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Sharing your passion for making jewelry.Products. Service. Know-how.

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Making Beads Using a Two-Part MoldBefore You BeginUsingatwo-partmoldcompoundsuchasRioCold-Moldallowsyoutocreateaflexiblerubbermoldthatyoucanusetoreplicatedesignsandjewelrypieces.Moldcompoundisavailableintwoparts(usuallylabeled“PartA”and“PartB”).Whenequalamountsaremixed,thecompoundcurestoaflexiblerubbermold.

Oncethemoldcompoundpartsaremixed,thecuringprocessbeginsimmediatelyandyou’llhaveonlyafewminutesofworkingtime,somakesureyouhaveeverythingreadybeforeyoubeginmixing.Note:Two-partmoldcompoundshaveabuilt-inmoldrelease,soonceyou’vefinishedcuring,theitemcanbeeasilyremoved.Thecompoundalsowon’tbondtoitselfaftercuring,soit’seasyforyoutocreatetwo-partmolds.

Totestifthecompoundhascuredcompletely,lightlypressyournailintotherubber.Ifitleavesamark,thenithasnotcompletelycured;themoldwillfeelfirmyetslightlyrubberyoncecompletelycured.

Note: Objectstobemoldedshouldbesmoothandfreeofundercutsormajordefects.Objectssuchasriverrocks,marblesandothertypesofdecorativeglassmakeexcellentmolds.

Creating A Smooth Saucer BeadTomakeasmoothsaucerbead,useamarbletocreateyourmold.

1. Takeaballofeachcompound,approximately¾”diameter(abouttwicethesizeofthemarble)andmixthetwopartstogetheruntilthecolorisuniform.Rollthecompoundintoalogshapethat,whenstandingonend,istallerthanthetwomarblesbeingmolded.Lightlypressthemarbles,oneatatime,intothecompound(pressuntilhalfofthemarbleissetintothecompound);becarefultonotpressallthewaythroughthecompound.Ifnecessary,tapthemoldcompoundaroundthecircumferenceofeachmarbletoitmakescontactwithallsides.Makesurethemoldcompoundislevelaroundeachmarble.Allowthecompoundtocureforapproximately15minutes(orasdirectedbythemanufacturer).Removethemarbleswhenthemoldiscured.

2. RollyourPMC+®three-cardsthick.Useadimeorothertemplatetocuttwodiscs.Placeoneofthediscsunderplasticwraptokeepitmoist.

3. Usingyourfingertip,gentlypresstheotherdiscdeepintothemoldtocreateadome.Removetheotherdiscfromtheplasticwrapandrepeat.SetasideandallowthePMC+todry.Tohastendrying,useafooddehydrator.

4. Oncedry,removethePMC+fromthemold.Usethenailfiletosandtheedgesofbothdomesflat.Asyou’refiling,periodicallyplacethedomestogethertomakesuretheedgesmatch.

5. Dipthepaintbrushinwaterandrunitalongthesandededgeofeachdome.

6. ExtrudealineofPMC+®slipfromthesyringeandrunitalongtheedgeofoneofthedomes.

7. Pressthetwodomestogether,formingasaucerbead.UsetheblendingtoolfromthePMCtoolkittoblendanyslipthethatcomesoutattheseam.

supplies:PMC+®(seeyourRioGrandecatalogs)PMC+®slipsyringe(#100-884)RioCold-Moldcompound(#701-046)Worksurface(#111-565or#111-567)PMC®toolkit(#111-411or#100-965)DimeorroundtemplatesuchasaKlayKutter(#111-390)SandingpadsPolishingpaperNailfiles1mmdrillbitPinviseSlipWater

PlasticwrapPermanentmarkerSmoothriverrockTwomarblesTexture(optional)

Making Beads Using a Two-Part Mold8. Setthebeadasideandallowittodry.Oncedry,ifthereareanygapsintheseam,usethesyringetofilltheminwith

PMC+slipandblendsmoothuntiltheseamisnolongervisible.Allowtheseamtodry.

9. Useasandingpadornailfiletosandtheedgesoftheseamandthedomedsurfacesofthebeaduntilthebeadissmooth.Addsurfacedecorationsifdesired.

10.Findthecenterofeachsideofthebeadandmarkitwithapencil.Usinga1mmtwistdrill,gentlydrillaholethroughthecenteronbothsides.Note:Remembertoletthedrilldothework;ifyouusetoomuchpressureonthedrill,thebeadmaycrack.

11.Supportthebeadinvermiculiteandfireat1650°Ffor10minutes.

12.Usethebrassbrushtocleanthefiredbeadandfinishasdesired.

Creating A Textured Saucer Bead1. FollowStep1under“CreatingASmoothSaucerBead”tomakeyourmold.

2. Mixanotherbatchofmoldcompoundusingthesameratioasyouroriginalbatchabove.PressthelumpintothemoldcreatedinStep1,ensuringthecompoundgoesallthewayintothedomedspace.Allowthemoldtocure.Oncecuredprythetwomoldsapart;younowhaveapositiveandnegativemoldoftwomarbles.Toformthetexturedbeadsyouwillbeusingthepositivemold.

3. RollyourPMC+®three-cardsthick.Textureasdesired.

4. Useadimeasatemplatetocuttwodiscs.Placeoneofthediscsunderplasticwraptokeepitmoist.

5. GentlydrapetheotherdiscoveroneofthemoldeddomesanduseyourfingertipstocontourthePMC+®aroundtheshapeofthedome.Removetheotherdiscfromtheplasticwrapandrepeat.SetasideandallowthePMC+todry.Tohastendrying,useafooddehydrator.

