Which medium and method is best suited to making a mold of a pine cone - especially if it is a bit fragile?

Hi Ruthi,

I must confide that making a mold of a dry, real pine cone is a serious challenge. The trouble is that the little fingers that spread apart from each other are very thin and there are deep spaces all the way to the core of the pine cone that trap silicone and make unmolding difficult. What you have to do is partially fill the pine cone with safe d clay and then make a mold over that in order to give you the shape and look of the pine cone yet at the same time you aren't applying the silicone too deep into the pine cone itself.

Do you want to make a mold of just one side of the pine cone to lay ontop of a cake or do you want to make a two sided mold to capture the whole pine cone?

Dominic

two sided mold to capture the whole pine cone

So Dominic, can you tell me which products I need to attempt this - the clay, and do I need a release agent? And which silicone product to make the mold is best suited for this......I MUST MAKE THIS MOLD....yikes, MMM syndrome!

Ruthi,

You will need, safe d clay, seal-dit and one of my silicone compounds. Can you send me a pic? If you do, I'll tutor you through the whole process. That's quite a deal y'know - having the CEO of Culinart, Inc. giving you one on one lessons for free. Isn't Cake Central Great!

Dominic

Thanks! I will try to post the picture of the pine cone (that is what were are talking about right?)....are you asking for pictures of each step of the way??? I have to order the stuff first - from your website right? Will do that today, but need to know which silicone to order.

And yes, it is really quite amazing that the CEO is answering my questions and helping one on one - I really appreciate it and love being able to get answers from pros.......that being said, since you ARE responsible for spearheading an entire epidemic of MMM, you do have a societal obligation to help those afflicted by the disease.......I'm just saying......LOL. I'm taking a leap here saying that, but from the posts I've read, you seem to have a fantastic sense of humor!....right?????

Ruthi, You are right, since I am responsible for this epidemic, it is my solemn duty to help others with their affliction. As far as a sense of humor, I don't know a sugar artist who doesn't have a sense of humor - - I think it is an essential personality trait if you are going to prosper in this business.

Okay back to the pine cone. The pic would be helpful because I will be able to see its structure and its size and with this information, make recommendations. If you are in a hurry, get silicone plastique which I am sure will work okay. If you would like to take pictures at each step of the process, I can look over things and help you through it. I do this alot with my customers who send pictures after each step. I can then help them make any corrections and give then the next step. It really ends up being like a class because the student comes away with a perfect knowledge and understanding concerning the type of mold making we did together.

Dominic