Smooth-On Starter Kits

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

Really surprised at the detail preserved in the final castings! The silicone mold is very durable and the casting resin works well. Casting resin is a little more brittle than expected, but maybe that is good.
I made impossible to find parts for an antique ride on train. I was able to salvage only one part to mold from but needed 2 for the restoration.

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

1 to 1 ratio of components make this very easy to use and I had a successful cast on my first try.

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

The Oomoo 30 makes strong molds than capture every detail in the small pieces I'm recasting. The one to one mixing ratio takes the need for scales out of the equation. This is a great value, even if you're just beginning to learn how to recast.

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

I used this product to make a helmet and the product went on with no problem. Just by using it I could tell the quality was high. The only thing that I didn't like was how long it took to use but that's unavoidable really. All in all an amazing product.

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

I was able to follow the easy directions included with the product. Results were great!

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

this was a great way to try out some casting without busting my wallet

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

I used the brushable kit to make a mold of a small clay statue of the pope,
the goal being to make a "pope on a rope" soap bar. The silicon mold came out fine.
The backing mold was a bit more problematic; the product gets a bit sticky as it cures
making it tough to get a smooth finish. In the end though it held fine and the silicon mold
had little or no distortion. I did get some leakage at the hole in the mold for the rope,
but not enough to mess things up. Final product (the "pops on a rope") was very pleasing.

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

instructions and video are pretty clear. No easy way to determine volume needed to cover model. A lot of material wasted in the first mix. Then you learn and future mixes are not too wasteful.

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

Properly stored at room temperature (73°F/ 23°C), silicone rubber will have a shelf life of 6 months. After the six months the catalysts in the material have basically become inactive. Also, it's important to know that elevated temperatures will drastically reduce the shelf life of silicone rubber.

So remember when you buy it to use it as soon as possible.

6 MONTHS LIFE should be placed in the box

Comments about Smooth-On Starter Kits:

First, I have to say that this is a great product and a fantastic deal. Nothing against the Smooth-on quality. I love the kit because it comes with everything you need for a small production of 1-2 little medallions or small projects etc. HOWEVER keep in mind these kits expire within about a year.

I recevied 3 kits as a gift for Christmas one year (from 3 different people). I used most of the one kit with no issues but the other 2 completely expired within about a year. And the resin I was using from the first kit started taking longer and longer to cure later in the year until it got chucked with the other two when I descovered the expiration.

I kept these in my home, teperature controlled so it just has a very poor shelf life..even if unopened. When I went to open one of the silicone parts of kit #2, it was completely solid in the bottle and it was unporable, therefore couldn't be mixed with the other part. Thinking it was maybe just a fluke and I got a bad batch, I checked kit #3...same issue. :( Shame.

Overall, I reccomend only buying the kit (or any batch of smooth-on products) when you're ready to cast and only order the amount you will need. These will not store well.