Hi I am in the process of moulding some white metal plaques for cabin doors. They need to show quite fine detail and a little logo. I have tried using crystacast which is supposed to give good detail but coming out of the mould each time they are much smoother than the original, the writing only just readable. Will I get better definition with some kind of silicone mould?
You mentioned your molding white metal plaques for cabin doors. Molten temperature range I would assume varies depending on which white metal is used but in general I think the silicon mold material is not able to tolerate temperatures above about 400 deg F. It typically is used at room temperatures casting two part polymers. What sort of corrosion resistance are you needing to protect against. I.E are the cabin doors on a ship or log cabin in the woods. The fine detail you mention (I presume) is relief in the pattern of say .2mm or less. Can this be made more pronounced. It might be worthwhile to use a different material such as cast polyurethane as this is corrosion resistant, holds paint well and duplicates texture in the pattern then a silicon mold would do fine.
