Gary put his finishing touches on Mark, signed and dated it, and it is ready to be molded. To make the molds and the casting process easier, Sam cuts parts of the sculpture off with a saws-all. These pieces are set onto turntables and rubber will be applied. Metal shims are stuck into the clay, which are used to separate the different sections of the mold. 

Sammy then mixes the silicon rubber; note that it starts off white, then the catalyst is added, which is blue, that causes the rubber to set up.  We’ve discovered our favorite way to mix the rubber is with an electric drill and a beater. After the rubber has been mixed and the air bubbles removed, Sam applies the rubber with a hog hair brush, working it in to the texture and making sure rubber covers every part of the clay. The first coat of rubber is very thin to capture all the detail. The rubber will take a number of hours to set up, at which time another coat will be applied. It is a long process, but a good mold can be used for years and many, many castings.