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Post by magnum4342 on Sept 25, 2015 13:45:40 GMT -6
I've been working on this for a year or two, and the results of my test are in. I used to store my molds in a plastic organizer with multiple drawers in two sizes. Great for organizing parts.. not so much for molds. What happens, is the plastic (that foggy, translucent stuff) drawers leech essential oils from the silicone and speed the dry rot process. Molds go bad in a matter of months. After cleanup one day about a year ago, I had no more drawer space. I tossed a few molds I figured I might not use again in an old, empty model box and forgot them. Just the other day I got a message about some wheels I had done and went looking for the molds. There they were, just as pink and pliable as the day I tossed them in! They performed perfectly and didn't tear or crumble. They even made it through the baking process and are still in useable shape. Bottom line here, is to store your molds in an old cardboard box. I know you all have at least one. As an alternative, next time you make the trip to the Post Office, grab a box for free.
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Post by iceman555 on Sept 26, 2015 12:31:41 GMT -6
Good tip. But I don't follow what happened to the molds in the plastic drawer. Did the "leaked oils" affect them?
I ask because I keep mine inside that type of drawer. Have had some molds for over 4 years and I continue to use them without trouble.
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Post by magnum4342 on Sept 26, 2015 12:50:27 GMT -6
Good tip. But I don't follow what happened to the molds in the plastic drawer. Did the "leaked oils" affect them? I ask because I keep mine inside that type of drawer. Have had some molds for over 4 years and I continue to use them without trouble. It may have to do with the type of plastic itself, due to different manufacturers using differing formulas with different amounts of oils in the mix. You may have gotten lucky and it's not leeching the oils from the molds. I would presume, the harder the plastic, the less leeching that goes on. I brought this up because a lot of us are operating on a tight budget. Tight budget means lower quality, cheaper products when it comes to such things. It also may have a little to do with environment, heating/cooling habits or climate too. In my case the plastic drawers leeched essential oils from the silicone and made them dry rot.
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Post by iceman555 on Sept 27, 2015 14:44:54 GMT -6
Ok but then your tip only applies to the people that have exact the same type of plastic drawers that you do and that is almost impossible to tell, isn't it?
If I may add to you tip, filling the void with wax and then powdering them with talc, also helps prevent warping.
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Post by magnum4342 on Sept 27, 2015 15:16:39 GMT -6
Yo are correct. However, I've always found it better to err on the side of caution. Good tip about the wax and powder.
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