How to Make a Simple Plaster Mold for Hypertufa 

Making Your Own Molds as a Weekend Project

You can make some molds that you will use over and over in a single day. You will need to get your materials organized and then set a goal of how many molds you want to make. On your first day I would recommend that you don't get to ambitious and only try to make one fairly simple mold. Get a Buck (this is the name of the thing you will be making a mold of) that is no bigger than 10 or 15 inches high. Pick one with no undercuts, it will make your first attempt a lot easier.

Plaster molds used for metal casting are calcined (burned) to remove the chemically combined water so that there will be no water which could be released during the casting. For those of you who are not familiar with plaster molds, you do not paint the molds themselves, you have to pour plaster mixed with water into the mold. Silicone molds, although designed for hypertufa make very nice 3- D plaster molds. To make a plaster mold for concrete or hypertufa grease up the back of the object you want to copy and make a plaster cast over it. You will be playing doctor, so maybe you can find a nurse to give you a hand.

HowYou can also use your new mold to cast plaster ornaments to your walls. Casting plaster is not only as easy as mixing up cake batter, it's a blast to pull that new "ornament" out of the mold and add it to something that needs more beauty. Helpful tip: If you ever find that you have a hard time getting the plaster piece out of the mold, simply take a blow dryer to the mold to relax it and it comes right out. Combining Cast plaster molds for unique designs friezes, borders, 3- D wallpaper and medallions will give your house a personality of its own.

The same principles can be used to make some beautiful concrete or hypertufa ornaments for your garden and patio. Set a day aside on the weekend and set up in your carport with all the materials you will need and give it a try. There are some links to suppliers on this and the other pages of my site. Take a look, you can find all the materials you will need right here.