting some tension on the silicone can help to cut it more smoothly. I'll actually use oven cured yellow Fimo clay to make keys, and put those in the initial pour. I'll put the moulds on the table and put the PVC pipe over the top for the lid, but that does risk getting stuff inside the original cast more. You can use plain talcum powder (and maybe a fragrance) instead of Vaseline. Use an air brush to blow excess dust off your dice. None of that is to detract from a fantastic and informative video.
Thanks, great ideas! I like my tape for the extra grab it gives me more i can get away with. I don't add tension to the silicone because it distorts it slightly, i prefer to ease it in and glide it. Talcum powder is cancerous and hard to keep from getting messy so i don't want that around my room 😬
Great job friend. I've been doing this a while and have come to many of the same conclusions you have with your dice molds . Do you do full set molds for any specific reason?
Thank you! Individual molds take up more room in my pressure pot, uses more silicone, and due to the weight of the lid being less i find them harder to self seat correctly. Full sets are also faster for me to crank out. If numbers pull on one dice, the rest are probably on their way anyways.
This is a great tutorial. In depth, but still presented in an accessible way that I'm sure anyone can follow along for making their first silicon mold. It looked like you had lots of extra resin after filling the mold for the first time, did you fill some other dice molds at the same time or do you have another way you like to use up excess resin?
Thanks! I forgot to mention this! I tend to slightly overshoot because most of the times when mixing silicone if you didn't do a good job of mixing the unmixed portions usually end up on the bottom of the cup. So i end up with a little more that i hadn't poured, this gives me a safety net just in case. May waste $ but i look at is as insurance :p
I was planning on making another dice mold this week (all D6s for an 11 year old cousin just getting into wargaming) I think I'll pick up a few 1-1/2 couplings and use up any extra silicone by making little single dice molds.
@@ericness9660 cool! On single dice molds like that i would suggest no more than 3 keys cut because I've found the smaller ones to be trickier for some reason, possibly due to the weight of the lid not being enough.
if you 3d print your masters, why not print some d4's without numbers to use as keys? put them near the edge for the first silicone pour, then remove them for the second pour. you get some perfectly smooth keys with built-in draft angle and no cutting or risk of flashing.
Because inner keys are harder to visually seat than outter keys, outter keys are superior because you'll know right away if they aren't seated. Also to make this process take less time and materials i cut the keys manually. It also gave me an opportunity to demonstrate what that process looks like in greater detail that nobody else has done because i found all the existing tutorials to leave a lot of information out.
Thanks! I would suggest just 3 keys on individual dice molds since the lid weighs less, and on larger molds than 1 set i don't think more keys than 4 will make much of a difference at all. Haven't tried it.
@@OccasionalRelated all zona papers wet hand sanded on granite coasters. Each grit gets their own coaster so that there is no cross contamination. Sanded in lines to target sand the edges (circles make no sense on uneven surfaces). Every set gets a different count for each face once I'm past the first (green) grit. Never set a number for each and every set, everyone uses different resins and support material options. I end each with with several ovals to help reduce micro scratches. Between grits i rinse the faces and between the numbers with a water pick. Oh, also make sure your zona papers are taped on with paintets tape because if you use clips and sand too far on the edge of the papers you can chip them on clips.
@@gregsmith8977 sorry i do not. I know that the typical smaller bottles you can buy (not the bulk jug) you should be able to get 2 molds out of it if you're being conservative.
The ones used in this video came from arcana cast. I'd love to do a start to finish from Dice Maker, to printed part, and then sanded/polished but that will take time that i don't have right now unfortunately.
The second time you put vasoline on for the cap before the second pour of silicone… Are you doing the face and the numbers of the dice or just the faces but not the numbers?
Not the numbers, just the general border of the cap faces. You don't want it to lump into the numbers edges because it can potentially cause number distortion when casted that way.
@@WyvernTyrant I picked up a silicone mold release spray - can I do the whole face with that since it would theoretically do a thin coat and not goop the numbers or should I try to cut out tape to block off the number faces? Thanks!!!
@@abbyleidenfrost5073 I've never tried that and have found it completely unnecessary with what I'm using. Not often you hear of someone using a release agent for dice making. If that's an issue then I'd suspect poor masters first.
