RuthB Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 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 More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Latex maybe? Not plaster as it heats up as it dries.you could try mixing sand with glue and filling the form letting it dry. the ice would just melt away but not sure the glue with dry next to a frozen surface, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndham Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Hobby lobby has some latex and silicone rubber mold kits that might work well. Wyndham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mug Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 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 More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 ... Non water soluble wax resist in very thin layers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthB Posted February 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Thanks, all. Maybe this is a time to learn about the ephemeral nature of beauty...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Having a younger daughter who graduated as valedictorian with a degree in criminal justice............ https://wilenet.org/html/crime-lab/physevbook/index.html See page 8 of Chapter 10 Foorwear and Tire Impressions. best, ......................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46South Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 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 More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Ask your friendly dentist for a light body impression material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaM Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Why not just find some actual leaves and take the impressions from those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthB Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 You just never know where a question to this forum is going to lead! John, I'm forwarding the link about footwear and tire impressions. Hopefully, these are ordinary leaves . Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgpots Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 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 More sharing options...
KathleenHamlet Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 What about clay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgpots Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 What about clay? A frost-free freezer will take humidity from anything left in too long. An old chest freezer that collects ice will not dry things out as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Charpentier Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 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 More sharing options...
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