Easy Cast Mold System v3 - Directions for use

Your Mold system kit should include the following:

• Mold Housing
• Acrylic Key
• Surface mount key (7pc & larger)
• 2x Binder Clips

You will need to supply:

• Dice Masters or other item you are making a mold of
• Double sided tape
• Mold release (Mann 200 spray, talcum powder, or petroleum jelly is recommended.)
• Silicone (Dragon Skin, Mold Star, or Sorta-clear recommended for Druid Dice Masters.)
• PPE (Gloves, eye protection, respirator if needed per SDS of silicone choice.)
• Your awesome skill (You got this!)

Please note:

A pressure pot is HIGHLY recommended. Molds that are made without pressure casting are prone to bubbles or voids and CANNOT be used in a pressure pot without defects or damage to your casting. Even if a mold was created using de-gassed silicone via a vacuum these defects can still appear. Always cast the silicone at a higher pressure then what you intend to cast the dice or object at to avoid deformation during the curing process. For example we recommend you cast the silicone mold at 80 PSI and resin dice at 60 PSI.

First time use prep step: 

• Remove the protective paper from the acrylic key.
• Test fit the key by placing it into the mold housing and securing both sides with the provided binder clips as shown.
• Test fit your dice or object to ensure fit, leave at least 8mm of space between objects, side walls of mold housing, and keys (the wide edge of a popsicle stick is a good test for spacing, if it fits then you are good to go!)
• Remember the part that touches the acrylic key will be face up, as the base is cast first.

Step 1: 

• Prepare acrylic key and dice/object by cleaning with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%)
• Apply double sided tape to the surface of the key.
• Optionally you can choose to apply type to the dice/object. We recommend applying tape to the 1 face for dice as this is where the parting edge, or flashing, will be.
• Verify your placement of dice/object, remember to check spacing!
• The surface mount key should be opposite the cutaways on the acrylic key. This makes for a better aligned cap!
• Firmly press in place your dice/object and the surface key, you should be able to turn the whole key upside down without any dice/object falling off.

Step 2: 

• Place the key with dice/object attached into the mold housing.
• Verify the cutaways on the acrylic key are NOT placed where the two pieces of the mold housing connect. If there is even the smallest opening, the silicone WILL leak out. 
• Firmly push down the key with dice/object attached The key should rest on the base lip of the mold housing tightly to prevent silicone from leaking.  
• Attach the binder clips on both sides of the mold housing.
• Be sure the clips rest in the divots on the mold housing wings. This makes sure the full clamping force is applied by the clips and that they will not slip when casting.
• On a flat surface again firmly press on the key to make sure it is resting on the mold housing lip.
• Verify the mold housing is level and one side is not higher than the other.

Step 3:

• Mix and prepare the silicone per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Pour the silicone slowly in a thin stream to ensure the dice/object does not shift or release from the acrylic key. 
• The silicone should fill about 10mm above the tallest part of your dice/object. For standard dice this should leave about 10mm from the top of the mold housing. For most sets the d20 is the tallest die face-to-face.
• You can overfill, but this can make demolding your dice harder due to the thickness of the base.
• Carefully place your dice on your casting tray and into your pressure pot.

You will want to keep the mold casting under pressure for the FULL cure time of the mold. Some silicones will advertise a “demold” time where it is softer than the final cure. It is recommended to not demold at this point and let the cure finish.

Step 4:

• Remove your mold from the pressure pot. DO NOT remove mold from housing. Inspect the casting for any defects such as under filling and or leaking. If your mold leaked or was not filled enough you can pour another small layer on top of the mold and re-pressurize the casting. 
• Re-inspect the second pour and move to step 5 or repeat as needed.

 

Step 5: 

• Remove the clips and demold the silicone from the housing. Clean the hosing. Be sure to remove any silicone that was left on the inner faces and lip. Set aside mold housing and clips.
• Carefully remove acrylic key from mold. It is CRITICAL that the dice/object remain in the mold, work slowly and methodically using twisting motions to sheer the dice off the key and double sided tape. Clean off any excess silicone, set aside it is no longer needed.
• Some dice may come out of the mold, most likely the d6 and d4 caltrop. Remove from the acrylic key and inspect the mold for any errant silicone bits that might have gotten into the space left by the dice. Carefully re-insert the dice being sure to align them correctly so the top edge fits snugly.

