WIP DO NOT use this yet.
I am starting this thread to show people how to make clear acrylic parts easy.
You can make buttons, controller shells, "led optics" , all kinds of stuff.
For this tute I'm making a set of PS3 buttons and I might show a sneak peak at PS3 controller shell.
click on pictures to open in new window at full size.
Important notes.
Read the directions on what ever you are using.
Even the "non toxic" stuff i would make sure you have a well ventilated area to work in, and if possible do your acrylic pours outside. tools needed:Hair dryer
a small disposable brush.
toothpick
flat surface, coated metal works great. "non pores "
a
plastic eating ware set. plastic fork, knife, spoon.
razor blade or for larger molds a flat drywall taping knife. or spatula
some
rubber gloves as it might get messy.
materials:what ever you want to mold , you can create whatever you want out of clay first and then fallow these steps. or copy a part.
This is a part that i needed to make a one-off of for another project. Also added PS logo for molding. These will also be shown in step 1-5 for better examples.
"mold builder" like rubber cement find at craft stores .
"mold release spray" also found right next to mold builder.
"Acrylic resin" found right next to other parts.
"activator for the resin" again craft store. right next to everything else needed.
"Great stuff" expanding foam in a spray can.
cotton balls
I don't know where you can order online but if anyone know please post.
Step 1 :
clean and set up.clean your parts and set up your area.
Step 2 : spray on the mold release. Fallow the instructions on the bottle, but generally 10 min dry time with 2 coats, for best results. be sure to get it in every lil crevice . don't be scared to be liberal with the mold release.
Step 3 : laying on your first layer. Take your disposable brush and dip the brush into the mold builder, and lay on a thin layer of mold builder unto your part. let this layer go clear/transparent , means its fairly dry. In this pic I actually put the first layer on way thicker than I wanted. Next mold I make Ill update with proper first coat thickness.
This pic shows first coat ready to re-coat. I started patching thin parts before I re-coated. these spots would have been thin on the next coat anyways.
notes: If you see any bubbles pop them with your toothpick. If you have a lot of bubbles then dab the tip of your brush into the bubbles. Bubbles in the first layer very bad. That's also why we are laying on such a thin layer, thicker layers are more likely to have bubbles.
Looks dry enough for me to re-coat .
Step 4 : Start building up your mold. Grab your spoon or plastic knife and start spreading on a healthy layer of mold builder. depending on how dry the first layer is determines how thick you can go with this layer. Be sure to pop large bubbles , but don't worry to much because this layer is for making the mold stronger. wait to dry completely. repeat if needed.
Step 5 : reinforcing your mold. This step may not be necessary or applicable depending on the part your molding. More complex molds won't require and sometimes wont allow for reinforcement. But simple molds should be reinforced.
Take your can of "Great Stuff" or equivalent and spray a lil on the mold. Just a lil this stuff expands a lot. If you want you can build a box around the mold out of cardboard to hold back the expansion. Let this dry completely. The foam will get hard.
To reinforce more complex molds you can soak cotton balls in mold builder and apply them to areas for reinforcement. Also can be used for smaller molds .
Step 6 : separating the mold from the surface. take your time! First you are going to want to separate your mold from your flat surface. Take your razor blade and start sliding the knife under the outer perimeter of the mold , separating the mold edges from the flat surface. If making a large mold, after separating the edges, slide your spatula in between your mold and your surface. If making a small mold, do this with your razor blade.
Step 7 : Removing one off or part from the mold. If you are removing a one off or a clay mold positive, there might be a chance of the mold sticking to it the part, so be careful. Take your time and start pealing the mold off the part. It helps to spray mold release in while trying to remove.
First pic shows mold that is not ready. notice the white color of the mold.
Warning be sure your mold is completely dry before removal.
This is my mold for my jewel that will go in my analog nub.
Step 8 : inspect the mold. check for imperfections and holes in the mold. If there are holes or imperfections they can be fixed with a dab of the mold builder. Let these patches dry completely. Clean the mold with mold release and cotton ball .check again.
Step 9 : prep your area again and reapply the mold release to the mold. multiple coats of mold release letting dry completely in between .
Step 10 : Acrylic mixing. read the directions for the use with your product and mix appropriately. Remember that humidity and temperature will affect ratio and hardening times.
Mix small batches at a time, remember your first pour should be a thin coat so don't mix up to much. mix your acrylic resin with your hardener first and if adding color add color after mixed thoroughly. If you want a colored swirl effect in your part don't add the color yet. I recommend doing your first pour clear to give your part a nice clean finish. like a gel coat.
Step 11 : laying in a gel coat. pour in a lil mixed clear resin into your mold. heat can help here. If you have a blow dryer or some other heat source use it to speed up the hardening process. swirl that thin layer around for a while. until it starts to "gel" then let that sit. let your gel coat almost dry before applying second coat. For hollow parts just keep repeating this process until you achieve desired thickness.
Step 12 : adding color swirl. if your doing all clear you can skip adding color. If adding jewel skip to
step 13. Put a small amount of clear mixed resin into your mold. immediately put a drop of color into the mold. Fill the mold with clear mixed resin. some swirling should happen just from that step. If more is needed, use a toothpick to swirl and move the color around as needed. Less is more here usually. you don't want to mix the color in to much. Let sit and dry completely.
Step 13 : Adding jewels or anything you want embedded into the part. First pour a lil mixed resin into the mold to the desired depth of what you want to embed . let sit and gel almost hard. next lay in your jewel . then fill your mold . again let dry and harden completely.
Step 14 : removing your part from your mold. Once completely hard, time to see what all your work has been for. If your mold has been prepped correctly this should be as easy as pealing the mold off your part. or if you have a reinforced mold , pulling your part out of the mold. Your part might be a lil tacky upon removal. Even if its not its a good idea to let the part sit for a day in a well ventilated heated area. remember heat helps the hardening process .
Step 15 : sanding and polishing. Finish off your part with some super fine wet sandpaper if needed and polish your sanding . start with heavier grit 400 and work to 1200 . keep in mind for best results try not to have to sand . you will get a crystal clear part this way. but sometimes sanding is needed. But it can be polished back to clear but its not easy. You might also want a frosted look , if so just wet sand until you get the desired look.
repeat steps 9 - 15 to create multiple copies of your part.
There you go. you just created your own clear parts. No go add some led's to them or something.
