There is many a reason that makes silicone rubber the material of choice for amateurs and experienced artists alike. The multipurpose nature of the rubber stands it in good stead everywhere.
Silicone rubber is about as versatile a material can get! This blue colored compound can easily be used to make molds of soaps, candles, figurines, giftware, toys, ornaments any other object that strikes your fancy. It is easy to mix and odor free; the work time is sufficient and the demold time quick enough to not be a bother for the busy artist. The molds never fail to perfectly capture the finest details from the model despite the deepest indentations.
A silicone mold will turn out to be flexible, waterproof, tough, tear resistant and durable – in fact, the molds can be used again and again to make multiple casts. What’s more, you can use silicone rubber on any kind of model without damaging the same. And a variety of materials can be cast into a silicone mold – from plastics and resins to plaster and so on. The beauty of using this rubber is that it does not stick to anything but itself. Therefore, you do not need to use a release agent and demolding is a breeze.
Then again, almost any silicone mold rubber can double up as a casting rubber as well. It can be cast into any type of mold - wax, gypsum, urethane, polyester resin, etc. - without fear of sticking or distorting the mold. However, do steer clear of silicone molds for obvious reasons.
Silicone rubber is formulated in different variations to suit diverse applications. There is a wide range in general purpose silicone rubbers with quick setting options also available. Apart from this, there is a special food safe silicone for making molds for candy or ice sculptures and also a skin safe silicone that can be used directly on the body for life casting. A unique translucent variety of silicone rubber can actually simulate realistic skin and is particularly useful for mask making, doll reborning, animatronics and creating special effects work.