Making Homemade Rubber Mouldings Using Cheap Tooling

Rubber parts are an integral part in home, commercial or industrial applications and are used for a variety of functions and applications like machine parts or tools. In an industrial setting, these rubber parts are usually made using an injection mold machine which can be quite expensive if used in a non-commercial setting.

However, hobbyists or do-it-yourself enthusiasts can make their own rubber moulds using only cheap tooling materials which do not require sophisticated professional expertise. You can make rubber moulds to create copies or castings of any small household items or objects. You can also make that missing rubber part in your appliance or tool which seems hard to find or is not available anymore in the market, or you can make small sculptures, artworks, toys and decorative items as a hobby or as a small business.

Materials You Will Need

There are two sets of materials you will need: the material you will use for your mold and the casting material you will use to make your objects. Rubber molds can be produced through commercial rubber molding compounds, which includes latex rubber, silicone rubber or room-temperature vulcanizing rubber or RTV. This usually comes in the form of a liquid rubber material and a catalyst used to solidify the rubber material and take form.

You would also need a container to hold the rubber material when you cast an object and make rubber mouldings. One of the more popular types is modeling clay made from oil-based polymers. Once your mold is finished, you can now make replicas of your casting using a wide variety of materials like cement, plaster, gypsum, resins and wax. 

Making a Homemade Rubber Moulding

The first step is to make a container for your mold using a clay moulding box which is an effective cheap tooling you can use. You can roll a layer of clay on a flat board then form it to create a cylinder or box big enough to enclose your mould. Ensure that there would be no leaks where the moulding compound can seep through.

Next is to prepare the object to be casted by coating it with petroleum jelly, allowing it to be easily removed once the mold has set. Place it inside your moulding box. Prepare your rubber moulding compound according to specified instructions of the materials you will use and then pour it over the object, gently tapping the box to remove air bubbles. Allow it to set for several hours depending on the type of material you used. Once set, you can now remove the original object and you can now make duplicates using your newly-formed rubber mouldings.
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