To make a piece of silicone bigger, the common method involves enlarging a mold of the original piece rather than trying to enlarge the silicone casting itself.
The Process: Enlarging via Molding
According to methods used in silicone work, the process for creating a larger version of a silicone object is as follows:
- Create a Mold of the Original: Start by making a mold of the original silicone piece. The reference mentions using materials like Mold Max 30 with Fast Cat 30 or Body Double for this step.
- Enlarge the Mold: The mold created in the first step is then enlarged. This enlarged mold is what will be used to cast the new, larger silicone piece.
- Cast the New, Larger Piece: Silicone is then cast into the enlarged mold, resulting in a larger replica of the original object.
Why Enlarge the Mold Instead of the Casting?
The reference explicitly states the reason for this approach:
- A solvent-filled silicone casting is described as "quite difficult to handle" and "nearly impossible to make a second mold of."
Therefore, working with the original casting directly to enlarge it or mold it again after attempting enlargement is not practical. Enlarging the initial mold bypasses these difficulties, providing a more reliable method for creating a scaled-up version.
This technique focuses on manipulating the form (the mold) that dictates the final size, rather than trying to alter the physical silicone material itself after it has cured.
