In this post I'll be showing you how to make some simple moulds for resin casting from HDPE plastic and also how to secure them from any leaks.
Great thing about HDPE is that resin doesn't stick to it and you can re-use moulds many times. For the purpose of this post I'll be making two moulds - one for pen blanks and the other one for knife scales.
Let's get started! To do these, you're going to need 2 HDPE sheets (the one I use is 50 x 50 cm and 1cm in thickness). To cut everything out I'm using my table saw as this going to give me the cleanest cut. This is quite important as you need straight edge on those boards to avoid any leakage. The rest of the cuts will be done with the mitre saw.
Now we'll use the screws to put all these parts together but before we do it obviously we need to pre-drill the holes so the plastic will not split. Then use the screws to put everything together.
And there you go, the moulds are ready! As you can see it is pretty easy task! One thing I want to advice is when you pick your HDPE sheet make sure it is at least 1.5cm in thickness as the 1cm I went for was too thin and you have to be really precise with the screws.
Remember, before you do any casting using your DIY or any other moulds, please test it against any leakage. As a precaution I always double secure the mould to ensure it's leakage proof. To do that I either use hot glue on the outside joints of my mould or I use a silicone but on the inside of your mould.
Hope you found it interesting! If you have any questions, please drop a comment down below. Have a look at my YouTube video to check out how my moulds came out!
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