Measure TWICE... Mount Once! Satellite Feed Horn Alignment Check Tool by Lonnie Sexton

Hello friends! Today I am sharing a different use for Amazing Mold Rubber and Amazing Crafting Products... Custom Tooling. In layman terms – I've created a custom measuring jig for mounting. This totally takes the guess work out of measuring the alignment. Works great!

R&D tooling can cost a fortune. Fortunately, I have Amazing Mold Rubber… I ran into the need for some basic measurement tooling for Ku Band Satellites. While mounting 1.2 meter parabolic reflectors (Dish), we are constantly measuring the distance between the feed horn assembly and dish to make sure they are aligned properly with each other. A process that until now was always done with a measuring tape one side at a time. This how to isn't necessarily written to make the exact same tooling, but a step by step example of custom tooling using Amazing Crafting Products.

Parts/Tools:

• Amazing Mold Rubber
• Amazing Casting Resin
• Fluorescent "FLO" Orange Dye
• Mixing Cup - (a few are included with the casting resin)
• Mixing Stick - (a few are included with the casting resin)
• Mold Release
• Poster Board
• Hot Glue Gun
• Box Knife (razor for cutting poster board)
• Ruler
• Sharpie
• Feedhorn (Primary)
• Fabric Measuring tapes
• 2 x 4 - 40 Screws

Steps:

1. Create Primary Object
2. Prepare the Part for molding
3. Make the mold box
4. Apply Mold Release
5. Mix and Amazing Mold Rubber
6. Demold
7. Attach Measuring tape

The first casting is to copy the shape of the feed-horn. To do this, I’m going to make a mold box around a section of the Feed horn neck.

Add modeling clay to the contours of the horn neck.

Create a mold box around the area I’m going to mold.

Fill any cracks with modeling clay. (note: I am using clay cautiously with casting resin. The heat will soften the clay.) Apply Mold Release to the inside of the mold box and part so the casting won’t stick to the surfaces.

Mix Amazing Casting Resin, using equal parts "A" and "B" {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}. Fill the Mold Box over the part. Let Cure.

De-mold the Casting.

This casting had a few imperfections and needed a little rework. So I filled some areas in with modeling clay and molded the part with Amazing Mold Rubber.

Mold Box 2

Mix and Pour Amazing Mold Rubber. Let Cure.

De-mold the part.

Mix Amazing Casting Resin and Fluorescent "FLO" Orange Dye

per instructions {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}.

Fill the Amazing Mold Rubber to safe level from the top, let cure.

De-mold.

Drill 2 small holes and attach the tape measures with 4-40 screws.

Attach the block to the mounted feed horn, clip the tape measures to the edges of the parabolic antenna.

This dish is not in alignment by approximately 1”. Likely caused by damage to the reflector or to the mounting tabs. The dish will be replaced or tabs repaired.

Thanks for stopping by. It’s not the normal crafty type project I typically share – but this handmade tool sure does come in handy!   ~ Lonnie S.

Stop by anytime to check out more exciting projects from

the Amazing Crafting Products Creative Team.

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Having a Little #Cre8time Tea with my Amazing Mold Putty... a tutorial by Tracy Alden

Hello! Tracy here with another Amazing Crafting Products tutorial! I am a big miniature crafting fan, always on the hunt looking for new ways to incorporate mini charms, sculptures and embellishments. While there are many paper crafting embellishments on the market, I often can't find key shapes and colors. So I decided to make my own with the help of Amazing Mold Putty and some embossing powder!

Supplies: 

• Amazing Mold Putty
• Embossing powders in several colors 
• Polymer clay 
• Stylus 
• Craft Knife 
• Ceramic Tile 

I cut and shaped the base of my embellishments out of polymer clay on a ceramic tile. After I baked the polymer clay, I lightly sanded and trimmed the edges of the pieces with a craft knife and an emery board.

I wanted to go really small with the detail, this way I could use these embellishments on small tags, jewelry and even miniature scenes in the future. To give you an idea of how small I went here are the polymer clay pieces next to an American penny.

I placed the polymer clay originals flat side down and mixed up some Amazing Mold Putty {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}. Because the pieces were so small I had to mix up small batches of Mold Putty one at a time to make sure I molded each piece properly. 

I picked out some of my favorite embossing powder colors and filled each mold with powder all the way to the top. I placed them on a ceramic tile and then put them in a toaster oven at 275º Fahrenheit for a few minutes until the embossing powder melted {YES... Amazing Mold Putty is heat safe up to 395º F}. In the process of melting the embossing powder reduced in size so I added more powder to the molds and put them into the toaster oven for a few more minutes.

Once the embossing powder embellishments cooled, they were easy to remove from the molds and any excess melted powder was easy to break off with my fingers.

Using some chipboard tags, acrylic paint, markers and the new embellishments I created tags, miniature signs and mixed media elements. Using the same molds I could cast embellishments out of Amazing Clear Cast Resin or Amazing Casting Resin to use in jewelry!

What AMAZING arts and crafts can you create?

Please share them on the user GALLERY on the Amazing Mold Putty Website!