 

Step 6:

• Remove any excess silicone from the acrylic key cutaways.
• Remove the surface mount key and set aside, it is no longer needed.
• Clean the exposed dice/object faces with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%) on a q-tip to remove any uncured or loose silicone bits. 
• Using a soft tool(non-ABS plastic, wood, acrylic) remove any silicone “bleed” that got under the dice/object.
• Your goal is to create a flush and even edge to minimize post-process clean up of your future castings in the mold. Any leftover bleed will translate to a bump or defect in the casting.

• Be careful to not cut away or remove large amounts of the mold base as this will result in divots or possible bumps on your castings.

Step 7:

• Clean the exposed dice/object faces with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%) on a q-tip to ensure the surface is ready to accept the release agent of your choice.

Talcum:

• Wear a respirator or N95 mask to prevent dust inhalation. Work in a ventilated area and away from others or pets.
• Apply the powder using a fine brush. Make sure the entire surface and outer edges of the mold are coated. 
• Remove any excess with the bush, making sure the dice/object edges are not “caked” with talcum powder and no numbers are filled.
• A thin or small amount of talcum powder on the dice face should not affect cap quality, but you can clean the dice/object faces with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%) on a q-tip. Be very cautious to not remove the mold release agent from the silicone or tearing will occur when casting the cap. 

Mann Ease Release 200:

• Wear a respirator to prevent inhalation. Work in a ventilated area and away from others or pets.
• Spray in the same method as applying spray paint. 
• You want to keep the can about 12in from the mold. 
• Make multiple passes, being sure to apply the spray at multiple angles on the surface and edges of the mold. 
• Allow the first application to dry for 5-10 minutes then re-apply a second coat.
• You can clean the dice/object faces with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%) on a q-tip. Be very cautious to not remove the mold release agent from the silicone or tearing will occur when casting the cap. 

Petroleum Jelly:

• Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over all surfaces of the silicone face and on the edge of the mold
• Application must be complete all the way up to the dice faces to prevent the cap from fusing with the cap.
• The application should not be thick, an even and thin layer is best. 
• You can clean the dice/object faces with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%) on a q-tip. Be very cautious to not remove the mold release agent from the silicone or tearing will occur when casting the cap.

Step 8:

• Secure the mold housing around the mold, the housing should be upside down, with the base lip above the mold as shown.
• This is to ensure the cap is thick enough to secure correctly.
• You should leave the mold base protruding about 10 mm from the base of the housing. 
• You can also cast it thinner or thicker to your liking as long as the cap is at least 10 mm thick.
• Mix and prepare the silicone per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Pour the silicone slowly in a thin stream to ensure the dice/object does not shift or release.
• Fill the just under the lip of the mold housing.
• Carefully place your dice on your casting tray and into your pressure pot.

You will want to keep the mold casting under pressure for the FULL cure time of the mold. Some silicones will advertise a “demold” time where it is softer than the final cure. It is recommended to not demold at this point and let the cure finish.

Step 9:

• Remove the clips and demold the silicone from the housing. Clean the hosing. Be sure to remove any silicone that was left on the inner faces and lip. Set aside mold housing and clips, store them with the keys for future casting.
• Slowly remove the cap with light pressure to make sure the silicone does not tear. The silicone is most likely to bond around the dice/object edges if the release was removed during clean up or if it seeped between the dice/object when casting.
• If you see the silicone stretching or pulling use a popsicle stick to help encourage the silicone to release.
• Trim the excess silicone on the outer edge of the dice mold to help the dice mold sit flat in use.
• Clean the dice/object faces with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol (30-50%) on a q-tip. 
• Demold your masters and store for future use.

Step 10

• Cast some dice! 

Thank you for supporting small business and happy casting from Druid Dice