Jump to content

Is It Possible To Take A Mold From Ice?


Recommended Posts

A student's 9 year old daughter found perfect leaf impressions in the recent ice storm. They are in the freezer now. He asked if there was any way they could make a mold from them. The best I can come up with is maybe taking a print off them before they melt. Any other ideas?

 

Ruth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Water disolves more things than anything else on earth. Moulding Latex would be one of those. When you are using casting silicon it is best to avoid water. It would be far more simple to cast the leaf directly. I would imagine a molding material that relys on a chemical reaction with little heat may work.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would try room temperature plasticine, rolled out to the appropriate size and fairly thick, pressed onto the ice immediately it is removed from the freezer. A light spray of cooking oil on the surface of the plasticine which will take the impression should see a clean lift but if it sticks, leave the ice to melt and you will still have an impression.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have put the leaves in the freezer, make sure it is not a frost free type of freezer.  The frost free freezer removes humidity from the freezer causing the ice to sublimate (turn from ice directly to gas without thawing).  Items left in this type of freezer will freeze dry.  The leave impression wil be lost as the ice sublimates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ask your friendly dentist for a light body impression material.

 

Alginate is the material that dentists and orthodontists use to lift impressions. It's fairly cheap and easy to work with. There was a glass professor at Alfred making some molds with the material... I believe she ordered it from Smooth-On or another mold making material company, but there are venders that provide it at a much more reasonable cost.

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.