6. Oncedry,removethePMC+fromthemold.Usethenailfiletosandtheedgesofbothdomesflat.Asyou’refiling,periodicallyplacethedomestogethertomakesuretheedgesmatch.

7. Dipthepaintbrushinwaterandrunitalongthesandededgeofeachdome.

8. ExtrudealineofPMC+®slipfromthesyringeandrunitalongtheedgeofoneofthedomes.

9. Pressthetwodomestogether,formingasaucerbead.UsetheblendingtoolfromthePMCtoolkittoblendanyslipthethatcomesoutattheseam.

10.Setthebeadasideandallowittodry.Oncedry,ifthereareanygapsintheseam,usethesyringetofilltheminwithPMC+slipandblendsmoothuntiltheseamisnolongervisible.Allowtheseamtodry.

11.Useasandingpadornailfiletosandtheedgesoftheseamsmooth,beingcarefultonotsandyourtexture.

12.Findthecenterofeachsideofthebeadandmarkitwithapencil.Usinga1mmtwistdrill,gentlydrillaholethroughthecenteronbothsides.Note:Remembertoletthedrilldothework;ifyouusetoomuchpressureonthedrill,thebeadmaycrack.

13.Supportthebeadinvermiculiteandfireat1650°Ffor10minutes.

14.Usethebrassbrushtocleanthefiredbeadandfinishasdesired.

Creating A River Rock Bead1. Taketherocktobemoldedanduseapermanentmarkertomarkalinearoundthecircumferenceofit.Thislinewillhelp

youdeterminehowdeeptherockshouldbepressedintothemixedmoldcompound.

2. Takeequalpartsofbothpartsofthecompound(eachpartshouldbeaboutthesizeoftherockyouaremolding).Mixthepartstogetheruntilthecolorisuniform.Rollandformthecompoundintotheapproximateshapeoftherock.Note: Theformmustbetallerthantherockbeingmolded.Lightlypresstherockintothecompounduptothecircumferenceline;becarefultonotpressallthewaythroughthecompound.Ifnecessary,tapthemoldcompoundaroundthecircumferenceoftherocksoitmakescontactwithallsides.Makesurethemoldcompoundislevelaroundtherock.Allowtocureforapproximately15minutes(orasdirectedbythemanu-facturer).Testthecompoundtomakesureitiscuredcompletely.

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Making Beads Using a Two-Part Mold3. Oncethecompoundhascured,removetherockandinspectthemoldtomakesuretherearenoairbubblesorother

imper-fections.Inserttherockbackintothemold.MixanotherbatchofmoldcompoundatthesameratioasinStep1androllitintoaball.Pressthecenteroftheballdownontothecenteroftherockandformthecompounddownandaroundtherocksoit’scompletelycovered.Gentlypresstheedgesintowardtherock.Allowtocureforapproximately15minutes(orasdirectedbythemanufacturer).

4. Oncecured,prythemoldapartandremovetherock.

5. RollyourPMC+®three-cardsthick.PlacetherolledPMC+intooneofthemoldpieces.Useyourfingertiporknuckletogentlytapitintoplace,makingsureallthePMC+ismakingcontactwiththemold.UseacraftknifetotrimexcessPMC+fromtheedgesofthemold.

6 Repeatstep5withtheotherhalfofthemold.

7. SetasidethetwomoldsandallowthePMC+®todry.Tohastendrying,useafooddehydrator.

8. Oncedry,removethePMC+fromthemold.Useasandingpadornailfiletosandtheedgesofbothdomesflat.Asyou’refiling,periodicallyplacethedomestogethertomakesuretheedgesmatch.

9. Dipthepaintbrushinwaterandrunitalongthesandededgeofeachdome.

10.ExtrudealineofPMC+®slipfromthesyringeandrunitalongtheedgeofoneofthedomes.

11.Pressthetwodomestogether,formingasaucerbead.UsetheblendingtoolfromthePMCtoolkittoblendanyslipthatcomesoutattheseam.

12.Setthebeadasideandallowittodry.Oncedry,ifthereareanygapsintheseam,usethesyringetofilltheminwithPMC+slipandblendsmoothuntiltheseamisnolongervisible.Allowtheseamtodry.

13.Useasandingpadornailfiletosandtheedgesoftheseamsmooth.Addtextureordecorationsasdesired.

14.Findthecenterofeachsideofthebeadandmarkitwithapencil.Usinga1mmtwistdrill,gentlydrillaholethroughthecenteronbothsides.Note:Remembertoletthedrilldothework;ifyouusetoomuchpressureonthedrill,thebeadmaycrack.Iftheholesareattheseam,theseammayopenslightly.Ifthisoccurs,simplywetthecrackwithwaterandfillwithslip.Allowtodrycompletely.

15.Supportthebeadinvermiculiteandfireat1650°Ffor10minutes.

16.Usethebrassbrushtocleanthefiredbeadandfinishasdesired.

800.545.6566 www.riogrande.comSharing your passion for making jewelry.

Products. Service. Know-how.

©2011 The Bell Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

800.545.6566 www.riogrande.comSharing your passion for making jewelry.

Products. Service. Know-how.

Making Beads Using a Two-Part Mold

Notes