Here are just a few small repairs I am doing at the moment, all typical damage from handling and shipping. A mould is taken from an intact section using a silicone type impression material used in medical/dental spheres, they are either two-part materials which are mixed 50:50 or a main material into which a small amount of catalyst is mixed.
I mainly use three different types; Otoform AK, Coltène Lab Putty, and Kemsil Precise. The only difference really being the shore hardness/flexibility of the mould once it has set. Once the mould is made, it can be used replace the missing sections.
I always keep these moulds, once made the material can't be used to make a new impression but it could be used on a similar repair, should the same ornament come up in the future. This is wishful thinking as finding the mould to match the frame ornament would take too long, I am just reluctant to throw them away, and have kilos of them!
You can get some mould making materials (like Vinamold) that can be reused, but they are much harder to work with though, as you need to melt the material in a saucepan and build a fence around the area you want to copy. Useful for long running patterns, but not practical for little repairs.
Some mould making suppliers:
Alec Tiranti
You can get some mould making materials (like Vinamold) that can be reused, but they are much harder to work with though, as you need to melt the material in a saucepan and build a fence around the area you want to copy. Useful for long running patterns, but not practical for little repairs.
Some mould making suppliers:
Alec Tiranti