I'm commenting for the algorithm here.
I've made two sets of molds in the past, but I keep having issues with raised faces on my newer ones. this tutorial is incredible and goes into enough detail that it answers every single one of my questions before I even ask them. thank you for this!
@@gregsmith8977 no problem, thank you!
Incredibly helpful, thank you so much for this!
@@kitm8317 you're welcome!
sorry for the excessive comments, but I feel the need to leave an update. I made 2 large molds (full sets of D&D dice) and 1 smaller one using a similar method. they don't look nearly as good as yours, but they feel MUCH sturdier than my previous molds. even just the slight angle of the keys makes such a huge difference. previously, I had issues with raised faces, but I am confident that these new molds will work just fine. I appreciate all of the wonderful advice that you have given, and if it weren't for you, I probably would've wasted a lot more money on supplies. I got the bbdino silicone that you recommended, and I gotta say, I'm super impressed with it. when compared to dragon skin 15 slow, you get more silicone for less money, it definitely feels stronger, and it cures faster. one interesting thing that I noticed is that my bottles of the silicone say that they cure in 3-5 hours, and I've used around 4 hours for my molds and they hardened just fine. I'm going to let them sit one more day before I use them for the first time, but i'm super excited to share my results. thank you!
i’m going to try this out once i get a pressure pot! i’ve done lots of open casting with resin but nothing like this. the only change i’ll make is using transfer tape (for decal application) instead of packing tape. it’s cheap and comes in a variety of widths and tacks if you’re ever looking to change up that part of your process! thanks for the concise tutorial!
This is such a good tutorial, I'm going to try this for my next mold! Looking forward to your next video!
i watch "the dice crafts" tutorial and its okay - but this one is waaay easier. thank you for putting this together!!! life saver
Awesome video Butter! I was really looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing your process and great work on the editing. One of the best videos out there on mold making ❤
Such a huge compliment, thank you so much!!
Your tape is behaving so nicely, mine is aggressively sticking to my fingers and rolling up
Nice on making the big lock keys. That's a great tip. I'm new to making dice, and it's great fun. We're looking forward to more videos. 👍
This is exactly what I was looking for! Amazing video, I found the answer to a question I have had and much more!
Thanks, glad i could help you!
Very informative and easy to follow. Thank you for doing this to help the community
Absolutely!
Please make more videos, you nailed it here!
Awesome video! Thanks for this.
You're welcome!
Awesome thanks bought some on amazon and let me tell ya especially the thin walled ones been extremely frustrating lol. I too have some fun fails with lego style boxes and fast food containers but it’s been a fun journey:) thx for the music was perfect especially because when I first tried a mold the stress was palpable lol ;)
Absolutely great tutorial, nice and detailed and thorough, pacing is good. I cannot think of any detail or caveat you haven't covered. Different angles of light is a great addition. There's no extra information anyone could need though dragon skin has a post cure process involving the oven.
That said I'll include some extra stuff 'coz you know me..
What I do is use two layers of Painter's tape, one along X and Y axes. I line the edges up so the entire surface is flat as possible. It is a little firmer than packing tape.
Putting some tension on the silicone can help to cut it more smoothly. I'll actually use oven cured yellow Fimo clay to make keys, and put those in the initial pour.
I'll put the moulds on the table and put the PVC pipe over the top for the lid, but that does risk getting stuff inside the original cast more.
You can use plain talcum powder (and maybe a fragrance) instead of Vaseline. Use an air brush to blow excess dust off your dice.
None of that is to detract from a fantastic and informative video.
Thanks, great ideas! I like my tape for the extra grab it gives me more i can get away with. I don't add tension to the silicone because it distorts it slightly, i prefer to ease it in and glide it. Talcum powder is cancerous and hard to keep from getting messy so i don't want that around my room 😬
fun fact for the day, the makeup applicator is called a doe foot! this is a great tutorial. thank you!
Good to know, thank you!
Fantastic video. Will be very helpful for making a solid mold once I get some masters! Hit on every issue I had with the last 2 molds I made 😅
Awesome, you'll get there! Mistakes are the best teacher!
Great job friend. I've been doing this a while and have come to many of the same conclusions you have with your dice molds . Do you do full set molds for any specific reason?
