From wax to stone — sculpting the perfect dish
Serves: One aspiring artist with access to beeswax and patience
Total Time: Two days of pour, cure, and polish
This week’s special: molding and casting! I decided to revisit my STL from Week 3. I chopped the head in half along the ears to preserve the head’s features, then placed the sides into a 7in × 3in × 1.75in box for 3D printing.
I tried to include the glasses and other accessories in the STL, but the export didn’t cooperate — as expected, the glasses did not print properly.
To rescue the print, I used a knife to carefully remove any overhangs or fragile pieces that could ruin the silicone mold.
Then I coated the “finance major” head in a smooth layer of beeswax to hide tool marks and fill imperfections.
Next came mixing and pouring the Mold Star 30 silicone. I stirred it until evenly blended, poured it into the mold box, and left it to cure overnight.
The next morning, I removed the silicone halves, matched them together, and secured them with rubber bands. Then I mixed the drystone powder with water until I had a creamy consistency — somewhere between pancake batter and wet cement.
I poured in the drystone mixture and waited once more for it to set.
After curing overnight, I opened the mold to reveal a beautifully smooth cast! Every small detail was preserved — even the spot where I overzealously brushed the beeswax. I trimmed the base with pliers, then sanded along the seams to blend the edges.
Want to make your own mold? Here’s the STL used for this week’s sculpt:
🧱 Download STL File