3d printed Fusion Rifle cheap mold alternative?

[scottyp233]

Hey all!

Long time lurker first time poster. SO I have a nice 3d printed Fusion Rifle from Destiny and I really want to create a mold and ultimately cast more of them! My problem is though that the silicone that I was told to use (mold star 20) is wayyy too expensive for how much I would need. The gun is 28" x 11.5" x 2.5" and the lady at the sculpture store quoted me at almost $700 bucks (i'm Canadian) for the amount of silicone I would need for this one mold! She said I would need about 50lbs to create a two part mold.

Are there any cheaper alternatives for creating a half decent mold? I've seen people on youtube using the tubed silicone and dish soap or naptha. Am I SOL or should I keep searching for a cheap and practical alternative?

 

[Kevin Gossett]

Molding and casting isn't a cheap endeavor. You can use cheap materials and get poor results. Depends on what type of final result you want.

 

[DtailedREPLICAS]

Look at making a matrix mold, perhaps. It'll save on a ton of silicone.

 

[NormanF]

$700 would be for a block mold like this:

What you want is a matrix mold which is a relatively thin (1cm or 3/8in) layer of rubber with a hard shell. Still not cheap, but cheaper. Probably in the $100-$150 range.

 

[wondersquid]

Can you show a picture of the piece?

 

[RogueTrooper]

A two part large mold that requires reasonable detail from tube silicone.....I doubt that's possible. I've used tube silcone for some small craft type casts, but for two part molds, two part silicone is the best way, plus you only have to do it once. Sure it's expensive, but it's a one off expense.