using a Vacuum pump I
generally mix as fast and
thoroughly as I can. I use a
thick plastic ruler for this job;
you will need to be careful to
not miss any silicone in the
corners and sides as this
can result in sticky or soft
spots in the mold.
PICS 8 & 9: Once you are
happy that the mix is ready
it is time to get it into the
vacuum pot. I place the
mixed silicone in the
pressure pot secure the lid
and turn the vacuum pump
on until it reaches
-1000mbar This is where it
is essential that you have a
large container as the silicone will rise as the
vacuum forces the air out of the silicone. Once
it has reached -1000mbar I leave the silicone
under pressure for about 10 minutes. After 10
minutes most of the bubbles will have gone but
I sometimes open up the vacuum and repeat
the process until the silicone is bubble free and
rises no more when under vacuum. This is why
I use long pot life/slow cure silicone as it gives
me time to do these steps without fear of the
silicone starting to cure. Now I must add you
are probably thinking “well I do not have a
fancy vacuum pump” well fear not as there
are other ways to get a decent result
although not as good as the vacuum
method. Once you have mixed the silicone
and accelerator you need to pour the
mixture into a large flat tray (the bigger
the better). Because the silicone is now in
a thin layer the bubbles can work their
way free easily. Again long pot life silicone
is a must for this; pouring from a height
in a long thin stream also helps eliminate
those pesky bubbles.
PICS 10, 11. & 12: Now the silicone is ready it
is time to pour into the mold box, I always start
by pouring in one corner in a steady stream it
is better to let the silicone form over the lure
than to tip the silicone directly onto the lure.
Once the lure is completely covered there is
nothing much left to do apart from wait until
the silicone is fully cured, which in this case
will be around 48 hours. You can speed up
the cure time by leaving the mold box in a
warm environment.PICS 13, 14 & 15: Once the mold
is fully cured it is time to remove
the box. First I start by removing
the base the bottom of the lure
stand will now be clearly visible
and this now becomes the top
of the mold.
PICS 16 &17: Then it is simply a
case of popping off the other
sides of the boxes, if everything
has gone to plan you should now
have a silicone block that is
pretty much bubble free.y
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48 hours later...