ComposiMold 3lbs Used in Cubes

My current hobby has been making concrete pots and trays to go along with them. I have a great system down for making the pots, but trays are a different beast, and I thought I'd give ComposiMold a try for replicating and casting some existing trays that I love.I'm somewhat disappointed in the results of using concrete with this material. BUT, once you take into consideration the properties and characteristics of ComposiMold, it's understandable why I don't get perfect results. It is an awesome product, the price point is great, and the concept is awesome, and possibilities are endless because it's re-usable. But it just might not be right for my application.First, most plastic or rubber molds for concrete will leave you with a perfectly smooth finish on the casted concrete. Almost glossy. It seems you just cannot achieve those results with this product (And likely not with any products of this re-usable, meltable, water-soluble nature. You will be left with a rough, flakey, porous surface on the concrete if using this product.Why? I think there is just enough moisture in the concrete to compromise the surface contact of the mold, even when using a pure oil-based mold release. I think the moisture on the surface of the concrete is sucked out like a sponge and into the water-soluble CompiMold material. The heat from the curing concrete could also be a factor here. This makes the outer surface of the concrete weak, and flake off, leaving a rough surface.Is it the end of the world, gosh no. But buyer beware, don't expect to cast a perfectly glossy smooth object with this, and expect a perfect glossy smooth replica.I have tried letting the concrete cure inside the mold in a cold garage, using as little water as possible in the concrete mix, different mold releases (veggie oil and coconut oil), each time with the same results. I use "Cement All Multi-Purpose Construction Material" because it is super fine, has no aggregate, and can achieve a perfectly smooth surface. It's always highly recommended when casting concrete.I am a little disappointed because I did a lot of research on this stuff before I dropped about seventy dollars on it. They do say it works with concrete on a lot of the literature. And IT DOES 'work'. But the results are not great. I'm not sure what use I'll have for this product anymore.I have pictures to share, but I don't see the option to add them :(

I bought this as a substitute for Amazing ReMelt, a reusable silicon molding material which appears to have gone off the market. While ReMelt smells like commercial bathroom cleaner (and the smell gets stuck in your nose for days), ComposiMold smells of nethers and cheese, and not the good kind of cheese.On the plus side, ComposiMold is much cheaper allowing for larger molds, but it seems less durable to support larger molds (although craft sticks and other solid objects can be layered in for support). The used ComposiMold is cheaper than new, and 3 pounds really doesn't go far: .0355 cubic feet, ~60 cu in, ~1/5 shoebox (although as blocks they nearly fill a 5.2qt dollar store shoebox)ComposiMold sets faster than the latest incarnation of ReMelt (vintage ReMelt set at about the same speed). ReMelt still cleans up easier sticking to fewer materials but sticking well to itself for grabbing strings and drips. ComposiMold doesn't melt as evenly as ReMelt: stirring ReMelt allows large clumps to heat up whereas stirring ComposiMold just seems to move the large clump and coat your stirrer and vessel. That makes for more bubbles, which ComposiMold holds vigorously.When microwaving either, there is a tendency for some of the material to melt and boil while other potions stay solid. Frequent stopping to stir spreads the heat and moves the air to the surface for release. Unlike ReMelt, ComposiMold holds on to its tiny bubbles only popping larger ones. Many bubbles will degas during slow pouring, and bubbles can be poked with a pin before the material sets. You can also melt the material at a low oven setting with a little patience.The used ComposiMold works as reusable materials should. It will hold fingerprint-level detail well. The "cubes" are actually ~3oz muffin stumps (3oz by weight, 2oz by volume) and a good way to store the material for future castings. Just get a muffin pan from a dollar store. At 3oz each, 16 will get you to 3 pounds, but they threw in a 17th for good measure.

I was totally amazed how easy this product is to use and re-use. It picks up incredible details. It is also rough and tough, yet flexible. Perfect mold making material. It is heat sensitive so keep that in mind since some resins put out a lot of heat. It arrived ahead of the expected date and within hours of just ordering a 6# bag I got a notice it has shipped. I have purchased the recommended bubble buster from ComposiMold with my new order. There were small bubbles, but they did not affect my castings. The bubble buster should minimize the bubbles. I highly recommend this product for cold or low temp casting materials. I use plaster which produces low heat. I do rinse the mold with cold water after each plaster use then dry it and also before remelting for the next project. Remember it is a Thermoplastic mold making material so you must keep that in mind before using heat setting resins.