What is a sleeve mold and how it's made
Sleeve silicone molds are in my opinion the best option when casting objects out of concrete and plaster. Clear benefits are the ease of use, consistent results and perfect finish. A downside is the difficulty of creating the sleeve mold itself. Let’s get right into it. When designing a mold or figuring out how to mold an object there are a few things to consider:
Lifetime of the mold ( Usually measured in number of pours )
Ease of use ( Or how easy it is to demold and reset it )
The finish of the poured piece ( Will it have seam lines or not )
Materials you’ll be using ( Silicone rubber, Latex, Fiber glass, Plaster etc )
The method of molding an object depends on the complexity of the object. A simple object for example is a sink. The best way to mold a sink is to use a sleeve mold. The function of a sleeve mold is to give the piece an entire finish without any seem lines or imperfections. Those molds usually require an additional support shell, as they are thin to allow easy demolding. The diagram describes the molding process. You start by building a support outer shell and inner plug that will contain the rubber as it is being poured and will act as support when casting pieces.
The sleeve molds are a great way to start producing concrete object.