Thank you! Individual molds take up more room in my pressure pot, uses more silicone, and due to the weight of the lid being less i find them harder to self seat correctly. Full sets are also faster for me to crank out. If numbers pull on one dice, the rest are probably on their way anyways.
Wow I watched all your video I hope you plan on making more they were good and I followed you on your Esty to help. 🙂Thomas over at The Model Hobbyist
Thank you for the support, i do plan on making more soon!
Sound good I'll be watching I'll give you another sub so I know when you put one out@@WyvernTyrant
This is a great tutorial. In depth, but still presented in an accessible way that I'm sure anyone can follow along for making their first silicon mold.
It looked like you had lots of extra resin after filling the mold for the first time, did you fill some other dice molds at the same time or do you have another way you like to use up excess resin?
Thanks! I forgot to mention this! I tend to slightly overshoot because most of the times when mixing silicone if you didn't do a good job of mixing the unmixed portions usually end up on the bottom of the cup. So i end up with a little more that i hadn't poured, this gives me a safety net just in case. May waste $ but i look at is as insurance :p
I was planning on making another dice mold this week (all D6s for an 11 year old cousin just getting into wargaming) I think I'll pick up a few 1-1/2 couplings and use up any extra silicone by making little single dice molds.
@@ericness9660 cool! On single dice molds like that i would suggest no more than 3 keys cut because I've found the smaller ones to be trickier for some reason, possibly due to the weight of the lid not being enough.
if you 3d print your masters, why not print some d4's without numbers to use as keys? put them near the edge for the first silicone pour, then remove them for the second pour. you get some perfectly smooth keys with built-in draft angle and no cutting or risk of flashing.
Because inner keys are harder to visually seat than outter keys, outter keys are superior because you'll know right away if they aren't seated. Also to make this process take less time and materials i cut the keys manually. It also gave me an opportunity to demonstrate what that process looks like in greater detail that nobody else has done because i found all the existing tutorials to leave a lot of information out.
Great video!! Would you reccomend or have you tried additional keys on the mold face? What about for molds with a wider diameter?
Thanks! I would suggest just 3 keys on individual dice molds since the lid weighs less, and on larger molds than 1 set i don't think more keys than 4 will make much of a difference at all. Haven't tried it.
What is your preferred method of making the masters?
@@OccasionalRelated all zona papers wet hand sanded on granite coasters. Each grit gets their own coaster so that there is no cross contamination. Sanded in lines to target sand the edges (circles make no sense on uneven surfaces). Every set gets a different count for each face once I'm past the first (green) grit. Never set a number for each and every set, everyone uses different resins and support material options. I end each with with several ovals to help reduce micro scratches. Between grits i rinse the faces and between the numbers with a water pick. Oh, also make sure your zona papers are taped on with paintets tape because if you use clips and sand too far on the edge of the papers you can chip them on clips.
do you happen to know how much silicone is needed to make one full mold? sorry if I missed it and it's just in the video, but I couldn't find it.
@@gregsmith8977 sorry i do not. I know that the typical smaller bottles you can buy (not the bulk jug) you should be able to get 2 molds out of it if you're being conservative.
@@WyvernTyrant okay! thanks for answering all of my silly questions :)
Are you able to talk about how you made the dice masters?
The ones used in this video came from arcana cast. I'd love to do a start to finish from Dice Maker, to printed part, and then sanded/polished but that will take time that i don't have right now unfortunately.
Can i use these types of keys on a slab mold that isn't round? Will it be just as effective?
I'd imagine so
The second time you put vasoline on for the cap before the second pour of silicone… Are you doing the face and the numbers of the dice or just the faces but not the numbers?
Not the numbers, just the general border of the cap faces. You don't want it to lump into the numbers edges because it can potentially cause number distortion when casted that way.
@@WyvernTyrant I picked up a silicone mold release spray - can I do the whole face with that since it would theoretically do a thin coat and not goop the numbers or should I try to cut out tape to block off the number faces?
Thanks!!!
@@abbyleidenfrost5073 I've never tried that and have found it completely unnecessary with what I'm using. Not often you hear of someone using a release agent for dice making. If that's an issue then I'd suspect poor masters first.