F.A.Q
Always use gloves while working with Exhibit Cast and all other epoxy materials! Avoid contact with the skin. Epoxies are capable of causing a skin sensitization reaction in people who have become sensitized to the amine hardener. Typically once sensitization is established in individuals, all subsequent exposures can lead to varying degrees of unpleasant allergic reactions. To avoid becoming sensitized to the Exhibit Cast's hardener or any other epoxy hardener, always wear gloves while working with the uncured material.
What is the DIY Molding/Casting Kit?
This product was designed by me to offer the public a way to produce their own custom rock background, waterfalls, waterbowls, water/land dividers and other terrarium decor. People who saw my backgrounds and rocks wanted a way to do it themselves without having to invest years into developing a way to do as I have. So I decided to offer a simplified version of what I use to produce my products for those who wish to Design It Yourself (DIY).
The kit contains all of the needed materials to mold your model in the field. The silicone molding putty, Exhibit: Mold, is what I developed so I could make molds while traveling and hiking. It allows you to quickly make a mold without the need for scales and brushes and mixing cups and all the other needed equipment. Just a pair of gloved hands and the Exhibit: Mold. I have included in the kit some cotton fiber gauze to help support your mold and help keep it from tearing. I found this helps to reduce the amount and likelyhood of your mold tearing.
The second half of the kit is what you use into your mold once you have made it from your model while in the field. This is the Exhibit:Cast. This is an epoxy putty material specifically formulated for this usage and unlike multiple other US produced epoxy products, does not contain any of the UK banned chemical "nonylphenol" which is quite toxic to aquatic life. Exhibit:Cast was designed to work just like the Exhibit:Mold in that you need only your gloved hands to mix the material and apply it into your mold. Once cured, Exhibit:Cast is rock solid and will look just like your original model and your new background or terrarium decor can be used. I have included in the kit some iron oxide pigment powders that will help you color your casts so you can better achieve the look you were going for. For specific information on coloring techniques I suggest you review some of the tutorials as these will go into it much more in-depth.
Why are the kits so expensive? It's cheaper to just buy a background in most cases!
It's all in the Exhibit:Mold. It's very very expensive to produce. It's a platinum cured silicone, which is the best kind out there, and it's not cheap to make. I've tried all sorts of cheaper options. Latex, urethane rubber, tin cured silicone, it just doesn't work as well for field casting. Especially if you've never worked with molding/casting before. I've designed this with one purpose: being easy to use in the field with good results. That's it. And yes it's costly, but it's what is needed. If you do a quick online search you'll see that the Exhibit:Mold is actually very similarly priced to a lot of other silicone putties out there and unlike those, this formulation is designed for this specific use. Yes others can work, but I have found them to not yield as good of results or be as easy to use in the field as this. I designed Exhibit:Mold to be something you can just throw into your backpack for a hike and take a mold off a neat rock or formation and be ready to go again in one hour. (At 75°F+) Very few other silicone putties can do that and many are more expensive if you calculate the price/pound of material.
What is the difference between Exhibit Mold and other silicone molding putties?
Exhibit Mold was designed specifically for molding vivarium and aquarium rock background and decor while in the field. The thickness of the putty is the right viscosity to allow for large volumes of material to be mixed by hand quickly so you can make your molds while out hiking. The putty has a long pot life of about 7 minutes depending on temperature, but a demold time of 1 hour. These set times and ease of use was designed to make molding in the field possible without needing scales, mixing cups, brushes and can be applied to vertical surfaces easily. The putty is a vibrant green so you can see exactly any spots you have missed while hand mixing. The human eye can detect many more subtle shades of green than any other color, and with Exhibit: Mold being a vibrant green color when mixed, you can see if you missed a spot more easily than other colored putties. I've tried working with multiple other putties on the market and couldn't find one that fit my needs, so I made my own version and now I'm offering it to the rest of the hobby. When I make my molds in the field to produce the backgrounds and rocks that I sell, this is the material I use.
How can I repair a tear in my mold?
The major drawback of any molding putty is that tears tend to run once started. I have found the best fix is to prevent them from happening in the first place by using the cotton gauze as a support and rip preventing material. If you get a hole or a tear in your mold, you can either use more Exhibit Mold onto the spot you wish to repair or you can use silicone caulk. If you use the silicone caulk you need to use "GE Silicone 1" as the other kinds will not cure against the Exhibit:Mold. Whichever material you use you'll want to dry the teared area of any mineral oil and press the new silicone on hard to try and get a good seal.
What is the clear fluid the mold is making when it's curing?
This is a mineral oil. It is commonly used in the food industry to coat candies to keep them from sticking to each other. I have taken to bringing paper towels and plastic bags with me and wiping down the molds and then placing them into the bags to keep it from getting on other stuff. I also use gloves when handling my molds during casting. It's not dangerous and washes off but can be a nuisance if you are not prepared for it.
Is Exhibit: Cast aquarium and dart frog safe?
Yes! When properly mixed and cured, Exhibit: Cast is safe for use in aquariums, terrariums, and vivariums. It does not contain nonylphenol, unlike many other epoxy putties produced in the US, which is toxic to marine life and has been banned for most uses in UK due to it's extreme eco-toxicity.
The putty feels light, will casts float?
Yes. The putty is incredibly light weight while extremely strong. Since it is primarily meant for vivarium use, it being so light weight that it will float was seen as a positive thing to help keep vivarium weights down. Since many have shown interest in using it in the aquarium as well, adding some weight in the form of small rocks or pebbles to your design may be necessary to weigh your casts down so they will sink. Otherwise you can simply silicone them down to the bottom of your tank or back glass.
Are there any tips or ticks you can recommend when working with Exhibit: Cast?
1. When pressing into molds, you can mix the putty into balls then allow it to sit while you kneed up other batches. This will allow the putty to begin to set. This will decrease the amount of stickyness the putty has and can help when pressing the putty into the mold as it will be less apt to stick to your gloves and stay in the recesses of your mold, helping to achieve better detail.
2. If you want to make a unique color pattern on your background, you can mix various amounts of iron oxide pigment powder into mixed batches of Exhibit Cast. This will create subtle color differences between the batches. Then you can press these colors into the mold in different spots to help create a marbled effect or color striations or just add another level of uniqueness to your cast.
There is still a slight tack to my cured Exhibit:Cast, is this normal?
Sometimes the epoxy hardener in the mixed Exhibit Cast will react with the atmospheric moisture and Co2. This can cause what is known in the epoxy trade as "blush". It's the reaction between the water in the air, the Co2 in the air, and the epoxy's amine hardener that creates this slight tack. Typically this is seen if a higher ratio of hardener side "A" was mixed into your epoxy batch, or it took a long time to cure due to being used in cold temperature, or the epoxy is cured in very humid conditions. You can tell it's just amine blush because only on the side that faces the air will have any tack to it. If you are using the epoxy in a mold, the face down section in the mold won't have it due to being in contact with the mold face and not the air while curing. It's common and not a problem and can be washed way with water and a very dilute soap. Half a drop of dish-washing soap rubbed with water onto the cast will remove it and is something I recommend for every cast before use anyways.