Visit my blog Art Resurrected for more craft tutorials!

Until next time, safe travels! ~ Tracy
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March of the Lucky #Cre8time Pachyderms... AMAZING Inspiration by Maria Soto

Hi there, this is Maria and today I bring you an inspiration post. I've had these tiny elephants for many years – my mother gave these to me and said they are supposed to bring you good luck. I just think they are pretty and they are just the smallest elephants in my collection. I have a family of 10 elephants that have survived many moves. I decided to make some more and in different colors too! The new elephants will become part of my crafting embellishment stash... you will have to tune in later on to see what I've done with these little ones.

This photo below shows the Amazing Mold Putty, all ready for mixing. You need an equal amount of each putty and mix well until you see a solid yellow. If you still see white, you need to keep mixing until its a uniform color to make sure your putty cures correctly {CLICK HERE to view mold putty mixing/preparation}.

Below you can see the Amazing Mold Putty all mixed and the elephants pressed in. Since I had too much putty and I didn't want to waste any – I took a bottle cap and a dime and pressed into the leftover space. I know I will use these some time in the future. I recommend you always keep items on hand that you can mold in case you have too much putty left over, it eliminates waste. It will only take about 10 minutes for the putty to cure. You can test if curing is complete by pressing your fingernail into the putty, and the if putty comes back up - it's cured. If a depression stays leave it a little longer longer. It's fine, it will still work, you just need to make sure it's cured all the way. Curing is heat activated so time may be faster or a little slower depending on climate.

I decided to use the Amazing Clear Cast Resin to make my new elephants, and I used some of the Alumilite Metallic Powders and Alumilite Dyes.

First make sure to mix the Amazing Clear Cast Resin as instructed on the box, equal parts of "A" and "B" {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}.  If you want to add color to your molds, I suggest you add these to part "A", mix well and then add part "B" and mix again. You do have enough time to use the clear cast resin after it's mixed. After I mixed my resin I actually had the chance to make a few more molds, so I could pour several of these elephants at once. I would suggest to keep some extra molds on hand or wax paper in case you have extra resin left. 

Below are photos showing my new elephants. Can you tell which photo has the original ones? I love the colored ones, but the clear are just as pretty. I can't wait to get my new projects done with these cute little elephants and also use them in some handmade gifts for people that I KNOW love elephants.

I hope that I have inspired you to give these fun products a try! If so, please share what you make with Amazing Crafting Products. We are featuring our fan's photos right here on the Amazing Crafting Products Blog every Friday in July – so make sure to join us and have fun creating!!!!

Thanks for visiting! I invite you to stop over to my blog "What is Creativity"

at http://chuy-creativity.blogspot.com to see more of my creations. ~ Maria Soto

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#Cre8time Organization or Greencrafted Pin Catcher... by Isabel Villarreal

Hi crafters! This is Isabel and I want to share a great idea I had while organizing my craft room this weekend. The adventure begins with packaging foam and ends with a beautiful jeweled pin cushion for my sewing station.

It started after I took a trip to get some office supplies and bought a few packs of push pins for my corkboard. The push pins came on a square of foam and as someone who loves to reuse EVERYTHING I knew I had to turn these into something AMAZING.

  

I had an old wood block in my box-o-stuff that I used to make a mold using Amazing Mold Putty. I separated equal parts of "A" and "B" and mixed them until they were an even yellow color {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}. For this particular project I used the bottom of the block, since it would be used as flat base on which I would build my pin cushion.

  

The Amazing Mold Putty would take about 10 minutes to cure – so while waiting I dove into my fabric scraps and chose 2 prints that matched while still contrasting. The floral fabric will be used to cover the foam later. The easiest way to cut the fabric is to turn the fabric face down and trace the shape of the foam square. Make sure to leave an extra amount around the shape when you cut it out. The extra bit will be folded around the edges of the foam square when it's covered. I also cut a 1/4" strip from the striped fabric. This would go around the edge of the resin base.

  

At this point the mold was completely set – I removed the original wood block from the mold putty and prepared to start creating the base for my project. For the base I decided to use Amazing Casting Resin. This resin sets in about 10-15 minutes, so my crafting groove isn't interrupted and I can easily and quickly go from one step to the next. Since Amazing Casting Resin cures as a solid white I figure I'd add some color to jazz it up and make it match the fabrics a little better. I added a few drops of Alumilite Flourescent "FLO" Yellow Dye and a drop of Flourescent "FLO" Green Dye to part "A" of the resin before mixing {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}.

After pouring the resin into the mold, quickly place the foam square into the setting resin. make sure to hold it place for about a minute to be sure that it doesn't float and move around. I placed my foam square in a corner of the mold.

  

After the resin was set, I removed it from the mold and brought out the fabric pieces I cut earlier. Using regular craft glue, I attached the striped fabric around the edge of the base. The bright green color of the resin complements the fabric beautifully!

Next, I applied some glue around the very edge of the foam block. I placed the fabric over the foam and folded the extra little bit over the edges pressing the fabric evenly around the entire square.

