We will start with dipping your silicone impressions in wax, again this gives a nice finish that makes the post processing extremely easy.
A couple things about wax dipping, make sure the temperature of the wax is between 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.6 degrees Celsius) and 132 degrees Fahrenheit (55.5 degrees Celsius), any cooler than that and the dip will be clumpy and thick and any hotter than that the wax will be too hot and thin.
The waxing will produce Gelatin molds that will make you extremely happy!! If you keep the Gelatin in a sealed container in the fridge, you can re-use it several times without worry of shrinkage.
Materials:
(4) Packets of 1oz Gelatin = (4oz of Gelatin)
1oz of Glycerin
350ml of Hot Water
I use Hot Water from the tap (Hottest it will produce!), mix the (4) packets/4oz's of Gelatin into Hot Water. (Ensure you are stirring while pouring to reduce the amount of clumps that form!)
Add 1oz of Glycerin to the mix, this will give it strength and elasticity, all important when removing the silicone molds from the investment.
Once I have mixed the Gelatin and Glycerin into the blue cup I separate it, I put part into my glass measuring cup (The blue cup is not Microwavable safe, its just a disposable plastic cup.)
This next step is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
Place the freshly mixed Gelatin into the Fridge to set, DO NOT make your first mold with the fresh mixture. It has to setup once before it can be used to make your investment.
You can place in Fridge to speed up the process! It will take about an 1hr to set prior to using it for your mold.
Below you can see the Gelatin has setup and is ready to be used in making the mold.
At this point I place the Glass Measuring cup into the Microwave and heat in 10 second increments.
(I take it out after each 10second interval and pour the melted Gelatin into a small cup, I do this to prevent it from over heating. So after each 10sec's I pour out the liquid.) I do this until I have enough liquid Gelatin to cover my silicone mold. By doing it this way I have found the Gelatin won't heat up enough to melt the wax on my impressions.
From here I pour the Gelatin from the small cup covering the wax dipped silicone mold and place in fridge to speed the process. (Do not place in Freezer as it will cloud up.)
As you can see, the results are perfectly clear molds, bubble free, that will take your shell building to the next level. The key is following the process and not to rush through each step.
I will post pics of the end result after the investment has hardened and I have removed the silicone impressions.
