Shell Molding Tools

Shell molding or shell mold casting is a way to make a disposable mold. Instead of a hard mold, you are using a mold created using resin-covered sand. You can usually use this type of mold to create both medium-size and small objects in different materials, including silicone, clay and metal. To use this method, however, you need the proper tools.

Rolling Pin

A rolling pin is a tool that you often find in your kitchen, but it also works well for flattening out your molding material, especially clay. The first step to creating your shell mold is creating a base for it. This base holds the object that you are molding in place. Clay helps you do this, especially if you use a foam core background, and you build up the clay high enough to catch your resin. To evenly smooth out the clay, use a rolling pin. A rolling pin is generally made of wood, ceramic or metal and is weighted in the middle. It has handles on either side of this center section, which you use to move the rolling pin over your surface.

A utility knife is a small knife with a retractable, sharp blade. Use this knife to create a depression in your foam board. Lay out the item that you want to create a mold of. Using a pencil, draw a line around the object on your foam board. Move the blade of the utility knife around the pencil line. Discard this section. Creating this depression helps hold the object in place, and it makes a smaller mold. Repeat these steps for the other side of the object if you want to mold that as well.

A clay tool looks similar to a pen except that it has a small blade at the end of it. You want to create a dam around the object that you are molding. This dam helps you remove the object from the mold without actually damaging the final mold. Use the head of the clay tool, and run it along the area where the object meets the clay. Try to make this dam as uniform and smooth as possible.

A putty knife has a wide, flat blade, and it is usually rectangular in shape. The edges of the blade are dull, and this tool is often used for spreading out materials like plaster. You can, however, use it to manipulate your mold. Once the mold is completely set, run a putty knife along the seams of the mold. Do this slowly and carefully. If possible, use two putty knives, one in front of the other, and move both along the seams at the same time. You should hear a sucking sound, which means that the mold is separating from the object. Remove the object, and you know have your mold. You can then use this mold to create duplicates of the source object.