[Jewelry making - Article 01074] - Re: [Orchid] Cutting rubber molds

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     I am sorry to report that there are really no books or video tapes
>     on rubber mold cutting that are worth anything. 

    I always sorta like the substantial chapter in Murrey Bovins classic
    book, "Centrifugal or Lost Wax Jewelry Casting".  Sure, there are a
    lot of things it doesn't fully cover, and more than a few things that
    are outdated.  But in general, it seems to give a pretty good
    discussion of at least the basics and general practices of mold
    cutting.  If you "read between the lines" and study the photos as
    well as reading the text, you'll get additional ideas.   Not much
    there for an already experienced mold cutter to gain additional info
    from, but certainly, for a beginner, it's a good start. 

    But of course, as you say, working with an already experienced mold
    maker will teach someone a whole lot more, and a lot faster, than a
    book.   And, as you also say, there are myriad variations on
    technique.  I don't think there are two mold cutters out there who
    actually would cut a mold exactly the same way. Everyone has their
    own subtle favorite tricks and methods, and with a bit of practice,
    almost any variation on the basics can be made to work.  The rubber
    is pretty versatile. 

    for the original poster, the question of parting lines in the wax is
    a universal one.  You strive to minimize their impact on the wax
    model by cutting the parting lines either where they will be easy to
    clean up, either in the wax or the finished metal casting, or by
    trying to put the cuts right along edges of the piece, where they
    then really don't show as lines.   Take care also that you don't cut
    the rubber into very thin flimsy sections which can shift inside the
    mold when it's injected. (With some complex molds, this is hard to
    achieve, but careful planning of where the mold will be cut usually
    can find good solutions. Sometimes, especially when you're learning, 
    it's necessary to make several molds of a piece before you figure out
    just exactly the best way to cut the mold.)  Whatever you do, be sure
    also that the mold halves are well "keyed" to each other.  I "wiggle"
    the mold knife in a small "zig zag" motion whenever cutting rubber
    areas that are away from the actual model, so the rubber there is cut
    in wavy hills and valleys, and the whole mold surfaces lock in place
    to each other.  This helps prevent misaligned areas in the wax
    injections. 

    If you have a mold that is persistently giving you fins and parting
    lines, then you should also take care to examine your injection
    technique.  Maybe you're clamping or hold the mold too tightly,
    deforming it, or not tightly enough, letting the halves of the mold
    separate from the wax pressure.  And often, beginners tend to use too
    high a pressure on the wax injector.  You usually don't need more
    than 5 or 6 pounds of pressure on the wax, and often less. Using the
    least pressure that will still fill the mold will minimize parting
    lines and fins formed by excess wax pressure.  If you have a mold
    that requires higher pressure to fill completely, you can also look
    at the mold and determine whether the problem isn't actually not
    having enough vent cuts in the mold.  A lack of vents in some details
    then needs you to use much more pressure to inject the mold and get
    blind details to fill.  Vents can themselves give you parting lines,
    so be careful with this.  Experience will teach you what you need.
    Also, pay attention to the temperature of the wax.  Too cool, and
    you'll need more pressure, perhaps causing problems.  Too hot, and
    not only will the wax tend to stick to the mold, but you'll get much
    more shrinkage problems in the wax, with things like sunken areas in
    flat spots, and the like.  This behavior is also much influenced by
    just which type of wax you use for injecting the molds. 

Hope that helps.

Peter Rowe



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