Tutorials

Casting Concrete in Polyurethane vs. Silicone Rubber Molds

Casting Concrete in Polyurethane vs. Silicone Rubber Molds

Here at Polytek, we often recommend the use of liquid polyurethane rubber to make molds for concrete casting (e.g., concrete tiles...

How to Prepare a Model When Making a Polyurethane Rubber Mold

How to Prepare a Model When Making a Polyurethane Rubber Mold

A model, also called a “master”, should be prepared according to the model material & mold material.Models being used to make a pol...

Tek-Tip: Repairing Torn Rubber Molds

Tek-Tip: Repairing Torn Rubber Molds

If a tear develops in your polyurethane rubber or silicone rubber mold, one of the following options may help to repa...

Tek-Tip: Top 10 Most Common Rubber Mold Making Fails

Tek-Tip: Top 10 Most Common Rubber Mold Making Fails

We’ve compiled a list detailing the most common reasons that rubber mold making projects go wrong (e.g, uncured materials, incompl...

Tek-Tip: Perform Platinum Silicone Test Cures

Tek-Tip: Perform Platinum Silicone Test Cures

Out of the entire Polytek® product line-up, platinum-cured silicones (PlatSil® products) are most likely to suffer from cure inhibition...

Tek-Tip: Understanding Physical Property Specifications for Rubbers & Plastics

Tek-Tip: Understanding Physical Property Specifications for Rubbers & Plastics

Our Product Catalog, Website, Technical Bulletins and Physical Property Bulletins are full of technical specifications. They...

How to Keep Your Mold Making or Casting Workshop Clean

How to Keep Your Mold Making or Casting Workshop Clean

When you work with liquid polyurethane and silicone mold rubber on a regular basis, you come to realize that spills can happen and...

Tek-Tip: Keep Metal Containers Clean & Reduce Rubber Waste

Tek-Tip: Keep Metal Containers Clean & Reduce Rubber Waste

Pint and quart-sized metal containers are used to package some of our liquid mold rubbers. This packing option is used be...

A Selection Guide: Sealers & Release Agents for Mold Making & Casting

A Selection Guide: Sealers & Release Agents for Mold Making & Casting

Many mold making and casting projects require the use of an appropriate sealer and/or release agent. In the realm of mold...

How to Make a One-Piece Silicone Rubber Block Mold

How to Make a One-Piece Silicone Rubber Block Mold

This step-by-step mold making tutorial shows you how to make a simple, one-piece silicone block mold of a small, decorative object.&nbs...

Should I Use Polyurethane Mold Rubber or Silicone Mold Rubber?

Should I Use Polyurethane Mold Rubber or Silicone Mold Rubber?

You’re in the planning stages of your mold making project and you need to decide which rubber is more suitable for your process: polyur...

Mold Making: Mold Rubber Hardness

Mold Making: Mold Rubber Hardness

The hardness of rubber can be measured using Durometer Shore Hardness Scales [Figure 1].Shore Hardness measures the resistance of a material...