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How to Cast a Doll Mold

Although dollmaking is often thought to be an art squarely in the realm of sewing, in the modern age it is also an art form for sculptors. Many of the popular dolls on the market today, whether produced on a commercial line or by a single artist, are plastic or porcelain creations made by molding and casting a sculpted model. Casting a doll from a mold is a fairly simple process, complicated only by the toxicity of the materials. You can cast your own plastic doll using basic casting resin and a silicone mold.

Things You'll Need

  • Trash bags
  • Masking tape
  • Vapor respirator
  • Safety goggles
  • Latex gloves
  • 3-part silicone RTV rubber doll molds
  • Mold release agent
  • Rubber bands
  • Polyurethane casting resin and catalyst
  • Plastic cup
  • Stirring tool
  • Particle respirator
  • Sandpaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up a work station in a well-ventilated room. Cover your flat work surface with plastic trash bags, taped down to the surface to prevent them from moving.

    • 2

      Put on your safety equipment. Wear a vapor respirator, safety goggles and latex gloves to prevent contact with the toxic resin and its fumes. Make sure that your sleeves cover the bare skin of your arms.

    • 3

      Coat all of the inside pieces of the 3-part silicone mold with mold release.

    • 4

      Place the core piece of the doll mold between the outside halves of the mold. Secure the entire mold together with a few rubber bands.

    • 5

      Pour your polyurethane casting resin into a plastic cup and add the catalyst, following the packaging directions for your brand. Mix the resin and catalyst well.

    • 6

      Set the doll mold onto your work surface, with the pouring hole facing upward. Pour the casting resin directly into the hole, filling the mold completely.

    • 7

      Let the resin cure completely, for at least one day. Repeat steps 3 through 7 on any other doll molds you may be using for your doll project.

    • 8

      Open the mold and take the completed doll cast out of it. Swap your vapor respirator for a particle respirator and sand the surface of the cast until it is smooth.

Sculpture

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