recycling moldmix6?

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 1:25 am

I got two quarts of mm6 just to have fun with. Its expensive stuff of course. I packed it around a few objects and let it dry and looked at what it came out as. It was fine, I learned from the experience but didn't want to go through with the casting. And then I realized I just blew thirty bucks so I chopped up the dried material and let it slake in water, and it seemed to reconstitute fairly well. My question is, could you do that after its been fired? Pulverize it, maybe add it to some fresh material and a bit of water? It would be really economical if you could recycle it that way.

jerry flanary · Post by **jerry flanary** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:17 pm

As to reusing after a firing, I would expect it to change states and have crystalobites (sp?) but you might contact the manufacturer.

As to your usage, I packed it around a few objects and let it dry and looked at what it came out as. what do you mean by packed around? I have only used it by brushing on a layer, letting it dry, and then brushing on another layer. continue until achieving desired thickness. Less cracking this way, less waste. It is pricy stuff as you pointed out.

Avery Anderson · Post by **Avery Anderson** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:38 pm

I have only used it by brushing on a layer, letting it dry, and then brushing on another layer. continue until achieving desired thickness. Less cracking this way, less waste. It is pricy stuff as you pointed out.[/quote]

I took a class from the Twins at Pilchuck, and this was how they instructed it should be used...by brushing on several layers...in different directions so as to weave the fiber in order to create a stronger bond. Jerry...do you use a Tiger torch for the burn out?

Avery

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 4:23 pm

I mean I just grabbed a gob of it out of the jar and slapped it on there and slapped it and patted it to get it in the crevices. It was open faced and the pattern is a replication of a precolumbian mayan figure and the mold seemed to pick everything up with no voids. But I guess I shouldn't do that? So when you paint it, you dilute it?

I'd be very surprised if the manufacturer gave me leave to recycle it. But fiber is a main component, so maybe if it was mixed with some fresh stuff... We'll have to see I guess.

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:03 pm

And as a side question:

Since MM6 is water soluable, would , painting on the thin layers, then coating that with 50/50 work? Or would the 50/50 dilute the MM6?

To the primary question, my logic would be: (and possibly could be very wrong) If it was NOT fired, then it "could" be a slurry type mixture that "might" be reconstitued. On the other hand, it could have ingredients that escape when the mix dries, therefore would have to be re-added to make it viable again.

But you could do some baseline research for the rest of us. Try it!!

Greg

charlie holden · Post by **charlie holden** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 7:59 pm

You can stretch MM6 by backing a painted on face coat with plaster/silica if you want to. Two coats MM6 with drying time in between should be enough if your backing it up. The easiest way to paint it on is to run it through a blender first. That will make it very liquid for a while.

For an open face mold that is no more than a couple of inches deep you can paint on three layers. When the last layer has dried melt out the wax, if there is any. Then torch the MM6 till it goes black, (if there's wax), and/or red then back to pure white. Now it is hardened and I doubt it can be recycled. Hold the empty mold over a light and paint on more MM6 where you see the thin spots. Kiln wash, press the mold into some sand for leveling and support then fire away.

It is water based but I don't think it is water soluable in the strictest sense. If your pour it down your sink you are asking for trouble.

ch

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 3:54 am

Do you think Steaming the wax out, would be a problem? It's that whole burning wax/ventilation prob.

Greg

jerry flanary · Post by **jerry flanary** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 10:53 am

For burn out I just go outside and use a roofing torch/big bushy torch and torch. the wax melts and is absorded into the shell so the shell looks wet brown then sooty black then you need to get it to have some heat color in it as charlie was saying (red) this burns of the soot and hence it is white again and fired like a piece of clay. At this point it is brittle. you shouldn't expect success from steaming out because it is a water based product you should expect a puddle. But I haven't done it; that's just what I expect.

Charlie are you doing this "stretching MM6 by backing a painted on face coat with plaster/silica "?

The blender trick works but your working time varies from batch to batch. My batch was really short so I just started wiggle-jabbing the brush in the mm6 to make some "loose" and workable. worked for me. Whether or not to add water to the product was a lively discussion in our class and there is some info about it on the makers website. I would just make sure my brush was wet before I started.

Clean up is very important because the mm6 can irritate people's skin. If you use a blender for mm6, I would not use it again for food products.