Difference Between Mold Making and Casting

Molds and casts have become popular and accepted art forms for reproducing a sculpture, a work of art, or just about anything else. In fact, using basic mold making and casting techniques, it is possible to recreate almost anything in its entirety. A variety of products and materials can be used depending on the requirements and it is even possible to replicate the living human body. You can easily create a vivid image of a person’s face, hands, or any other part you want!

However, a layman often gets confused between the two terms mold making and casting. The following explanation will shed clarity on the methods and help you understand them:

Mold making: A mold is nothing more than a negative or inverse impression of an object or sculpture. Accurately captures object surface details down to every crease and undercut.

Molds can be made from different materials such as clay, wax, gypsum, polyurethane rubber, silicone rubber, thermosetting mold rubber, liquid latex rubber, and more. Plaster bandages produce rough-shaped casts and are generally used to make supportive shell casts. Body casts are usually made from alginate as it is safe for the skin.

Similarly, there are several techniques for making a mold, ranging from the simplest to the most complex, depending on the type of object, the material used to make the mold, and the skill of the artist. Techniques fall into two basic categories: block cast and blanket cast. The material is usually poured or brushed onto the object to form the mold. Injection and slush are other methods of making a mold.

Making a one-part mold will suffice for simple-shaped objects with one flat side, while objects with more complex shapes and indentations require two-part or even multi-part molds. While most earmolds can be used multiple times, some, like alginate earmolds, are single-use earmolds.

To emit: This is the next step once the mold is ready. This is the actual method of reproducing identical copies of an object or sculpture. However, it requires a negative impression in the form of a mold to work.

The casting material is usually poured into or over the mold to form the final reproduction of the object. Depending on the type of mold, it is often possible to make multiple casting reproductions from the same mold.

The casting is open to a wide variety of materials, such as gypsum, gypsum, epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyurethane resin, liquid latex rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, molten metals, and more. Alternatively, cold cast powders can be mixed with resin to duplicate the look of real metal.

Sometimes the same type of material can be used for both mold making and casting, such as liquid latex or silicone rubber. However, it is important to note that liquid latex or silicone rubber will be shaped differently to suit each application.