Allow the glue to dry for about 5 minutes and add some small magnets along the sides of the foam square. I used magnets that had adhesive on the back. The adhesive made it easy to place the magnets and secure them in place for the next step. 

  

The final step is to add some Amazing Clear Cast Resin to the mix which will seal the magnets in place. I poured a thin layer of Clear Cast onto the surface and around the magnets. I then scattered some Stampendous Mica Flakes and a few assorted jewels and pressed them into the Clear Cast Resin {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}.

The results are bright, funky and functional. This is exactly what I needed for my sewing station and since I created it myself, it suits my style perfectly!

How would you decorate your

pincushion to reflect your style?

I'd love to see what you create! Please upload and share your creations to the

User GALLERY on the Amazing Mold Putty Website for all the world to see.

~ Isabel Villarreal

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The World According to a Gnome... by our AMAZING Featured Artist Tina Walker

Hi and Hello Amazing Crafting Products friends! Did you know today is International Faerie Day??! Well, it just happens to be and this project is perfect for today!

I have a small confession to make. I'm a little bit obsessed with Gnomes right now. The other day we were talking about our next crafty project at work {I work in a location where it is primarily men, so us women stick together by crafting – I can't think of a better way to spend 'work time'  ;) }.

The subject of terrariums came up as our next craft project, and we start talking about the cute little fairy and gnome gardens that many people create. One thought led to another, one idea to the next, all leading up to my project today, a Gnome Home. I thought it would be fun to create my very own Gnome Home and Gnome person. 

I wanted to create a house that looked like it would be hidden under a large tree, only visible to those lucky enough to spy a Gnome.

After searching Pinterest for Gnome Home inspiration, I decided to create a stone house, full of depth, texture, and age, but creating a house from actual stone would be heavy and filling in the space between stones difficult.

But what about a resin house? Yes!!!

I cut a piece of scrap cardboard in approximately

a 3"x3" square and glued small stones to the surface.

   

I mixed up a batch of Amazing Mold Putty and gently shaped the mold putty to my rock square. Once it had cured, this is what I created! Please CLICK HERE for mixing/preparation.

Now for the wall construction...

Using Amazing Casting Resin and a mixture of black, brown, and white Alumilite Dyes – I mixed up some resin and created 4 separate 'walls' {CLICK HERE for mixing/preparation}. For the 4th wall, I cut the resin into smaller pieces so I could add my front door. In hindsight, I should have kept the 4th wall intact and simply glued the door to the wall.

The resin walls were a flat color, so I painted them with several shades of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints to mimic how stone would actually look. I also added a few sprays of spray mist to blend the colors together and to create 'color' in the cracks between my resin stones.

Don't the resin walls look like real stone?

I was super pleased with how they turned out.

To assemble the walls to create the house, I initially added a bit of glue to the corners for some stability. I realized that this wasn't going to be enough to keep the walls together, so I thought it would help by adding some resin to the corners of the house, creating a strong. solid base.

**A TIP** I applied some artist tape to the inside of the walls to keep the resin from seeping through. Worked perfectly.

   

I added a bit more paint to blend in the new resin to the old.

Here's a close-ups of the walls.

Now on to the door...

To create the door, I cut another piece of scrap cardboard into a door shape and glued small popsicle type sticks to the cardboard. Once the glue had dried, I cut the sticks into the door shape.

I painted the door with the same PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints and some rusting powder. I wanted a rustic looking door, full of wear and tear.

I added a large, oversized door knob, and aged it with alcohol ink.

Once the door was dry, I glued it to the wall front. 

To finish my Gnome Home, I painted a large piece of corrugated chipboard with more Fresco Finish Paint and lots of Rusting Powder. I wanted the roof to look like a metal tin roof. I think it turned out fantastic.

But what's a Gnome Home without a Gnome??

I couldn't find the perfect gnome, so I bought an old vintage one from Etsy and made my own with Amazing Mold Rubber and Amazing Casting Resin. Please CLICK HERE for mixing/preparation.

Here's my original gnome getting ready for a dip

in some Amazing Mold Rubber. What a lonely little guy.

Side Share: Here's my little Gnome army. Remember I told you we were creating little Gnome Terrariums at work? Here's some of the gnomes right after they were cast. I still need to add some Alumidust to them to liven them up a bit.

And an entire army of Molded Gnomes!

I 'painted' my casted gnomes with Alumidust - that's it! No paint, just Alumidust. Love the look it gave to my Little Gnomies.

One final piece I wanted to add my my Gnome Scene, was a cobblestone path. I used my wall mold for casting. Once the resin was set, I cut it into smaller, path sized pieces and applied the same painting technique.

 

To finish my Gnome Wonderland scene, I added moss and painted bottle trees. I also added some gold Alumidust to the inside of 2 small glass vials with a drop or two of alcohol ink for aging. 

Thank you Susan and all of the Amazing Crafting Products friends for allowing me to share my creations with y'all this month! I've enjoyed being here and I hope to see you all around Cyberland! :)

Thank you again! Have a wonderful day! ~ Tina

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You can see more of Tina's scrapbook, Home Décor, and mixed media projects on her blog, "A Dog's Life" at http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com.