Thread: How to make nuts and bolts mold?

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I came across this video on youtube. Around 5:33 it shows bolts being pulled from the mold that are actually functional! Plus, nuts and wing nuts.

YouTube - Basic metalic effects

I tried looking for a "how to" on making the molds but came up empty. Does anyone have any info. on making a mold for nuts and bolts?

I'm wondering do I have to let the silicone set for awhile first. So when I put a bolt in, it just doesn't sink and go sideways??

Id suspend the bolt in a plastic container using cotton thread then pour in the silicone

give jason at www.smooth-on.com a email, i'm sure he can help you with any questions regarding silicone molds.

I don't see how making your own nuts and bolts will be cost effective,for the price of the silicone alone you could buy a mighty box of bolts.

oh I don't know, rubber bolts on a rubber club could be quite fun

Actually, I am not making them out of silicone or rubber. Though the club idea is good. muhaha!

I am making a silicone mold of them. I will be using a Resin to cast them. Would be the same stiffness and strength as the expensive plastic bolts/nuts you can buy.

Though using this process may not be logical for nuts and bolts, it is a good tutorial showing how other things could be molded and cast. I like the saw blade idea in particular. I am getting into molding and casting lately and I have seen quite a few molding mediums used, such as clay, sand, plaster, latex, etc. If you go to www.instrucables.com they have a tutorial on using clay as a single part mold. Not sure if any of this helped or niot, but I hope it did

I still have not found anything yet. Here is a second video that brickintheyard did if you skip to time mark 3:26min. you will see one reason for doing bolts this way:

YouTube - Resin Casting Techniques

Actually, it is very cost effective. You can buy fiberglass resin by the gallon for around $10-$20. The amount you need to cast a bolt is very very little.

I would not go out and buy metal hex bolts nor waste my time trying to cut heads off. The resin is actually cheaper (plus much lighter) than buying full metal bolts.

The added bonus for full bolts is that they are functional. When you need to have functionality but don't want the weight...you go with plastic bolts.

It works well for prototypes too. Most companies that make prototypes use this method. 3D printers make plastic working models.

Oh Pennywise, the link is www.instructables.com you forgot the T ...and yes, I have looked there too. I love that site.

Thats really very neat, and it didn't look too hard from the tutorial. However, I'm having a hard time finding the materials referenced in the clip on the web, does anyone have a link? This is something that I might be interested in trying.

-handy_haunter