Page 7

in Liquid Rubber & Plastic for Moldmaking & Casting

No. 24 • Fall 1998


	Architecture & Restoration


No Moldmaking Job Too Large

The Carolfi family, owners of Carolfi Studios, Inc., of Collingswood, NJ, have mold-making in their genes. Their family is now on its fourth generation of moldmakers, with a rich history of molding and casting of statuary, figurines and other fine art objects. The earliest moldmaking by the Carolfi s was done in the area around Florence, Italy. An eventual move to the Philadelphia area brought the family and the business to the States.



	Angelo Carolfi at the Carolfi Studios' Collingswood, NJ, facility inspects (from left to right) the GRG casting, the Polygel^® mold, and the re-sculpted model which were part of a major architectural restoration of the Reading Terminal, Philadelphia, PA.

     Carolfi Studios has diversified greatly over the last five years. Now with over 20 employees and a spacious facility in Collingswood, they are involved in many of the world's largest moldmaking projects as a subcontractor for architectural restoration firms and contractors doing ornamental facade development. Carolfi's talented staff has sculpted and molded many larger-than-life pieces in a matter of weeks, recently keeping a grand opening on schedule, although given an almost impossible deadline.
     Years of experience combined with state-of-the-art techniques, equipment, and liquid mold rubbers and plastics from Polytek^® seem to be their recipe for success. Pourable rubbers such as Poly 74-30 and Poly 74-40 are used for creating many small to mid-scale molds when casting plaster or glass-fiber- reinforced concrete (GFRC). For higher-   volume casting of abrasive materials like precast concrete, pourable Poly 75 Series products have been used to make individual and multiple-cavity gang molds.
     The advent of Polytek^®'s patented, sprayable Polygel^® liquid mold rubber and low-cost, portable spray equipment from Spray-Tech has created a whole new approach for tackling large-surface-area moldmaking at Carolfi Studios. They were among the earliest adopters of Polygel^® Spray 50. They found it to be the most cost-effective rubber for creating site molds as well as production molds from large patterns and ornamentation. Years of experience using Polygel^® and other Poly Urethane liquid mold rubbers from Polytek^® have allowed the Carolfis to refine the techniques of large-scale moldmaking to a fine art. Larger and more complex moldmaking challenges are on the horizon.
     To learn more about Carolfi Studios and their moldmaking services, please call (609) 858-7726. For additional product or application information, or to order a Trial Unit of Polytek^®'s pourable, brushable, or sprayable liquid mold rubbers described above, please refer to our online store or contact Polytek^® at (610) 559-8620.


	Polygel^® Spray 50 Mold Rubber is applied to a monumental sculpture with the VS-3000 Polygel^® Sprayer at Carolfi Studios. The sprayer allows the entire mold to be sprayed almost nonstop, as Polygel^® thickens to a non-sag paste seconds after it is applied. Thus, Polygel^® molds can be built up to the desired thickness in one continuous application.


	Molding Large PolyFoam™ Parts Air cylinder press assists opening and closing heavy molds



1. A strong, permanent, one-piece shell of Poly 15-3X that sets in less than an hour is positioned over a Poly Plasticene model and securely sealed to the base.



	2. PlatSil^® 73-45 RTV Silicone Rubber is poured into the space between the model and the shell to create a tough, flexible mold of the model surface.



		4. The mixed PolyFoam™ is quickly poured into the PlatSil^® mold which has already been coated with PolEase^® PF Release Agent and Barrier PF. The air cylinder press, which holds the core that is also made with Poly 15-3X, is immediately closed and clamped, all within 45 seconds of starting the mix.
3. PolyFoam™ R-8 is simply mixed with a drill and Turbo Mixer. It can be automatically meter-mixed as well.



	5. Nine minutes after the mold was closed, out comes a PolyFoam™ pot, ready for easy removal of any flashing and any patina addition that may be desired. The pot is already "painted" because the Barrier PF comes out as a protective coating on the part.

How To Get Started

Enough material for 32 parts (each 2 inches x 4 inches x 7 inches) for less than $150

     It's easy to make a small trial mold and castings of PolyFoam™.
     Take advantage of the low Trial Unit prices listed on page 8. Remember, freight is free for accessories ordered with a Trial Unit, up to the value of the Trial Unit.
     You may need Poly Plasticene (5 lbs) to sculpt an original shape or make a blanket over your original to form the strong shell. Covering the plasticene with plastic wrap will keep the plasticene from sticking to the plastic. Pour a strong shell of Poly 15-3X (5 lbs) or other Poly Plastics. Pour PlatSil^® 73-45 (1 or 2 lbs) into the space created between the model and the shell to make the mold. Coat the cured mold with Pol-Ease^® PF (2 lbs) and then Barrier Coat PF (2 lbs). After drying the barrier for a few minutes, mix with a Turbo Mixer an amount of PolyFoam™ R-8 to pack it to density of 16 pounds per cubic foot or 108 cubic inches per pound (0.056 g/cc). Immediately pour it into the mold and clamp the release-coated lid in place. Ten minutes later, demold your part. A 16-lb Unit of PolyFoam™ R-8 will produce one cubic foot (1728 cubic inches) of packed foam castings.

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